Somewhat inspired by Chagall's work, this piece was created by using additive and subtractive methods. The ground was created by painting bars of color, painting black over the entire ground, and then scratching into it to reveal the bright colors underneath. For the sky, I layered paint and sequins while scratching patterns as well. This piece was about exploration- exploring different medium, different techniques, and different styles. It's message is also about exploration - the exploration of the unknown universe.
So this was my attempt to create a more abstract piece. I started with a sheet of black paper and used an x-acto knife to cut out an outline of a tree. Then I layered the cut paper on top of a canvas that I had poured paints on and gone back in with colored markers. Then I covered the entire thing with a layer of clear gel medium. Now that I'm rethinking the piece, I wish I had created the cut paper tree so that the paper created the negative space around the tree and the colored background filled in the positive space. Either way, I think the piece would have turned out pretty well.
So this is my first oil painting, and I think it turned out pretty well. I love the qualities of the oil paint- it's creamier and smoother than acrylic. Plus, the colors are so vibrant and glossy, making oil a beautiful medium. This painting was really fun to create. I loved experimenting with the new medium (as evident in the Van Gogh-like tree canopies). Two other fellow AP art students (Daniel and Hanna) and I spent one whole day at a former art teacher's vineyard. Here, we had a wonderful lunch, toured the vineyard, talked about the meaning of art, and painted our surroundings. It was truly an awesome experience- the perfect weather for the perfect day. So this painting has a special place in my heart because of all the memories attached to it :)
For this piece, I thought a somewhat gestural figure drawing would be a good addition to my breadth section of the portfolio. I couldn't find anyone to pose for me, so I ended up drawing my boyfriend, Rob, as he did his homework outside. I think it's a really successful piece! The lines are really energetic and I think it looks just like him - especially in the nose :). I also like the variety of media I used - colored pencil, charcoal, colored marker, white conte, and pen. The variety in the lines adds interest to the composition. I created the piece on a sheet of sample wallpaper, so the color and the slight pattern adds excitement as well.
This is a piece that is really interesting because of the surface I used. I cut a denim skirt down one seam and then used the shape of the surface to influence the art I created on it. The seams of the skirt reminded me of a window, and I was led to the style of Marc Chagall. The images of the window, the town, the eiffel tower, and dream-like animals were all inspires by Chagall's work. It was strange working on the denim because I realized a little too late that I should have gessoed it before applying paint. It worked out fine, but the fabric absorbed a fair amount of the paint and I had to learn to work under those circumstances. I think the composition and the surface really make this piece.
OK, I admit that this is one of the stranger projects I've done in a while. The only way I can explain it is to tell you that my goal this week was to create a piece that conveyed a message to the viewer. I citra-solved an image of an atomic bomb mushroom cloud in the distance and created a scene in which a small bird is looking off at the devastation. In his mind, it is doubtful that he senses much danger, for the cloud resembles the simple mushrooms beside him. But it's ironic because this seemingly innocent cloud will destroy habitats, creatures, and humans. So there is my little anti-neucleur weapon speech. Anyways, I created the foreground with bunched up paper towels which I watercolored and drew on with markers. I created the bird, mushrooms, and vegetation with cut paper which I drew on top of with markers. This piece still needs some work, but I think it is interesting.
For this piece, I used multiple photos that I took and arranged them to make an interesting composition. Then I did a citra-solve transfer on watercolor paper and drew into the transfer with pastels. Also with the pastels, I drew in interesting elements to the piece and continued to add to the transferred image. I think the piece worked out well in the end :). The pastels created a very soft, delicate feel to the work and I feel like that perfectly matches the subject.
This project doubles as both my second breadth project and part of my application to RISD, so I was happy about a little less work :). This piece was created with graphite and by viewing the hanging still life from three different perspectives. The repetition of shapes such as the frames, ribs, and trumpets create a rhythmic feel. I sent this drawing, my water-drop drawing, and a new bicycle drawing to RISD [and I recently found out that I got in :) ].
