Outside the Lines
2020 Figure Study
While developing my theme and motivation for this collection, I turn to my sketchbook, filling it with words and drawings, sorting through ideas and compositions.
The female figure can teach us so much about art and life. Here are some of my 2020 motivations and inspirations surrounding this subject:
She is a fundamental art subject to study. Seen as far back as early cave drawings. Some of the world’s earliest writings on art reference the importance of study from the live figure. To truly capture a likeness of the model it requires constant training and focus of your eye and hand. A seasoned artist here in Traverse that joins our figure drawing sessions said in a recent class “If you can draw the human figure, you can draw anything” - a true testament to this time-tested challenge of students (because we all never truly stop being students) continuing to study the complexity and ever changing nature of, well, us humans!
She represents endless abstract ideas and concepts for me. Mother nature, feminism, confidence, mystique, elegance, wisdom, nourishment…
From a fundamental drawing and painting perspective, the figure is a perfect canvas for studying color, line, contour, value, and weight. I love returning to the figure at the start of every new year to really take time to explore and hone a variety of drawing and painting techniques.
I’m working to synthesize a multitude of expressions and ideas within my paintings, keeping in mind a sense of interior design and fostering a nourishing home environment with interesting and meaningful artwork. I’ve asked myself, how can I create a body of work that feels both vintage and modern? Nostalgic, collected and layered?
The theme of Modern Feminism. I went to see the new Little Women by Greta Gerwig twice this year and left very inspired. The nostalgia of the 35 mm film, their wardrobe palettes and patterns, the layered and collected feel of each set, Jo’s ink stained fingers, their undone hair, the individual voices of the four sisters following their own dreams… The timeless story that transcends generations. I think these four sisters represent feminism in such a great way. In the movie, Meg is getting married and Jo is begging her to run away with her and “be interesting forever.” Meg responds “Just because my dreams are different than yours doesn’t mean they’re unimportant.” I believe feminism is really just about having different choices and dreams, and feeling empowered and free to pursue them.
Artistic expression, combining aspects of realism and abstraction to convey the complexity of women. With unexpected colors, layers of paint and marks, a variety of line contours and paint that extends beyond those lines, I want to create a picture of women that we have freedom and choice to boldly move beyond barriers, lines, and images, in all sorts of beautiful colors.
I invite you to join me as I continue to work on and develop this series. I would love to hear you thoughts, impressions, and ideas surrounding feminism, figure painting, and anything else!
I will continue to share updates with my email list and Instagram, please join me there!
This collection will release in March, 2020 - the month of International Women’s Day.
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The paintings will all be 18x24, acrylic and wax pastel on birchwood panel.Please send any questions to hello@katherinecorden.com.
More to come soon. Thank you for reading!
xx,
Katherine