Skye Mckendrick
Fine Art
Final year project
My Grandad [Read more]
Attempt at a Classic Portrait
I painted this from a photo which is well known in my family. The colour palette of this piece was the most challenging as it focused on cool tones. This piece is a staple within my project as it introduces him before the decline of his life. I managed to capture his expressions successfully and managed to reflect a Renaissance style throughout. This painting relates to the final memorial piece as it is a portrait of him and shows him at his best, demonstrating the contrast between life and death.
Experiment with Photography and Layering
This experimentation is using photography and collage. I used glossy paper to transfer the image and started to burn through his main features, eyes and mouth. Eyes and mouth are part of your identity and are the most emotive parts in this photo which is why I had his dead eyes and mouth replacing them, reflecting on the end of his life. The most challenging part for this piece was burning the paper as I had little control, and it was a tiny image, meaning there was no room for error.
Experiment with Photography
I used photography to capture how little he had with him when he passed away due to COVID-19. The bag became an item that was symbolic to my family. The challenged I faced with this piece was deciding whether I wanted the bag pinned up in the exhibition without being framed so that individuals could touch it. With this, I concluded that this was disrespectful to his identity and I wanted to present it as a poster to capture peoples attention.
Experiment with Collage
A collage technique creates the illusion of a skull using some items that foreshadow his death. The items that are used within this piece are ones that stayed with him in his entire life, forming his identity. The burnt edges are in relation to his cremation and his smoking habit which eventually worsened his decline in health, becoming uncontrollable.
Experiment with Timed Painting
A quick oil painting I created from a photo that was just days before his passing. A painting that was inspired by Lucian Freud's work, concentrating on the colour palette and perspective. It was the last photo that captured him showing emotion and the last that we saw him as hospitals were restricted, so I wanted to paint it in a chaotic approach to try and catch movement, resembling a lack of time and memory.
Final Memorial Piece Section
This picture is a section of a large painting currently in process. The painting is composed of a distorted/memorial piece which is different angles of his corpse. My grandad did not have a funeral, so this painting as a whole reflects my grieving and respect for him. The challenges I have faced with this so far is size and time management. I have learnt to adapt this and quickly layered base colours which allow me to build up definition over time.
Final Memorial Piece Section
Continues on from the last image. Painting the silk from his coffin with oil on canvas board, inspired by cubism and David Hockney.
Final Memorial Piece Section
Another section of the large painting, another canvas with his nose on for identity.
Skye Mckendrick
I am devoted to oil painting, and inspired by classical renaissance painters.
My work is based around the themes and common trends that are found in renaissance pieces. I like to use aspects of this approach in my work whilst capturing global issues e.g. Covid-19. I like to experiment with various types of medias, delving into charcoal and pencil, but painting is what I enjoy the most. Painting for me is something which can be similar to a photograph but every paint stroke captures motion and leaves a subtle memory of that artist.
Final year project
My Grandad
Awards
I took part in NCS which was a program allowing me to push myself out of my comfort zone. It was a four-week scheme in which I took part in team-focused activities, networking, and making friends. In the fourth week, I was able to display my creativity when I was commissioned to graffiti a skate park for the local council. This was a huge responsibility for me which I thoroughly enjoyed. I received the reward in 2016 for taking part and completing the course.
Work Experience
My first work experience was at a company called Imprint, based in Lincoln, which I thoroughly enjoyed. My duties included designing posters and leaflets for companies or people that needed individual pieces done. This was challenging to begin with as I needed to design numerous leaflets for different companies, but I lacked experience with the fast-paced environment and procedures in place. I overcame this by asking those around me for advice, working closely with individuals allowing me to gain insight into the industry and their experiences, and was then able to apply it to my tasks. My strengths throughout this were traditional and digital drawing. I was able to apply my skills successfully, producing work that my colleagues and clients were happy with.
My second work experience was at a primary school as at the time I was considering becoming an art teacher. I faced a lot of challenges throughout my time there. The main challenge was running my own class, I had to ensure I was exceptionally organised, and my time management was excellent. Being confident in myself to be responsible for my own group made me become assertive and learn how to be in control of various different situations. From this experience, I learnt how to teach children to be creative and that anything you do or create is art, nothing is a mistake, it's all part of the creative process. The experience was rewarding and taught me a significant amount about the younger generation such as how they conduct themselves within education, and how they like to learn about new things.