Breadth #12

My final piece for the AP portfolio! It's been a long but satisfying experience to create these 24 pieces of art over the course of the year. Since my breadth section seemed to be missing a realistic portrait, I felt that this self portrait was a good piece to end on. This was created by adding and subtracting with graphite and an eraser. I wanted to have intense darks and lights, so I sat underneath a harsh light to give my face interesting light and shadow shapes. I think this self portrait is pretty successful.

Breadth #11

This is a piece from my sophomore year that I reworked to include in my breadth section. We were advised to have an interior space piece in our breadth, so I decided to fix this one up. Originally just acrylic paint, I went back into it with markers to sharpen edges, brighten colors, and add interest to the piece. This is obviously a painting of the inside of an old gym, so it can only be so exciting, haha. But I wanted to add personality to a seemingly lifeless corner of my old highschool gym.

Breadth #10

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.

Breadth #8

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 :)

Breadth #5

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.

Breadth #3

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.

Breadth #1

This self portrait is the first piece to my breadth project. After creating the basic outlines on illustration board and filling it in with watercolor, I began to create small designs with colored markers. Some of the designs create a sense of shadows while others are meant primarily for decoration and excitement. This piece as a very earthy feel to it and I really enjoyed creating it. I recommend that you click on the image to view it larger so that you can more easily see my small details. This piece was inspired by Stormi Gignac's work and my own doodles.

Concentration #12

It's refreshing to post my final concentration piece :). I had fun with this one and I feel that it is a good piece to end my concentration with. The radiation structure is interesting because the center point is located in the top corner as opposed to the center of the composition and I love the colors and patterns that resulted. With this final piece I included doodles, ribbons, fabric, netting and even paper towel that I had cleaned my paint brushes with. The colors and composition create a very joyful and bright mood. Although I plan to continue my work on this piece, I am proud of how it turned out.

I recommend you to click on the image to view it larger because of the minute details. Thanks :)

Concentration #11

I had a lot of fun creating his piece :). This week I was actually inspired by my own doodles which I create in the margins of my math homework instead of working on the problems. The swirling pattern which creates the cloud effect in this piece was one that I experimented with in a number of doodles. My recent trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway also had a major part in the development of my artwork. So with the combination inspiration of my own doodles, the mountains, and Van Gogh's "Starry Night", this piece was created with acrylic paint, newspaper, colored markers, and metallic paint pens. At this point of view, the viewer stands upon a rock cliff and looks off at the starry sky and the distant mountains. The mixture of reality and fantasy gives this image a surreal, dream-like feel.

I feel as if my concentration has evolved even further and is becoming much more personal. My current work depicts my surroundings, my thinking, my feelings. By abstracting the natural world with any medium I desire, I am able to create pieces which truly reflect my personality.

Concentration #8

For this concentration piece, I felt inspired to create an image full of movement and intricate detail. I chose to create a contrast structure using maple seeds (aka helicopter seed pods). The contrast of gravity gives the image a really interesting realistic/abstract feel. To create this piece, I layered acrylic paints, metalic paints, and markers. The dripping lines of paint create engaging leading lines to draw the viewers eye down to the bottom left corner toward the concentration of helicopter seeds. The lines in combination with the falling seed pods give the illusion that the helicopters are spinning through the air as they drop to the ground. The detailed dots tracing the paint drip lines also emphasize this falling motion. I am pleased with my color choice the variety of values in the artwork and feel that overall, it is an interesting and engaging piece. I really had fun making this :)

Concentration #6

Clearly this is one of my weaker pieces at the moment. I plan on continuing the pattern at the top throughout the piece to make it a little less distracting. I then plan to bring the black up more so that the patterning in the background fades into black so that the fern fronds in front stand out more. I realize this piece needs some work. I feel that is I take the time to sit down, play around, and experiment with this, I would finish with a really interesting work.

My plan was to design a realistic fern in the foreground of the piece and then have an abstract fern design that I repeated throughout the background. I used a combination of watercolors, water soluble crayons, and markers to create this piece.

Since I plan on continuing this piece, any advice would be helpful :)

Concentration #5

This piece is quite different than my other concentration pieces while still having a visual connection to the whole concentration. I wanted to create a piece with a stronger exaggeration on abstraction this time and chose to make the subjects pine cones. While studying a branch of real pine cones, I noticed the repetition of the shapes that make up the cone. I planned to focus on these shapes and try to break them apart while still hinting at the real object. With black acrylic paint I created the negative space around and woven inbetween the "petals" of the cones. From there, I used a combination of watercolor and Sharpie markers to fill in the white spaces with interesting designs and patterns. Continuing with the human element, I included images of the human body with my designs. The piece turned out very bold and almost hectic, but it gives the feel that nature is alive and pulsating. I'm unsure if I like the silver marks I created around the objects, so let me know what you think. :)

Concentration #4

Here is my fourth concentration piece. Continuing my theme of abstracting nature, I created this on water color paper with similar mixed media I have used for my past works. I started off with a watercolor base by using water soluble crayons, layered acrylic paint and went back in to redefine my shapes with colored Sharpies. There is a fairly large amount of contrast and a wide value range throughout. The mood gives an almost busy, fast paced feel, as if the water in the stream is rushing to get somewhere. The choppy surface of the water and the swaying water plants give it a sense of rhythm and movement while the similar shapes throughout the piece add a sense of repetition. The human figure that can be seen in the plants helps to abstract the work. The idea of reality is conveyed above the water, but below it seems a bit more dreamy and unreal. To further the differences between the air and water, I used warm, light coloring above the surface while beneath the surface I chose to use cool, deep colors. I would love to hear any comments or advice because I know this piece could be improved! In this upcoming week, I am going to try to redefine my concentration statement to make it more specific and clear to the viewer. Thanks :)

Concentration #3

First off, I want to say that this concentration piece will be changed a lot as soon as I'm able to work on it more. Overall, I like the feel of the piece with the radial structure of the web and the somewhat concentration structure of the water droplets, but I will make this clearer as I continue to work on it. To create this piece, I first painted with watercolor over the entire piece of bristol board. It is difficult to see, but when the bristol board was still wet, I went back in and scraped off parts of the paper surface to create the lines of the web that originate at the center and give them a jagged feel. I used acrylic paint on top of this and then went in with Sharpies and water colored pencils. My message is a little bit obscure at the moment, but if you look closely in the reflection of the water droplets you can see the shape of a hand. As I work on this piece, I plan to make the mesage much clearer to the viewer. I'll post another image of the final product once I'm happy with it, but for now I would love to hear any suggestions that anyone may have!

Concentration #2

Here is my concentration piece #2. I started off with a watercolor base and then layered acrylic paint on top to create the roots. I went back in with colored Sharpies to add more color and contast. The use of mixed media resulted in an interesting composition. The piece has a strong value range and is somewhat of a radial\concentration design structure. After hearing one suggestion, I think I will go back and continue to work on the piece to further highlight my theme of "man's connection to nature." My plan is for my pieces to evolve to show the different roles humans have concerning nature (ie destruction of the natural world and/or the natural world's healing affects on man). In this piece, I was trying to show that mother nature is a force much more powerful than what many superficial humans see; the flower itself is only the tip of the iceberg.

Concentration #1

This is my concentration piece #1. My investigation of humans' connection with nature led me to create a somewhat abstract image of a dandelion puff made up of human figures. The piece has a strong radial design structure and a focus on line, value, and texture. I first started off with acrylic paints on canvas and then decided to sharpen the edges and add more detail with the use of colored markers. This strengthened the texture of the piece and made it overall more interesting. The mood is peaceful/ dreamlike which I think is the result of my color choice and abstract composition. I belive the unusual perspective and the use of mixed media was taking a risk, but consequently it resulted in an engaging piece.