Ella de Heinrich
Capturing space and form through creative means , particularly by drawing and painting , has been my passion for as long as I can remember . Throughout the IB , I have delved into different themes and used a range of materials . Inspired by the work of Alison Watt , the intricate structures between the folds of fabric were a compositional focus , so I explored the use of oil paint and charcoal , testing my own ability to capture these hanging fabrics . The relationship between structure and the fluidity of fabric then led me to delve into architectural studies .
The ability of space and form to shape human responses has been a lifelong fascination . After completing my Extended Essay on the Lloyd ’ s building in London , manipulating space and creating abstract forms became another focus . The abstract sculpture , created by reusing discarded wood panels , was a result of abstract sketching and spontaneous structural choices . It was very enjoyable to make and has since been a subject of many of my observational sketches .
Having explored both the abstract structural forms in fabric , as well as playing with space and form , I related these back to the human body . Life drawing and anatomical understanding is at the core of drawing and art . Having attended art classes at the National Gallery every week for years and having had the opportunity to complete several life drawings , the role that observation of figures has played in my artistic development is fundamental . I decided to combine these ideas and look at the structural basis of bodies , namely skeletons . Fascinated by the complex structures within them , I conducted several observations of skeletal structures , including a large-scale skeletal charcoal drawing playing with perspective and an observation of a fish skull .