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For my final project I also deceived to make six 30cm x 30cm MDF boards, which I made in the woodwork shop. Gluing the frames and nailing them into place, filling holes where nails had gone and priming them with whitewash. My intention was to create three with the geometric design background and three with the more organic squeegee style design. However using MDF board as my canvas created issues for me, as it meant that when attempting to squeegee print the backgrounds for three of the boards, the smooth MDF surface wouldn't absorb the colours and therefore would not allow me to create the effect I needed. To solve this problem I resolved to print the squeegee background onto heavy 230g cartridge paper which I would then adhere to the boards. Initially this seemed to work and indeed for the unadulterated yellow squeegee peice, however when I tried to add my mixture of metallic inks on top of the cartridge paper it rippled and curled, which meant that it wouldn't adhere to the board. Therefore I had to improvise by attaching a 2mm board canvas on to the MDF frame and then begin the process again. This time the squeegee background and ink foreground worked.

Here I decide to use the primary colours as backgrounds in either by squeegee background format or the geometric shapes. I introduced some secondary and tertiary tones into the background with the primary colours to lift and give further range and depth to the pieces. I then looked at screen printing some of my natural form motifs onto the boards along with a range of different sized circles. I enjoyed using the circles as my more regular shape as it provided more contrast to the geometric background due to the curled nature of it however it also provided great contrast to the squeegee background as the shapes solid colour.

Of the three pieces with the geometric backgrounds, the blue board was one of the most successful. The gradients and range of blue hues were calming and the melancholy grey grounds the work allowing the forms to create a fragmented image of cool luminous shades. The yellow board is a particular favourite as it is reminiscent of a warm summer sunrise invoking a blissful and serene reaction in the audience. The iris circle complementary to the lemon yellow and orange hues, adding depth as the circle seems to fall back in on itself, although the background is still just visible behind due to the translucency of the iris. The lighter of the two natural forms is more successful as the lighter shadow propels it forward, adding movement to the piece and a sense of drama. However the second of the natural forms feels static and gloomy, changing the overall feeling of the piece. The final geometric board has a red background with pink hues, I also added a tertiary colour of gold to create a bridge between the background and foreground. The range of greens used was successful, with the lightest pistachio green separating and brightening the forrest green and the basil green; I included the black to counteract this creating a balance between light and dark in the work.

Of the squeegee background pieces, the blue is almost a direct opposite of the its geometric counterpart, as the combination of mixed blue hues on the canvas creates a very fluid and relaxed feeling as opposed to the regimented and ordered blue geometric. I particularly enjoy the orange in the foreground contrasting with the blue and creating a central focal point, I also like the organic form created by the red ink on the right. However I was pleased with the chaotic manner in which the red and gold inks combined in the lower half of the canvas as it is too distracting and uncomfortable to study, which is not the emotional response I wanted to invoke. The red squeegee background piece was smoothly mixed and the magenta adds a warmth to the red hue, which otherwise could become too bold and overwhelming. The strong large forrest green circle overlaps with a smaller Burgundy circle and the overlapping nature creates an ellipse which I think is pleasing as it showcases the depth of tones and unites the two forms. The final board is a yellow squeegee background, which has a great texture created by the multiple hues of yellow as well as the thickness of paint which changes the tone completely. I love the natural irregular disconnected pattern generated by the orange paint in the left corner.

Overall I was quite pleased with the final pieces although there were some challenges and not everything is as I had imagined it would look.

Final Piece

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