Shared Project

So - never a dull moment - onwards and upwards. The next challenge is to work along with two other Stage 2 Painting students on a shared project to exhibit on the 7th November in one of the free studios. This is a very square whitewashed room. There are windows high up on one side and on the opposite wall are a couple of doors giving access to cupboards presumably. I have never opened them! There are three walls on which to hang which is convenient. One of these is panelled which could give rise to difficulties but I have chosen it for hanging my work for reasons which will be given later.

We have decided to have a common starting point - 'Clare de Lune' by Debussy. Sarah - one of the other two - was working on artwork inspired by a piece of music which got me thinking. Somehow I happened when surfing the net upon Debussy and my suggestion as to the particular Clare de Lune was approved.

Debussy is considered a French Impressionist painter. Clare de Lune was written in response to Paul Verlaine's poetry. He is considered a French Symbolist poet. My artwork is to take the form of eight panels representing piano keys. I found a rough estimation as to the dimensions of grand piano keys and scaled up - 9 x 54 cm a piece. They will be painted in colours taken from Whistlers Nocture series. Nocturne having the same moonlight connections as the music and poetry.

Having listened to the music I have eight different 'annotations' which will be inscribed into the panels. These panels have been underpainted in yellow. Greys, greens and blues will be painted on top and the annotated symbols will be scratched through the upper layers to expose the yellow. These annotations will take the form of morse code I suppose and there will be links between the stopping point of one panel and the starting point of another in order for them to be read as a cohesive whole.

The width of the panels equates with the width of the panelling in the studio. Each of the painted panels will be backed with a piece of wood so that the panel sits out - four one width, the other four slightly bigger so that they appear to be moving.

This is the master plan. Unsure as to if it is going to work, which is why I was in studio today - on a Sunday, getting moving.

The images below show the application of paint to create a surface in keeping with Whistler's Nocturne series.

On this surface I used acrylic inks to play with the 'written' responses to the music.

The eight panels were primed with gesso and undercoats of yellow then nailed and blu-tacked precariously on the wall in order to be over-painted as one. It was important for the colours and movement to be continuous.

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This image shows three preparatory pieces where I worked with oils on the far left, then acrylic with palette knife in the middle and the far right with a brush. Whistler's painting is evident in the middle section of the image. Below is my sketchbook showing how I arrived at the colours.

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