progression of my final painting in Warsaw

In my final weeks in Warsaw (see previous post!) I wanted to depict the incredibly exuberance of being dumped into a different capital city with people from all over the continent and being told to just get on with it. Ups and downs (mainly ups!), 4 months of Polish language and approximately 4 words learnt and too much piwo later, here is my painting! Dziękuję i do widzenia!

Oil and acrylic on canvas, approx 100cm x 80cm

Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw

I must concede I was completely MIA for the remainder of 2018 on account of my having moved temporarily to Warsaw, Poland for the Erasmus scheme (dear God please let this escape Brexit's unholy clutches.) I enrolled for a semester in the painting faculty of Akademia Sztuk Pieknych w Warszawie (Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw), and my experience has been outstanding. Mingling with people from all over the world, from Italy and France to Turkey, Israel and South Korea, it has been unbelievably refreshing.
I terms of the art, the practice was wholly more technical and traditional, and I found the lack of studio space (the students arrive for a lesson, set up, paint, pack up again and leave with their paintings) quite limiting. I guess the fact we have designated areas for the whole year at Newcastle is a luxury I take for granted. I must concede to too many nights out whilst I've been here (at an average of 10 Polish zloty - £2!! - per beer, how could I not make the most of the new culture) so my work has not been as focused as it was last year. I've also been working on my dissertation, undertaking regular Skype calls back the UK to discuss my ideas and meet my deadlines.
But, on the whole, I've created enough work to post, so have a gander and enjoy.

Paintings

Oil on A3, painted from life

Oil on canvas, 15cm x 15cm

Each oil on canvas, 15cm x 15cm

Acrylic on A5

Oil and acrylic on canvas

Warsaw nights 1. Oil and acrylic on canvas, 25cm x 25cm

Warsaw nights 2. Oil and acrylic on canvas, 40cm x 60cm

Warsaw nights 3. Oil and acrylic on canvas, 90cm x 90cm

Warsaw nights 4. Oil and acrylic on canvas, 90cm x 90cm

Drawings

Pencil on A5

Acrylic on A3

Acrylic on A5

Charcoal on A3

Charcoal on A3

Charcoal on A3

Charcoal on A3

Biro and collage on A5

Oil and coloured pencil on paper, approx 40cm x 40cm

Charcoal on A1

Printmaking

Gdansk. Etching on A5

A4 lino cut

A4 lino cut

final work of second year

Behold, the final work for my second year at Newcastle University. This is by no means the end of this project, as I wish to further abstract and increase the dimensions of my work.

Monoprint and chalk pastel on A1 paper

Monoprint on A1 paper

Indian ink and tape on tissue paper, creating the cartoon for my composite print. My larger print is having to be made up of 4 separate prints, due to limitations in paper size and printing press size.

Monoprint and chalk pastel on paper, 114cm x 148cm

preliminary sketches for monoprints

Leading on from my last post, using the same subject matter I am going to experiment with monoprint. I made some preliminary sketches from which my monoprints would be based.

All above - charcoal, graphite or acrylic on A5 sketchbook

I then made some small print experiments, using complementary colours to create credible depth and believability of the figure in space, then colouring over in chalk pastel to add another dimension and coherence between the forms and tone.

All of the above prints were derived from the previous sketches, again trying to eliminate my usage of photography as a source, working more intuitively with colour and form.

developed paintings

Leading on from my sketches in my previous post, I started these paintings.
As each piece influences the next, I begin to develop an intuitive approach to colour, tone, and form, and with a diminished dependence on photography, I begin to embody the medium of paint, becoming a physical manifestation of self-portraiture. Placing the figure in my university bedroom, I try to create credible depth in the painting whilst expressing both the freedom and isolation of the student experience in a new city.

Oil on board - approx A4

Oil on board - approx A5

Oil on board - approx 15cm x 15cm

Acrylic sketch - approx 10cm x 10cm

Oil on board - 42cm x 40cm

Oil on board - 38cm x 41cm