Tree of Life

Cliff Note- On occasion I have an idea that I wish to carry out. The idea this time came in the form of trees. An idea I had was to create a set of four images. In each image it would show a tree in each different season, however I couldn't find a way to make it interesting. It was an idea that's been used so many times that I couldn't make it unique, no matter the medium I used. It always came out not feeling like my piece, instead it felt reused, or worse, stolen. In the end, I got a piece that, while very close to completion, made me feel for my work. Perhaps not proud per say, but it made me feel a genuine melancholy way, and I new that I had done something right.

Technique- Now, generally I feel I used the material fairly well. At first I was using the oil pastels much like I would a pencil, in strokes and pinprick like lines. However as I was told, it made more sense to blend all the oils together in one upwards direction. After doing so I was told to go even further and add a texture to the leaves and the grass in the image. This progress can be seen, as I left the past mistakes in and added the suggestions in other images. I feel my use of cardboard added a field of depth to the image that otherwise would've looked flat.

Media- The use of oil pastels here showed a newfound respect for the material. As before the pieces would look like nothing more than fancy crayon images, the new addition of a separate medium made the piece feel a little more completed. It not only added depth, it also made the colors feel more important, as the dull tone of the cardboard made the vibrant colors feel all the more appreciated.

Idea/Concept- Now here's where I believe I flourished. What first was simply a story of a seasonal tree quickly became more. It told a tale of life, and all it's amazements and it's tragedies. I first thought of it as just a tree, but quickly realized that I was representing more. It showed the wonders of life, and how you grow, you become stronger, you begin to love. But eventually, you grow old, things about you change; be it your love life or maybe the way you look. I am somewhat crushed that I didn't finish the set, however part of me feels that that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's somewhat obvious what the last part of life is,and though we were not able to see the stump that this tree would become, it serves as a reminder that death is an inevitability. While for many it is a hard pill to swallow, it is one that everyone must confront, and so I say that it's more important that we think of our lives as "incomplete". We will always be looking for some way to justify our lives, but in the end, we must realize that we were not meant to do everything, simply to do what we could.

Clean Slate

This piece, we were asked to sculpt a piece or carve a low relief piece using the techniques we learned in class the two days prior. The piece is called "Clean Slate" as it's both a joke that is was carved on a bar of soap, but also because it's supposed to be a field that hasn't been touched by man, therefore the fact it's a clean canvas. This piece was challenging and there was actually a failed bar of soap before this one (yet another reason for its name). Although I was quite tired while making this, I do somewhat enjoy the final project.

Tides

This piece is a mixed media piece that uses oil pastel, watercolor,and colored pencil. The assignment was to make a landscape and while I was thinking of what landscape I wanted to draw up, I began listening to an album made by a band I had seen when I was in Hawaii. So with a new idea in mind, I got to work and began to map out the piece. I used the newfound color technique I had learned with watercolor and layered the colors over each other to get a more full saturation. The largest challenge I had with this piece was patience, as I had to wait for the watercolor to dry before I would be able to go back into the piece.

The Falls

The falls is a piece that is made entirely of pieces of paper. It is a collage of a waterfall, as rivers and water have always been a large interest to me. This piece was somewhat of a challenge, though not due to difficulty, but because of tediousness. The final piece looks somewhat flat in my opinion, however I do think that certain parts are textured fairly well. The color however is my favorite part, as they fit and clash well, which is something I was worried wouldn't work out.

Ross the Butler

This piece is inspired by "Rosie the Maid" from the old cartoon show "The Jetsons". The piece is male Butler counterpart of the beloved robot maid, and has the same monochromatic color scheme. This piece was done in water color, and was sketch in pencil. It was easier to do than the pastel piece I did a week prior, but it was challenging in its own meticulous ways. Ways such as having to wait for the colors to dry, and colors mixing in the wrong ways.

Sobek

This piece titled "Sobek", is a take on the Egyptian God of the Nile, Sobek. The joke is that they are both half-man, half-time like figures, except that my piece is more akin to a modern human being. The original idea of Sobek is that he is a large upright crocodile with the body of a man. The colors on this piece were all intentionally mixed, with the background being made to clash with the upper shoulders of the raptors body. The piece is done entirely in oil pastel with outlining and detailing done in pencil.