"Áhpi (draft)" chalk pastel on paper 16 x 20
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Project #3:
This was my first substantial experiment with chalk pastels, so I can't say that I have mastered any technique. I struggled the most creating darker values with the pastels. Particularly grey- one can see in the lower area of the sky that the clouds have more or less smeared together in to a solid shade of grey. I hope to combat this by working in layers to build up value. This piece is a draft of a piece that I hope will be the centerpiece of my exhibition. It is inspired by a song by Sofia Jannok called “Áhpi”, and includes two lines of the lyrics. Jannok’s work is very inspiring to me and this particular song touches a tragic event in my family that has greatly shaped my experience. The seascape is based off of a photograph I took. The composition of the piece is based off of the line in the song "Olmmoš gal lea áhpi” which means “people are as wide as oceans”. I was aware starting off that I wanted to use the photograph for reference, the challenge came in the placement of the figure and of of the lyrics. I am not married to where I have placed either but they have given me an idea of a possibility. In my next versions of the piece, I intend to put more attention to detail in to the water and in to the stature of the figure. If the piece becomes something that I am proud of, I may look in to using a heavier weight paper and a real fixative (I used my aunt’s heavy duty hairspray). The direction in which I am steering my theme is in to a visual study of men’s souls. I want to incorporate archetypes of the sacred masculine, men in their communities, and men’s inner experiences. This body of work will be a reflection of my own investigation of what it means to be a man. |