Sustained Investigation #8

In my art, you can clearly see a forest full of life. The story told is a simple, natural forest thriving peacefully. I chose to make this because I find forests to be full of beauty so I wanted to capture this beauty in an image. By using color and contrast I was able to make this forest more realistic than my previous art pieces. This relates to my life because of my love for nature. I admire nature and its beauty so I hope one day through my art others can admire nature as I do. I even snowshoed behind my house into the woods to find materials to use for my art. I found a type of moss and birch tree peelings that I will continue to use in my future art. By using these materials my art will not only relate to my question but will also look realistic.

My work was made by first finding the layout of my forest. After three tries, I finally was pleased with the set up of the trees and water. I used acrylic paint to create a light background of green and blue, this was for the trees in a distance. I then used darker shades of green and brown (black mixed with those colors) to create the trees in the front. By changing the colors from a distance to the front trees I was able to add more contrast and variety of color. I used a technique throughout this piece which was as the paint on my brush began to run out I used it for the trees in the distance to give them the fade effect. I continued to build up the colors in the trees and water until I was pleased with the appearance. To make the material relate I then added the moss I collected in the woods onto the treetops. I painted over the moss and this gave it more of a realistic look to it and made it blend more.

The process of creating my art involved a lot of layering of paint colors. My project evolved every time I added a layer of paint it gave my piece more depth and a more realistic feel. My project also evolved greatly once I added the moss because it gave it more texture and detail. My next steps could be to continue using the materials I found in the woods in my art. I feel like the materials I collected help bring my piece to life. The moss was the final magical touch that made it more realistic. I also want to continue to play with the contrast. I want people's eyes to be drawn to the beautiful forests I draw. Lastly, I want to experiment with the border. I paint a tan border this time and let the trees break out of it. Next time, I want to use either a grey, green, tan, or darker border. I am hoping that certain borders that I experiment with will help my art pop.