How can I explore perception by illustrating themes of growing up?
"I've got some irons in the fire"
Approx. 6.5" by 12"
Materials: ashes, oil pastel
Artist's Statement:
Jillian Wight
Medsker
AP Art and Design
14 February 2023
With this work, I wanted to keep pushing myself to incorporate more material synthesis. I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go with this project so I looked through my sketchbook, my journal, and thought about what is on my mind now. I realized that as a second-semester senior, I’ve been thinking a lot about what plans I have next year, and when people ask me (which they do, A LOT), I sometimes joke that I “have a lot of irons in the fire.” This idea is definitely connected to growing up, which is what my inquiry is shifting toward at this point.
After I solidified my idea, I needed to think about how I could add material synthesis. I wanted the depth of color from oil pastels, so I used them to create my reds and yellows, and then shaded and added depth using ashes from my fireplace at home.
This piece was a lot of fun, and gave me the opportunity to practice really defining facial expressions. I experimented with perspective a lot, because I wanted to emphasize details like forehead creases, etc. but also wanted the fire/mouth to be the main subject. Finally, I played around with a light source here. Shadow isn’t usually something I prioritize, but since the fire was so important to the narrative of this piece, I practiced paying attention to where highlights/darks fell. I’m happy with the result!