I felt the need to upscale the walking drawings from the diary because I wanted them to have more gesture and fluidity. This series was more a set of drawings rather than complete paintings, any material can be used for drawing so I stuck with my acrylics. Although drawing what was in front of me I keep referring back to the lighting. I believe so because it's key for promoting atmosphere and sense of place in paintings. Thinking back to Debord's theory of psychogeography; it has been applied here since I respond emotionally to the weather at that specific location. That feeling content and calmness. Therapeutic? I do think the structural forms of the graveyard are good starting points as they reflect light and change according to the weather. When it's dull or raining the stones camouflage and sink themselves into the trees. Whereas the morning sun highlights their harsh edges. They appear grand, almost like the Queen's guards lined up.
Colour again is important. Isolating my colour palette and focusing on the main two, blue and yellow ochre. I think it's necessary for me to understand; how to use them to advantage, how they interact together and their response to isolation. The Necropolis series explores how the colours work alone. Taking a step back, the shades of blue I'm using work stronger alone than the yellow does. The yellow falls flat and appears sickly. The blue has depth and intensity.
What's important about the impact of lockdown is that I have more time to spend doing experiments like this. Being furloughed from my hospitality job the weekends and evenings have been freed up. Rather than viewing it as a paid holiday, I've taken it as an opportunity to investigate and further my practice.
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