Author:
ANNAmain • Date: 02 January 2015 at 08:45 AM
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Hello everybody, New Year`s started so here it is several pictures to make previous posts clear. You saw I did paintings on rocks. This is the full picture about the special features of that beautiful place and the NatureClose project itself.
Actually I did my NatureClose seria painting as an innovation. Being the part of Climate Change 2014, the project dedicates to sustainable development. By the core idea, that seria was made in close contact witn natural objects to feel, to touch, to include the part of nature right into paintings.
For example, that paintings was done on my secret rock in about 500 m from the seashore. The rock is hidden among titanic pieces of mountings which fell into Liapades bay during a long process of tectonic activity. I suspect, it was vulcano activity and tectonic movement of Earth because of remarcable differencies between huge stones laying close to each other on Liapades seabed.
So my special rock is hidden among them secretely. This is my favourite place and the only one which is comfortable enough to stay on it for a long time. It is not so far away from the seashore, but it is really hidden so people typically can`t see me. Boats can`t be close to the rocks, and rare divers never pay attention. The place is my first Corfu home so I swim to stay here for hours every day.
That time it was different from usual easy access, just because I had to to bring a lot of equipment with me.
I used a small inflatable waterpool to bring cameras etc safe. You can see it on the picture, the blue spot. As it looked unnatural I was trying to put it as far as it possible to keep my view. And what did I have from it?
It was a lot of adventure about smallest details! For example once it was just one wave in totally flat sea and it washed away the blue waterpool.
As it was far from my glance, I`d founded it too late when it completely disappeared.
Having no choice with all of equipment I had, I spent a lot of time swimming to found it.
Small waves brought the waterpool deep into rocks, in a small place between titanic stones, unavailable for climbing. I was so happy to found it so became sure to catch it back.
It wasn`t easy! In addition to huge rocks, it was sharp stones with a lot of sea-urchins everywhere in the sea. Sea-urchins have poisoned hairs easy to break and stuck inside body with pain for a long time. OMG. Lookeg scaring!
But as it was a nesessity I made several successful attempts and eventually catched my blue waterpool!
After that adventure I became very careful to save it while I was working with the paintings.
The second problem was sun. It was about +40 degrees, and sun was in zenith and made deep black shadows on my canvas directly. Hard to shoot the film and hard to paint. Actually, most of the time I couldn`t see what I am doing in normal body position. I forced myself to paint having my body straight vertical which was totally uncomfortable an I barely saw what to do with details. This is my position for that picture. If I changed the pose to more comfortable, it would be totally black shadow covered the whole canvas. The time to paint was limited by many factors, so I overcame the challenges and made some marks in my mind to improve the process next time.
At the day time hight temperature dried colors right on the brush immideately. It was less time to paint then with a rich Chinese ink! In addition, if I allow acrylic color to dry onto acrylic brush, it damage the brush so I can`t paint. The brush was specially designed so it was impossible to buy another one. So I did everything very quickly to save it.
8-)
One of the next challenges was wind. Although it was pleasant at the beginning, it became stronger. Strong enough to blow away everything. I wished to have more hands to save cameras and brushes and tried to found an effective decision for canvases.
It seems easy to use small stones to press the canvas. It wasn`t so easy in practice.
First of all, where could I found an appropriate stones as sea storma washed away everything? Really! Only big, biggest and huge stones was here. If one seems small enough it was strongly attached to the seabed or for anothers, somehow, so it couldn`t be removed. And sea-urchins was here, ready to make my life a little bit spicy.
I founded several available stones in 2-3 meters depth. Just imagine what it was a funny swimming to hunt some stones fron the seabed while wind was trying to blow canvases away!
And I was trying to shoot everything witn my GoPro, so I hope it will be a good film eventually. Especially about how I collected that press-stones.
Well, eventually I won several stones. Not so many as it needed, but several was better then nothing! That time I wished to make preparations a day before, at least to found stones and collect it, but the process was already started so I worked with things I had.
Eventually I became a happy owner of one big rock and 7 small stones which forms my equipment to thet task
It was really good.
My time here was very limited.
Wind, shadows, temperature, it is impossible to wash brushes to keep nature clean. I used solt sea water to damp the canvas and it needed to work quickly until it became totally dry.
Such an adventure! It reminded me classical Chinese paintings with a sage who went to mountains accompanied by several servants to carry teapots etc for the tea ceremony, paper, ink, brushes, incence burners to make the moment with nature more toughtful, and sometimes I saw it was even a comfortable table brought somehow to far away landscapes.
It was the first experience with my new ideas.
I did everything with conturs here and then was back with my everything in blue waterpool.
When I formulate the framework for my innovative NatureClose seria, I included position of minimum equipment and artificial things for it. Also extra care with nature to keep everything clean and to make natural elements involved in the process of production. Beauty is the result of that positions: beaty of decisions, sustainability and innovative approach.
I would like to start this new year with such a new things and wish you to found something innovative to start your own!
Be persistant and gain your aims!
Thank you for being with me!
With hugs, Anna