So I have decided that my concentration is going to be focused on travel, using mixed media to create really unique and colorful pieces. Over the next five months, I will be completing 12 of these pieces for my AP portfolio. I am going to be pulling photos from my trip to Europe this past summer and using them as well as my experiences from that trip as my inspiration for each piece.
For my first piece, I chose one of my favorite photos I took on my trip. I love the unique angles and lines of the photo as well as the super bright colors. I have had my eye on this photo since I captured it but never knew quite what medium to recreate it in. So why not choose multiple media?
For my first piece, I chose one of my favorite photos I took on my trip. I love the unique angles and lines of the photo as well as the super bright colors. I have had my eye on this photo since I captured it but never knew quite what medium to recreate it in. So why not choose multiple media?
I chose a blank canvas board and just got straight to work. I began by painting it a light orange to make it slightly less daunting. I layered some papers immediately before roughly sketching out the major shapes of the building. I then began layer after layer after layer of oil paints, papers, fabrics, and so much more. After about layer 2 I started getting attached to the different things that I had put down and did not want to cover them up. I realized, however, that the more layers I put down and the more texture I put in the better it was going to look in the end.
I was definitely getting frustrated and impatient as it was taking a really long time. I could see the fruition, however, as the composition got better with each layer. I carried the dark green throughout the piece for repetition but then the background did not stand out enough from the focal point: the building. So I added some yellow textured fabric to really make the building pop. The background still had texture but it did not make as much of an impact as the foregrounds. |
Finally, after more layers than I can count, I think my piece is complete. There is a lot of repetition throughout that give the piece a really nice rhythm. The color scheme is totally different than anything that I have ever done before but I think that it really works with the subject and ejects a tropical feel about it. I am really happy with how it turned out. I know that I have a lot of practice ahead of me so it's good that I have 11 more chances :) I think this is a good start to my concentration and I am really excited about what is to come.