Lucy Hatton

Stories at Midnight

Painting - BA (Hons)

School of Art

lucy.hatt@outlook.com

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A section from the painting 'The Resident Witch'. Described fully in 'Stories at Midnight' full series image carrousel.

A section from the painting 'The Resident Witch', oil on paper, 59.5 x 84 cm

Project description

I love stories, but more specifically, I love how they are told and how they make us feel. This project has stemmed from my interest in the application of fiction and how visual narratives can positively effect and be communicated to audiences. ‘Stories at Midnight’, (named after the liminal period where reality merges with the fictitious), acts as a series of visual prompts, encouraging creative engagement between painting and viewer. The narrative outcome is for the viewer to decide; the ‘art’ therefore is not so much the paintings but the viewer’s relationship to them. The work creates a space in which people may exercise their own inner storyteller as they deduce what they see. The intention being, that audiences can find joy, escapism and inclusion, as their personal outlook completes the work. My practice aims to romanticise normality by utilising its components in the creation of the fantastical; therefore I build my paintings from elements of the everyday. I find animals from text books, paint my friends as wondrous characters, create sets out of recycled materials, pre-existing locations and found objects; and what is not real, I construct with imagination and oil paint.

Close up of 'Assassin Bride' painting, with the text 'Stories at Midnight' overlaying the image

'Stories at Midnight', full series

Through a sliver of door way a figure sits, draped in a white robe. Overhead lighting casts her hair in gold, and her face in shadow. Behind her, carved in green marble is a statue of 'Venus'. It is uncertain what the woman gases at, the audiences view being restricted by the half shut door. The door itself has a small neon mark; the outline of a shell and the roman numeral for 11.

The Bath House, oil on card, 59.5 x 84 cm

A golden sun rise crests dark black mountains. Far in the distance a rainbow materialises above a shadowed silver lake. The silhouettes of trees and foliage frames the bottom half of the painting. Amongst this darkness, in the left corner, a deer appears. This deer glows with the same colours and hue of the distant rainbow.

The Dawn Spirit, oil on card, 59.5 x 84 cm

Shrouded by coral, curtains and dark water, a mermaid sleeps. Her bed is rectangular, glowing with a bright vibrant yellow that encircles her. The light from the bed shows two large inquisitive fish, watching the mermaid sleep. On the side of the bed shows a neon sword and two snakes.

Sea Bed, oil on card, 59.5 x 84 cm

A desk illuminated by two candles. The first is red, held in golden holder. The second sits, burning low, in a shell. Crystals, flowers and jewels litter the table. A red skull peeks out from behind a blue and white flower pot. Ivy drapes across a tan and green book. In the top left corner a gloved hand reaches towards a spell book. Blue lights glitter and glow above the hand.

The Resident Witch, oil on card, 59.5 x 84 cm

A lavish interior, walls covered in wooden panelling, with wooden upholstered chairs. Upon one of them, a small cat sits. On the floor lies a huge tiger, looking into the distance. A window to the east casts long shadows across the floor. A door, at the room's back, is framed by a neon sword and axe.

Guards, oil on card, 59.5 x 84 cm

Two figures stand in a black landscape, illuminated by an unseen source. The first holds an axe, a falcon perched attentively on her shoulder. She has red hair and is wearing black armour. The second is adorned in a red and white gown, that sparkles and shifts. Her eyes are glowing and a crescent moon acts as a tiara. On the horizon is a city in front of a low sunset, peppered by forks of lighting. In the fore ground, a white barn owl is mid flight; a crescent moon (like the second figure) adorns its head.

Valkyries, oil on card, 59.5 x 84 cm

A woman stares down the viewer. A vail adorns her head, glowing green and bright orange from the light of an unseen fire. She holds a bouquet for unfocused flowers. Blurred, in the darkness behind her floats glowing embers of ash and flame.

The Assassin Bride, oil on card, 59.5 x 84 cm

A dark forest, mist roles in the background between the trees. A bright blue, glowing skeleton of a wolf bounds through the trees. Accompanied by a white and brown hunting dog, who jumps in excitement.

Friends Forever, oil on card, 59.5 x 84 cm

Stories at Midnight installed in sculpture court, close up shot, positioned from the base of the instillation.

Stories at midnight, Sculpture Court installation, close up.

The sculpture court of the ECA; Stories at Midnight is installed on the central wall panel. Each painting from the series is held in a gold wooden frame.

Stories at midnight, Sculpture Court installation

Stories at Midnight installed in sculpture court, with black background and the poem 'Make better'

'Stories at midnight', proposal for full series installation & poem 'Make Better'.

Stories at midnight, full series.

Concept Paintings for 'Stories at Midnight

A dark silhouetted landscape surrounds the materialisation of a delicate rainbow. Intercepting its colour is a white winged horse.

The Daw Spirit, concept painting, watercolour on paper, 17 x 30 cm

A white marble lion lies amongst red and green flowers. Half of a glass terrarium is visible to its side.

The Resident Witch, concept painting, watercolour on paper, 29 x 20 cm

two small figures of a wolf skeleton and a hunting dog run through a wide forest. In the distance trees burn gold in the light of a sunset.

Friends Forever, concept painting, watercolour on paper, 17 x 30 cm

A sketchy depiction of a tiger sitting in an old fashioned interior.

Guards, concept painting, watercolour on paper, 27 x 17 cm

A blue and yellow fish materialises from the darkness, looking down at the viewer.

Sea Bed, concept painting, watercolour on paper, 15 x 10 cm

A yellow shell holds a stub of red candle. the flame burns brightly, casting sparkles into the darkness.

The Resident Witch, concept painting, watercolour on paper, 15.5 x 10 cm

Drawn in green, red and tan pencil, a rough sketch of 'Sea Bed'.

Sea Bed, concept sketch, pencil on paper, 29 x 14 cm

Sketching and conceptual painting

Sketching has become an almost instinctual process within my work. I feel I best understand a subject when I draw it. However here, I sketch to build imagined images that do not yet exist. I often use water colour under these circumstances as I want to work quickly; not over thinking the subjects that I’m visualising. These do not have to be finished works, just places to put my thoughts before I start the final paintings.

Drawn in florescent mint green, light yellow and black chalk; a ghost glides down a darkened hallway.

Ghost Encounter, concept sketch, chalk on paper, 19 x 10 cm

The warm red face of a man looks into the green glowing face of a ghost. A single candle flame glows between them. Only the man's eyes reflect the glow of the ghost, as she peers curiously at him

Ghost Encounter 3, oil on paper, 37 x 24cm

While mostly black, a thin strip of light illuminates the eye and face of a man. Reflected in his eye is the glowing green skull of a ghost.

Ghost Encounter 4, Oil on paper, 37 x 24 cm

A glowing, ghostly figure of a skeleton hangs in the air. Her hair and dress are incorporeal, floating around her. A red skylight shows she's looking down on the viewer from the ceiling of a dramatic, historic stairwell.

Ghost Encounter 2, oil on paper, 37 x 24cm

A figure cast in shadow looks through a glowing doorway.

Ghost Encounter 1, Oil on paper, 37 x 24 cm

Ghost Encounter

Ghost Encounter is a short series I painted near the beginning of my project. At this point, my main intention was to create paintings that resembled stills from cinema. My artistic process began to resembles that of a film’s production; as I switch between the roles of writer, cinematographer and director to create my final paintings. I would create a story, make sets, arrange costumes, organise 'actors', then film the action on my phone. From this video I would use painting as a mode of ‘post production’; changing the composition and adding in my imagined spectral figure. While my work’s intention changed, this method of ‘cinematic production’ continued into the processes of Stories at Midnight.

Throughout this project I have studied and analysed the visual language of cinema, seeing how I may apply its structures to better the outcome of my painting practice. Cinematographers and directors use every visual at their disposal to tell a story; for example, light, symbolism, metaphors, composition and colour. When constructing a visual narrative I take into consideration what it is I want to get across, then use corresponding visuals to translate character, mood, story or emotion into a single painting.

A dark room holds a 'space age' sleep pod. It emits a golden glow that reflects upon curtains. A single figure rests within shrouded by the light.

Sleep Pod 2, oil on paper, 32 x 49.3 cm

A girl sleeps surrounded by a glowing bed. The light from beneath her casts a rainbow hue of yellows, pinks and blues around the 'space age' structure she rests in. She is wearing a white top, has short hair and her skin glows from the light. Above her face, suspended in the air are delicate blue lines, mapping out her temples. A line of blue text reads "Subject Stable"

Sleep Pod 1, oil on paper, 32 x 49.3 cm

Two oil paintings positioned on a black background. Each show a Si-Fi 'sleep pod' from different angles. Description of each on the below two images.

Sleep Pod, in context, oil on paper, each 32 x 49.3 cm

Behind the Scenes

As previously mentioned, my painting’s production is often influenced by the creative processes of film, including the creation of elaborate sets. While I knew I wanted to take audiences to a galaxy far far away, I intend to use accessible materials to get there. Below shows a set I built for the paintings ‘Sleep Pod’ and ‘Sea Bed’. The staging is made from recycled fridge packaging, fairy lights, bed sheets, duvets, pillows and tape.

Two images, side by side, showing one of my production sets. The set resembles a large white 'space age' bed. In one image the lights are on, the other they are off- but the bed glows from within.

Set Production example, 4 x 4 m

Gold text on black background reading "It is a simple thing, often purely used for pleasure. Yes, fiction may not change the world, but it can make it better."

'Make Better', poem by artist

Writing

Writing often parallels my painting practice; I find that in writing my own narratives I can better produce works that feel grounded. While I never intended to share my writing (as the intention of the series is to allow audiences a space to create their own personal interpretation) I incorporate short written aspects within my work’s presentation.

The purpose of the poem Make Better is to summarise the joy, adventure and escapism that can come from indulging in fiction. I hope that in reading these two lines audiences may reflect on their own creative powers; and how such powers may be used to improve the lives of ourselves and others.