ABSTRACT
This thesis titled exploration in Painting using coloured patterns of selected frog specie, is an overview on pattern formation on frogs as a source of inspiration for contemporary painting. Over the years, artists have come up with various methods of expression. Gardner (1980) points out that from pre-historic times to the present, mankind has been much involved with nature and its elements such as visual forms, shapes, patterns and images. The exploration of the pattern formation and surface quality of frogs in painting as the subject of artistic contemplation is with the view of scrutinizing carefully the pattern formation of various frogs beyond its scientific appreciation as an amphibian. This is with the desire to create images of artistic potentials derived from the pattern formation on the skin of frogs as a source of inspiration for exploration in painting. The frog, as an element of nature from which the researcher draws his inspiration, is endowed with variety of interesting lines, forms, shapes, patterns and textures which have visual aesthetic values. This study focused on the colour pattern formation on some selected specie of frogs for exploration in painting. A review of works and literature was undertaken to show and appreciate the contributions made by painters in the study of nature. A studio based methodology was adopted in conflating needed information for this study which included paintings, sketches, drawings based on the direct visual study of selected species of frog. Photographs were also manipulated to create the body of works for this research. It also provided information on the systematic approach to the study. Conventional different media were used in carrying out the exploration in paints (these include pen and ink, and colours, acrylic, and self made colour). The works derived from this research are presented in plates and also formed the whole body of the works to be exhibited. The study, has through the use of frogs produce paintings and created a postmodernist concept for contemporary Nigeria art. Also, it reveals that through experimentation with frogs in painting, patterns on the frogs can be juxtaposed to form composition of aesthetic values. Findings in the course of the research reveals that the creative and systematic manipulation of the textural qualities on selected species of frog can create new vista of aesthetic designs. Also through documentation, this study creates awareness to interested researchers in modern artistic development especially in nature painting, it is also recommended that artists should continue to look which in nature for inspiration in painting because of its in exhaustible potentials.