Preliminary Autumn Painting

Part 6 – Parallel Projects

Project: Preliminary Autumn Painting

The influence for this work was two-fold, John Piper and Alexey Vasiliev (Autumn at the Karaman River), a contemporary Russian artist.   His work is very free and colourful with an interesting texture.  I suppose the nearest grouping would be Expressionist.

http://www.paintingofrussia.com/artwork.php?artwork=21127


John Piper produced exciting paintings based on motifs such as plants and squiggles with a variety of subtle and forceful colours, which are almost abstract.

John Piper, Dondale, Dordogne, ©Bridgeman Library

                                      John Piper, Eastnor Castle © Bridgeman Library

John Piper, Near Middlemill © Bridgeman Library

John Piper’s work does occasionally move very close to abstraction but because there is always a subject matter it would probably come under the heading of abstract impressionism.  His colours are dark probably because when he was painting after the 2^nd World War, his work represented that bleak period but his style in terms of colour remained fairly constant throughout his life.  There is an urgency or rawness in his paintings which is particularly compelling.

I think my painting moves closer to abstraction, but still has subject matter so is not strictly so.  It is painted with acrylic paint.  I enjoy exploring colour and texture in a semi-abstract way and am looking forward to learning new methods in the Abstract project coming up next.

Check and Log

• Do your paintings and experimentations evoke a sense of Autumn

It took me a while to get into it but I think some of them do.  I was disappointed with my leaf picture in its effect but found it useful to explore broken hues. The monoprints were fun to do and I can see some potential here to develop more creative ideas using this technique.

•  What ideas or approaches have you founding your research into other artists’ work that will influence your own work?

I like the freedom of many of the contemporary Russian painters, and liked the semi abstract work and vivid use of colour of John Piper. I liked the variety and strength of some of Emil Parrag’s work.  I am a great admirer of Gerhardt Richter, particularly his abstracts and the idea of destroying and re-working is something I have tried before and will try again. I also like the work of Joan Eardley and wish Bridgeman had more of her work.  I will certainly look at her work when considering the Winter project.