Artwork: Triptych
Change
60.9cm x 91.4cm
Acrylic on Canvas
March 2018
Acrylic on Canvas
March 2018
Exhibition Text
"Change" is a triptych painting inspired by Claude Monet and the impressionist movement. This painting is a representation of the way in which I view myself, my environment, and how I would like to impact my community.
Process
1. Brainstorming
As I began to brainstorm ideas I thought about what I wanted to say with my painting. I ended up deciding that I wanted to tell a story of how I am or feel compared to where I would like to be.
Sketches
Sketch #1
In the first sketch, the first board shows how I see myself. It shows a building while I stand in front of it, representing the way I see myself. I view myself as having all of the necessary things and not needing much help. The second canvas shows the rest of the building, revealing the fact that it is a store. It represents the way in which I view my environment. I see the people around me having resources just like me but very focused on their own issues, making them a bit more unaware about what is going on around them. Lastly, the canvas at the end represents the way in which I would like to change. I would like to change in a positive way such as helping those who are less fortunate. This canvas has a tree to represent growth and has me helping a person. |
Sketch #2
The second sketch that I created shows the similar ideas as the first sketch but is a different drawing. I plan to make a skeleton body that extends in through the three canvases. I want to have the skeleton represent me while the flowers and plants that are being wrapped around represent grow. By doing this I would like to show how I would like to grow as a person as well as how much I have already grown. |
Sketch #3
Following the same idea that was developed I made a sketch that shows a neat store for the first canvas, which is dragged to the second canvas. In this part I decided to add people around, looking very unworried and uncaring. Lastly, this canvas will drag to the third one in where there is a homeless child and my hand reaching out to that person.
Following the same idea that was developed I made a sketch that shows a neat store for the first canvas, which is dragged to the second canvas. In this part I decided to add people around, looking very unworried and uncaring. Lastly, this canvas will drag to the third one in where there is a homeless child and my hand reaching out to that person.
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I began by building three canvases, each being the same size. I had 1 foot by 2 feet wood frames assembled and then stapled at each corner. This was then placed on top of canvas material and each corner was wrapped and then stapled to the wooden frame. To finish up the canvas I made sure to cut off the excess material. The same process was repeated two more times, At the end I ended up having three canvases.
I then took the canvases and applied gesso. This was done to avoid the paint from going through the canvas. I gessoed all canvases and then set them up to dry. This made my canvas stretch and become more tighter. Before I began to draw or paint my final piece, I decided to paint |
my canvases with a base color. When dried I decided to draw what I wanted to paint in my piece. I began by aligning all canvases and then drawing my sketch. Because I lacked a projector, I decided free hand draw my sketch in the canvases. Next, I began to paint the floor with three different shades of yellow. Theses colors were also extended to the background. After this i painted the buildings with dark and mostly neutral colors. Because my focus was the people, I decided to make the building a similar shade. In the other hand, the parts that were more relevant were painted in brighter colors. Overall, the same technique was used for my piece. When finished doing this, I finished my piece by painting a white wash on top of the upper part of the canvas so that it would look as if the place had fog. To make sure that the wash that I was adding did not spread the other colors, I made sure to clean my brush every time paint was added.
Research
Because I had never tried painting an impressionism piece I searched techniques. The book "Painting The Impressionist Landscape" helped me with determining how light affected landscapes as well as the materials and equipment that is used. Not only that but the book gave tips and tricks on how to mix colors and how to recreate landscapes. Book Used (Below): Griffel, Lois. Painting the Impressionist Landscape: Lessons in Interpreting Light and Color. Watson-Guptill Publications, 2008. -Pictures shown in the left were all taken from the book that was used for research- |
Artistic Inspiration
Claude Monet
Sunrise
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Woman with a Parasol
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Claude Monet was an French painter who created impressionism art. He was fond of the outdoors thus his work consists of scenery outside. His work followed the impressionist movement which consists of creating an image with a variety of colors. This is meant to create an image that looks like you only glanced. Claude Monet used a rich amount of colors that although not always bright, conveyed a different feeling. In his painting Sunrise, he used different shades of blue to create a scene in where the lake can be seen, but can also be distinguished by from the sky. To do this he used a variety of toned down blues and white. It created a foggy look to the piece and helped bring the focus to the occurring event in the bottom of his piece. Another one of his impressionist works is Woman with a Parasol. This painting shows a woman with a parasol in what seems to be a park. He centered the woman to bring the viewers eyes directly to them. The scenery that is seen in the background acts as a way to emphasize the woman as well as show his love for the environment in his painting.
I plan to use Monet's techniques as well as his use of elements and principles of art. I want to emphasize certain aspects in my piece through color. Monet did this through hue and space. Similarly, I would like to do this by making the relevant aspects emphasized through color and space. I plan to make the umbrellas and pieces of clothing different colors compared to the background. To emphasize the people, I would like to not only use different hues, but also through space. By leaving empty spaces around I will help my viewers focus on certain areas which will help them uncover my theme.
I plan to use Monet's techniques as well as his use of elements and principles of art. I want to emphasize certain aspects in my piece through color. Monet did this through hue and space. Similarly, I would like to do this by making the relevant aspects emphasized through color and space. I plan to make the umbrellas and pieces of clothing different colors compared to the background. To emphasize the people, I would like to not only use different hues, but also through space. By leaving empty spaces around I will help my viewers focus on certain areas which will help them uncover my theme.
Reflection
When I finished my triptych painting I was not very satisfied. I thought that the colors that were used were all similar shades and looked very monochrome. Another thing that I didn't like was the lack of detail. If I would have tried adding more dashes of paint, the painting would look more like an impressionist painting. Another thing that I was not very happy about was the size of the dashes. I wish that the dashes that were painted were more similar in size. By doing this the piece would have had more unity. Another thing that I wish to change is the coloration of the piece. Lastly, if I could I would change aspects of my painting to convey my theme better. I believe that I lacked necessary aspects needed to convey my theme. In my opinion, the piece lacked the use of a variety of hues. Although the place was meant too look cloudy I wish there was more variety of color. The parts that I did like about my piece were the different colorful umbrellas and the color of the floor. Although this was not intentional, I made a floor that looked like it was made out of a rock texture. Overall, I did not like my piece and realized that I did not like this movement. I went through a lot of struggles but at the end I discovered that there are certain movements that I do not perform as well in.
Meaning
The meaning of my piece is my perspective of how I see myself, how I see my community, and how I would like to impact that environment. The first canvas represents how I see myself in this community. I personally see myself having the sufficient help and resources which are represented through the store and the products inside. The person standing in the front of the store is me looking at the amount of resources provided and not feeling worried. The store that was painted then drags along to the second canvas showing how my community also has these resources available. If you turn your focus to the back, then you will see that there are many people walking towards the back. Because of what I tend to see, I decided to add people who are not worried but are also careless. They are walking away from the store, helping convey the theme of ungratefulness and one being worried in other things. Along with that half of tree is seen in the back, conveying the desire to grow morally. Finally, the last canvas shows the same person from the first canvas, but this time helping someone who is less fortunate. This is meant to show growth as well as the tree. Because the tree is set in an area in where you see an act of kindness, it serves as a symbol of how one might have grown. To finish my piece people were added in the background to symbolize how one should not care about what others think. One should do what they believe Is right for them.
Connecting to ACT
1. Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork.
My inspiration and my final product both follow the same movement and they are both set in a place in where you are able to view the environment in the back.
2. What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Overall, the author was trying to inform others of the life of Claude Monet as well as his work. It highlighted some of his most famous works as well as his past.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I have discovered that one can take what they are inspired by and create works using new techniques. Playing around with new techniques and doing what you like will pay off later.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea around my inspiration was capturing ones environment. In this case Monet liked capturing nature and landscapes and sometimes played around by adding people in his works of art.
5. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
While reading about my research I was bale to inference that using ne techniques is not something bad, one should take risks and do what they feel like is right.
My inspiration and my final product both follow the same movement and they are both set in a place in where you are able to view the environment in the back.
2. What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Overall, the author was trying to inform others of the life of Claude Monet as well as his work. It highlighted some of his most famous works as well as his past.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I have discovered that one can take what they are inspired by and create works using new techniques. Playing around with new techniques and doing what you like will pay off later.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea around my inspiration was capturing ones environment. In this case Monet liked capturing nature and landscapes and sometimes played around by adding people in his works of art.
5. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
While reading about my research I was bale to inference that using ne techniques is not something bad, one should take risks and do what they feel like is right.
References
- “Claude Monet.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 28 Apr. 2017, www.biography.com/people/claude-monet-9411771.
- “Woman With A Parasol Facing Right Aka Study Of A Figure Outdoors (Facing Right).” Claude Oscar Monet - The Complete Works, Claudemonetgallery.org, 2017, www.claudemonetgallery.org/Woman-With-A-Parasol-Facing-Right-Aka-Study-Of-A-Figure-Outdoors-Facing-Right.html.
- Jamie Yurasits . “Analysis of Claude Monet's Impression, Sunrise.” Incite, Longwood University, 2018, blogs.longwood.edu/incite/2012/01/30/analysis-of-claude-monet’s-impression-sunrise/.
- Griffel, Lois. Painting the Impressionist Landscape: Lessons in Interpreting Light and Color. Watson-Guptill Publications, 2008