Reaserch of Paul Nash and his World War 1 Paintings, reccomeneded my Tutor Derek.

     I have looked previously at Paul Nash Paintings in Drawing 1 course. His style is very unique and expressive. My tutor as asked me to look at how Paul Nash in his world war 1 paintings applies the paint creating variety rather then flat colour. 

Paul Nash -We are making a new world  1918

www.tate.org.uk

          I found this painting of Paul Nash painting in world war 1. Paul Nash had just returned to England and saw what horrors the war had done to nature and the environment he loved. He started to paint landscapes, using his feeling of outrage and portraying waste of life in his paintings throughout nature. His work to me is very angular and the way he has applied paint to the canvas, looks as though he did it fast and angrily, obviously from the wreckage of the war. This gives his painting, of this era, a sense of depression and sadness to what world war 1 did to the planet. I can see he has applied the paint thickly and boldly, to show tone on the shadows of the trees from the suns light. He has painted the hills red in the background, which to me demonstrates the blood shed in the war. The burnt up trees look as though there reaching to the light all at the same angle. I feel here that Paul Nash is asking questions: when will it end? and when will all this land get back to normal? I also see the sun as a peace sign, such as after a rain shower has just finished and the sun's light is glistening on the planet showing the puddles left over, in this case the aftermath of the war, (the storm is over=the war is over)

Paul Nash - Void 1918

http://www.gallery.ca/en/see/collections/artwork.php?mkey=5484

     Again looking at this other example of Paul Nash art work, I can see that again, it has a quite a lot of angles involved. The colours are all similar, to make me think, that he used a limited pallet for this particular piece of work. Paul Nash is clearly showing the aftermath of war, the demolition and terror of the end result. The way he applies paint is quite boldly. This painting looks as though he had spent more time on it then the 1st painting I looked at. The light portrayed here, is kind of an illustrative glow. I think he created tone by starting with dark colors. but then keep adding a lighter shade on top to create tone, The way in which he paints with bold colour and highlights, make the painting have depth and not a flat view. I think also the angles he used creates dramatic depth in the painting and makes the painting seem to go on and on, in to the far back ground. The way he uses the angles, makes the viewer focus on the path to the vanishing point. 

     I feel it was good to have a look at his work, as I can see that it helps to put meaning in a painting, then to concentrate on painting techniques. To put a meaning in to a painting, makes it more interesting to the viewer and is a way to find your own voice. The viewers can have a connection with the artist. The way he paints is useful to me as well,  it shows me to not be so careful about how I am applying the paint and just paint freely. Concentrate on what I am looking at, but also to portray it as how I see it.