New Vision of an Old Project

Artist's Statement:

Jillian Wight

Medsker

AP Art and Design 

11 April 2023

With this project, I wanted to reimagine my piece Down to Earth.  I love the subject matter and theme because it feels personal to my childhood but I think it’s something others can resonate with, and it also applies well to my inquiry question.  The piece explores the George Eliot quote, “we could never have loved the earth so well if we had had no childhood in it.”  I think that when you love something, you want to protect it, so I want this piece to remind people of their love for Earth so that they will feel compelled to protect the planet.  I love being out in nature, and I think that’s what makes me passionate about the environment.  I found the composition of the first project boring and flat, and there wasn’t much opportunity for highlights and shadows and playing with form.  I used the same color palette here, but approached my idea in a different way that was more visually interesting and challenged me as an artist.

I used acrylic paint to create this piece because I loved the depth and range of shades I was able to incorporate.  I stuck with a basic color palette because I didn't want my colors to distract from a crowded visual.  I also tried to incorporate some texture with the thickness of the acrylic paint.

I really like the result of this piece.  I played around a lot with defining the forms in the trees, because I wanted it to be clear that they were youthful and happy.  I think it came down to some small shadows in the faces and around the limbs.  I also experimented with texture.  I wanted to fill the background, and I think the little leaf/bumps add some good depth and detail.

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