Sunday 12 November 2017

Scent your walls with fragrant art - an International giveaway



 Oriental


My perfume collection has extended. It’s filled its designated drawer and mounted the walls.


Fougere, Noir and Florale

Over the last month I created a collection of mixed media artwork themed around imaginary perfume. I spend my working days teaching young people how to make visual art that passes exams, it’s rare that I get chance to relax and create my own. However, in the recent holiday I got the bug back and spent the fortnight ankle deep in cut paper, devouring coffee and listening to French radio. I felt quite the bohemian!

Bois

 Florale

Noir

The concept:
I think most people with a serious perfume habit have at least a little bit of Synesthesia. As fitting for an artist, I sense colour in fragrance. That which most pleases my nose tends to conjure gold and yellow hues. I don’t think it’s just the case that I have a deep adoration of ylang ylang. I gravitate towards scents that fizz and sparkle with an emphasis on volatile top notes, so perhaps I’m visualising champagne and jewels in my collection.
The artwork uses colour to describe fragrance genres as I sense them. I wonder if the colours resonate with you?

Aquatic

The process:
I monoprinted, stained, painted, tore and reconstructed paper. I also stained my kitchen worktop in the process which is now light grey wood with ‘crimson accents’. Joseph (also known as the feline paper shredder) ate several of the paper components and gained a temporarily Prussian blue paw. Coloured magazine paper was also used, sometimes soaked and scrunched up or scrubbed at to alter the surface texture. 
Once I’d created a huge collection of papers, I cut, layered and assembled imaginary perfume bottles. As I selected paper for each bottle, I imagined how that piece would smell, as if each section was a note within the composition. The creations represent fragrance genres and were named accordingly. 
The backgrounds were created by staining paper with acrylic inks. I tried to create a kind of abstract ‘shelf’ for them to rest upon, a little like a messy version of a Fragrantica wardrobe. 

Close up of a bottle from 'fougere', showing the layered paper techniques. 

Fougere


The resulting collection of seven fragrance genres is available to buy as limited edition prints at:
 https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/sarahwaite

To celebrate the launch of my collection, I would like to offer readers of Odiferess a chance to win their favourite artwork within the collection. The competition is open to readers all over the world and the winner be announced on Friday 17th November. To enter, please visit the Facebook page and leave a comment stating which one you would like to win. 

Good luck!

8 comments:

  1. I love these - such a lot of work will have gone into them. Loving the Florale and the Fougere because of my love for violets and carnations - but when i go back and look - i love them all :-) Good luck with the prints you talented lady! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Patsi, I'm so glad you love them. I think my favourite is the Florale one too. I love bright colours against more sombre walls. The pinks and oranges brighten up my almost entirely green bedroom.
      x

      Delete
  2. Amazing work, so delicate yet powerful! I love that Joseph assisted you in the process and now knows the struggles of an artist 🙂 I especially love the Oriental work! You are so gifted 👌🏻 X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Saskia,
      Joseph generally 'assists' me by eating anything made out of paper and trampling over wet paint palettes. Do your lovely dog friends assist you in your painting? I can imagine easels getting knocked over by wagging tails.
      xx

      Delete
  3. I would like to win Bois. thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello fmc,
      Thanks for your comment. Just to let you know, entry is over at the facebook page. Here's the address:
      https://www.facebook.com/odiferess/

      Delete
  4. They are all so creatively colored! I think I would choose Noir, if I had to choose just one. Thanks for the opportunity, and love your art.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Margo,
      Thanks for your comment and your kind words about the art project.
      Just to let you know, entry is over at the facebook page. Here's the address:
      https://www.facebook.com/odiferess/

      Delete