ART BLOG 5
What can I see through my window?
Lots of feelings and thoughts came to me about windows
I have been contemplating a lot through the windows in my house recently, as well as spending time “killing time”, cleaning the windows in my house, that were so dirty, the perfect excuse to peep outside!
Is it just me that got a bit preoccupied with cleanliness or was it the collective movement of spring cleaning? What is the desperation to use my time productively? or did I unconsciously want to get rid of the nasty dirt that came and try to touch us all?
I wonder if some of us, still mainly indoors for whatever reason, are perhaps spending more time near the windows to feel the light, the sun or to get a sense of feeling of others who are far from us right now.
Windows have offered many possibilities for artists like Bonnard or Matisse who dreamed of colourful, beautiful, bright places that he imagined looking out of his window. Early Matisse Lived in an industrial town in France, from his window he saw bricks and grey hues, not a very vibrant view. He didn’t seem to be content with what he saw through his window so he started to imagine scenes that transformed his reality for ever.
Windows mean a lot symbolically, for instance looking ahead, beginnings, protection, a fresh start, looking through, or simply yearning for something or someone outside.
Windows bring so many possibilities , what can you see or what can you imagine…
What do I need?
1. Time to contemplate
2. Basic set of colours pencils to sketch
3. Any White Paper size A4 and A3
4. Water colour paints
5. Small paint brushes and a big paint brush.
6. Make a view finder:
A viewfinder is used to remove lots of fussy details so you can focus on one particular area that you want to copy.
For example, sight a chair within the centre frame. If it helps, close or cover up one eye when you look through the hole.
Things to consider:
Check the colours that you can see and start thinking about your pallet, taking into consideration bright colours , cool colours, light and dark.
Think about your composition, do you want to use only a fragment of the whole scene that you see through your window?
Let your imagination take you on a journey, remember there is not right or wrong
You can imagine what is on the other side of the window if you like
Image 1 (a,b,c)
Making a View finder 2 long stripes of paper to make a frame to focus on a particular object
Image 2,3 & 4
I made a “red orangey” wash background with lots of water and a little bit of watercolour pigment. I used a big paintbrush I painted it very quickly. You can choose any colour choice. On my first draft I had to concentrate a lot to draw the wash line with details.
I used colour pencils.
Image 4 final version
I simplified the wash line for the “final” piece I chose a smaller piece of the whole composition. I used water colour and oil pastels.
Images 5 and 6
Sketch of me cleaning the window and final piece
I used water colour and colour pencils
