Progress Photos

Getting down the hand reference down for the main sketch

Detail shot of  the shirt (WIP )

WIP of piece (now with watercolors)

Detail shot of piece

Detail shot of piece

Final look of art piece (without words)

In order for me to finish, I would need to cut out words from magazines and arrange them to form a sentence. However, they would need to be arranged in a way that they're unorganized.

Project 4 "Memory"

For the fourth and final project, I will be creating a piece on canvas. The painting is centered around short term memory/retrieval and how it can affect us in everyday life. The piece will be done in Sharpie Markers and watercolor.

Project 3 Completion

This was a fun project once I finally narrowed down my concept. Going on the walk among nature, I was always drawn to the unusual things, twisted trees with knots; a field of trees with wispy branches; roots on top of the soil and intertwined with each other. I found myself always relating it to an imaginary figure or object, for example an old man, a field of cobwebs, and many arms and hands intertwined. I love the art medium of animation and how things are transformed magically and come to life and wanted to do this with my nature project.

My materials were nature itself. When I found a very old, weather worn log, I knew I had the basis for my project. After a long search, I found pieces of rocks which I was able to arrange as an abstract cracked heart. I imagined the log as a creature coming to life and being transformed by a broken but still beating heart.

My objective was to display the wood with the heart suspended above it. This took a lot of work. I was at first going to nail wood into the log which would extend above it to put the rocks on. But I ended up not liking this look. I wanted it to appear as if the heart was floating above the log. Also I was afraid that if I nailed into the log it might break into two since it was so old.

I then decided on using clear Plexiglas and putting it from the base of the log to the top and extending above it for the rock heart. Since the log was uneven I first had to glue a board to the back and then used this to glue the Plexiglas to. I then cut a piece of Plexiglas to glue to the back of the log from the base to above, making sure my heart arrangement would fit. I glued the rock arrangement onto the extended Plexiglas. Multipurpose GOOP was the adhesive used. 

The next step was mounting the log so it could stand upright. I found two old pieces of wood and first cut Plexiglas to put under these for stability. I then glued the log to the wood and inserted four screws with an electric screwdriver from the bottom to keep it secure. Then I put the bottom in a clamp with the tree to hold them together tightly- it stayed in this for four days.

When I set the artwork upright it was exactly as I envisioned it. The heart was suspended above the log and definitely demonstrated the “broken” effect. I feel I met my goal in producing this piece and that the proposal outcome was achieved. I have learned from this to give yourself plenty of time to experiment if you are doing something unique (like suspending heavy rocks) so different options can be explored. The gluing and “drying firm” process took a lot of time and effort but I believe it was worth it. Now if it would only come to life!

Project 3 Photo Progress

The project was done in my father's workshop in the basement where most of the equipment I had used was stored.

Project 3

My next project "Mapping" is to use a log with three pieces of rocks constructed in the shape of a heart. The log and rocks will be mounted on plexiglass for support and stand on other pieces of wood.

My proposal is:

My favorite art medium is animation, specifically Japanese anime. I am drawn to the strong lines and vivid colors used to illustrate the characters and the scenes, and I love the intense emotional themes typical of the genre. Anime is inherently artificial, the complete opposite of nature. Because I am so engrossed in the world of anime,  I often find myself thinking of experiences and aesthetics through that type of creative lens. To me, nature is inspiring because of the potential it holds to spark an idea that leads to something transformational.

My concept is that the inevitable breaking down of nature can inspire an unexpected ways, leading to visualization and creation of the world that is not real.

Progress Photos Project 2

Doing the nose for the project was a lot harder than I expected it to be. I had to figure out how to make it look more three dimensional rather than two dimensional. The mouth was not as bad as the nose, but it is still a difficult part of the piece.

Project 2

For the next project, Mapping, I have planned a piece by using actual Atlas maps and create a face. I was inspired by artist Matthew Cusick for my piece.

While the procedure is intricate, I have never done collages before and so this is a challenging medium for me. I understand the frustration of making complex collages and I will do my best to limit those factors.

Progress Photoset 2

Progress Photos 2

After closing the box, I set up a frame for me to put the concrete mix in after I painted the box. The words on the box simply translates to "mail" in Russian. I pour the concrete into the frame and set it around the box enough so it will cover enough of the bottom half. I leave the frame and concrete to set over night so

Progress Photoset 1

Progress Photos Set 1

For the first few photos, I had to write up a letter expressing my feelings and concerns for my biological family. I then seal the letter and placed it in the box for it to be sealed with concrete. 

Project 1

Project 1

My first project for Language will be of a metal box in which I will put I have written. I plan on having it painted only to remove most of it to give it a rustic look. The Russian word for "mail" would be painted on it as well and then sealed with cement.

My original plan was to create an American flag and print the word "hello" in various languages on the red stripes; and in place of the stars would be the hand peace signs. However, as I researched this, I found that it would be a much more difficult