Painting 1 - 2023

Amelia Griffin "Baseline"

8.5 x 11, Acrylic, 2023


This artwork was a demonstration of what I previously learned how to do. This painting was to show my knowledge of painting techniques and overall the art of painting.  I decided to paint a snail and I used some basic techniques to create the artwork to how I desired. 

Amelia Griffin “Dragonfruit”


(20x16), Canvas & Acrylic, 2023 


My idea for this painting was to portray a dragonfruit. I wasn’t quite sure at first what I wanted the perspective of my painting to be so I looked at some reference photos until I found one to my liking. Normally when I think of still-life objects I think of ceramics and fruits. One of our painting ideas was supposed to be a still-life object, so I picked a fruit I thought of as not so common. That is why I decided to paint a dragonfruit. There was leftover space on the outside of the canvas so to fill it I painted a vine border. 


I started by making a rough sketch of my photo directly on my canvas. Then I mixed custom colors as closely as possible to match my photo. Then I dove right into the painting portion. I used layering techniques to make it as realistic as I could. For the sliced dragonfruit I used a sponge with white paint to go over the seeds to make them look deeper in the fruit’s flesh. After it dried, I would go in with another layer of seeds and repeat this process a couple of times. After I finished my dragonfruit I sketched a vine border along the outside of the painting and completed that as well. 


For me, this painting has no symbolic imagery. I simply just wanted to paint a dragonfruit so that is what I did. I haven’t had a lot of events in my life that are very traumatic or nothing out of the ordinary, so I don’t have many things I could symbolize from my life. I instead just came up with an idea that I liked and I did it. For the audience, I want them to view my painting however they like. I want their minds to wonder what it was about, and let them have their own opinions and thoughts about it. 

The most difficult part of this project was making it look realistic. Throughout making this painting, I tried to make it look as realistic as I possibly could. This is a struggle for me because I am a strong artist when it comes to the cartoon genre. Realism is something that I can be good at in drawing but realistic paintings are something I need to work on. Another thing I struggled with was mixing colors for this painting. The bright pink is a color I could not make with the acrylics that we had so they look a little on the muted side. 

I would consider my art piece under the realistic category. I could also consider it to be slightly abstract in its way. I attempted to make it realistic but in layering effect when looked at up close makes it look abstract. Another category this painting could fall under is pop art.  The bright bold colors could make this painting fit under that category. This painting is unique to my style because I haven’t tried to make a realistic painting yet. It was my first real attempt. 



Amelia Griffin "Mid-Term" 

Paper, Watercolor, & Pen 2023

This small little painting was my "Mid-Term" project. This is to show artistic growth throughout the semester. I had to replicate a photo, I picked carrots, and I used watercolor pencils, and a black pen to outline the work. 


Amelia Griffin "Winter Wonderland" 

(20x16), Canvas & Acrylic, 2023

Winter Wonderland began as an inspiration from a painting my father made in his younger years. It was similar to the one I created, with a mountain theme and pine trees, but I tried to vary mine from his to make it original. I wasn't sure why I remembered his painting, but I did and it inspired me to create a similar one of my own. I decided to name it "Winter Wonderland" because I created this piece from November to early December, so it reminded me of Christmas. 

My process started with a simple sketch of what I wanted to create. My first actual painting step was to make a gradient sky. After that, everything just fell into place with layers. I added the mountains, then a tree, and finally the cabin. I tried to use different techniques such as blending ombres, adding layering, and using different techniques I learned from Bob Ross and his happy little trees. 

For this painting, I didn't plan any symbolism behind it. It is simply just a painting. I want the audience to view this painting and think about the scenery. For me, I think that this painting is very peaceful, and adds to my Christmas spirit. I never liked snow much before this year, but this painting has helped me grow to enjoy seeing snowfall. 

A couple of things I struggled with in this painting were the snow and the tree shadow.  I attempted the shadow multiple times but it still looks unrealistic. It is something I would try to change if I restarted the painting. Another thing I would change if I could is the light shining from the window onto the snow. In my opinion, this little detail makes it look like an animal walked by and relieved itself. So it is not the most flattering detail. 

I attempted to make this a realistic style. It isn't the most realistic-looking painting but I tried my hardest, and we all start somewhere. This painting isn't unique to my style but instead, it fits in. I either make cartoony or realism artworks. We favorite part about this painting is the detail on my tree, such as the little pinecones, and all of the depth I added through shadows and snow on the branches.

Amelia Griffin "Ancient Wonders" 

(20x16), Canvas & Acrylic, & Model Magic, 2023

This painting started off as a simple idea. I have had a passion for dinosaurs for a while now. They just began to grow on me, so I decided I wanted to paint some in my own unique style. I was planning on making it look realistic when I had a gut feeling to make it special to myself, so that is why they have bright passional colors on them. 

This quick process began with a reference photo, and an idea for the background. Orginally, I created a deep blue ocean background, but quickly began to realize how much I disliked it. So as a last minute change, I went for an abstract half-blended look. It almost reminds me of Vincent Van Gogh's the Starry Night. I used a mandala technique to create the layered spots on the dinosaurs necks. There is no symbolism behind this painting. I just simply made it for my own pleasure and enjoyment! 

One thing I struggled with was creating the background. I had to redo the background twice, and finally it came out how I liked it. It I could restart I would do this project the exact same way. There are no big issues that are something I dislike about this piece. It is one of my favorite paintings I've ever created, which is a hard to obtain title. This painting is a surrealism style. It could almost fit under pop-art or abstract. This painting contains different techniques that make it fit under multiple categories. All in all, this is a painting that I love.