Alla Prima (Loosening up)

Alla Prima, or "at the first", denotes a painting completed in a single session utilising a wet on wet technique. Characteristically loose and these 'painterly' works often show evidence of the artist's hand. By painting darker values in transparent layers, and moving to opaque paint in mid to high values, a remarkable sense of depth is maintained. Painters of note* include but are not necessarily limited to Michael Hussar (Fig. 1), Sean Cheetham (Fig. 2), and Eric Bailey (Fig. 3).

Fig. 1 - Michael Hussar

Fig. 2 - Sean Chettham

Fig. 3 - Eric Bailey

A tendency for 'tightening up' has led to imagery lacking the desired dynamism throughout the first half of the semester. Alla Prima's sense of controlled urgency may facilitate a mental shift, allowing the particularities of the medium (oil paint) to become an integral part of the finished work. Should they prove necessary, room still exists for modifying glazes in later stages of the painting process.

* Posts providing a more detailed analysis of those mentioned have been included

The Right Tools Make All The Difference: I'm Switching To Oils

The decision to exploit the fast-drying times and flexibility of acrylics is under revision. The vast majority of the artist's informing my practice paint exclusively in oils, a switch I've been considering for some time. Painters, it's been said, can be roughly subdivided in two categories: palette mixers and surface mixers. Whilst aspects of each mixing method will inevitably be in evidence, most painters favour frequent implementation of one over the other.

As a surface mixer, acrylics severely lack the desired open-time despite the addition of a retarding medium, and a stay-wet palette. Oils, of course, present their own challenges: adherence to the the basic rules of slow-drying over fast-drying, thick over thin, and fat over lean. However, any convenience acrylic paints offer is matched by their insufficiency in pursuit of my desired aesthetic. Sure, a good craftsperson never blames their tools, but identifying the right tools for the job is step one. Sadly, I've grown weary of sawing through solid oak with plastic cutlery. It's time for a change.

I look forward to the creative potential of such a versatile medium, and believe it may provide just the kickstart this project desperately requires.

Prototype: Process & Reflection

Process Photo

Process Photo (detail)

Completed Prototype

Whilst a sound composition, this work lacks dynamism. Despite evidence of a reasonable understanding of light's relationship to form, the overall impact of the painting is insufficient. The silhouette containing an image of a diseased colon is not nearly as visceral as I'd hoped, losing ground to the sharp contrast created by the inclusion of a flaming plastic domicile against a dark ground. I'm concerned the subject matter is being too narrowly defined in sympathy with the proposal; working to a brief appears to be stifling creativity in order to maintain the project's 'authenticity'. In the future it may be prudent to loosen up the composition, take a few risks - in both form and content - in order to create tension. Currently, the work is too literal, easily encountered and dismissed, it lacks impact. Perhaps reassessment of the metaphorical potential of 'disease' as subject matter is in order? This process is beginning to resemble the hyper-rationalised social constructs it seeks to examine... academia can be a trifle stifling at times.

Completed Prototype (detail)

Completed Prototype (detail)

Completed Prototype (detail)

Completed Prototype (detail)