Mid-term AP Studio Prezi Link

I am not entirely sure if this will work, but this is the link to the Prezi that I created.

http://prezi.com/kop7iciui4r7/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

Updated Concentration

Though it has been a while since I have focused on my concentration as much as I should, my updated concentration statement is as follows:

I would like my body of work to portray the negative effects of the technological world that we live in, and the consequences that it can have on personal interaction. With everyone constantly checking their cell phones, updating social media, listening to music, and not paying attention to one another in person, it seems as if we are beginning to avoid eye contact, avoid speaking, and avoid others.

Fall Blitz Painting

This is another blitz painting that I began from life. The leaves outside were intriguing, and I used wet acrylic paint and brush to try and define the trees, tree line, etc.

Headphone Pastel Study

In an attempt to move back into my concentration, I did this study in pastel to try and incorporate my headphones to my technology focus. The gesso underneath is interesting to me, and I would like to tie these headphones to the negative effects of technology on our personal interaction.

Watercolor Self Portrait

Another self portrait that I began recently. I tried to use the watercolor to sort of provide a push/pull effect and to be more painterly rather than worry about all of the small details. I wanted to be able to portray something realistic into something recognizable but still stylized.

Sharpie/Pastel Self Portrait

This is a more abstract self portrait that I did using contour lines and Sharpie outlines with pastel overlay.  I enjoy where this is going, and I would like to take it further.

Graphite Self Portrait

This is a self portrait that I'm quite proud of. I would like to improve upon it by adding background and more shading, as well as try and incorporate it with my concentration. Since this photo was taken, I have added my arm reaching behind my head and a watch on my wrist to form an anchor to the right side of the page.

Blitz Painting

This is a blitz painting that was cut short when my paint blew all over me. I enjoyed where it was going, even though I didn't enjoy wearing it. I used a palette knife and acrylic paint, and I liked the outcome of the tree.

Pastel Candles

This is a piece that I began at home. The candles that my mom had burning on the countertop were of interest to me, and I wanted to explore and flex pastels, so I decided to start a few pieces with them.

Watercolor Self-Portraits

With 1" brushes, we were given large sheets of watercolor brushes and a mirror to produce self portraits. This was round 2. In dark, autumn colors, we were trying to capture the high intensities of the lights and darks. I added an ink overlay to capture more detail in the image, and to give it more interest. I would like to work back into the shirt and the background of this piece, as I feel that it's weaker than the face and neck of the portrait.

Keyboard Sketch

This sketch is similar to a sketch I did earlier of someone being wrapped up by a cord, like a mummy. This one goes along with my concentration ideas, and represents how technology is more or less taking over us as people, maybe in a negative way. The mouth is replaced by a "typing" logo, symbolizing texting and how tech-savvy we all have become. The eyes are replaced by a keyboard, as it seems we are all typing or being involved with some form of tech. I'd like to paint this large scale, and possibly include graphic elements in Photoshop or Illustrator.

Parking Lot Mixed Media/Cut Paper

This is another mixed media piece that I have gotten into in the recent days. As of now, it doesn't look like much, but the sketch work underneath represents the view from outside of my art teacher's room into the parking lot. I am using bright colored magazine clippings to portray the grass, and trees of the landscape. Oranges, and reds are going to be used in the trees, as the beautiful leaves are changing colors.

Skyline

This is a piece that I'm really excited about. It is on a cabinet board that I began with last year, but didn't like the progress I was making. I started over, covering the wood in black and then taping off a section that was made to look like a city skyline. I want this piece to become a self portrait that represents me, and my search for the right college. On the opposite side of the skyline, there is supposed to be a house, representing the suburban area I live in now. I am hoping to portray the decision I have to make between large schools, small schools, city, and suburbs. This is all done with acrylic paint.

Tip-toes Mixed Media

This was a sketch that I started which turned into a more interesting mixed media piece afterwards. I began with the idea after having a girl tell me that she's never dated anyone under 6 foot, so this represents me, or other guys, trying to boost their height to impress girls. I taped off a portion of watercolor paper, used gesso and a light orange wash, then added cut paper over top of the integrated sketch. I like the process, and I like how this turned out. Cut paper was an interesting process to explore.

Italy Landscape/Seacape

I have been working on this piece for a long time now, with not nearly as much progress made as I would have liked. It is a painting that I'm doing for my mother of the Coast of Amalfi in Italy, where we visited two years ago. It's quite a large canvas, and at times it can be overwhelming, but I decided to start working more with it recently. I would like to finish it by Christmas, and be able to hang it in my mom's office. The entire piece has been done with brayer and palette knife, as the texture they provide are attractive to me. This will certainly be a candidate for my breadth section.

Acrylic Landscape

This is a piece that I did from looking out the back window of the school. I love the movement that this view gives me, and I tried to use mildly realistic colors, but not realistic enough to make this a boring piece. I'd like to do more of these studies.

Timed Self-Portrait

This was an in-class activity done with graphite and gesso. I gave myself 10 minutes to get as much information on the paper as possible, using full-length mirror. After the time was up, I began to go in with gesso to accentuate the piece. I would like to start to use different medias within this piece, maybe acrylic paint.

From-Life Figure

This is a loose sketch from life of my figure. I tried to keep it loose and stylized, while still getting across the message of what was being shown. I went in with Sharpie as an overlay and stylized it even more, as you can see below:



I think I like the sketch better without the ink. I may take this larger scale, but I haven't decided yet.

Cord Mummy Sketch

This sketch was don

e with my concentration in mind. I came up with the idea that a cord wrapping around someone's head and neck, (or body for that matter) looks a little bit like the image that we all get in our head when we hear the word "mummy." The cord is more or less strangling the subject, which ties into my concentration about how technology has negative effects on us. I began a larger scale work of this sketch on canvas board with a projector, pictured below:

Sink Pipes

This piece was a part of the concentration I started originally at the beginning of the semester. A gesso layer was covered with ink and a slight watercolor wash, along with some Sharpie accents. I definitely want to go back into this piece and improve it. I like the looseness of it, regardless.

Laptop and Backpack

I really like the way this piece turned out. It is another one that goes along with the theme of my concentration, showing that the laptops our school has given to us have almost overtaken the importance of any paper we might have in our backpacks.I used gouache again in this piece with Sharpie accents, and I think it turned out really nicely.

iPhone Charger and Backpack

This piece would fall under my concentration at this point. I included my backpack and my phone charger to show that our phones and our technology is almost as important in school as our backpack is these days. I used gouache and a Sharpie overlay for this piece, and I enjoy the loose red undertone.

Sneaker

I have always had an inclination toward shoes, and I love painting them for some reason. I pulled out a pair of Vans and went to it. The background for this piece is a layer of gesso with blue and green watercolor concentrate mixed with water and pushed around by a hairdryer. I like the effect it had. I'm excited to continue this piece, as it seems to be attracting a lot of attention.

From-Life Chandelier

As the title says, I did this piece from life, looking at the chandelier hanging in the foyer of my house. Again, I used a gesso base with an ink border, and added a light watercolor wash. Gouache and acrylic paint were used for the rest, as well as Sharpie.

Telephone Pole

This piece started with a border of India ink over a field of gesso. The random ink strokes looked to me like a telephone pole, so I went with that concept. Using a palette knife, I filled in only certain areas with color, providing more interest in what wasn't being covered. I enjoy the product as it seems to present a printmaking feel.

Faceless Self Portrait

In lieu of my college portfolios upcoming, I decided that I certainly need to start working on a number of self-portraits, since I have not done very many in the past. I used a ground of gesso, which was covered by a  loose layer of concentrated watercolor, then another light wash of gesso wiped in certain areas. Ultimately the figure was done with a palette knife and acrylic paint.

Woman With Eagle On Her Head

I had the idea late at night after seeing a woman who was going through chemo at work, and decided to combine a strong bald woman with another bald thing that also represents strength in our country, as well as a lot of others characteristics, the bald eagle. I covered the woman's bald head with the wing of an eagle in the back, and the head and wings of an eagle in the front, replacing where her hair should be.

So far, this has just been done in pencil, Sharpie and gesso, but I plan to go back in with either acrylic or gouache paint.

Updated Artist Statement for 9/23

In recent weeks, I have changed and edited my artist statement to read as follows:

I would like my body of work to encompass the theme of the current addiction to technology that our country and the world is showing. It seems as though the majority of us, especially those in my age bracket, cannot leave home without at least 3 electronic devices filling our hands. Though technology has made incredible advances in the past few decades and even years, it seems as though one of the main downfalls of it lies in the lack of personal communication face to face. I have noticed that people my age now have a hard time making eye contact with each other, and an easier time faking their feelings over social networking and texting. Through my artwork, I would like to portray this theme in a way that shows the viewer about the downfalls of technology.

My recent work has been focused more on the breadth portion of my portfolio, as I believe just simply producing work at random will help to spark ideas for my concentration.

AP 2-D Design Portfolio Statement

As of now, my focus has been turned towards the people of the world who are not recognized for the work that they do each and every day. Sometimes it goes unseen and unappreciated the difference people like custodians, garbage men, and other unsung heroes make each day in the community. I would like to aim towards shedding light on these individuals without showing the actual individual in my work. I want to include things like mop buckets, factory settings, and other environments where these underdogs would be found.

Custodians
Garbage men
Factory workers
Mechanics