Carmen McNally's Art

Visiting Wollaton Park and other walking locations Today I took my kids on a walk. We started at the Wollaton Park where I didn't find much over grown doors and gates because of the current season we're in. I knew this would be the case but I was still hoping to find some overgrown parts with lots of old vines and ivy leaves. I did find a gate all on its own which was a little creepy. My kids seemed to like it.  A gate to nowhere and everywhere.   I was so surprised by how neat many people kept their back gates and hedges during the Winter months.                             Below are some unmaintained gates within Wollaton park that I found. I'm still a bit unsure of what direction I want to take. I really love the idea of looking at some overgrown areas, if only we were in the Summer months, it would be a lot easier to find overgrown green areas. I do like the idea of keeping things realistic and look...

Masuki Rina Photographer Masuki Rina Taipingshan captured this trail’s magical atmosphere, showing foggy landscapes, moss-covered beams, and plants growing everywhere in the National Forest Recreation Area in northern Yilan. This is a popular destination near Taipei, known for its misty scenery and lush vegetation. It features the Jianqing Historic Trail, a path that follows old railway tracks and trestles from the area’s logging history.  This photograph exudes a captivating and magical charm. I aspire to recreate a similar scene for the mystery land that lies hidden beyond the gate.

Illuminated Cut Paper Light Boxes -  Hari & Deepti This link takes you to a short video of  Hari & Deepti  working. I really like the work of Hari and Deepti. The paper cutouts look so interesting. When lighting is used, the shadows cast beautiful sharp angles and create so much depth and gradient tone. It's looks so magical as though I want to walk right through it. This is the kind of direction I'd like to go into maybe when creating my own response to the overgrown gate. I would like to try something a bit more simpler while experimenting with this technique as I've never tried it before. Definitely, on a much smaller scale to see what I can do, I'd also like to research some artwork that'll give me some inspiration with something that I would like to create.

  The chosen painting I have chosen this painting by  Green Landscape with Gate, c.1943-Victor Pasmore to respond to. After walking around the gallery, I thought of the things I am interested in like mystery, emotion and connection. I found that in this painting, asking questions to myself like, what is behind the gate? Green Landscape with Gate, c.1943 Oil on canvas- Victor Pasmore (1908-98) Edwin John Victor Pasmore was a British artist who started by painting realistic scenes like the one above but later became famous for his abstract art. He was inspired by other abstract artists and used new materials to create his works. Pasmore also worked on urban design projects and was known for his innovative approach to art and architecture. He was a significant figure in British art during the mid-20th century.

1st visit to the castle for the new brief Below is an audio review of some paintings I favoured and why at the Nottingham Castle gallery. On the left is the Harold Knight 'The Girl in the white dress' that I responded to last year. I wanted to show how similar it is to the Janine Forbes-Robertson 'Portrait of Cecilia' 1912 painting on the right that drew me in this year. The composition, the tone and the expression are all so similar. Harold Knight 'Girl in a White Dress'                                                                                                                    Janine Forbes-Robertson 'Portrait of Cecilia' 1912 Green Landsca...

  Evaluation My initial idea was to work with wire, inspired by artists such as Bernar Venet, who uses simple forms, Anthony Gormley and Barbara Licha, who both create human figures, and John Pai, who I believe constructs these sea life-inspired sculptures. However, I soon felt overwhelmed and realised that wire wasn’t the material I wanted to work with and that what I would create might lack the impact I envisioned. My next idea was to develop my skills in ceramics. I took the leap and consulted with the ceramic technicians to explore what was possible. After completing the test pieces, I discovered the work of artist Michelle Segre. I wish I had seen her work earlier, as it would have helped refine my vision for what I wanted to create. My goal was to make a larger sculpture piece that displayed both delicacy and fragility, but yet also have a good structure when standing as I believe this represents a system that can be broken down. My wool sample provided valuable insight into ...