Palette Scraps Series (Ongoing)

Palette Scraps #9, Chaz Howkins, 2017, acrylic on paper

Palette Scraps #10, Chaz Howkins, 2017, acrylic on paper

Palette Scraps #11, Chaz Howkins, 2017, acrylic on paper

Palette Scraps #12, Chaz Howkins, 2017, acrylic on paper

Painting End of Semester Review

Five weeks worth of paintings from my painting class, presented for review.

Self Portraits

Untitled (Yellow Selfie), Chaz Howkins, 2017, oil and acrylic on paper

Untitled (Yellow Selfie #2), Chaz Howkins, 2017, oil and acrylic on paper

My first attempts at creating a self portrait using oil paint (acrylic was only used for the backgrounds).

Lineart

Zombie Barbie - Colouring Book, Chaz Howkins, 2017, fine liner on paper

A lineart drawing created to be published in a colouring book by the Curtin Illustration Club.  A challenging drawing to create as I am usually inclined to shade and add tone or colour.

Workshop with Lex Randolph

Not So Cuterus, Chaz Howkins, 2017, pen on paper

Not A Penis, Chaz Howkins, 2017, tights, stuffing and thread.

I attended an artist's talk by Lex Randolph at their exhibition Human Becomings at Paper Mountain which was followed by a workshop with the artist.  We were encouraged to use a range of textiles to create artworks which relate to our own gender identities.  I created a drawing which relates to the idea of my body reminding me of my biological sex, which I can often overlook.  I also created an arm made out of stuffed tights and sewed the words "can always be bigger" into; this is due to my insecurities about my arms and how they are simultaneously my favourite and least favourite feature as I'm well aware that they are far from as toned as they could be. 

Screenshot #5

Screenshot #5, Chaz Howkins, 2017, acrylic on paper and acetate

Another painting using the three dimensional effect of an acetate 'screen' covered in glitch-like paint.

Screenshot #4

Screenshot #4, Chaz Howkins, 2017, acrylic and masking tape on paper and acetate

To create a three dimensional effect, I created a box around my painting made of acetate and painted on it in strips so that the portrait would be distorted differently from different angles.

Care Package

Care Package, Chaz Howkins, 2017, pencil and chalk on padded envelope

Most of the work I've been creating relating to my long distance relationship has centred around glitched screens and digital forms of communication, so I wanted to contrast this by creating a singular realistic portrait related to the rare time that we send each other physical post.

Glass Experiment

Untitled, Chaz Howkins, 2017, acrylic paint on glass

For this piece I smashed the glass and then painted on it and on reflection decided that for the next painting I would paint on the glass first and then smash it.

Phone Call Timeline

Phone Call Timeline, Chaz Howkins, 2017, series of mixed media drawings on paper

Phone Call Timeline, Chaz Howkins, 2017, series of mixed media drawings on paper

Phone Call Timeline is made up of 100 individual drawings.  Each of the drawings are 58x104mm, the exact size of my phone screen, and are based off of screenshots taken while video calling my partner.  I experimented with a range of media and drawing techniques in order to create a variety of glitched effects  The similarity between each drawing and the continuity in size mirrors the mundane frustration of communicating through a tiny screen, having repetitive conversations at a set time each day.

Poor Network Connection

Through painting, drawing and photography Poor Network Connection explores the realities of a long distance relationship in the digital age.  The majority of the works are based off of screenshots while video calling my partner, distorted in a similar manner to how the screen glitches and interrupts us.

Poor Network Connection - Opening Night

The opening night of Poor Network Connection was very successful.  The exhibition will run for another two weeks at The Good Shepherd.

Progress of Shattered Screen

The process of painting the image then smashing it and rearranging the shards of glass.

Poor Network Connection

Poster for Poor Network Connection, Chaz Howkins, 2017, poster

Next Monday night is the opening of my next solo exhibition - Poor Network Connection at The Good Shepherd.  The exhibition will feature paintings, drawings and photography that explores the realities of a long distance relationship in the digital age.

Glass Experiment

Shattered Screen, Chaz Howkins, 2017, acrylic on glass

For this piece I painted directly onto glass, which I then smashed and reassembled.  I think this effect is visually interesting but may be a slightly too violent approach to portraying my subject matter.  I also think it's not as obvious as I'd imagined that the painting is done on glass as it has lost its reflective quality, so I will go over it in a glossy coat.

Cabin Fever Exhibition

Myself and my artwork: Ode to Henry Vincent, 2017, ink and tea on paper

Cabin Fever was an exhibition put on by students following a weekend visit to Wadjemup Bidi (Rottnest Island), we all created artworks on the island and then developed them afterwards for the exhibition.  The artwork I submitted was a poem I wrote after finding out about the dark history of the island in that it used to be an Aboriginal prison and is now covered in unmarked graves of the prisoners.  The poem is an ironic Ode to a superintendent of the prison who was responsible for many deaths and much mistreatment of the prisoners.  I also co-curated the exhibition.

Phone Call series

Phone Call #9, Chaz Howkins, 2017, pencil

Phone Call #4, Chaz Howkins, 2017, pencil 

Phone Call #1, Chaz Howkins, 2017, pencil

Phone Call #23, Chaz Howkins, 2017, pencil

Phone Call #29, Chaz Howkins, 2017, pencil

Phone Call #24, Chaz Howkins, 2017, pencil

These drawings come from an ongoing series in which all the drawings are 58x104mm, which is the exact size of my phone screen.  Each of the drawings are based on screenshots taken while video calling my partner.

Glass Experimentations

Computer Screen Print #2, Chaz Howkins, 2017, oil paint on glass

Computer Screen Smudge, Chaz Howkins, 2017, oil paint on glass

Computer Screen Print, Chaz Howkins, 2017, oil paint on glass

My intention for this piece was to paint onto a sheet of glass and then place another sheet on glass on top of the wet painting so that the paint is squished and distorts the image.  However when I squished the two sheets of glass together, the paint wasn't very distorted and the desired effect wasn't achieved.  I then pulled the two sheets of glass apart and found that the image left on the underside of the upper sheet of glass was quite an interesting, distorted shell of a portrait, so replicated the effect with another sheet of glass to create this triptych.

Quokka Painting

Quokka, Chaz Howkins, 2017, oil paint on paper

An A3 sized painting created after a trip to Rottnest Island.

Process of Screenshot #3

Process of Screenshot #3

This gif demonstrates the process I used to create the glitched effect on this painting - by painting over a series of squares of masking tape then removing and relocating them.  The gif demonstrates the make or break moment of the process.