Some time ago we explored fashion illustration through the use of mixed media whilst using other artists work to influence our own.  We worked three series of three paintings each, these works are my final series of paintings.

I am not quite sure where I got the idea to do such large pieces, although on my second series my paintings were getting longer and longer.

Anyway, I’ve been meaning to show you for quite a while and on Friday I managed to get some proper photo’s to show you, with me in scale, all 5ft 10″ of me.  And just so you can get the full experience of what I was thinking at the time, I shall recreate my labels as they appeared when displayed under each photograph.

Winter

This picture conveys the icy glare and barren trees that often accompany winter days.  The first of a set of three pictures illustrating my skirt have in themselves become a means of exploring time and travel.  The skirt or rather the model is exploring her space in the picture and because of this is travelling through the pictures showing different aspects of her clothing, however whilst this is occurring the passage of time continues as we know time never stands still. One can see where the influence of Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian man has influenced my work through the use of many limbs, to explore movement.  Gustav Klimt’s work in his gold period gave me the inspiration to use the aluminium foil. Julie Verhoeven’s use of line, especially her changing medium mid stroke and David Hockney’s changing seasons which he so often uses in his work.

 

Autumn

In this picture one can see how the trees are now filled with fruit, all of the spring flowers are gone and one can feel, almost imperceptibly the changes that will culminate once again in the barren time that is winter.  Behind her we can see the darkness that is growing accompanied by the autumn fogs that lay gently on the ground often bringing with them ground frosts that kill the last of the summer plants.  We also see the full width of her skirt, which symbolises a dandelion with ripened seed, ready to release its offspring to the next sharp wind.  Maybe it is too late in the season for these seeds to develop before the hardest of frosts, one can only wait and see.

Ultimately the series reveals the circle of life and the way that no matter what we are doing, we are moving through it.