Quick update before I get to the art that didn't make the cut: Since my last blog post I've decided on a couple priorities that I'm going to start working on. Life has been a bit crazy recently, so much so that I actually forgot to write today's blog post! This is very unlike me, as I'm very organised. Being organised does mean I planned ahead for this possibility, and I have many drafts ready to go. That is what I am posting today.
Soon, I will make my plan for my new projects, and maybe you'll get to see some of that. As always, comment if you have ideas, and check out the previous blog post to vote.
Now for the art showcase
I've kept my gallery pretty small on this website. At least, for now. I didn't want to dwell on all of my old art.
I do have the Archive gallery, but there's plenty of other other art that didn't make the cut. I thought I'd do a little showcase of some of that.
It's interesting to look back and see where I started.
Click the left/right arrows in the mini-galleries below to see more.
2008
This was part of my second High School portfolio. The first one was Marmite-themed (yes, the yeast spread. I was really into Marmite). I don't have pictures of artwork before 2008; I probably decided they weren't worth keeping.
This was when I started playing around with horror and properly got into painting (before the Marmite portfolio I actually said I didn't like painting, I only drew). One of these paintings made it to the Archive gallery.
2009
My third, and last High School porfolio. This evolved my style, got me into uni, and got me a couple minor scholorships.
I used these to showcase my art and make merch long after High School, when I'd made new artwork that (in my opinion) just wasn't as good.
2010 - 2011
My first two years of university where I studied Fine Arts. I almost didn't share any of these as I didn't find anything too interesting. There was a lot of experimentation, which is good, but some of it was done in a sort of redundant pointless way. I didn't find the classes inspiring. I wanted to learn skills and didn't. So much concept and not enough practical learning. Only the cogs woodcut is from uni, and that was a design elective rather than a Fine Arts class.
I don't think anything from this time made it to the Archive gallery.
2012
Some uni work I actually liked!
The watercolour portraits were my first time semi-successfully using watercolours. I don't think the technique is too bad. I hate the blank backgrounds, without even a wash let alone the more opaque colour I do now. These work better as a group, rather than as individual pieces, which is why they didn't make it to the Archive gallery. I definitely want to remake some of these.
The other pieces are from a printmaking elective I did. I still like these and they were fun to do. I actually think my printmaking is pretty decent, but they don't match the aesthetic I'm going for with this new website.
2013
I almost didn't include this year, as I only have shitty photos. But looking back at these, I can see hints of where I am now. The drawings in particular look more like my current artworks than I would have guessed. I might even turn these into paintings.
The sculptures are mixed media, predominantly wax. They were part of my final project at uni, which was inspired by splatstick horror. I really like the textures. But storing them, along with oil paintings that would come later, was a huge stress for me. This is a big reason I ended up switching to watercolours. Besides actually enjoying painting with them more, I also only store paper now instead of canvases and sculptures!
2014 - 2016
During these years I started painting with watercolours more, while also doing oils.
Some artworks point to where I am now, but I also did a lot of crap I'm not happy with. There's a lot I don't think is worth showing, or that I have left behind. But, I might end up doing new versions of the ones I think have something interesting.
2017 - 2018
The last years of what I consider the archive. I don't have as many painting images in these years, but I did play around with other media.
I still have the sculpted masks and want to keep a couple for display. Sculpture is still something I enjoy, but more for a craft at home rather than the art I display to the world. That might change in future, but I don't feel like I have time for it right now!
I very briefly tried some digital art, purely because I wanted to have a more artistic career and felt I needed to be a digital artist to get into any industry. I didn't really enjoy it, and it's not the best. It's definitely not done correctly. But they look kind of cool. I haven't continued with it, probably because I felt a bit more content with other things in life so didn't need to try and make art my career anymore.
Now?
Well, now you can see art on this website as well as on social media when I post shots of work in progress. I have some finished paintings I plan to put on the website soon, so you can see higher quality versions of them.
You can see EVEN MORE of my old artwork in my Facebook albums.
There were actually a few pieces in here I didn't recognise?! Fake fan 😆