Exploring with colour and silhouette

 

Exploring with colour and silhouette

I have a beautiful moment caught on camera that inspired the abstract piece I started today. It’s based on a photo of my son when he was nine months old and my daughter when she was two. In my last post, I mentioned wanting to limit the number of colours I use, and I still plan to do that, but not for this piece. For this work, I’ve been guided by the vibrant colours that Norman Lewis used in his painting The Players.

I’m learning to be patient when blending the colours and to keep my fingers clean to avoid muddying the tones. The piece isn’t finished yet, but I can already see a difference in how I’ve applied the pastels from right to left. I took more time blending on the right side, and I really like how that area has turned out so far.

I really enjoyed blending the colours together now that I have some better quality pastels. The colours fused together so much more smoothly.

This is what I have done so far.

When I look at other artists’ work that features children or babies, I always take a moment to admire it. I think it takes real skill to capture the essence of a child, to make them look like a child rather than just a small adult. It is a bit like trying to draw a horse that ends up looking more like a donkey, and vice versa.

I was a little worried when I started this piece, as the only part I was keeping true were their silhouettes, and I thought it might end up looking like two lovers rather than my children. I am really happy with how my son on the right turned out, as I feel I managed to capture the essence of a baby. My daughter on the left, however, has the gentle presence of a protector, it almost feels like a mother with her child.

This oil pastel work was inspired by my research into Agsandrew’s abstract portraits. I was particularly influenced by his use of colour, shapes, movement, and simplified facial forms. Rather than focusing on fine detail, I allowed the oil pastels to blend and flow into one another, letting the colours guide the piece and respond to how I was feeling listening to Clair de Lune at the time.

The two faces in my work are created using bold, expressive marks and swirls of colour, which I believe reflect Agsandrew’s approach to abstraction and emotional expression. However, my silhouettes are based on my two children, which makes the work deeply personal and connected to my own life and experiences, that leads back to memory and the old lullaby music.

Using Agsandrew’s work as inspiration gave me confidence to trust colour, loosen my mark making, and focus more on emotion rather than realism.