Nuneaton Festival of Arts

Another competition I have entered that I feel is the most representative of what I want to do once I graduate, is the Nuneaton Festival of Arts. I used to enter this competition annually however for the past few years, as I have moved away from home, I haven't entered.

The syllabus, which I downloaded and read about halfway through this practice, stated that the piece had to be under 122cm x 76cm, while my painting was 95cm x 95cm. So, I emailed a member of the committee about the limitations, and how flexible they were. After a few weeks, I heard back from them and was given permission to enter my piece this year. If I hadn't, I would have made a smaller frame and trimmed the piece down.

In the past, I have specialised in photo-realism however this year, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and experiment with colour and shape, as this could still teach me things that could help with character concept art or mood boards, etc. The final outcome is more abstract.

I am happy with the composition and the depth in the face. I also feel it is important to try new things, even if the outcome isn't very good as it expands my knowledge and experience, and allows me to learn from my mistakes and grow.

I feel I went too far with certain colours however, and I feel the piece is too light in general. As the mood of the piece is quite dark, this should translate through the colour palette. Hopefully, it makes the audience ask questions.

© Emily Kate Mullis 2020