Talking Colour, Talking Pattern – Ella Sharp

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Talking Colour

Miniature watercolour observing Kngwarray’s ‘untitled’ c.1981 batik on silk
Miniature watercolour observing Kngwarray’s ‘Mern Everything IV (Bush Food)’ c.1993, acrylic on canvas
Group mixed media inspired by Kngwarray’s work
Playing with colour in terms of distance, warm approaching and cold retracting.
Seeing impact of contrasting vs. complimentary colours with use of organic shape.
Group piece based on natural elements, using white space with colour to create dynamic images.
Watercolour sketch of mussels with sweetcorn at Goodbye Horses.
Mixed media exploration of autumn leafs trailing over graffiti on the canal.

Oil pastel of grilled figs with honey, crisp walnuts and ricotta from Lucia’s in Hackney Wick.

Talking Pattern

Stained glass window in a restaurant in London Bridge.
– Geometric shape exploration with felt tip pen
Butterflies in case in the Horniman museum.
Mixed media abstract shapes pulled from butterflies in frame.
Work site in Soho.
Collaging with layered paper and oil pastels.
Fence in Olympic Park.
Collaged coloured paper on graph paper.
Acrylic ink, watercolour and acetate printing.
Acrylic ink, oil pastel, watercolour and acetate printing.
Watercolour on acetate.
Digital radial pattern taken from flower motif from above acetate transfer scan.
Acrylic ink, oil pastel and watercolour.
Acrylic ink.

Digital pattern created using sketches from sketches exploring colour contrast.

Combining watercolour colour exploration of mussel’s in hackney with acrylic ink experimentation digitally.

I began exploring colour through Emily Kam Kngwarray’s exhibition at the Tate Modern, where draped batik hangings and expansive acrylic canvases revealed how layered processes could transform simple motifs into complex, compelling images. Her dynamic contrasts inspired me to adapt her techniques on a smaller scale, translating her depiction of the Australian landscape and considering them in reference to my own urban environment. I created miniature watercolours that attempted to replicate the underlying colour stories within her work.

Collaborating with peers on a mixed-media collage deepened this exploration, revealing how others responded to similar motifs and prompting me to experiment. I used oil pastels layered over delicate washes of watercolour to achieve texture and depth. Through drawing sessions focused on warm and cool contrasts, I learned that a restricted palette could heighten visual focus, compelling me to make deliberate decisions about composition and mark-making.

Beyond the studio, sketching meals in local restaurants became a way to examine the interplay between texture and tone. Oil pastel studies of food against coloured paper created rich, tactile contrasts that mirrored my earlier investigations into layering. These experiments led me to realise that my true fascination lies not in colour itself but in the repetition of complimentary shapes to create movement and flow within a stagnant image.

I extended this interest through digital pattern-making and the use of acrylic inks, where layered transparency produces rhythmic imagery. Looking ahead, I aim to refine my focus, developing recurring motifs and surfaces created using further techniques, such as etching to capture detail and pointillism to continue to explore depth within colour schemes.

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  1. Yixuan Li: I really appreciate Ella’s work, especially her first painting influenced by Emily Kam Knagwarray’s work. She interpreted the artist’s style…