Update

So I've had my operation, but sadly still no improvement in my arm and I suppose that means I'm now going to be out of work for a couple more months. However, I need to stay positive and do lots of painting to keep me busy. I already have two oil painting commissions, one of the Scottish hills and the other a replica of one of the Scottish artists.

I have also been looking into what arty things I can get up to in the Cambridge area. I've found several life drawing classes so I'm hoping to attend those every other week, and in the village next to me there is an art club which meets weekly so I will be emailing them this week to ask if I can come along.

Today I updated my website, so please feel free to have a look. I still need to add some more photos to 'It's A Wonderful Life' so it's not a 100% perfect! www.sarahscenic.com

Hello 2014

Okay so I haven't blogged in months but it's a New Year and I think I should start it up again. Sadly I had a skiing accident just before Christmas, resulting in a brachial plexus injury and I have surgery tomorrow. However, I have to stay positive that I'll get movement back in my left arm (phew I'm fortunate I'm right handed!) and as I'm now signed of work for 3 - 6 months, I don't want to spend my time moping around feeling sorry for myself. I want to be proactive, I want to keep up my scenic and painting skills (defo don't want to be a fish out of water when I return to work!) So I'm going to actively blog, begin my own paintings in a months time and brush up on my scenic art skills!

So what have I been up to since I've graduated? Well I worked an amazing month at one of Edinburgh leading Fringe  company 'Assembly' during the summer. I was a site painter, along with two of my bezzies Jude Bomphray and Sophie Martin, working for a great Australian designer called Cassie Sibbin. It was so much fun, I feel very fortunate to be able to work along great talented people, do something I really enjoy everyday and have fun!


Then came along the month of September, where I went down to London. I was lucky to get a work placement with the Royal Opera House, and gosh what an amazing experience that was! There workshop is out in Purfleet, Essex and is huge. I got the chance to work on the opera Don Quoixte, making numerous bricks out of foam, working with amazing painters, and started my own personal project of a perspective painting. 


After two weeks at ROH I went on a lovely family holiday to Provence, but eep following a blissful week away in the hot sun shine I returned to bleak old Glasgow to face unemployment ... Oh the joys! However, 2 weeks passed sending my CV out to everywhere and anywhere I got offered a winter contract at the renowned Scottish repatoire, Pitlochry Festival Theatre. It was a great job to have gotten so soon after graduation, everyone I worked with at PFT had an exciting and talented back story, and I really felt this was a place I could grow as a scenic artist (oh golly getting all soppy as I miss it already!) I worked on their winter show 'It's a wonderful life', and began working in two shoes for their summer season 'Petfect Days' and 'Admirable Chricton.' I'm gutted I couldn't return to finish working on the next two shows, but hey that's the way the cookie crumbles! Hopefully scenic saz will be back painting there soon!!!

The End

I can't believe that's my three years at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland over. Man it went quick and I have had the best three years of my life. I've made amazing friends, and there has not been a single day where I haven't looked forward to going into uni - something I bet not many students can say.

My last week has been spent doing bits and bobs for the West End Festival and finishing my oil painting for Gary Fry. 

So this is it, my last post of my time at the Conservatoire. Thanks to all the people who've read my blog and my tales of my Scenic Art life. Who knows if I will continue my blog in my new adventure of professional life where I will be trying to make it in the big bad world as a Scenic Artist!

The Influence Realism has had on Contemporary Culture

Today it could be argued that anything can be labeled as 'Art' in a gallery and that the word is beginning to lose its meaning. Many people are growing tired of the 'modern' and 'post-modern era' where they can't relate to pieces as there is to much depth and conceptual thinking behind them.

There is now a movement known as 'The Contemporary Realists' which is a reaction the the modern and post modern-era. They are influenced by the old masters, and the realist painters of the 19th centrury and are painting subjects of modern times.

Such artists in the 'Contemporary Realist group include:
William Bailey

Andrew Wyeth

Philip Pearlstein

Sources:


http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/arts-entertainment/the-contemporary-realist-movement-156836.html

The Importance of Realism

The Importance of Realism:

• Depicted the current situation of life instead of longing for the past or the 'ideal' (i.e the art of Classical mythology favoured by Renaissance artists and sculptors)
• Idealism was rejected and ugliness was accepted
• Realism believed it was unethical to depict what could not be seen, gave realism a moral dimension and shifting the function of art
• Brought to light the inequalities amongst social classes
• Influenced Impressionism and many other art styles, and the style retains its influence of the visual arts today

Source: http://www.arthistoryunstuffed.com/role-realist-artist/

Manet and Realism

Édouard Manet (23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French painter, his works are largely popular but I thought I would blog about him, as he was an important figure as bridge from Realism to Impressionism. Manet considered himself at the time as Realist artists painting everyday leisure scenes from all social classes. 

Merry Wives of Windsor on Stage

So that's the final big show of the year finished. Man it was a huge show to fit in a small schedule of 4 weeks. There has many arguments, tears and laughs but thankfully it looks amazing! I think last years opera design of 'Magic Flute' was a bit more striking, but I feel we have executed this design to a higher standard

West End Festival

On Sunday the 9th of June myself and several other Production Art Students will be walking in the west end festival. The aim is to promote what we do at the Conservatoire as many people don't realise what we do and our work goes unnoticed. As a group we have decided to go with the theme: 'Fairy Tales of the Unexpected' so prop students are making a large dragon, the costume students have made evil and fairy-like costumes and well ... Jude, Rosé, Rosie and I weren't very sure what to make as all we can do is paint!

So we decided to use the turrets from the Panto 'Beauty and the Beast' and make two good turrets and two evil turrets. We are also going to hollow them out and hop inside them whilst we walk in the parade!

Possibilities and Victory

What another fast week! I've been on my toes trying to keep up with everything! We finished painting Victory and its looks amazing! And we have almost finished Possibilities! Possibilities has been a fun show to work on, and I've been able to take a biggish role on the direction of the look as Jude and Rosé where finishing off Merry Wives of Windsor.

Notable Painters in the Realism Movement

Notable Realist painters of the 19^th Century

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• Gustave Courbet, 10 June 1819 – 31 December 1877
  
• Most notable painting: Burial at Ornans (1849-50)

• Jean-François Millet, October 4, 1814 – January 20, 1875
  
• Most notable painting: The Gleaners (1857)

• Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, July 16, 1796 – February 22, 1875
  
• Most notable painting: Souvenir de Mortefontaine (1864)

• Édouard Manet, 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883
  
• Most notable painting: Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe (1863)
  
• Ilya Repin, 5 August 1844 - 29 September 1930
• Barge Haulers on the River Volga 1870 -1873

• Jules Breton, 1 May 1827 – 5 July 1906

• Most notable painting: The Songs of Lark (1844)

Source:

Nineteenth Century Art: A critical History - Stephen Eisenam and Thomas Crow

Gustave Courbet

I think it would be wrong not to do a post about Gustave Courbet when researching into Realism. Courbet, led the movement in the 19^th and believed that ‘the only possible source for a living art is the artists own experience'

Oil and Opera

There hasn't been much production work this week - just the odd bits and bobs to do for Merry Wives of Windsor and Victory. Therefore we were able to do personal projects in the free time we had.

Bo Barlett, Self Portrait 1996

I decided to start painting a portrait that Gary has asked me to do for a leaving present. It is a self portrait by an american artist called Bo Barlett. As I have never worked with oil paints I thought I would try and use them to challenge myself.

Under Layer done in Acrylics

I was pretty nervous when I started to use the oil paints at first, however I am really enjoying them and much prefer them to acrylics. They give a nicer high quality finish, blend really easily and if you make a mistake it's much more forgiving then acrylics as it takes forever to try. I've only worked on it for two days so still have a bit to go!

Stage I am at so far

We also had a paintcall on Friday nights, we got a lot done but there was a few things in the list we didn't manage to do. I have to say the set looks pretty amazing, I think it is one of my favourite designs I have worked on during my 3 years at RCS.

Merry Wives of Windsor

Peredvizhnikia

Peredvizhnikia, alson known as ‘The Wanderers’ were a group of Russian realist artist who went against classical academy training and formed an artist’ cooperative. They created the Association of Traveling Art Exhibits to bring the Arts to the masses and educate ordinary people throughout Russia to appreciate Art.

Victory

Victory Model Piece

Can't believe the first week has all ready finished! We have been working on 'Victory' which is one of the shows for The Tron Theatre. My good friend Sophie Martin is the designer and I have had a really great time working on the set.

MACCT

Well the Easter Holidays just flew by! I can't believe now I only have 17 days until I have finished all my credits for this Academic Year ... freaking out!

Anyways I'll blog about my freak out after I've updated what I've been up to!