I had also been pleased with my previous attempt in this area, one that had been well-received wherever shown. This time I wanted to rely more on my own drawing efforts and less on found pattern and I was also keen to achieve more of the flow that Sanna achieves in her work. To a degree I think that I have captured both of these elements but I'm wondering whether my work is too much of a clone now and as a consequence of these moves has lost some of the distinctiveness that set it apart.
I am quite pleased with the compositions although I feel that they follow a very similar pyramid-type format. Perhaps it's the portrait mode that has wrought this. I do need to find the stamina to try different compostions and formats. I made a number of preliminary drawings but they were thematically similar. Part of the difficulty here is not being secure in my appreciation of the stylistic features and icons at my command. I do't know the folk art visual language sufficiently well enough to manipulate it effectively at present. I try my best to produce pleasing compositions but seem to run out of stamina sometimes when it comes to exploring alternative ideas. As ever there is an interplay between ideas and becoming more conversant with tools and techniques. I believe each feeds the other and as time progresse I feel that my work in this area will bcome more accomplished and distinctive.
I think the colour palettes chosen are appropriate for the kind of northern European look that I am after but it could be argued that they are safe as much as calm. I find, like a number of other elements, that colour selection is something that is quite problematic; whenever I alter a colour-way the immediate effect can be revelatory, and then I start to have doubts over its quality and whether I wasn't just taken with the novelty of it all. I would like to be a little more dynamic in my selections but at the moment do not have the time nor stamina to leave and come back at a later date.
