ARTIST REFERENCE: MAGDALENA CARMEN FRIDA KAHLO Y CALDERÓN (FRIDA KAHLO) (1907-1954)
Source: http://tinyurl.com/bdz22vyd
Title: Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird
Year: 1940
Medium: Painting
Artist: Frida Kahlo
Size: 61.25 lookin cm × 47 cm (24.11 in × 18.5 in)
Location: Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas, Austin
SEE
(Describe what you see)
THINK
(Analyse & Interpret)
WONDER
(Develop Curiosity)
What do you see?
I see a woman with thorns wrapped around her neck, with a hummingbird charm on it. She is wearing headgear with two butterflies on it and a monkey and a cat are beside her. There are leaves in the background.
What are the subjects in the Artwork?
The woman, the cat, the monkey and the thorns with a hummingbird.
What are the Elements of Art used in the Artwork?
Line, shape, color, size, texture
What are some subjects in the foreground, middleground and background of the Artwork?
Foreground - woman, thorn necklace, hummingbird
Middle ground - monkey, cat
background - leaves
How are the subject matters arranged?
They are arranged by visual elements
Why did you think the artist arranged the subjects in this manner?
To put the focus on the thorn necklace and hummingbird.
What do you think the Artist is trying to communicate in the artwork? How does the artwork make you feel?
It symbolises Frida Kahlo's perseverance and strength. It makes me feel determined.
How do you think the elements of art were used to convey the Artist's intentions?
The thorn necklace's shape is used to show Frida Kahlo's pain suffocating her, but she never gave up. This shows her peseverance.
How was principles of design used to communicate and idea/ emotion?
The proportions of the objects are used to convey how big the thorn necklace, which symbolises Frida Kahlo's pain, is.
Why do you think the Artist emphasised certain element in the work?
The artist wants to show her resilience and determination.
What are you curious about the Artwork?
I am curious about what the leaves symbolize.
What are you wonder about the Artist's thought processes?
Where did Frida Kahlo get the idea that the thorn necklace symbolises pain?
What is interesting to you about this Artwork? And why?
The hummingbird is interesting to me as it is hanging on the thorn necklace, so it might be relevant to Frida Kahlo's painful past.
Are there any areas such as the title, style, or medium of the artwork that you are unsure and would like to know more?
Why did the artist choose a realistic style to represent her pain?
What do you like to keep, destroy or replace? Why?
I would keep the necklace as it portrayed Frida Kahlo's pain perfectly.
MY WORKS IN PROGRESS
my captions: Colour Testing On Hand
describe my progress: found my skintone
my captions: Double Faced Self Portrait
my captions: Self-portrait (Apr 2)
describe my progress: Finished the skintone
my captions: Self-portrait (Apr 16)
describe my progress: Started base color of hair
my captions: Self-portrait (Apr 26)
describe my progress: Finished the hair and eyes
my captions: Final self-portrait (Apr 30)
describe my progress: Completed the rest of the painting
my captions: Silkscreen Printmaking
describe my progress:
my captions: Inking (Black)
describe my progress: Used black to ink the portrait
my captions: Inking (Red)
describe my progress: Used red to ink the portrait
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PRINTMAKING (SILKSCREEN PRINTING) AND PAINTING? WHICH DO YOU PREFER AND WHY?
My Reflections: A print is usually flat and has sharp, even and clean edges, while a painting has irregular and uneven paint on the edges of the paper. There is also more steps to printmaking than painting, but it can produce the same artwork in different colours. Personally, I prefer painting as it is less tedious and it is fun to make tones and shadows on the portrait. It is also more relaxing than printmaking. Thus, I prefer painting.
HOW WOULD I LIKE TO IMPROVE MY WORK IF I WERE DO MY SILKSCREEN OR PAINTING AGAIN? PLS SPECIFY ONE TYPE.
My Reflections: For painting, I would add more tones and shadows in my shirt. I feel like the shirt looks too bland and two-dimensional. With more tones, the painting will look more realistic and interesting. I would also start my skintone with a lighter colour.