Studio Art III
In Studio Art III, I worked on developing my style while experimenting with texture, color, composition, story, and materials. Most of my pieces from this class, besides my Pear Project series, were done with acrylic on either canvas or illustration board.
Still Life
Still Life
Acrylic on canvas
Although still lifes are usually done with pastel, I chose to paint mine with acrylic because of the bold, bright colors you can get with acrylic. This piece was my first foray into what I've now been developing as my style- colorful, textured, with a hint of pointillism.
Acrylic on canvas
Although still lifes are usually done with pastel, I chose to paint mine with acrylic because of the bold, bright colors you can get with acrylic. This piece was my first foray into what I've now been developing as my style- colorful, textured, with a hint of pointillism.
Illustration
Eat Your Heart Out/Bleeding Hearts
Acrylic on canvas
When I heard the theme, “things are not always what they seem,” I knew I wanted to do something surrealistic. Thus were born these two pieces (two, to show duality and contrast). The gooey black heart seems unappealing on the outside, but inside, there are flowers growing that represent lasting friendship, welcome, secret love, and sensitivity. The red heart, on the other hand, seems healthy and normal on the outside, but inside it is disturbingly filled with eyeballs and slime. I took inspiration from illustrator Wylie Beckett, whose pieces are similarly whimsical. She uses anatomical hearts as a motif in many of her pieces too, which is something I incorporate in many of mine as well. However, she uses a myriad of oils, watercolor, ink, and other materials, but I used acrylic since it is my favorite medium and allows me to create vivid colors and textures, which were essential to these two pieces.
Acrylic on canvas
When I heard the theme, “things are not always what they seem,” I knew I wanted to do something surrealistic. Thus were born these two pieces (two, to show duality and contrast). The gooey black heart seems unappealing on the outside, but inside, there are flowers growing that represent lasting friendship, welcome, secret love, and sensitivity. The red heart, on the other hand, seems healthy and normal on the outside, but inside it is disturbingly filled with eyeballs and slime. I took inspiration from illustrator Wylie Beckett, whose pieces are similarly whimsical. She uses anatomical hearts as a motif in many of her pieces too, which is something I incorporate in many of mine as well. However, she uses a myriad of oils, watercolor, ink, and other materials, but I used acrylic since it is my favorite medium and allows me to create vivid colors and textures, which were essential to these two pieces.
Surrealism
The Promenade
Acrylic on illustration board
I am a never-ending list of strange dreams, but it wasn't hard to choose this particular dream to illustrate. It sticks out in my memories as being one of the most unique dreams I've ever had, and I've always thought that I should illustrate it- especially a scene near the end, where I walked out onto a beach and saw an endless procession of matryoshka-like giants parading through the sea. This painting is as close to the dream as possible, with a few artistic liberties taken because of course I couldn't remember every detail. I also took inspiration from Rene Magritte- he uses simple backgrounds to highlight the strangeness in the foreground. Remedios Varo was another inspiration of mine- all of her pieces create an underlying feeling of unease in the viewer, and I hope I achieved that feeling in my piece.
Acrylic on illustration board
I am a never-ending list of strange dreams, but it wasn't hard to choose this particular dream to illustrate. It sticks out in my memories as being one of the most unique dreams I've ever had, and I've always thought that I should illustrate it- especially a scene near the end, where I walked out onto a beach and saw an endless procession of matryoshka-like giants parading through the sea. This painting is as close to the dream as possible, with a few artistic liberties taken because of course I couldn't remember every detail. I also took inspiration from Rene Magritte- he uses simple backgrounds to highlight the strangeness in the foreground. Remedios Varo was another inspiration of mine- all of her pieces create an underlying feeling of unease in the viewer, and I hope I achieved that feeling in my piece.
Sketchbook
Nighttime
Colored Pencil
Done in my sketchbook.
Colored Pencil
Done in my sketchbook.