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.

Concentration Statement

For my concentration, I am abstracting different forms found in nature. Although I previously planned to include human characteristics into my artwork (obvious in my earlier pieces), I have shifted my focus and am presently using design structures to further abstract my art. By exploring the intricacy of the natural world and developping my personal style, I have created a concentration of artwork which serves as my own interpretation of the world in which I live.