Project 1
Title: My Dear Planet
Size: 3ft x 2ft
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Date: August 2017
Exhibition Text: For my first project, I chose to explore the theme of change and deterioration, for this piece specifically, I pursued nature. When thinking of nature, I thought of planet Earth and it's entirety. From what I perceive, our planet Earth is progressively getting warmer, drying out and suffering. In order to evoke the emotion of hopelessness and anger, I chose to emphasize the texture of my piece, by mimicking the techniques of Peter Dranitsin. Similar to the works of Dranitsin, I created the texture by layering different ranges of the same color and applying highlights and shadows. to fully capture the effects of the Earth's surface perishing.
Artistic Inspiration
My first project was inspired by the artist, Peter Dranitsin. As a self taught artist, Dranitsin had piled together the basic concepts of drawing, painting, and sculpture. His paintings are mostly focused around abstract texture, painted with new acrylic paints for better control and feeling of self-control. His new abstract paintings are deep and powerful at the core with just the bare simple concepts of applying highlights and shadows with different hues. He applies his paints in circle movements to create the visual of something decaying or moving. Similar to his techniques, I planned on creating ,my visual representation of our Earth deteriorating with the same methods of applying the paints.
Experimentation
When I as brainstorming an idea for first project, I decided to create a digital sketch that could guide me in the placing of the paint colors. The darker areas in the digital sketch were to be the darker areas on the canvas and the direction of the shapes in the digital sketch were to be the direction the paint would be moving on the canvas.
My original idea was to create the painting going vertically, however when I began applying the lace and shards of glass it began to take on more of a horizontal form which I actually preferred. I continued with this and began applying the paint.
Process
1. Gathering ideas
I began my process by first finding some inspiration and ideas. I came across my artist inspiration, Peter Dranitsin, in a video
2. Theme and Connection to Culture
After brainstorming my final sketch. I planned on creating a piece that would be within the oil on canvas medium
3. Transferring my ideas
Once I had a solid plan with a meaning attached, I re-sketched what I wanted my final piece to look like. I did this in order for it to be made clear as to what steps I would have to follow.
4. Gathering Materials
When I finished with the layout of my piece, I began to gather the resources and materials necessary to make my work. This included strips of lace, a few shards of glass, oil paints and brushes.
I began my process by first finding some inspiration and ideas. I came across my artist inspiration, Peter Dranitsin, in a video
2. Theme and Connection to Culture
After brainstorming my final sketch. I planned on creating a piece that would be within the oil on canvas medium
3. Transferring my ideas
Once I had a solid plan with a meaning attached, I re-sketched what I wanted my final piece to look like. I did this in order for it to be made clear as to what steps I would have to follow.
4. Gathering Materials
When I finished with the layout of my piece, I began to gather the resources and materials necessary to make my work. This included strips of lace, a few shards of glass, oil paints and brushes.
5. Stretching the Canvases
To begin my project, I stretched a 3 ft by 2 ft canvas. Once it was built, I applied two layers of gesso and left it to dry.
To begin my project, I stretched a 3 ft by 2 ft canvas. Once it was built, I applied two layers of gesso and left it to dry.
6. Layer of Lace and Glass
Once my canvas was ready for use, I began to layer the strips of lace over the sections that I wanted to show texture in. The more layers of lace,they more projectile it would look. When finished with the lace, I hot glued it down so that it would remain on the canvas. Then I gathered the pieces of glass and used my hand to sprinkle them over the hot glue,to create a different form of texture. After this was complete, I let the glue dry to form the base of I was going to paint over.
Once my canvas was ready for use, I began to layer the strips of lace over the sections that I wanted to show texture in. The more layers of lace,they more projectile it would look. When finished with the lace, I hot glued it down so that it would remain on the canvas. Then I gathered the pieces of glass and used my hand to sprinkle them over the hot glue,to create a different form of texture. After this was complete, I let the glue dry to form the base of I was going to paint over.
7. Applying the Paint
The color scheme that I chose to use for this painting was within a series of dark reds, yellows, and greens. What I perceived as the drying out of our planet was similar to the idea of the surface of mars or the surface of something decaying. I created my colors by swatching my red, green, yellow, and black oil paints. Once I got the colors that I wanted, I proceeded by painting over the canvas I had created with the lace and pieces of glass. I added several layers of paint to begin with so that the glass and lace could almost be fully covered.
The color scheme that I chose to use for this painting was within a series of dark reds, yellows, and greens. What I perceived as the drying out of our planet was similar to the idea of the surface of mars or the surface of something decaying. I created my colors by swatching my red, green, yellow, and black oil paints. Once I got the colors that I wanted, I proceeded by painting over the canvas I had created with the lace and pieces of glass. I added several layers of paint to begin with so that the glass and lace could almost be fully covered.
8. Details and Final Touches
After fully covering my canvas with the colors I wanted, I went in with a tint of yellow and greens to add the portrayal of it really being the Earth's surface. These where the final touches to the canvas that I had added before coming out with my final outcome.
After fully covering my canvas with the colors I wanted, I went in with a tint of yellow and greens to add the portrayal of it really being the Earth's surface. These where the final touches to the canvas that I had added before coming out with my final outcome.
9. Compare and Contrast
After putting the final touches on my piece, I compared my final works to the works of my artists inspiration .What I found to be similar was the texture. Both works had similar textures that visually showed movement in the surface of the landscape we have chosen. What differed were the landscapes chosen. While I chose the Earth's land surface in red, my artist inspiration portrayed water and/or the ocean. I created this piece with oil paints , where as my inspiration preferred the application of using acrylic paint.
After putting the final touches on my piece, I compared my final works to the works of my artists inspiration .What I found to be similar was the texture. Both works had similar textures that visually showed movement in the surface of the landscape we have chosen. What differed were the landscapes chosen. While I chose the Earth's land surface in red, my artist inspiration portrayed water and/or the ocean. I created this piece with oil paints , where as my inspiration preferred the application of using acrylic paint.
Reflection
After the completion of my project, I was more than satisfied. I had successfully created a visual of how I saw our planet being affected by heat and how it's deteriorating. What made this painting successful was the outcome of the texture. It looked just as if it were an actual ground surface of the Earth. However, I could have added a few extra layers of paint at the start of painting so that a few of the strips of lace that remained visible could be fully covered and layered. As for connecting it with my artist inspiration, the painting looked fairly similar in terms of the same technique and movement. What differs my painting, is that mine was created with the use of oil paints and a different color, ranging in between red and black whereas my inspirational artists used acrylic paints and cooler hues.
ACT Questions
1. Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork.
My inspiration was Peter Dranitsin and in his work he used acrylic paints to create textures in order to portray the movements in nature and it's landscapes. This effect is what I chose to use in my work as well in order to show the activity of change.
2. What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
My research focused mostly on the way my artist was able to create texture on their canvas while maintaining their use of oil paints. As an overall approach, my artistic inspiration prefers to complete their work using acrylic paints for better control, rather than using oil paints.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
While researching my inspiration, I came across an average number of people who fail to believe in global warming or the climate change of our atmosphere. On the other hand, the vast majority who do believe in the warming of our planet, source the human race as the ones responsible for this deterioration. It is because of humans that our planet is dying out and those who deny or fail to realize this are at fault for contributing to the decay of Earth.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea of my inspiration was deterioration. A broader theme would be change. I wanted to pursue my vision of how I see the world changing around me, physically which is why I chose our planet Earth as my first subject.
5. What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
While performing my research I have concluded that myself, along with any other artists, draw inspiration from our different cultures that then factor into the creation of our art.
My inspiration was Peter Dranitsin and in his work he used acrylic paints to create textures in order to portray the movements in nature and it's landscapes. This effect is what I chose to use in my work as well in order to show the activity of change.
2. What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
My research focused mostly on the way my artist was able to create texture on their canvas while maintaining their use of oil paints. As an overall approach, my artistic inspiration prefers to complete their work using acrylic paints for better control, rather than using oil paints.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
While researching my inspiration, I came across an average number of people who fail to believe in global warming or the climate change of our atmosphere. On the other hand, the vast majority who do believe in the warming of our planet, source the human race as the ones responsible for this deterioration. It is because of humans that our planet is dying out and those who deny or fail to realize this are at fault for contributing to the decay of Earth.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea of my inspiration was deterioration. A broader theme would be change. I wanted to pursue my vision of how I see the world changing around me, physically which is why I chose our planet Earth as my first subject.
5. What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
While performing my research I have concluded that myself, along with any other artists, draw inspiration from our different cultures that then factor into the creation of our art.