Project 4
Title: Now
Medium: Colored Pencil on Paper
Size: 27.94 cm x 35.56 cm
Date: November 2017
Exhibition Text: In this still life, I wanted to capture the exact moment of now. My goal was to capture and portray the emotion and power of one single object, that I encounter in my everyday life at home. I wanted this to be a representation of my natural world. I took inspiration from Georgia O’Keeffe, in which she also used close-up still lifes to show emotion through abstract ways.
Artist Inspiration
This self-portrait was inspired by the works of Emilio Villalba. Villalba is a modern based artist whose paintings are often experimental portraits, with distorted features that create texture. The placements of the facial features allow for the expressions of the human face to be pushed. By thinning out the faces and ruining their definition, Villalba is able to create a visual concept that portrays a darkened mood. When manipulating his portraits, Villalba creates movement for the viewer's eyes to follow around the piece. As well as adding weight to the paintings, by using thicker, textural brush applications.
Experimentation
When brainstorming ideas for my project, I made a few sketches that portrayed the ideas I had for the facial features of a melting face. The first sketch was in a side ways perspective, of the eyes and mouth sliding off a face. The second sketch was a more abstract version of leaves. This was too be similar to the abstract works of Georgia O'Keeffe. The third sketch is similar to the second but different in which the leaves were to look more realistic. After looking at the three sketches, I have decided to continue my project's process with the third sketch.
Process
1. Gathering Ideas
To begin my process, I began by brainstorming and gathering ideas. I wanted to create a still life, so I looked at object around my room and decided on a plant that had been positioned near a window, sitting in direct sunlight. I thought this would be a good subject matter to visually portray my emotions towards the plant.
2. Sketching
After selecting an object, I began to sketch it simply by going off of what I saw. To experiment I rotated around the object to capture different angles and perspectives. I created at least three sketches and from there I settled on just one position.
To begin my process, I began by brainstorming and gathering ideas. I wanted to create a still life, so I looked at object around my room and decided on a plant that had been positioned near a window, sitting in direct sunlight. I thought this would be a good subject matter to visually portray my emotions towards the plant.
2. Sketching
After selecting an object, I began to sketch it simply by going off of what I saw. To experiment I rotated around the object to capture different angles and perspectives. I created at least three sketches and from there I settled on just one position.
3. Drawing
To begin my drawing process, I began by picking a plant that was placed around my house. I found a plant that had been positioned on top of a table, with a few dead leaves around it. I choose an angle that allowed me to capture almost all the elements that had been presented on the table. I first sketched the table and continued on with drawing the pot. Without getting into detail yet, I began to draw on the leaves and the stems of the plant. Once I had a basic drawing going of the object in front of me, I began to add the detailed elements such as the folds on the table cloth, the texture of the dead leaves and cloth, and the cracks on the wall. After I had finished with the drawing, I began to color the image in.
To begin my drawing process, I began by picking a plant that was placed around my house. I found a plant that had been positioned on top of a table, with a few dead leaves around it. I choose an angle that allowed me to capture almost all the elements that had been presented on the table. I first sketched the table and continued on with drawing the pot. Without getting into detail yet, I began to draw on the leaves and the stems of the plant. Once I had a basic drawing going of the object in front of me, I began to add the detailed elements such as the folds on the table cloth, the texture of the dead leaves and cloth, and the cracks on the wall. After I had finished with the drawing, I began to color the image in.
4. Coloring
After finishing my sketch I began to color the piece with colored pencils. I used a range of prisma colored pencils for this process. I colored the piece as I saw it. I blended the colors together to create movement, similar to the works of Georgia O'keeffe. My main focus became the leaves of the plant and the table setting. This created an equal balance and contrast in the piece as a whole. I first started by coloring all the parts with a layer of basic flat color. After each section was colored with a base, I went in and began blending shadows and highlights.
After finishing my sketch I began to color the piece with colored pencils. I used a range of prisma colored pencils for this process. I colored the piece as I saw it. I blended the colors together to create movement, similar to the works of Georgia O'keeffe. My main focus became the leaves of the plant and the table setting. This created an equal balance and contrast in the piece as a whole. I first started by coloring all the parts with a layer of basic flat color. After each section was colored with a base, I went in and began blending shadows and highlights.
Reflection
My final product for this art piece came out beautifully. I was more than happy with the results. Compared to my artists, the piece successfully captured my emotion at that time. On the contrary, I decided to use colored pencils to create my work rather than oil paints. This caused my creation to look a little more rough than the smoothness of O'keeffe's oil paintings. If given the chance to do this again, I would have created this piece in series. I would've captured more still lifes that were spread throughout my house in order to visually see how light and positions of objects could affect the resulting finish of each piece.
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 work was inspired by Georgia O’keeffe. In her work she is seen capturing the essence of flowers and the natural world through abstract techniques. This inspired me to create a still life in which my focus was a plant, where I emphasized the petals to mimic the technique of O’Keeffe.
2. What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The point of abstract still lifes was to capture power and emotion of a daily object, which I fairly portrayed through my work. O’Keeffe’s work is similar in the way that her focus revolved around the same point of view, of capturing the exact emotion in that time.
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 discovered that Georgia O''Keefffe was seen as an iconic artist. Her artwork had left a legacy of pieces inspired by her life.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The theme of my piece was emotion. I wanted to capture the emotion the still life gave me in that present now.
5. What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
While reading my research, I came to the conclusion that the same object could result in different still life images because of the fact that one object can give out different emotions for different people. The emotion and image I produced might be completely different from an image someone else created based off the same object, which truly opens perspective and insight.
My work was inspired by Georgia O’keeffe. In her work she is seen capturing the essence of flowers and the natural world through abstract techniques. This inspired me to create a still life in which my focus was a plant, where I emphasized the petals to mimic the technique of O’Keeffe.
2. What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The point of abstract still lifes was to capture power and emotion of a daily object, which I fairly portrayed through my work. O’Keeffe’s work is similar in the way that her focus revolved around the same point of view, of capturing the exact emotion in that time.
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 discovered that Georgia O''Keefffe was seen as an iconic artist. Her artwork had left a legacy of pieces inspired by her life.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The theme of my piece was emotion. I wanted to capture the emotion the still life gave me in that present now.
5. What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
While reading my research, I came to the conclusion that the same object could result in different still life images because of the fact that one object can give out different emotions for different people. The emotion and image I produced might be completely different from an image someone else created based off the same object, which truly opens perspective and insight.