Donate Life Design

Artist's Statement:

Jillian Wight

Medsker

2D Design

20 November 2020

My work is based on the very specific theme of organ and tissue donation. My goal was to inspire viewers to give back to their communities by deciding to become a donor, and so I tried to convey the idea of tranquility and priority in my artwork. I wanted to portray organ donation not as a disgusting, sad end to one’s life, but as the generous and heroic thing it is. I added flowers and made the subject a child so that the idea of growth and prosperity would be associated with the cause. Overall, I think that my color choices, subject choices, and playful style really conveyed this message effectively! I am so happy with how this piece came out. As of right now, this project does not relate to my life very significantly. However, I am going to get my driver's license in a little under a year, and I will be presented with the choice to become an organ donor. Thanks to this project, I know a little more about what it means, for me and for those who I have a chance to help live a long and prosperous life. I can honestly say that it is unlikely I would have considered the choice heavily if I hadn’t had this opportunity to connect with organ donation on an artistic and therefore spiritual level. However, seeing the work of my classmates and exploring the topic myself has made it clear that organ and tissue donation is an honorable choice and one that will benefit others even after I am gone. This project also relates to my life because it is consoling to know that if I or a family member were ever in need of organ and tissue donation, there are people out there who were generous enough to indicate that they are willing to help. To me, organ and tissue donation is easy. For someone else, it could mean the world. I am so happy that I got the chance to recognize this, and to try to appreciate the importance of this decision.

To create this work, I used a number of materials. Some were familiar, and some required some experimenting! I began by selecting a piece of very thick, textured paper. I thought it would support the ink I was planning to use most effectively, and allow for the kind of linework I wanted to add. I then used a graphite pencil to sketch out the basic design I wanted. On scrap paper, I sketched the individual elements of this design. I focused on really ironing out the child, the expression I wanted on her face, her body position, etc. When I had a sketch I was proud of, I laid the scrap paper across a block of grey linoleum and shaded with my graphite pencil across the back to transfer the lines onto the stamp. Once I knew what I was working with, I used a small knife to carve the two blocks. The next step was to finalize my sketch according to the proportions of the linoleum blocks, and how the stamp came out. I then used neon pink ink to stamp my design on a number of different pieces of printer paper. Once I had practiced sufficiently, I rolled some extra ink on and made what I hoped would be the final print. However, the texture on my paper was much too aggressive and the stamp was not able to really make a bold impact. I decided to print the stamp on a piece of paper that was not as textured. This came out much better! I then used colored, felt tip pens to fill in the words and extra spaces and to outline my design. Finally, I added stars to the piece using a white gel pen.

Creating the work of art required a few processes! First of all, it was a struggle to select the right type of paper. I selected one that was too textured at first, and I definitely had to experiment a little bit in order to learn from my mistake. I ended up going with a very thin, flat piece of paper. Another process I had to practice was carving the linoleum block. It was really difficult to make the precise slices I wanted without letting my blade get out of control! In the end, I was able to handle my tools a lot better and I learned how to manipulate the block and my blade to illustrate the curves I had sketched. I had to experiment a little bit because when I made a minor error, I had to find a way to turn it into beautiful oops that the viewer wouldn't notice. Another process that I utilized was the actual printing. It was a struggle for me to find the right ink consistency. I had to play around a bit with adding water, and how long I could get the link set without having to add more moisture or thicken the layers on the stamp. The print I ended up going with used some very watery ink, which was a unique look that fit surprisingly well with the rest of my piece! I’m happy with the outcome. Finally, I needed to play around a bit when I was using my pens because I had to figure out how to make colors fade into one another even though I had access to limited shades. I layered a lot, and made sure to crosshatch where it was appropriate. I think this worked out well! I also utilized many elements of art in this piece. Color certainly was a prominent part of my work. My use of bright color could easily have been overpowering, but I made sure to use bright colors in a tasteful and purposeful manner that emphasized the separate pieces of my art. I think that it worked very well to create a balanced final look. Shape was also very present. The font I used was very unique, but I tried my best to use shape to ensure that the text was still readable. Shape was also important because the piece is so 2 dimensional that it could have been boring. With the lack of form and value, I had to add a little extra spice so that my work would stand out. Finally, space was essential to the creation of my drawing. The negative space between letters, the child, and the separate filler motifs that I added really allows the eye to drift across and take it in as a whole. It creates movement and fluidity, which is really valuable! I think my project evolved from a task that I was nervous about and a topic I didn’t feel passionate towards to a thoughtful cohesive, intentional piece! This is one of my favorite creations I've done so far this year, and I think I did a good job including my own voice in a sort of scripted design. I think my next steps should be to play more with linoleum printing and advance my skills. This was a really fun medium.

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