Painting 2 2022

Spring/Summer semester

Alice Sechrest's "Through the muck"

8'' x 9'', Acrylic paints, Crafting gloss, 2022

My original idea was to create a self-portrait. The photo was from homecoming night in October the year before this piece was created. It was supposed to be full of Wicca symbols meaning so many things but meaning nothing at the same time. Yeah, That didn’t work.

My process consisted of cause and effect. I had originally finished the first coat of white on my dress to make it a shining silver. But my sister had different plans, she had taken paints and colored all over my painting.

So I started anew. The new piece to me means that throughout all that we come across we will always be the same person we are today, the splashes of different blue, pinks, purples, and greens. These are just things we come across in our daily lives. They have the power to change us, only if we let them.

I say the most difficult thing for me was towards the end. My paint had started to crack and I had gotten a brand new idea. I had taken Crafting gloss and put a thick coat all over my painting. It had come out even better than I expected. Putting a soft and shimmering glow onto the painting.

I would say this piece is an Abstract or Non-Objective art style. I believe that the message is unique to itself. In other ways this piece could be recreated with the same colors and style, the only real thing that wouldn’t be copyable is the handprints of my brother and me. The part I love the most about this piece is the fact that I found a way to include my family in my identity painting.

And that each and every person could take this message differently and have their own opinions and tips for me.

Alice Sechrest "Toxic Thoughts"

20’’x 16’’, Mod Podge, Acrylic paints, Photographs. 2022

My original idea for my life lesson painting was to have a character driving a car down the highway as they passed an accident. But then I thought of the parents' point of view. What would they do if their kid was in an accident?

I had originally painted a vibrant purple background but that seemed to… Happy? ANYWAYS! I went over it with deep black paint and then used the Mod Podge to stick my photos to the canvas. Then used white paint to create the “thought bubble” with the car crashes inside. I sketched out my character and painted them onto the canvas next.

Then after that, I created the different spikes of colors to symbolize other ideas of things that could go wrong, just waiting to strike and impale the person more than the others. My artwork to me means that there is always something that could go wrong if we let those ideas get to us. They could potentially do damage without the actual cause happening.

I believe that the most difficult part of my project was the photos. I had to find clear enough pictures so that I could enlarge them to the appropriate size. Though I had help with then when Mrs. Dunlavey had helped me size the pictures accordingly so they could fit well enough onto the canvas. Yet still, leave enough room to do other ideas as they come along.

I believe my art is an abstract and surreal mix. I started using my own “signature” I guess you could say by “chopping” off the head of my character! What I love the most about this piece is the color scheme used, with the vibrate blue, pink, and more.

Alice Sechrest & Grace Mosiers’ “Elemental Collisions” (W.I.P.)

24''x 18'', Acrylic paints, Graphite Paper, 2022

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