Painting session with artist Karen David

Artist Karen David, our original tutor on L6 came back to teach a painting session. It was great and I wished I had been able to attend the other sessions. This was the last one. It was called the 1 hour painting challenge. It was a small group and I had planned to try something I had had in mind for a while. Since L4 in fact! I had done a painting course with James Collins and his final advice was a route to try with my painting. I was finally getting to do this idea. I often carry these ideas around for a long time. I am getting better at doing them when they first originate.

I looked at Christopher Wool, Albert Oehlen and Rachel Jones for inspiration. My plan was to create layers of collage using images and letterpress printing. I planned to paint over this in an abstract way using acrylics and oil pastels. Not something I had tried before but the process of only have 1 hour took the pressure away and made me less precious and stressed about it.

I was happy with the outcome, not really from a visual sense but the fact I had been able to try the idea in my head. It looks good on the shots. I also learned that the red brick colour I was using to represent Manchester housing create the effect of fire or danger! I toned this down with some blue and yellow layering. I recreated the fence pattern across the image and I was a little concerned it made the image of my primary school look like a menacing place! It was good to see what impact and impressions the colours could have on the overall visual. Great to learn how to change these during the process.

We chatted while we worked and swopped tips and ideas, we heard about Glasgow where Karen now works. She was also kind enough to give feedback on where we are at with our projects. It was only a morning session but I felt I learned so much in a short time, through Karen and the process of hands on learning rather than theory.

Final painting 'Welcome to Sunny Gorton' - acrylic paint, letterpress prints,

photograph of my primary school and free dinner tickets.

Planning ideas for colours over text

Trying layouts of collage beneath the painting

I decided to go for the portrait version of collage, on wooden surface,

previously covered with spray paint.

Painting sat alongside letterpress prints and map of Manchester

Remnants of paints to be used rather than thrown out

Result of the paint remnants! Brushed and squidged with fingers 

to create an abstract painting.