Ellenor Art Studio

Artwork Blog for Ellenor Hospice. Art, projects & inspirational artwork by the group.

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Ellenor Art studio took inspiration from The Olympics in Tokyo that was held in 2021 instead of 2020 due to the global pandemic. The group looked at artists have made works about pools including seminal pieces by David Hockney. Other artists included Michael Andrews, Matisse and the tiles he made, https://news.artnet.com/art-world/top-7-best-artworks-inspired-swimming-pools-580022

Leandro Erlich and his awe inspiring swimming pool installation in 1999. Other artists included Henry Holland, Jeffery Camp and Stephen Abela. The group was asked to recreate a David Hockney painting or paint their own composition of a swimming pool looking at the shapes and light that is cast on the water.

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‘Tree of Life’, May 2021

In memory of V.

One of the members of our group sadly passed away early July 2021, and this is the last piece of artwork they made, so wanted to show it again in memory of them and as a tribute to their artwork. They were an integral part of the group, and really found a way to communicate how they were feeling via their artmaking. This was their beautiful ‘Tree of life’.

In memory of V July 2021, from all us in in Ellenor art studio xxx

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Ellenor art studio looked at decoupage and the history behind the technique. You can try this easily at home, you don't need fancy materials. You just need a pot or a box, some cut outs of your favourite things, these could be from a magazine or Sunday supplement, or like this member of the group who bought a book from a charity shop and cut out the birds and stuck them to the pot. You can see how effective and simple this is. You can use clear PVA glue like they did or 'Modge podge' which is specially made for decoupage enthusiasts. Some art and craft shops sell a lot of things for decoupage but if you want to do it cheaply, just an old box, pot, PVA glue that is clear and an old paintbrush will do.

If you want to decorate a flower pot, you could use Modge Podge which is specially used for outside to glue on the cut outs.

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Ellenor art studio looked at what makes effective poster design. Some history of poster design was also explored such as Toulouse Lautrec lithographic posters & and how posters were implemented in the 19th century as an early form of advertisments. Posters influenced typography too. Take a look at the historic underground posters of the London Underground, there are some great designs! Beauty spots galore. Why not try and design your own poster thinking about the composition and message you are trying to convey, and even the style of your typography. You could paint, print or produce a digital poster. Have fun with it :)

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Ellenor art studio looked at Pop art including work by artists such as Andy Warhol, Yayoi Kusama, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg, David Hockney and Wayne Theibaud amongst others. The group were given a choice of which artist they wanted to base their piece of artwork on.

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Ellenor Art studio looked at composition in art i.e. where you place subject or object on paper/canvas. The group looked at why it is important where you place things in your artwork, and how it can change the mood of the piece or aesthetics. What is your eye drawn to and why? A good example of balance in a painting is Da Vinci, 'The Last Supper', and then theres the 'rule of thirds' which can really help to understand why you may focus on something in an artwork.

Some elements to take on board are:

•Colour i.e. is the eye drawn to light in the painting or darkness of a shape or person?

•Line, how do the lines divide the painting?

•Shape, using shapes as focal points in your composition, overlap shapes or separate or rotate them.

•Balance i.e is it symmetrical or assymetrical?

•Rule of thirds this can really help with drawing or painting a landscape or taking a photo

•Positive and negative spaceTake The Great Wave of Kanagawa for example by Hokusai. If you google this there are some great clips on youtube here: •https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=num4qcqTqGU

•A good definition of rule of thirds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2OIdcc5Rg8

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Ellenor Art studio looked at the idea and symbolism behind The Tree of Life and were invited to paint their own. As you can see, all very personal and beautiful representations to each member of the group. Some of the artists we looked at included Gustav Klimt and 'Tree of Life' 1905, Tohaku Hasegawa, Pine Tree, 1580 and his 'maple tree' painting, Avond (evening) Red Tree, Piet Mondrian, 1908, The Bonaventure Pine, 1893 Paul Signac, Apple Tree I, 1912 Gustav klimt and Pink peach tree,1888 Van Gogh amongst others. There is also a contemporary twist here you can see ´Contemporary art using trees: https://artrepublic.com/blogs/news/485-top-5-trees-in-contemporary-art-html

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Ellenor Art studio looked at still life compositions some art history behind still life. The earliest known still life painting is found in The Tomb of Menna, as well as pieces originating from Pompeii. The group looked at still life paintings from the Northern Renaissance artists like Jan Breughel, Van Gogh from the Post impressionists and Matisse 'alla prima' method of painting, which was fluid and completed in one session. Contemporary artists like were also shown to the group where he uses photo realism to paint food.

The group were invited to collate some objects at home and draw or paint their own still life, made all the more poignant by continuing restrictions of lockdown during the pandemic 2021.

This is a useful link about compositionhttps://www.artistsnetwork.com/magazine/setting-still-life-composition/

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Ellenor Art studio looked at Sakura Spring in Japan and ink work called 'Sumi-e' style of working. The group looked at artist work of Hiroshige and then looked at different ways to use ink and watercolours. They were invited to make a miniature wall hanging painting blossom or sakura of their choice.

Sumi-e paintings were reportedly used in the Tang Dynasty 618-907 however it is very much used in Japan too. •The goal of Sumi-e is not simply to reproduce a subject or what is in front of you but to also think about the essence or soul of the subject, so for example if a tree or bird or flower really moves you or indeed anything in nature, then think about this when you are painting. This is opposed to the Western idea of painting, i.e Impressionism where it was really about representing what was in front of the painter for their captive audience.

Sumi-e is based on the idea of harmony between positive and negative space

Japanese wallhangings

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Window box painting :)

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Ellenor art studio looked at some exciting exhibitions and museums opening back up in Spring 2021. They made their own window box art to celebrate being able to go back outdoors again.

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Ellenor Art studio thought about the Spring Equinox and looked at the following artists: Matisse and his still life vases with flowers see here: ´https://www.reykjaviktrading.com/journal/2019/3/22/spring-inspiration-matisses-paintings-of-flowers, Monet Le Printemps in Spring, Janos Mattis Teutsch Early Spring 1917, Maurice Prendergast Spring Promenade 1911, Issac Levitan Spring in Italy 1890,

Some more links to explore Spring themed paintings: ´Some more paintings about Spring: https://museums.eu/article/details/108530/daily-art-story-spring-in-art-our-favorite-spring-landscapes

And here too: https://www.dandelionchandelier.com/2020/02/18/paintings-about-spring/

Enjoy :)

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Ellenor Art studio looked at paintings about the most joyous of seasons: Spring.

Some of the artworks the group looked at included: Monet The Artists garden at Giverny 1900, David Hockney ipad paintings´https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/apr/02/david-hockney-spring-ipad-paintings-self-isolating-van-gogh and Hokusai Bullfinch and weeping cherry 1834https://theculturetrip.com/europe/italy/articles/10-spring-paintings-to-celebrate-the-end-of-winter/ and Auguste Renoir Spring Bouquet and Spring both painted in 1900.

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There is a lovely project here on Youtube: ´Why not try this as a Spring project? Just click this link and have a go

´You will need watercolours and a heart shape which you could do lightly in pencil first.

´Watch below to see:

´https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoJMsT3W74c

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For Valentines, the group looked at Valentines themed paintings:

Gustav Klimt, The Kiss 1907-8, Marc Chagall Birthday, Kerry James Marshall Slow Dance, Auguste Renoir A Dance in the Country 1883 amongst others.

You can try this project here:

Some interesting links: https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2012/10/05/the-kissing-sailor-photograph-an-iconic-image-of-war-not-of-romance/

https://www.christies.com/features/The-art-of-love-10287-1.aspx

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Info to come soon!

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Ellenor Art studio looked at a really great little film here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RX2fhqHiP0 which shows you how to build up a painting in the style of Van Goghs’ painting ‘Almond Blossom’

This is a painting by a member of the group and you can see just how effective the painting has turned out.