Essie
Project 1
Essie’s Project 1 was created in response to her own chosen starting point of ‘Surrealism’. She began by exploring a range of surrealist artists, stories and characters, including Alice in Wonderland, considering how unusual and unexpected imagery can create a sense of fantasy and unease. Visits to interesting environments and landscapes then inspired Essie to develop her ideas towards creating eerie and unsettling compositions. She became particularly interested in how natural processes such as decay and decomposition can transform familiar forms into something that appears strange, surreal and almost otherworldly. As her research developed, Essie began exploring sculpture and three-dimensional artwork, leading her own work towards a more experimental, mixed-media approach incorporating elements of three-dimensional form.
“I was inspired by a visit to a local cemetery which has influenced my project. The faces in the cemetery are faces of angelic hope and sadness, surrounded by ever creeping nature, moving forward with life with immortal determination”
Project 2
Essie’s Project 2 was created in response to the starting point ‘Twisting and Turning’. She began by exploring the work of Friedensreich Hundertwasser, whose use of flowing, twisting lines, expressive mark-making and vibrant colour particularly caught her attention. Inspired by this research, Essie began developing her own imagery, focusing on underwater creatures and experimenting with ways to incorporate elements of Hundertwasser’s distinctive style into her compositions. As the project progressed, she developed her ideas into an imaginative underwater world filled with colour, pattern and organic, twisting forms. This exploration culminated in a final piece depicting her own imaginary underwater environment, combining painting and drawing in a style inspired by Hundertwasser’s work.
“I learnt from Hundertwasser how to creatively draw buildings, and how to let your mind take over in art. I think this work also helped me learn that vibrant colours can be manipulated to create emotions and a sense of joy to a piece ”
