Reflections and recent works....

Reflections and recent works

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will ensure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature - the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”
― Rachel Carson, Silent Spring

The impact on wildlife due to changes in farming practise (and the expansion of the farmed area) is so rapid and severe that it is hard to get your head round the scale of what is happening. A study published this week in the journal Plos One reveals that flying insects surveyed on nature reserves in Germany have declined by 76% in 27 years. The most likely cause of this Insectageddon is that the land surrounding those reserves has become hostile to them: the volume of pesticides and the destruction of habitat have turned farmland into a wildlife desert. George Monbiot (Ref1 bottom of page)
The shocking collapse of insect population, hints at a global, ecological meltdown. George Monbiot- guardian.com (Pollution.)

There is a great sense of freedom from 'being' in the midst of nature. Using art to capture what is experienced allows for a growing consciousness to occur, the awareness of natures complexities and abundance's can develop into a deepening respect - to see self as 'part' of nature- rather than present time exploitation - to begin to work with nature in a sustainable way. 

I enjoy working with many mediums and exploring new techniques/styles which I can then incorporate into art ideas and themes - currently I have re-explored environmental issues in particular surrounding the impact of deforestation upon wildlife habitats.Over this year my focus has been to depict both the abundance of plant life - in respect to photo tropism and symbiosis, and continue investigating the diversity of fauna found in forests ...In the last few months I have worked on developing a deeper understanding concerning the effects of industrialisation - in particular pollution effects upon wildlife habitats and insects. The consequences of the decline of insects now having a knock on effect on species of birds. A recent a series of works Altered Perceptions has been underway...The series inspired by Rachel Carson 's views on the effects of chemicals on wild life - And George Monbiots recent book titled,  How did we get into this mess?
Birds and insects informed the series. The works are mixed media acrylic paint, oil pastels, gold leaf and collaged materials...embedded with phrase ..."humankind ...we are but one thread"

These works are a mixture of both abstract and bird/insect imagery, using collage materials, acrylic paint oil pastels and goldleaf. 2017

Altered Perceptions II 2017 by Yvonne forster

Altered perception III 2017 by YForster

Altered Perceptions VII 2017 by Yvonne Forster

So, if you don’t fit in, if you feel at odds with the world, if your identity is troubled and frayed, if you feel lost and ashamed - it could be because you have retained the human values you were supposed to have discarded. You are a deviant. Be proud.

George Monbiot http://www.azquotes.com/quote/809924

Art ideas

    Keep your faith in all beautiful things. In the sun when it is hidden. In the spring when it is gone.”

— Roy Rolfe Gilson  (ref below)

Good day! recently I have been working on building up a series of works on various plants growing in the rain forests. In this series I focus on how plants grow towards the sunlight -photo tropism - here are some step by step development...also my attempts to explore the light and shadows around the plant exploring form, texture, patterns ... these learning curves, are part of developing techniques and skills... 

“Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed ... so that never again can we have the chance to see ourselves single, separate, vertical and individual in the world, part of the environment of trees and rocks and soil, part of the natural world and competent to belong in it.”

— Wallace Stegner (ref at end of this blog)

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Nature-and-Environment/inspiring-nature-quotations-zl0z11zrog

Step by step ...beauty in nature

“The beauty of the natural world lies in the details.”

— Natalie Angier (Ref for all quotes  found at end of this blog)

“Wildness reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from.”

— Terry Tempest Williams (ref at end)

Good day! recently I have been working on building up a series of works on various plants growing in the rain forests. In this series I focus on how plants grow towards the sunlight -photo tropism - here are some step by step development...also my attempts to explore the light and shadows around the plant... these learning curves are part of developing techniques and skills... 

                  "One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.”

— G.K. Chesterton (ref at end)


The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent upon it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.”

— Galileo Galilei(ref at end)

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Nature-and-Environment/inspiring-nature-quotations-zl0z11zrog

Exploring colour -“Generally speaking, colour directly influences the soul. Colour is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another purposefully, to cause vibrations in the soul.” ~ Wassily Kandinsky (ref Below)


Good day, recently I have been experimenting with various techniques- using mixed mediums, endeavouring to explore colour, by combining contrasting colours and applying paint in an energetic way using various techniques .

Below are A Series of mixed media images. Through Altered Perceptions, my aim-  to depict elements of the natural world set into an immersed 'abstracted' space. The reoccurring phrase, "Human kind we are but one thread"is then added. The back ground work is experimental in approach using contrasting vibrant colours onto the initial back ground of ultramarine blue. I drip, scratch, scrape, splash acrylic paint onto the paper before adding collage materials - represented by various birds. The final stages are added with oil pastel and gold leaf.

“I applied streaks and blobs of colours onto the canvas with a palette knife, and I made them sing with all the intensity I could…”
“Colour provokes a psychic vibration. Colour hides a power still unknown but real, which acts on every part of the human body.”~ Wassily Kandinsky (Ref below)

“One who knows how to appreciate colour relationships, the influence of one color with another, their contrasts and dissonances, is promised an infinite variety of images.” ~ Sonia Delaunay (ref below)

http://www.healing-power-of-art.org/art-and-quotes-by-famous-artists/#comments

Sardines and Beer!

Good day!

In April I had the opportunity to be a part of the Sardines and Beer a quirky title given to this short weekend run exhibition in Norwich. The gallery Thirteen a, is said to be the smallest running gallery in the area and is situated in close proximity to Anglia Square - a short distance from the quaint city centre.

The event was run by EM-RE-UN a collaborative arts group. Sardines and Beer drew in a good number of participating artists from the surrounding area.The event was organised on a first come basis...where no particular art theme as such was applied. The art hung in a random unthemed style with no structure sequence as such...The main idea being the visitors entering the gallery space would experience an immersive overload, due to the eclectic mix of artworks in a range of styles themes and mediums.

Below a range of images from the event

Preparations!.....drawing nearer to Espacio Gallery, Flourish exhibition, in Shoreditch.

Good day!..... a view from behind the scenes!...

Final piece of work nearing completion, spent time in Beccles frame shop getting mounts and frames for work here I try out which size frame works best!

Perparing frame....clean glass essential!

Keeping mount spotlessly clean

Adding watercolour image

Sealing in the work for protection.

Watercolour work layer upon layer of glazes

trying to get shadows right

Nearly there still needs working on....

All the colours of the Rainforest! the works focus on Symbiosis

and Phototropism series

Nearly finished

Up and coming Flourish exhibition progression ..........

Continuing with works toward The Flourish exhibition in May.

Also at the moment deciding on what mounts and frames to display the work............

Here are images of Rainforest Peace Lilly- Spathiphyllum) it’s a  plant with air-purifying qualities.

I used watercolour and acrylic wash mediums for this work.