In Class Critique

Recap from discussion

I felt as though the critique went well. Everyone had something to say and ask about every ones work. I think it is great seeing what work everyone else has done and thoughts behind it. We had an interesting discussion on the womb and the fetal position relating to self comfort. A few things that really stood out were about psychology and how the knowledge that someone is being observed will affect the persons appearance. Many people were given the suggestion to paint bigger which can take more time and cost more but would benefit the work and ideas. When showing my work so far, I was unclear about what I was doing or supposed to say. There were good suggestions to focus and to combine the photographs I had to create a group painting. I do need to focus on one side/idea of things going back and forth between the good and the bad could potentially confuse the viewer in the purpose of my work. The group painting would be fun and interesting to create but I wonder if it would still apply to my feelings about enhancing the individuals connection to the animals. I will think it is worth an experiment but for now I just need to paint.

Artist Proposal

Proposal for Advanced Painting

I want my work to show a human relationship with animals. I believe everyone has a connection to animals being that we all share the planet and with some humans the relationship is stronger and can be seen more vividly. Through my paintings I want to enhance this connection by using the person physical representation with my painterly lines that emphasize the representation of the animals. This shows the connection that I am most interested in because it is playful as well as important to the people involved in the process. 

The process begins with an interview of the subject about what they believe human and animal relationships are or how it affects them. After this is complete I describe the pose for their photograph to be like a game where you must act out an object or event using your body. This really allows for the subject to become empathic with the animals in mind and that creates the first visual resource for my paintings. With the photographs I then relate my interview with the animals the subjects have chosen to create the drawing lines that will emphasize the animal’s presence in the painting. This process also creates a relationship with the artist and the subject for the painting; it is something different from everyday life and can be enjoyed. Using  these I plan to create many medium to large paintings while using drawings and smaller paintings to play with the many variations. 

Here are some of those photographs:

The Studio

 My Work Space

I like lots of flat surface and a small easel. It works out well for me.You can see here that it is a bit small and cluttered but thats how I paint.

Favorite Artists

Franz Marc The Fate of The Animals, 1901

Sandy Skoglund, Revenge of the Goldfish, 1981

What I have already done

These are a few of my favorite works I have done to find the things that really interest me.

Studio So Far

What are you working on right now?/ How the studio affects your work?

At this moment I am working on developing my ideas on human and animal relationships by documenting other people and their responses to particular questions.

At first I do a short open ended interview about what they think about humans and animals relationships and asking if they feel a connection with a particular animal. I then describe to them like in a game of Pictionary to enact to me trying to represent that animal with their bodies. This is documented through my journal and in photographs.

This came from a painting I finished in July for an advanced painting class. This painting was created from a picture of myself over my break and it was the way that I painted a head piece I was wearing that evolved into this type of linear connection between a human and a particular animal. I like the fact that I thought it was cute and fun to try and look like a bunny.

My studio space greatly effects my working ability. I feel like it must be convenient and comfortable. My studio now has a drawer that comes to my hip which is specific, but I prefer it so that if I work while standing my pallet is close to me. I also like the smaller, more adjustable easel to get really close if necessary. This affects my work because if I am not in a comfortable environment it will take me much longer to finish the work. In an uncomfortable environment I am less enthusiastic about doing my work and it painting process seems to drag along.