Kay Sage

Early Life: Born into wealth, traveled Europe, developed an early love for art.

Artistic Beginnings: Studied painting in Rome, immersed herself in the art scene.

Surrealist Connection: Moved to Paris, influenced by Giorgio de Chirico, met Yves Tanguy and André Breton.

Unique Style: Dreamlike, architectural paintings; defied gravity and logic; evoked isolation and unease.

Challenges and Recognition: Overcame sexism in the art world, exhibited with prominent Surrealists, maintained artistic independence.

Tragic End: Life marked by personal struggles, died by suicide in 1963.

Legacy: Significant figure in Surrealism, known for powerful, enigmatic works.

After a privileged childhood, Sage moved to Italy, where she lived and worked in the company of a group of artists. Having married an Italian Prince however, she soon felt stifled and without artistic inspiration, so moved to Paris, where she met fellow painter Yves Tanguy, became involved with the Surrealist group, and started what she would later call, her "real life". She began to favor the geometric over the organic, and landscapes turned from natural vistas into barren psychological spaces. Constructed in mind, Sage built stage sets on canvas that typically look transitional, temporary, and unstable like scaffolding or theatre rigging. Following the unexpected death of her love, Tanguy, she suffered greatly at the end of her life. As a concluding tragedy that one wonders from the overarching tone of sadness that her paintings had already foreseen, Sage became partially blind and took her own life. Read more about her life and death here

Artist Timeline

Artist models image sheets

ARTIST MODEL RESEARCH & RESPONSE

4x A4 pages in your Visual Diary or 2x slides in your Digital workbook

Create artist research pages that explore the artist model in-depth and allows you to experiment with their style and technique, while also researching their ideas, medi and technieuqs [conventions]

You will need to complete in your Visual Diary

1x page of Artist research [who, what and when]
1x page of Analysis [why and how]
Create your own reference images [photographs of hands]
respond to the artist model in practical works

Artist Models

Click to go to each artist page

Henry Moore

Kay Sage

De Chirico

AKO - Research and Learn

PAGE 1 -pure research & facts

Select 2-3 images from the provided sheet [or search your own] and glue them into your Visual Diary. Do some basic research on your artist and their style of work. In your Visual diary note down some important or interesting facts about your Artist [dot points are fine].

Consider/answer the following questions and make notes in your sketchbook

Biographical Information & context

What is the name of your chosen artist?
What year was he/she born?
Does the time have any contextual relevance to the art work? (was there anything happening at the time of the art work that may have been an influence)
Are there any relevant facts about their life that impacted their work?

Media

How was the work made and what was it made from?
What materials, tools, processes and techniques did the artist use?
Do you think the artist needed to work quickly or slowly?

Subject

What is the subject matter of the work? What is it about?
Was the subject matter based on direct observation, or was it invented or imagined by the artist?

IN ANY SPARE SPACE, DO SOME VALUE AND COLOUR STUDIES OF THE SELECTED ARTWORKS

workbook example.pdf

THIS RESOURCE HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO ASSIST YOU WITH RESEARCHING AND RESPONDING TO THE ARTIST MODELS

Annotation and Artist research SENIOR

TŪHURA-explore [evidence for 2.3]

Page 2- ANALYSIS-THINKING AND TALKING ABOUT THE WORK

An analysis of an artists body of work is like breaking down a recipe to understand how & why it's made. We look closely at the elements the artist used, like colors, lines, and shapes, and how they work together to create the artworks. We also consider the artist's choices and how they might have influenced the pieces. It's about understanding the artist's vision and how they communicated it through their work using conventions.

THESE QUESTIONS ARE NOT DESIGNED TO ALL BE ANSWERED ON AT A TIME, THEY ARE PROMPTS TO GET YOU THIKNING...

Conventions [line/shape/vale/focal point etc]

What do you see first when you look at this artwork? (Why?.)
If you had to describe this artist's style in three words, what would they be?
What other conventions can you identify in this artwork?
Do you think the artist followed these conventions strictly, or did they break any rules? Why?
How does the artist's use of conventions affect the way you see and feel about this artwork?
How has the subject matter been arranged (composition)?
Was the intention to represent it realistically or to distort, exaggerate or abstract it and why is this important?
What color scheme did the artist use? How do those colors make you feel? how does it add to the work [purpose]
How did the artist use lines in this artwork? Are they thick or thin, straight or curvy? Why have they been used and for what intent?
How has the artist used or applied media/technique? is there a purpose to it?
Does this artwork remind you of any other artists or styles you've seen? Why or why not?
What do you think the artist was trying to say or express with this artwork?
How does the artist's style help them communicate their message
Does this artwork have a different meaning for you than it might have for someone else? Why?

Was there anything happening at the time of the art work that may have been an influence on the way the piece was made or you view it?

Influence on your own art: How will this artwork inspire or inform your own creative practice? What techniques, ideas, or approaches might you borrow or adapt?

Refer to specific examples within the works to support your statements at all times..

WAIHANGA - Respond & Create [evidence for 2.2 2.3 2.4]

RESPOND = 2 pages of your visual diary should now be dedicated to learning to draw draped fabric and responding to the styles of Kay sage. These are experimantal and exploratory style drawings. You will also explore large drawngs of draped fabric in charcoal and paint

CREATE [top of board 1]

2x A5 drawings in DRY MEDIA [pencil.charcoal.pen]
2x A5 artworks in WET MEDIA [ink.paint.watercolour. oil pastel resist]

Reference image creation

Create a visual resource bank of drapery and draped figures. Some studio shots will be set up for you but extend your resources and experiment and explore other options for exploring draped fabric and figures. Use different lighting to emphasise folds.

These will be used as references for your Waihanga.

240 12ARP ideas | art inspiration, de chirico, drapery drawing

Youtube Playlist for Paint/Draw folded fabric

Respond

Responding with Line

Using line only, record the folds and creases seen in one or more of your reference images,
Use pen and cross hatching to capture the folds.

Under each drawing, annotate and identify which convention(s) you have chosen to explore.

Responding with Value

Record four of your compositions [photographs] using tonal media. Use wet media for some and dry media for others. In some cases it may be appropriate to use both. Use at least two conventions in each drawing. Because you are now using tone, you may also use the following conventions:

strong side lighting
chiaroscuro [try doing this with white pencil on black paper]
surface qualities.

Under each drawing, annotate and identify which convention(s) you have chosen to explore.

Responding with Paint

Analyse your work from the previous activity, identifying what has been successful and what has been less so. Select your two strongest drawings. They may be line drawings or value studies. Photocopy them and glue the copies into your book. Use acrylic paint to paint over the photocopies starting with thin layers and building up layers to add form and details.
create a composition using arbitrary colour [expressive]

** painting folds is NO different to drawing them - lightly sketch your shapes. Add in shadows, then mid values then highlights!

Create [resolved pieces]

A series of resolved finished pieces 4x A5/A4 using your reference image and artists style
These will form the 2nd top section of Folio 1

*you may be able to use your charcoal and paint larger pieces - photograph and print to for folio*

Digital Folio

all evidence is to go into your digital folio

2x pages of research and analysis
2x pages of practical drawings and paintings +ANNOTATIONS
resolved pieces 1 or more slides + process work and annotation originals go on your folio board
Reflect [Annotating your Work]
under your drawings and paintings make comments about your work - what has been successful, what needs more work?
Make comments on identifiable pictorial elements and conventions.