"The Lake" Acrylic on masonite 24" x 36"
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Project #1
I was able to practice using acrylic, and working on masonite. I was working with skin tones for the first time, so using that color palette was a challenge and a learning experience. The subject of the piece was loosely based on a scene from the movie "Hjartasteinn" which tells the story of queer young men in Iceland. I have had the luxury of being born in to a time and place where my sexuality does not make me the target of violence, so being confronted with the real history of the community was very eye opening and very impactful. I used paintings by Sylvestre Evrard as inspiration for this piece. His work showcases the vulnerability of men which is a motif I plan on incorporating in my body of work. I was initially using a screenshot from the movie for reference, trying to copy it exactly. I then reconciled with the fact that photorealism is outside of my current skill set and created a second sketch that was more interpretive and less detailed. I also became sloppy as I struggled to make a color gradient in the water that looked realistic. If I could make the piece over again, I would have spent a longer time making smaller scale sketches rather than painting as I went along. As much fun as I had, a piece of this size really should be planned carefully if I want to make something really spectacular. At this point this is my first piece of my IB body of work, I intend to make many more landscapes and incorporate more figures, the common thread being the connection between man and nature as well the idea that shame is a social (and religious) construct. |