Procedurally Statemented

Not much on today, but I did write my statement for my procedural painting series. Yay me! I mashed all the thoughts into a wordy list  and for a first draft I made all the little letters line up into words. Luckily the words fell into basic sentences. Behold all the words......

Procedural Painting V1.0.4, Oil on canvas, 36 cm x 28 cm

Procedural Paintings.

The procedural process series is a series of works looking at the use of algorithms to produce art. The algorithm is primarily a computer based term and relates to the ideas of generative art. I use the algorithms to produce non-objective art devoid of artistic ego. My only input is in the design of the algorithm. The algorithm has grown to encompass mostly of the formal elements of 2d art, line, colour, shape, tone and opacity. The algorithm controls the placement and frequency of the elements. My role is only to follow the instructions supplied. The work is intentionally ambiguous in its meaning, but the themes within it refer to illusion of choice, information in the digital age, the data trails we leave and the concepts of emergence.

Procedural Painting V 3.1.2 (WIP), Oil on Board, 20" x 20"

The variables in the algorithms are calculated using a series of dice roles, this has kept the process as analogue as possible. Each work has its own spreadsheet of data.

The process has become quite time-consuming so the actual process of calculating the variables is being encoded into a compute algorithm written by myself. The algorithm will only spit out the actual data to be used.  

In sickness and wasps

I've not been here as often, as I would like recently, but here's what's new.  My kids have been ill which has really sucked. I know looking after one ill child is tiring, but two feck me.  I seemed to spend all of my energy on them and have none left over for art making.

I eventually got back in my cave of paint yesterday. My enthusiasm was quickly squashed by a swarm of wasps, that launched an attack on me mid painting. Well... when I say swarm and attacked,  I mean one, solitary winter  drowsy wasp, who so happened to take a rest on my jumper. I responded by bravely panicking and yelling words that would make a sailor cry. I courageously removed my jumper, encasing the wasp within and placed the jumper securely in a bin bag. The bin bag was placed within a bin and later removed and safely squashed by the  binmen.  Hooray! 

Further investigation of the cave of paint has revealed a burgeoning wasps nest which is to be dealt with.
 

I had started this before I was rudely interrupted. I have dedicated my study of Sheffield city to that ill fated wasp. It is destined to be a study for a larger more abstract piece based on Sheffield city.  

Dodging the swarm, Oil on Oil painting  paper, 10" x 7" - Sheffield city study for a larger piece.

I hope your day remains waspless and warm. 

Piranesi Reimprisioned

So as promised yesterday, here are the paintings I lovingly crafted yesterday. Well finished off at least. Both works are part of my 'Piranesi Reimprisioned Series'. 'Pink Dotted Gateway' is based on Piranesi's Prison etching 'The Drawbridge' and 'Piranesi's Frustrated Lamp' is based on his 'Pier with lamp'. 

If you have not seen his prison etchings I urge you to go have an eye bath in them. SERIOUSLY. Oh is that a handy link to them way down the bottom of my post? Maybe...

Piranesi's Pink Dotted Gateway, Oil on Canvas, 80cm x 60cm. 

This work below was finished as well.

Piranesi's Frustrated Lamp, Oil on canvas, 80cm x 60cm

Like I said I had a superb day.  Thanks for taking a look! 
Heres the link to Piranesi's work. Its the Imaginary Prisons that hold my attention.
'Imaginary Prisons'
 

Print-a-geddon

Well hello again. It's another post from me. The week has been a busy one, both art wise and life wise ( I say life and mean housework. I don't want to bore you with the details so I won't.) My main news is I have begun a series of test linocuts.  The response to which has been more than favorable.

Below is my print station. I would work in the cave but that means cleaning up my oil painting messes.....so the table wins. 

I was hoping  to get more of the printing finished, but thats not how it worked out.  So I'll be getting that sorted this week. I have a few pieces of lino to use, and experiment with.  I'll try some portrait, landscape and more dice work. Oh I should say the prints below are based on a simple algorithm I devised. I'll just run off and get the fun spreadsheet. BRB!
 

The spreadsheet gives the DIRection of the line, the DIStance of the line and which linocutter should be used to cut the line. The numbers beside the DIR and DIS are dice that are to be used to calculate variable. STG means Stage, LYR means Layer. That probably doesn't help at all. Spreadsheets are fun!!

Below is a gallery of prints made by the algorithm (they are all the same linocut, but with different inks) 

In other news I made more paintings and kittens are still cute! I'll post the paintings tomorrow.