Monica Lemsal: March 2014

Project 1 Shaped paintings

I've started this project by exploring edges and the relationship between images/marks contained within a frame and their existence when 'travelling' beyond their perimeters. I haven't followed the projects as set such as cutting out and arranging geometric forms but hope that I've followed the principle of exploring beyond the traditional frame. My work is continually referring to contemporary Italian artist Marco Gastini and yet again I'm looking at work in this context.

Some exploratory sketches...

Thinking about frames being eroded or expanded. Floating/passing marks, dynamism/ static interacting

Looking at Marco GASTINI whose work is rarely contained in a frame.

Charcoal A1 object drawing. I've placed a found bit of packing paper on a rectangle then added a piece of metal grid. I'm exploring the agitated contortions of the paper untamed or contained by the rigidity of the rectanglular form/frame. I failed to finish this not knowing what to add at the base of the picture.

It was good to be drawing from life again and I enjoy exploring form through light.

These next pieces explore marks in motion passing between rectangular frames

Acrylic on foam board 60x40cm

Acrylic on paper and foam board 80 x 43cm

Further works with marks passing around and beyond rectangular shapes. Here I've added a 'bridge' masking the transitional stage.

It works quite well but its over complex and muddled. If I went on with this the marks need to be placed with feeling but great care. Possibly the same image needs to be tried repeatedly. I've used foam board as it gives a bit of depth and its smooth surface helps the skimming brushwork.

I like the layer effect and have often toyed with the idea of using sheets of perspex or glass. This mark work that started in the calligraphy unit was directly inspired by Paul Keesey and Claude Heath.

Acrylic on foam board 30x14cm

Here I am playing around with edges creating divisions within a rectangular frame.

In several parts of this course so far I have wanted to scatter bits and pieces but have yet to find a way to attach them to a surface effectively. Maybe I should make wet sticky surfaces....plaster maybe.

Shaped paintings....the shaped representational or narrative painting.

Here I've returned to the 'restless sleep' theme that I looked at some time ago thinking about the mosquito net as an isolating 3D form. I'd quite like to develop this further one day.

Project..... Object Painting

I've made three 80cm high plaster forms as a base for this project. I intended that they should relate one to another joining in places but they evolved as separate pieces. I feel the 2 forms on the left work best and have some expression in the common. The piece on the right has been a struggle from the start.

Working out some processes for working the surfaces with some odd bits of plaster I had lying around. Rather than paint I'm trying out layers of tissue paper.