Blot prints

Blot prints have been a tool used by psychologists for many years, otherwise known as the Rorshcach test. The general idea of this test is to examine a persons emotional functioning and  personality characteristics. Each of the prints have perfect bilateral symmetry. The patient would be shown various different "inkblot" prints and they have to describe what they are seeing. The psychologist would analyze not only what the patient thinks that they see, but the complexity of their thoughts. 

Some of my own blot prints. 

 This kind of "bilateral symmetry" occurs in nature constantly.. I think thats why alot of these prints are similar of natural things, (even though this was not purposeful) such as organs, plants and animals. The joy of these images is that their interpretation is completely up to the viewers imagination

The psychology of shapes and colour

Psychologists, and artists, architects and  designers have for years studied the effects of shapes and colour on the human mind. we associate different colours and shapes with different emotions, or see different objects  based on our life experience, our feelings at the time, also based on some pretty standard universal rules.

 For example, square and rectangular shapes Stability, Strength ,Power, Balance and Reliability, where as curved shapes are often seen as signifying rhythm, movement , Happiness , pleasure, femininity. Different colours signify different things such as earthy colours and blues and greens give more a sense of tranquility and peace, where as more red and violet colours can bring a sense of passion and aggressiveness. 

nostalgia of home

amsterdam

Studying artifacts

Portrait with mask, Water colour and ink

Everything is connected, water colour and ink

Different masks in different cultures- Tibetan  masks

Parrots

Some sketches from Prague, and other sketchbook work

view from charles bridge

Nostalgic statues

Quick sketch of charles bridge

Bone church

Portrait in the hairy ghost cafe

 water colour and pencil

Emotions are illusions of the mind (Reoccurring dream continued)

I let them in. Oil on canvas.

elusive illusions of a dreamlike state .
 Oil on canvas



In Tibetan Buddism the world itself isn't seen as an illusion, but rather our emotions and concepts we hold provoke our response to the world, and these are seen as the illusion. Therefore dreams are not seen as illusions but depict the illusions of our every day experience in life.

Dreams are expressive and we hold within our subconscious mind a complex realm of fears, longings and concepts which we see flood out in an array of symbolism and metaphors when we have more vivid dreams or nightmares. These nightmares show how deeply our awakened self is involved with our subconscious dreaming self.

No thought or worry that occurs in a dream is ever the thing that it is about. we think of the future sometimes, for example, and might worry about the outcome of certain events which are yet to come. However, more often than not the events that follow are completely different. and when they arrive we can respond to them in numerous different ways. Therefore to take emotions and concepts as if they are real is an illusion. But dreaming isn't an illusion because it is an experience, it is a truthful event which happens to all of us.

The beauty of dreaming  is you never know what to expect. Your mind holds limited control over your subconscious and emotions are the driving force. The element of time comes to play in dreams quite alot. Time is jaded and disfigured. Things which seem like they have taken days happen in a few seconds, and nighttime and day time are intertwined.
I have looked at a" reoccurring" dream which I have had approximately about 5 times. I found this dream strange for a number of reasons, firstly because the dream was neither a nightmare nor a good dream, but it was a mixture of both. I experienced so many different of emotions in these dreams, happiness, fear, excitement, calmness, and anger... and the imagery and symbolism has retained strongly in my memory even though  I had the dreams a long time ago. The imagery and symbolism is also a mixture of places that are familiar and places which I have never been before. and depsite the setting and events which occur during each of the dreams differ slightly, the ending has always remained the same. I am plunged underwater and come face to face with a white horse. It is an extremely vivid dream, and painting it to me brings back vivid memories of the experience. It's ashame that I can't force my own mind to dream of it again. However, if that could be achieved I feel the mystery of dreaming would be diminished. 

                                                             

Just some quick pencil and biro sketches having a drink in a local bar..

reoccurring dream

photography project

riverside in the park

Laura

Miscellaneous

Just some sketchbook work, exploring ideas... badabing badaboom etc etc and so on and so on

An unnoticed wall in Berlin

Thinking about time

I've been given a new project about "Time" Thinking about the various different ways I can compose the concept of time into art forms. One of my initial reactions was the use of applying materials onto paper giving either a clear indication of the time it takes to lay down the marks, combined with a more ambiguous approach.

Reflect on yourself

some paintings from foundation degree ... just reflections of myself in various types of surfaces. windows.. mirrors etc.

Water colour on paper

Close up at the lake, Oil on canvas

 Just came across some paintings I did on my trip through Croatia in 2010. This particular day I went to the Plitvice lakes national park. I couldn't pass up the opportunity for some paintings of nature at its best)