06. Maine Inspired

Artist Statement:

For this project we were tasked with creating a 'Maine inspired' piece; something that we thought symbolized Maine. Following this criteria, I decided to base my piece around some of my favorite things about growing up here in Maine; at least in my opinion. Building this sculpture mainly out of oven-bake clay, the base being made out of a piece of styrofoam that I painted to resemble the ocean, the project is mainly focused around the lobster that I put in the center of it; before extending out into the other 'Maine' themes that I wanted to portray. Trying to build up the atmosphere to resemble more of the main coast, with its rocky shore and many tiny islands, I then added white pine trees; Maine's state tree and a frequent inhabiter of the woods here. This project has evolved over time, as seen in my earlier sketches where the lobster was actually on a giant island and the trees were just covering him instead of being the island himself, but I'm quite happy with the final product; and if I did go back I would probably just add some smaller details: blueberry bushes, fishermen boats, and ocean waves if I felt I needed them.