Exercise 1. Return your critical investigation to your studio.

For this final exercise in part three of the Research course, we have to choose two of our works and analyze them in depth in relation to our research to establish a connection between the research and our practice.

Below are my recent works, which are the starting point of my research on the garden theme in traditional Indian and Japanese visual arts.

Untitled, mixed media on paper, 3 pieces of A4;

These drawings are my development and preparatory studies toward realising my project about French Riviera flowers and greenery. I must work on each element I want to incorporate into my final large-scale painting, such as flowers, trees, and green foliage masses. Simultaneously, I have been thinking about the computational decision that made me research relevant other artists’ artworks in my post here …

I also have been testing different mediums, such as oil and soft pastels, together with acrylic and inks, to understand how to best use them. It is visible to a viewer that I used different mediums for different painting fragments. On some pages, I used the oil pastels, working with water on top, and some elements were made with inks only. I actively exploit ink fluidity since I use the ink-pulling technique. I use a lot of green paint and am testing its various shades and hues. It is crucial and engaging for me to observe what parts and fragments appear good, have potential for further development, and what elements are not that successful and must be completely rethought and redone.

Thus, the paintings above are part of my artistic search for the final work.

While I have been working on different elements on separate pieces of paper, at some point, I started combining them in different ways, aiming to understand what composition can be built up. So, I think that makes the creative process quite visible.

The outcomes above appeared atmospheric, and I now understand how to achieve this effect using a particular colour palette and technique.

I find it helpful to combine two processes: active studio work on a particular project and connecting it with academic research on elements in your practice. The knowledge I gained in my research on a specific type of visual art helped me to sharpen my critical skills on the outcomes of my practice.

Understanding the meaning behind certain traditional Pichwai and Japanese byōbu artworks helps me better understand my own work in terms of its symbolic significance, design elements, and compositional solutions.