Thesis Blog 5
Hola!!
As of this time, my artwork is not complete. It is close to being finished, but not close enough. I started getting nervous after the ⅔’s checkpoint and held myself back because I was unsure if I was skilled enough to create the art work I had imagined in my head. The painting part is no problem, but the plaster sculpture is what was and is causing a challenge since it is a medium I am not use to. I know I will have to make a lot of modifications if I want to complete this and still get my point across.
Compared to my previous post, I have painted a border and pattern on the canvas as well as broken my figure and started putting it back together with epoxy and gold leaf. After completing the pattern I've contemplated if I should fill up the rest of the canvas or leave it as is. In the end i decided to add a little more, but I won't fill up the whole board like I originally planned. With the plaster figure, I had planned to make controlled breaks onto it, but after transporting it so many times, that did not work out and a majority of it broke on its own. Though I'll admit I was a upset at first, the process of creating my piece works with my concept; I cannot control everything, so I'll just have to accept what happened and make it my own.
The oil paint I am using for the hair will take a very long time to dry, so I am hoping that once I seal everything in with resin, that perhaps it would not cause a mess when touched and that it would stay put. I did not think ahead of time of how I would be hanging my art piece, because I figured that I could deal with it later. It is later now and I ultimately regret that choice. Considering that the piece will be heavy, hanging it on a wire may not be the best option. There is the choice to drill the piece into the wall or create hinges strong enough to hold the piece up. I still plan on buying miniature command strip shelves to place around my art piece so the raku pieces could be displayed as well. Compared to how I first planned it (building a shelf under the canvas) this would be a better idea because it won't take the focus away from the plaster figure.
From far away, my art work is what I have planned in my head, but getting a closer look at the details is my problem, especially with the roughness of the plaster and the form of the face. I sanded as much as I could on the body, but I could not get it as smooth as I would have liked. The same goes with the face, but it also does not have the prominent facial features I wanted. I plan on working more on it such as seeing if I could use air drying clay to make more noticeable facial features, then later painting it with white gesso, so it would blend in with the rest.
In a critic I had, when I was discussing my dilemma with the umbrella I planned to put into the piece, one my classmates said that it was not needed and that I did not have to scream out Asian. I agreed with them, because not only will it take up too much time, but my audience can put together that my artwork does have oriental aspects in it (porcelain doll and china patterns on the body).
This project has been a big learning experience for me. I still have a long way to go especially when it comes to managing my time and to not work on the same place over and over again. I feel like even though sculpting is not my strongest suit, I did pretty well with building up the plaster and knowing how to do it and what tools to use. I am most pleased with the painting aspects of my artwork such as the china decor on the plaster and the patterns on the canvas board. I thoroughly enjoyed using the frosting pipes to make the hair so far. It was pleasing to see the little hints of red and yellow peek out from the dark brown. As I continue to do the hair, I'll add lighter browns, so it could match the eyes (the hair looks closer to black than brown, but I'll be layering it so it works out well).
Working large scale actually was no problem for me. I enjoy working large because I could put in as many little details I would like, but that only means that it would take longer for me to work on it. If I continue to focus and not allow my anxiety to get in the way I should be able to finish it before any of the art shows.
If you have any feedback for me, please do let me know!
Until next time, Adios~
You definitely went out of your comfort zone, which helped push you through different materials and techniques. The piece itself was very thought out, with the different artistic styles and approaches you made. I really appreciate the time you took to create all the detail on the girl, pottery, and overall detail boarding on the canvas. It really showcases your abilities. Great job!!!
I definitely think that this has been a learning experience for you, and I think you have learned a lot about combining other materials/objects with a traditional painting to create one cohesive work. I do think that you should include the wooden shelf under your picture. I think that the raku pieces would better connect with the painting.
Being able to know even more about your process on this piece gives good insight to what you could do to finish this piece. I know you're concerned about the face, while modeling paste has a different texture from plaster, it's an option to help render the structure of the face with more detail. I do like the expression of the face and figure. Your theme comes across and at this point it feels like a matter of technical problems to figure out and some more detail work to get this piece finished. You've dealt with the problem child plaster this long- you've got this.
I agree with what you said about this being a learning experience for you but i also think its been a positive one. Ive watched you grow and learn so much over the course of this project. You've definitely learned a lot of problem solving and i believe you have the time and skills to create a piece you can really be proud of. Overall i think you've come a long and now you're just in the finial stretch. PUSH THROUGH YOU GOT IT!