- Inspiration -
Artist in focus: Cicely Mary Barker
Cicely Mary Barker was a British children's illustrator in the early 20th century who lived in the United Kingdom. Her best known work is her series of flower fairies books- 170 illustrations of botanically accurate flowers with their accompanying fairies. The works have a light and innocent mood, they feel dainty, feminine, and child-like. She often used pale, low contrast colors, with thin outlines to preserve a slightly more realistic feel to the illustrations. Her drawing also all have a very complimentary color scheme, with matching colors in the flowers, the fairies, and the background. |
When researching artists for my inspiration, I was looking for something floral and dainty that was in a similar style to something I could reproduce with oil paint. Just from my own interpretation, Barkers work perfectly captured a theme of innocence, purity, and femininity. Along with the mood that I felt from the painting, I more so just wanted to replicate the aesthetic of the fairies and flowers and the color scheme of the painting. The medium of the flower fairy illustrations are mostly colored pencil, which likely would make things like blending lighter colors easier. Hopefully I can replicate that smooth texture in paint.
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- Process -
I then used a ruler to measure out the ratios for my canvases and started sketching the fairies and flowers I had decided on in the boxes. For the fairy on the left, I wanted her to be surrounded by cooler colored light azalea flowers. She was going to be sitting in one flower, with her eyes closed and knees between her arms. For the second painting, I wanted the fairy to be standing, or upright, pushing taller, skinnier flowers aside to get through. Compared to the last one, I wanted the background for this one to be a bit lighter, with open sky at the top and grass and dirt at the bottom. There would be the problem of empty space at the bottom though. I considered sketching out a little road or maybe put some rocks at the bottom for that.
I started with the painting on the left first. I wanted this painting to feel a bit dark and lonely, and I wanted the viewer to understand that the fairy felt a bit isolated and sad. I used a variety of dark blues and mixed in a tad of yellow every now and then to give it less of a monochrome look, like there were more types of plants hidden in the background. The colors got darker as I moved down the canvas to create the illusion of a bit of light coming in through the top. Then I started painting the stems of the flowers. I started with dark blues and greens again- just so that they barely blended in to the background of the painting- and then added several more layers with lighter colors to give the stems depth, contours, and highlights. I struggled with adding a lot of detail- something I originally wanted to do in my planning sketches- but realized I am not too skilled in painting realistic botanical things.
Lastly, I painted in the fairy of the second painting. This fairy was meant to be exploring through the flowers symbolizing adventure and self discovery. I started off by using light blues and greys to make the wings of the fairy, which don't appear as transparent as I'd like them to have been. Then I made my skin tone for the fairy and applied the shadows as if the light source was coming from above and a bit to the right. I added details to the face using a very thin brush then moved on to the hair. I used a dark brown then blended in lighter colors to create highlights towards the middle of the hair. Then I painted on the golden dress of the fairy; a last minute deviation from my original color scheme that I am quite fond of. I gave her some slippers, then went back in with my grass color to put some grass in front of the fairy, and to make it look like she was holding one of the flowers.
- Critique -
Similarities between the two pieces include:
1. General depictions of flowers and fairies. Both the flower fairy series and my artwork display small feminine fairies and corresponding flowers.
2. No harsh outlines. Because the flower fairy series is done in colored pencil, there is some need for a very thin outline, that is not even completely black. I also do not use any harsh outlines in my painting.
3. Realism. While neither of the pieces use photo-realism, they use realistic proportions, colors, and blending to create a semi-realistic depiction of tiny humans with wings chilling with flowers.
1. General depictions of flowers and fairies. Both the flower fairy series and my artwork display small feminine fairies and corresponding flowers.
2. No harsh outlines. Because the flower fairy series is done in colored pencil, there is some need for a very thin outline, that is not even completely black. I also do not use any harsh outlines in my painting.
3. Realism. While neither of the pieces use photo-realism, they use realistic proportions, colors, and blending to create a semi-realistic depiction of tiny humans with wings chilling with flowers.
Differences between the two pieces include:
1. The medium. Baker used colored pencil in her illustrations to create a seamless blending. I used acryllic paint.
2. Intent. Barkers intent behind her flower fairies series was purely aesthetic while my piece was made with a theme and deeper meaning.
3. Use of line. Because I did not use color pencil, I didn't go back in with any darker outlines with paint for my fairies. This gave my piece a slightly less contrasted look where shapes and colors (like the flowers) sort of blend in with the background and with each other.
1. The medium. Baker used colored pencil in her illustrations to create a seamless blending. I used acryllic paint.
2. Intent. Barkers intent behind her flower fairies series was purely aesthetic while my piece was made with a theme and deeper meaning.
3. Use of line. Because I did not use color pencil, I didn't go back in with any darker outlines with paint for my fairies. This gave my piece a slightly less contrasted look where shapes and colors (like the flowers) sort of blend in with the background and with each other.
- Reflection -
I had a lot of fun doing this piece! Painting is my favorite medium; I feel like I have the most control over what I make when I'm painting. I had a lot of trouble deciding what direction I wanted to go in for this piece. At first I wanted to do some sort of portrait, and looking back, I kind of wish I would have done that instead. I am, however, fine with how this piece turned out. I think I could have done a better job with painting the flowers in the painting to the left, and the facial structure is a bit off for both of them. The centering of the piece feels off, its too dead-center for both and creates a weird feeling. I could have done a better job with my blending, which feels a bit rushed and sloppy at times. The connection to my theme could have also been stronger.
- ACT Connections -
1) Clearly explain how you were able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your art?
My inspiration influenced the overall style of my piece, the vintage illustration look, along with the general theme of flowers and fairies and pretty, pastel colors.
2) What is the overall approach the artist has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
I chose my inspiration almost purely for aesthetic reasons; Barkers work wasn't deeply personal or had much theme or meaning other than that the fairies were pretty to look at, and I wanted to replicate that look.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
When showing other people my piece and explaining its meaning, it surprised me how many of my peers related to the topic.
4) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
I wanted something that looked vintage and that I could recreate with acrylic paint while still maintaining some realism.
5.) What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I considered the artistic process Barker likely went through when she created her pieces, and about how all of her fairy illustrations are white fairies, and what that means about the time she drew her fairies.
My inspiration influenced the overall style of my piece, the vintage illustration look, along with the general theme of flowers and fairies and pretty, pastel colors.
2) What is the overall approach the artist has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
I chose my inspiration almost purely for aesthetic reasons; Barkers work wasn't deeply personal or had much theme or meaning other than that the fairies were pretty to look at, and I wanted to replicate that look.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
When showing other people my piece and explaining its meaning, it surprised me how many of my peers related to the topic.
4) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
I wanted something that looked vintage and that I could recreate with acrylic paint while still maintaining some realism.
5.) What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I considered the artistic process Barker likely went through when she created her pieces, and about how all of her fairy illustrations are white fairies, and what that means about the time she drew her fairies.
- Citations -
Cicely Mary Barker, 'The Travellers Joy Fairy', Britain 1923
Cicely Mary Barker, 'The Honeysuckle Fairy', Britain 1923
Cicely Mary Barker, 'The Candytuft Fairy', Britain 1923
Cicely Mary Barker, 'The Honeysuckle Fairy', Britain 1923
Cicely Mary Barker, 'The Candytuft Fairy', Britain 1923