Process and BrainstormingBefore beginning my actual piece I had a lot of ideas that came to mind while brainstorming. For this piece I knew I would create a painting and add a lot of color to it. I knew this is what I wanted to do because I had not created a painting in a while and my previous work largely lacked in color. When considering art movements that contained the most color the first movement that came to mind was fauvism. The fauvist movement is one of my favorites as it presents a wide range of color and form to a piece. Not only that but it also brings a brilliance to the piece and in general the piece looks like a mixture of reality and fantasy in one image.
Meaning of the PieceThis piece was made in memory of a summer day. The greatest memories usually come from summer days and that is because of all that summer brings. In summer, especially in the beach, we become happier and we begin to forget that we exist. In this piece I wanted to portray the atmosphere of a beach in my perspective. In my case, the beach and the water bring feelings of calmness and relaxation. While relaxing we often forget about the negative aspects that make us human. Through this image I wanted to represent the forgetfulness of fully existing and having to cope with stress or sadness, which all goes away for me while at the beach.
Experimenting/Developing Ideas
Before beginning my painting I did a lot of experimenting with color and blending techniques. Since I had not painted in a while I didn't feel comfortable beginning without practicing first. I knew I would use a lot of bold colors in this piece and therefore I began to practice blending with acrylic paint in the form of spheres and with multiple colors. I noticed that while I was painting these spheres I had a difficult time blending and creating form. After practicing with my first few spheres I began to notice that the key was to work quickly and that would allow me to create the best form and blending.
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Planning Sketches
As displayed throughout all my sketches I used the beach as part of my inspiration. What drew me into focusing on the beach is the aspects that are portrayed while thinking of the beach which I wanted to connect to my painting. In the painting I wanted to focus on peacefulness and relaxation which is the atmosphere presented at the beach for most people, including myself. Living so close to Lake Michigan has allowed me to expand on the clam aspects that the beach often displays and why it is important.
ProcessThe first step I took for creating this piece would be constructing my canvass, which involved stretching my canvass, gessoing the canvass, and adding a coat of white paint. Once I was finished with the base of the painting I projected my image on to the canvass which I did to get the best proportion. Then I started painting, beginning with the sky and the water and making my way down to the sand and the boy. The actual painting process was difficult because I had a difficult time working fast with the acrylic paint. I found the paint drying very quickly which made it even harder to blend and create the best texture and color. Once I finished the painting I then cleaned up the sides of the painting in order to give it a clean look.
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My inspirations for this piece include Impressionist artists Claude Monet and Edouard Manet. Monet was a French painter whose work named the art movement Impressionism, which focus’ on capturing light and natural forms. He was named the master of light and color as he used short brushstrokes and bold colors to capture reality. In the painting “Sunrise” Monet captured the beautiful sight of the sun rising in a bay full of boats. Throughout the painting Monet displays his imaginative grasp of subject and pattern in objects. In this piece Monet presents a focus on the beauty in front of him and created an emphasize on the calm feeling of the water way scene. He incorporates mostly cool and dull colors but also includes a splash of warm colors across the sky.
My other inspiration for this piece was “On the Beach” by Manet. Manet was also a French painter who depicted the everyday of people and the city life around him. He was an artists who transitioned from realism to impressionism. With his delicate shades and rapid brushstrokes Manet displays the passing of time, while the waves in the shore calmly appear. Manet symbolizes the feelings experienced in a beach atmosphere, such as relaxation and leisure. As Manet and Monet I wanted to create a painting with a mixture of realism and impressionist movements. Also, I wanted to incorporate similar feelings to my painting as Manet and Monet which also decided to paint a beach/water. As my inspirations the idea of water brings a calm and peaceful atmosphere which is what I wanted to portray in my piece. On the Beach, 1873 by Edouard Manet, www.manet.org/on-the-beach.jsp.
“Analysis of Claude Monet's Impression, Sunrise.” Incite, blogs.longwood.edu/incite/2012/01/30/ |
Monet Claude. "Sunrise" 2013. Web. 21 Oct. 2017.
Manet Edouard. "On the Beach" 2009. Web. 21 Oct. 2017.
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The outcome of this piece did not turn out as I had planned. My hopes for this piece was to create a realistic image with smooth blending and soft brushstrokes. I had planned to use oil paint because it would be easier to blend since it dries slowly especially compared to acrylic paint. I, however, did not have enough oil paint and had to use acrylic instead. I noticed while working that the paint was drying too fast for my pace and that is why I had trouble blending and had rough brushstrokes throughout the entire piece. I did like the connection to my artistic inspirations seen as we both used bold colors while reflecting upon a joyful and relaxing days. Although Monet used more of an Impressionist approach (which I lacked), we did have the same intention for our piece, which was to remember the feelings experienced while on the beach.
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