Exhibition 1 - For my first exhibition I created 3 painted illustrations of tropical birds I have formed a fascination and love for over time. As mentioned, I wanted to explore the creating of tropical birds onto British wooden rounds and form a link between these two different environments in which birds live and how versatile and independent their aesthetic is depending on their surroundings. Always fascinated with colour I thought it would be fun to experiment with the painting the colourful birds I am fascinated with, on a surface created from where they dwell. Below I have included images of my completed first exhibition for you to view and reference.

2 out of 3 of the wooden disks were varnished so there was a variation. of tone in the wood but I didn’t want to take away from its natural elements. As well as this is added real bark onto the toucan piece and find its tactile quality to be an asset to the work.

Exhibition 2 - after experimenting in the woods with my first exhibition (see experimentation above) I realised the importance and significance of featuring some branches and more bark oil my work to evoke the British landscape further into my tropical depictions of the birds I love. I also realised i wanted to include birds of paradise; thew flowers; into my work as they, as the name connotes, have the colour and aesthetic of the tropical birds and allow colour to travel further across my work. For this exhibition, I decided I wanted to create a tree and bring the outside in at our exhibiting show. I love the ideas of creating something new out of already so individual and stand-alone so I foraged for fallen branches from different trees in different areas of woodland to bring together to become a ‘new tree’. Upon that tree I wanted to bestow a tropical bird on my wooden rounds while showering it in colour to really pull the rainforests colour palleted onto British shrubbery. This is where my coloured bands also came into play (spoken about in ‘experimentation’ section of the menu above)

Exhibition 3 - After exploring the integration of branches and forming my own tree in the previous exhibition, I knew I wanted to continue forward with using wood in my piece not only on the round as the brach the bird stands on but also surrounding it. Thinking back to my research on birds and while watching David Attonbroughs Life in colour documentary on wild life (predominately birds) I was reminded of the different ‘shows’ that birds would put on to get attention from the females (the males tending to be the more colourful of the paring in most species). Male birds would do dances or movements to get the attention of their females in the pieces in order to mate often flashing their colours and planting them, much like I am aiming to doing with integrating the colour in our English setting. A large part of these dances or performances also, was the fanning out of feathers, if you think of peacocks or a parrots tail and wings when spread.

I found this very interesting and decided I would created my own ‘fan of interest’ for my art piece in exhibition using floral branches from the apple blossom tree in my garden. I used these pieces to surround my wooden round fanning out from all the sides giving a sense of scale to my work much like birds try to do as well as bringing in interest and attention to the painted piece at the centre of the artwork.

I have included photos of the finished exhibition piece below.

Here you can see up close the floral branches I chose to use from my blossom tree. I found these to be a good chose for this piece due to the small scale of the flowers as well as the pale colour of them also. I wanted the branches to draw attention to the piece but not detract from the colourful centrepiece of my artwork.

I have included some up close images here ro show you detailing like the bark on the wood round and the connection points between this and the actual trees branches. Also to show the stages of progression I have gone through and construction.

I have also included a photo here of myself stood next tot the artwork to show depiction in order to get a sense of scale for the artwork. The measurements for the work is:

Diameter of board = 0.45m

Estimated high and width of about 1.5m

Overall I am very happy with how this piece came out and I enjoyed the experimental process that made me arrive at the conclusion for the piece.

From here I intend to create my final exhibition piece on a larger scale with more rounds featuring the beautiful tropical birds, much like exhibition 1, but incorporating all I have learnt from from my first 3 exhibitions. I intend to create multiple rounds of different sizes, some sporting the ‘fan’ of interest (spoken about in experimentation - research prep) to bring interest and focus to the work. I will also be exhibiting my exhibition project in the woods next to the studios on campus to allow for the fully immersive viewing experienceI intended from my art pieces. I would like for the exhibition to almost be a trial walking through the britch woodland but experiencing what it would be like to have such wonderful tropical birds in the UK.

Below I have included pictures of my sketched out rounds ready for the painting process.

Also for my final exhibition with the decision to exhibition my artwork in the woods next to the art block, I have created a map as guidance for the viewers to find their way to the wooded area that the art is displayed. I thought this would be best as it makes what I. have created visible and my point clear and concise.

I have included the picture of this below: