Watercolour
Exaggerated Self-Portrait
Eve Copeland, Grade 12
Gouache Paints on Watercolour Paper
School: Beamsville District Secondary School
Teacher: Ms. Betsy Tauro & Ms. Melissa Morlacchetti
Principal: Mr. Matt Wilson
Artist Statement: "This self-portrait was very fun to make. I had a lot of fun experimenting with different colours for the background and flowers to make the piece really pop. I wanted to make it feel like springtime when the sun starts to come out a little more and the flowers start to bloom, I believe my final piece captured that very well. I will definitely continue to use this style of art in different ways in the future."
Monochromatic Self-Portrait
Alexandria Allan-Stewart, Grade 11
Watercolour
School: Beamsville District Secondary School
Teacher: Miss Melissa Morlacchetti
Principal: Mr. Matt Wilson
Artist Statement: Making this piece was a bit of a difficult process. The initial sketch took about 30 minutes to get at least a little proportionate, and even then I wasn't too happy with it. After the sketch I used an ultra fine point sharpie to line the work. For the colouring process I used water-based markers to plan out the base colours, and then slowly started to shade the piece. I then used a little bit of water and a paintbrush to help smooth and hide the marker streaks, and blend out the shading. Hopefully next time I can get the proportions right and make it look at least a little bit more realistic.
Golden Hour
Arielle Longo, Grade 9
Watercolour 26.5 cm x 39 cm
School: A.N. Myer Secondary School
Teacher: Mr. Joe Fernandez
Principal: Mrs. Kim Carruthers
Artist Statement: The colour mustard yellow will forever be my favourite colour because it radiates a warm, welcoming, cozy glow. It reminds me of sunlight at golden hour, fairy lights, fireplaces, and autumn leaves. The mood that I wanted to capture in this piece was happiness and warmth. Also, the way that my hand is placed and the tilt of my head implies that I am deep in thought, perhaps daydreaming of a world in mustard yellow, at golden hour.
Monochromatic Self Portrait
Brooke Bechkos, Grade 9
Watercolour 8.5 x 11 inches
School: A.N. Myer Secondary School
Teacher: Mr. Joe Fernandez
Principal: Mrs. Kim Carruthers
Artist Statement: For my monochromatic self portrait, I picked a picture of myself smiling on a beach. I used the colour green to paint as I was inspired by the earthiness the shades present.
“Me?”
Lauren Robertson, Grade 10
Watercolour 8.5 by 11 inches
School: E.L.Crossley Secondary School
Teacher: Ms. Sherry Wilkinson
Principal: Mrs. Janice Sargeant
Artist Statement:
As an artist, self reflection is a topic that I think about often. How do others perceive me? How do I perceive myself? It’s a difficult process, letting yourself express thoughts and feelings with any aesthetic value is scary. This art represents the overwhelming vulnerability I feel as an artist, and when asked to create a self portrait such as this one, it’s not only my talent someone is judging, but me as well, in my raw form. Vulnerability is art, and art is as vulnerable as it comes.