Final Project-Learning Log, Four Thousand Farms

Four Thousand Farms

 In my study for this project I did some research into the creation/history/geography and general demographics of the fens. This painting represents the chaos at the edge of a field, nature; the cultivated field is just visible at the top of the painting with fresh uniform growth, and of course the four thousand farms that the Fens support.

FTF began with photocopies of a picture I had taken of the land protected from frosts with straw. This gave me a structure to start from and I love the apparently random interlacing of the stems which would later be reintroduced to the surface of the painting. Some of the photocopies are still visible.Once more I chose to introduce lots of texture onto the surface. This helps create depth and surface interest, but the long straight lines of the thread are reminiscent of the way the land is divided with fields, roads, railways and drainage ditches. I like the contrast between the formal structure underlying the painting and the organic application of the paint, a hard line meets a soft line. I also used some Pebeo black  nature gel for an earthy effect.

 I was attracted by the vibrant colours and energy in a small oil pastel sketch I had made of the rough grass at the edge of a field. I was attracted by the contrast of rough and smooth texture, and the contrasting colours, cool green and the fiery orange and reds. I choose to zoom in on the rough texture of the foreground as it made a more dynamic painting. I was excited to be working with a much more exuberant palette than usual.
I have found in this set of paintings that I often need to work with a larger bush, creating more blocks of solid colour. In the past I may have used more 'bitty' arrangements of colour to guide your eye around a painting. Working from very simple sketches directly to the canvas has

been a useful experiment and helped me to be bolder in my use and application of colour.

Adding the strips of paper at the end was to reintroduce structure to the painting. I like the way they thrust themselves across the canvas, providing a lot of energy and movement despite their  geometric, regular shapes. Some of these shapes have been outlined a la Hockney and Van Gogh!

Four Thousand Farms is written along some of the strips.