Sustained Investigation #4

Sustained Investigation #4: "Oktoberfest Flörsheim"

Acrylic on Canvas

12" x 10"

My painting was inspired by my time in Germany and my experiences during the local Oktoberfest in my town of Flörsheim. The painting shows the girls wearing traditional Oktoberfest dirndl, the boy wearing the traditional lederhosen, and the tricolor band around the head is the colors of the German flag. I tried to make the dark background with luminescent spots to represent the glowy atmosphere that night during the festivities. I chose to focus on this subject/culture because I had the opportunity to experience several cultural traditions during my time in Germany and Oktoberfest with my friends was one that stood out to me.

I completed this piece using Acrylics on a Canvas.

I decided to try using Acrylics for the first time, the medium was quite difficult to work with as I am inexperienced and I was unsure what to expect. However, I believe that through continued use of this medium I will be able to improve my skills. I began by drawing an outline with graphite on the canvas and then adding acrylic layers to the canvas, however I probably did this in not the most effective order. To improve upon this piece I would use mediums more related to the subject, instead of sticking to traditional mediums, such as painting it on a Bierkrug. I would also improve upon my acrylic skills in order to execute the painting the way I wanted to.