Art III Portfolio
I want to show people what the world looks like through my eyes with my art.
Simulating movement in my work through colors, shapes, and leading lines is often an important part of my process. No matter the medium, my aim is almost always to capture an entire scene or story.
My inspiration comes from nature and my family, as well as dream imagery and, most recently, the work of the late Margaret Kilgallen.
The predominant elements in my work are color and shape. This year, I started out with my usual darker color schemes, but moved on to experiment with brighter and warmer color palettes through my range of approaches design challenges, especially my acrylic poster.
Collages
I originally wanted to do a forced perspective collage instead of a photo abstraction, but I changed my mind because I felt my idea for the photo abstraction fit the theme better.
My process began with spraying citra solv on newsprint. Next, I collaged the newsprint with images. After that, I painted over my collages with acrylic paints, and applied oil pastels to add depth. My final step was adding burgundy nail polish to add gloss and make the collages look more related to each other.
During my collage-making process, I had several failed experiments, but also several "aha" moments. I started out making the backgrounds of all of them citra-solv newsprint with some of the words still visible. However, I soon left that idea behind and made the backgrounds for all three of them dark with acrylic paint. Adding pastel on top of the dark backgrounds made my collages more moody, and it also made my series of them seem cohesive. By adding similar colors in each of them, my three individual pieces became a triptych.
This started out as my least favorite collage, but it eventually became my favorite. I feel like it is the most visually interesting, and has the most color.
Contour with Areas of Emphasis
My process started with setting up a still life. I chose faux flowers and vines and a plastic pear because I thought the colors worked well together. Next, I practiced the sketch in my journal and moved on to drawing a rough version on thin paper. After that, I traced that image over in sharpie and copied it onto nicer paper. Finally, I decided where to locate my windows of color and filled them in.
Until this project, I hadn't drawn with contour lines since Art I. I decided to practice using loose contour lines in my sketchbook (as shown above), so I drew a section of my still life photo.
My rationale for using oil pastels was that I haven't experimented with them very much (or at all, really), and wanted to add something different to my breadth assignments. I have a lot of watercolor and acrylic paintings, and wanted to draw something for a change. I decided to do three windows of color inside the contour drawing because I felt that one large window drew the eye to the bottom right side too much.
The two main elements in this piece are line and color. The main principles are asymmetrical balance, movement, and proportion.
Gradual Abstraction
My gradual abstraction of keys was the simplest and quickest breadth challenge I completed this semester. I didn't take any process pictures because I only took two class periods to finish it. Graphite and ink aren't my strongest mediums, but I am happy with the way it turned out.
The beginning of my process was selecting what to abstract. I chose these keys because I thought they were imprinted in an interesting way. The one on the bottom left even has a little key engraved on it with arms and a face. Then, I sketched out my composition and added shaded values. After, I used sharpie to create a simple line drawing, and then a more fluid version for my third and final version.
In this drawing, the two main elements are value and line. I began with a 3D shaded drawing of the three keys, and eventually abstracted it to a loose 2D line drawing.
Reflective Still Life
My reflective still life in colored pencil was by far the most challenging and time consuming breadth challenge of the three I completed. Though I pushed myself in each challenge, this was the hardest, because I had never attempted a still life in colored pencil before.
I never realized how long it takes to draw realistically in colored pencil. The above practice sketch took around a half hour. My roadblocks in this project was figuring out what color the reflections actually are. I tried to stick to my reference image as closely as possible, instead of relying on faulty previous knowledge. Before this project, when I pictured drawing an apple, I just thought of red. In reality, just the apple in the drawing below was shaded with red, violet, blue, green, brown, and yellow.
The two elements that stick out to me in this piece are color and value. I had to pay very close attention to my color selections in order to accurately capture the likenesses of the objects I chose to illustrate. Value was also an essential, especially in differentiating between the red of the apple and cherry and the red of the crinkly fabric I used as a backdrop.
While this project took me a long time to complete, I think that the only actual roadblock I had was figuring out the shading on the silver teapot. Originally, I started to sketch the reflections of the glasses, but I got the colors wrong, and didn't know how to fix it. My "aha" moment was deciding to shade over that area in gray, which immediately improved my drawing with very little effort.
Independent Concentration Project
Art Deco-inspired acrylic poster
Because I don't often experiment with supersaturated bright colors, I wanted to paint this piece with a mostly orange and yellow color scheme. I included
For my acrylic poster, my main roadblocks were uneven skin tones and backgrounds, and facial symmetry. While I eventually evened out the background and most of the skin tone using LOTS of gel medium, I still don't think the eyes are as symmetrical as they should be. However, I worked really hard on this project, and worked to the best of my ability to push past my comfort zone, so I am really happy with how it turned out.
Inspiration Artists
Olafur Eliasson
- -Icelandic-Danish installation artist who works in Berlin
- and Copenhagen -Focuses on the experiences of viewers
- -Incorporates natural elements - light, color, water, and movement
- -”Art does not end where the real world begins” -Eliasson
- -Makes small immersive environments -Many projects include themes of global warming and climate awareness -Owns Little Sun, a B corporation which makes small LED Solar lamps that are renewable, clean, and affordable
Mary Reid Kelley
- -From South Carolina, works in Saratoga Springs, New York
- -Illustrates the clashes between utopian ideologies and womens’ lives during strife, war, and historical settings
- -Black and white color palette, creates short films utilizing unsettling body paint and wordplay
Laleh Khorramian
- -Born in Iran and raised in Orlando, works in New York and LA
- -Blends drawing, collage, and painting while incorporating textiles
- -Runs a boutique clothing company
- -Creates large, mixed-media works inspired by other realities
- -Blends our realities with other worlds
Ruby Sky Stiler
- -Lives and works in New York City
- - Monochromatic reliefs and sculptures
- -Blends classical antiquities with cubism
- -Questions authenticity, authority, value,
- and taste
Margaret Kilgallen
- -Passed away in 2001, but worked in California at her UC Berkeley Studio
- -Painted in a simplistic, folk-inspired style with gouache and acrylic
- -Passionate about core messages in folk dance, art, and music
- -Painted her heroines, most of whom were pioneers in folk music (ex. Matokie Slaughter)
Scholastics Gold Key Awards
Bacchus, Venus, and Ariadne Re-imagined
- Vivian Lu
- Age: 17 Grade: 12
- Harvard-Westlake Upper School
- North Hollywood, CA 91604
- Educator(s): Marianne Hall
- Alyssa Sherwood
- Awards: Painting
- Gold Medal, 2018
Sibyl
- Hyunsuh Kim
- Age: 17 Grade: 12
- Jakarta Intercultural School
- Jakarta
- Educator(s): Queen-ie Allinson
- Awards: Painting
- Gold Medal, 2018
Oumou
- Mia Grassie-Clarke
- Age: 17 Grade: 12
- High School of Art & Design
- New York, NY 10022
- Educator(s): James Harrington
- Awards: Painting
- Gold Medal, 2018
Unfiltered Selfie Painting
My approach to the NCASA Unfiltered Selfie prompt was to do a painting in a skewed perspective. I am a dancer, and when we do photoshoots, we always pick our best poses. We also brighten the pictures to make them seem more picture-perfect. I decided to show this weirder, less artistic angle to show an unfiltered perspective that most of my dance pictures don't represent. I also added the overlapping wallpaper patterns inspired by the botanical wallpaper all over my Grandmother's house. I am very close to her, and she recently decided to sell her mid 19th century home, so I wanted to add this detail to the background, which is less interesting on its own.
My main roadblock throughout the creation of this piece was that I was so indecisive. I usually plan things out very specifically and stick to the plan, so this piece was a challenge. I had issues with the floor and background from the beginning, and changed my mind about what I wanted on them several times. I started out with a wood floor and white background, but I thought it looked like too many natural tones, so I painted the background blue and started painting a carpet on the floor. I switched to painting a wallpaper pattern on the wall, and immediately like it a lot better. I switched the floor's color to blue to better mesh with the wallpaper pattern. My "aha" moment was making the leaves and fruit overlap me in the painting, inspired by artist Kehinde Wiley.
Final Growth Statements
This semester of art challenged me a lot, and I think I improved with my techniques across many mediums. I have discovered that I really like acrylic painting, which I found a little intimidating at the beginning of this semester because of its permanence and quick drying time. However, I learned how to blend an manipulate the paints in my collages, my acrylic poster, and my most recent "selfie" painting. There is definitely a clear difference between the technique level of my poster and my NCASA prompt work. I also worked more in colored pencil and oil pastel.
However, technique wasn't the only the I improved during this semester. I also allowed myself to experiment more creatively instead of confining myself to my old ideas of how I should make art. I tried more new things, and was more flexible.
While I still had some difficulties with proportions and making my work look finished, this semester lead to a lot of growth across a lot of areas.
Next year, for AP art, I am thinking about doing my concentration based around self-image and exploration.
Art II Portfolio
The History of the Game
The Exquisite Corpse Game is a game created by surrealists as early as 1918. It was created to pass time as well as to show how childlike art could be as artists of the time often viewed war as childish. The game is played by a group of individuals, who each draw or write one part of the random "exquisite corpse." The result is an often chaotic mixture of techniques and styles, which is only viewed as a whole when it is completed. It originates from one of the sentences assembled by the game's creators, "the exquisite corpse drinks the new wine."
Artist's Statements
One of the most powerful elements in this work is the use of color as combined with the principle of emphasis. For example, the area under the eyes is emphasized using a bright purple in opposition to the lighter shades of violet and red on the cheeks. This combination is further enhanced by the use of the element form. The use of form in the subject’s under-eye area allows the area to appear as if it is receding or acting as a shadow, whereas the forehead and the bridge of the nose are painted only with a wash of watercolor so as to add dimension while also keeping those areas highlighted and in the foreground. This work is also disproportionate and asymmetrical. In terms of disproportion, the head and neck take up roughly the same amount of space as the rest of the body, giving the piece a sense of chaos. The work is not symmetrical due to the mismatched shoes and precariously perched snake hair.
This piece is a successful work of art. This is because of the cohesive color scheme of the work, which plays a major role in the work’s unity. Reds, blues, and violets grouped together are close enough in tone that they can be used to color not only clothing and items, but also skin. While this piece is surrealistic, the lack of realism is intentional and does not affect the work negatively. Instead, the surrealism allows the artist’s message of turmoil. The subject of the painting seems bored and helpless against its surroundings. Overall, the combined elements and principles, such as color combined with form, make this piece successful. This piece is effective because of its use of surrealistic techniques and balanced elements and principles.
Artist's Statement:
This piece is a representation of global unity and diversity. I wanted to combine diversity with a sense of individuality. I showed this by making the people in my project as colorful and different as I possibly could, and by showing them all joining hands together, young and old, from all different backgrounds. In the background, I added the flags of many different countries. To create a more "full" feeling of the work, I added colorful shapes. Overall, this work is successful because it combines color, shape, and balance. In terms of the Studio Habits of Mind, I developed my craft in this work by using mixed-media.
Printmaking
This linocut block print is titled Generations of Strength, because I created it as a symbol of my family history. The woman in center is representative of the many positive female role models in my family, and the Celtic knots in the background and in the woman’s hair represent my family’s Irish lineage. I started the process of this block print with a collage, which I then traced on a piece of tracing paper. When I had finished that, I transferred the graphite from the tracing paper onto a small test block. I printed a sample print, then repeated my first steps with the full collage. After transferring the outlines, I began carving out the white areas of my piece. After this, I inked my block for a test print. Noting problem areas, I went back to carving. When I felt satisfied with my progress, I printed an edition of four prints and a creative print.
Art 21: Kara Walker
Examples of Kara's Work
Independent Projects
On My Rationale and Planning Pages:
For my project, I wanted to make something that would mean something to me, so I decided to paint my sister. She is going through a lot right now, and I wanted to make her feel special. I chose to do the project in watercolor not only because it is my favorite medium, but also because I wanted to strengthen my proficiency in it. I chose to make a multi-page planning page layout because I wanted to do as much research as possible for my independent project. I also added multiple pages of extra photographs of my subject so I could really understand her proportions and features. In my other planning pages, I researched several artists and their techniques. Finally I completed several studies of my sister to help me get used to drawing her.
My Process
The SHOM I employed in this project were mainly developing my craft and engaging/persisting. To develop my craft, I learned new watercolor techniques, and focused on glazing. When I used colored pencils, I worked on line variation and burnishing. For engaging/persisting, I spent time at home watching videos and doing studies to work my way around roadblocks. My process and the steps I took to create this work are featured as captions of my progress pictures below.
Artist's Statement
My independent project was a portrait of my sister, Margaret, in the style of watercolor realism. I also added colored pencil details. I worked on developing my craft and avoiding roadblocks by watching videos on technique and color theory, and applying the techniques to my work. Through researching the artists Liseth Visser and Ardith Starostka, I learned about painting skin tone and shading realistically with paints. From the work of watercolorist Lisa O’Regan, I learned about realistic watercolor portraiture. My composition, which was of my sister from the shoulders up, standing in front of the woods near my house and wearing an antique necklace, was meant to evoke a feeling of mystery and wistfulness. I created this feeling with my sister’s expression in the painting. She is looking at something out of the frame, and smiling subtly. This is emphasized by her red lipstick. I recognized my growth and successes, as well as my shortcomings, throughout my progress with reflections.
Sketchbook Assignments
Art Inspiration & Art History Connections
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1qNv20Z7TQFba96iM4P74FaOmNYstoF5t06U2nIBESTU/edit?usp=sharing
Growth Statements & Wrapping Up the Semester
Throughout the course of this semester, I have learned more about printmaking, watercolor, acrylic, water-soluble graphite, and colored pencil. During the printmaking unit, I learned valuable skills, including how to carve lino blocks and print multiple colors layered together. During my independent projects, I stretched what I already knew about watercolor and colored pencil, and really took the opportunity to grow as an artist. I also practiced techniques with water-soluble graphite for my second project. This semester, I have learned that I really enjoy collage and watercolor, and that I have a good sense of what goes together. In my work, I have developed the theme of meaningful work. In many of my projects, from my google doodle to my independent project to my visual journal, I have made things that have significance to me. Continuing to build my skills, I will work on more visual journal collages, more colored pencil and graphite drawings, and more watercolor paintings. I would like to continue making meaningful works.
Art I Portfolio
Observational Drawing Unit
Pretests: Self-portrait, hand, and hallway perspective drawing
Gesture Drawing: A gesture drawing is a quickly drawn sketch of nothing more than a scene/character's action, mood, or feeling.
Contour Drawing: A drawing made by sketching the contour, or outline, of a subject, usually using a couple (or sometimes one) lines.
Value: How light or dark something is.
Chiaroscuro: Contrast of light and dark, and how light falls on a subject.
Form: A three dimensional shape. Can be real or illusional (drawings, paintings, etc).
Perspective Drawing: To draw a three dimensional object on a two dimensional surface so that height,width, depth, and juxtaposition are shown.
Puppet Show 2016
Working on the puppet show was honestly amazing. The show, a story of peace and unity straight from South Africa, combined multiple storylines, both human and animal. Beyond that, being a part of the artistry behind the impressive masks and costumes was mind-blowing, especially knowing how many volunteer hours (and how much love!) went into the production. My class (3rd period) created penguin puppets, and worked on smaller hand puppets.
Self-Portrait Unit
Analogous Colors: Colors that are next to each other on the color wheel.
Growth Statements
I walked into art class at the beginning of this year not really knowing what to expect. Art has been pretty much my favorite class since, well, forever. My main goal this year was to grow as an artist, and I think I definitely accomplished that.
Not only did we learn about several different art movements and styles, from surrealism to pop art to dadaism, we experimented in many of them. Besides this, we went back to basics, which was really helpful for me. I’ve made pretty much a complete turnaround with my approach on shading, and I think my line confidence has improved a lot. Our color theory exercises were really interesting, and I learned how to correctly combine cool and light primary colors to make secondary colors less “muddy”. Learning about the elements and principles was a super helpful refresher course, because I hadn’t talked about them in around 3 years, and the initial focus on them helped me to maintain an omnipresent focus on them throughout the course.
My observational drawing skills have also definitely improved, probably because of our focus on the importance of quick, “warm-up” activities such as gesture drawings.
I was so excited to get to fit in so much new media this semester, especially the water soluble graphite, and further explorations in clay. The puppet show was also a great experience, and I learned a ton about papier-mache and stage/set painting, like how to use only around three values in a mask, because fine blending gets lost on stage, and how to worry the cardboard to make the bends seem more natural. This semester has been a great experience.
Little Dancer of Fourteen years
Edgar Degas, 1879-1881, Tate Liverpool, Multimedia Sculpture (bronze, wax, muslin, linen, wood, silk)
"I never Paint Dreams or Nightmares. I paint my own reality." Frida Kahlo