Artist Statement
Acrylics
Over the past few years I have explored acrylic painting and enjoy its ability to create 3-D visual effects through lights, shadows, and the layering process. The acrylic paintings have multiple layers of colors including white for light areas and black for shadowing to create a unique final effect. With acrylic painting, colors are applied directly to the canvas as one would with any painting technique. Through multiple layers of colors and values turning it into an unique piece.
What is an acrylic painting?
A type of polymer paint that can be used in thick, heavy layers or thin strokes on most surfaces. The paint is applied to a surface, usually on a canvas. Oil and acrylic paint brushes are used to shape and smoothen the paint before it dries. This painting technique was first used in the 1940s, combining some of the properties of oil and watercolor. Between 1946 and 1949, it was invented by Leonard Bocour and Sam Golden.
Graphite Pencils
The graphite pencil artwork is a reminiscent of the design projects that I created over the past few months for my 2-D Design class. Based off of my first two design projects, to graphite pencil designs, I strive to engage the viewer with unique shapes, highlights, and values. Working with shapes and values, to make a circular motion with the piece. Using the different sized graphite pencils for shading and layering. I want the viewer to look at my piece with interest and wonder what its about.
Charcoals
I've also worked with vine, compressed, and white charcoal and created works of art, including some from my drawing class I took my freshman year in college. I've enjoyed using charcoal to create my still lifes and portraits of everyday objects, office supplies, landscapes, and animals.
Oil Pastel
I worked with oil pastel during my sophomore year in high school and college.I have enjoyed using oil pastel especially with my self-portraits, depicting stories that are based on different types of music, and drawing a scene about how my life is like a river, and so on.
Corsets
In my 3D Design class I made a corset out of cloth scraps and sewn them together with needle and thread. It took me several weeks to sew everything together and make sure it was not going to fall apart. I used chicken wire for the structure and frame of the corset then pinned all the pieces together so I have a plan on where to sew.
Watercolor/Sharpie
I made this during my junior year in high school. I chose different things I could find around my house which most of it was junk I found on the back porch. I set everything up in a neat stack and made a still life art project out of it. I drew it first with a pencil to figure out where I wanted everything to go. The i traced it with a sharpie and for color I painted it with watercolor to give it texture.
Crayons
I made this in my art therapy class during my fall semester. It is suppose to symbolize my life as a tree. I drew this with crayons and it took me several days to finish it, but I definitely like making it. A lot of people loved it and wanted to me create them one to have which I made them a smaller version or used different styles and colors.
Color Pencil
This is a picture that I made of my mom's apartment. I drew my grandfather's chair and placed it in the center. I drew my bookshelf that has all of my favorite books and an art studio to represent my artistic skills. I drew music notes on the background because I also love to sing.
Oil painting
I have never used oil paint before so when my painting class began using oil paint as the overall medium I was kind of worried I would not know if I would like using it or not. However, the more I used oil paint the more I enjoyed working with it. This is my color still life. I had to find shadows and light on each object to make them pop out and more three dimensional.
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I have created a series of images that represent animal symbolism. These works fuse symbolism and decorative mark-making together in order to create images of spirit animals. Each image strives to engage the viewer with unique patterns and contrast. I want the viewer to look with interest and question the narrative, as well as find meaning and answers to questions the viewer may have. The visual premise leads to emotional connections between creature and meaning. For example, a buffalo would represent sacred life, a fox would represent cunning and a bear would represent strength.
Growing up, I was taught about different cultures from around the world. There were sometimes connections to animal spirits in their customs and traditional beliefs. In my Art History classes, I read about different artists such as George Catlin, Winslow Homer, and James Abbott McNeill Whistler. These artists created art based on what they observed during their stay within many cultures.
My inspiration for these concepts help drive communicative experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Animals have been used to represent characteristics and meanings in cultures throughout history and around the world. My work offers a way for others to interpret the art and attach meanings in their own way.