1. Define which techniques you tried and mastered? Struggled?
I challenged myself to use a lighter application of acrylic for this piece. I have used very heavy application using a large amount of paint in the past and I chose to try to stretch every brush stroke a little longer. There are parts of this composition that look unsubstantial to me but I think it was worth the experiment to see acrylic's potential as a softer and more nuanced medium. 2. How did you draw inspiration from other artists techniques or aesthetics in your work? In what ways did you derive meaning or gain historical perspectives from their work? Why these artists? This composition is inspired by the background of Frida Kahlo's "Girl with a Death Mask". I was awestruck by her attention to detail as well as how she made a seemingly barren landscape so expressive. She constructed the sky with values I hadn't thought to use and it encouraged me to take more liberty in how I paint my landscapes. 3. Describe the evolution of your piece. Decisions made. Compositional elements. For this composition I started at the center with the tallest mountain and built out from it radially. While this landscape is based on a real place, I chose to make the peaks more blue than they actually appear so I could showcase softness in the landscape- mimicking the dreamlike tone of Kahlo's piece. 4. If you could consider doing something over, explain why you would do this and what you would do next time? I would have given myself a little more negative space at either the top or bottom of the composition. I had the idea of adding a border to the piece- like tarot card. 5. Elaborate on how this piece links with your other pieces? What is the common thread? This year's body of work is about the ideas of love and healing. This composition represents a time I spent on the land in Sagauache County tending to a heartbreak. The works I'll be showing in this exhibit are the breadcrumbs on my path to healing and learning to love over the past several months. In terms of universal themes, this piece represents reconnecting to nature to realign our perspectives. |