Sustained Investigation #11

Title: God

Size: 8'' x 11.5''

Statement:

I started this piece while I was in Hawaii. I was inspired by the female driven history they have, as well as their focus on female power. This piece is inspired by Pele, the creator/mother of the Hawaiian islands. I chose to place a naked female in the middle of an exploding volcano to continue with my sustained investigation, while also exploring female power/divinity in the history of Hawaii. She is wrapped in flowers to carry on the theme of Hawaii and to somewhat cover her.

I started this piece in a notebook, so I scanned the sketch and then printed it on watercolor paper so I could make it into a final piece. I then began filling in the body and lava with colored pencils. I then finished the black part of the volcano with oil pastel in order to get a richer darkness. For the explosion in the sky, I used colored pencil and charcoal to fill the ashy black sky.

I enjoyed using the mix of materials in order to fully fill the value of each piece of the image. I think the oil pastel and charcoal helped to capture the inky dark cooled lava/volcano and the smoky black sky. the colored pencil for the body helps to bring a softer look to the body than the explosion around her. I would like to push the contrast and brightness of the color by using more oil pastel or even gouache or acrylic. I'd also add more texture to the volcano and highlight to the body.