Hawaii Investigation: Fact and Fiction
Memory Lane
Watercolor, Charcoal, Ink, and Collage on Charcoal Paper
18 x 24
I was inspired by my childhood memories of Hawaii, and I wanted to create a piece that encapsulated my own experiences and ideas. I directly incorporated images from my childhood by using photos from that time as references, and as the work evolved I created an environment of distortions and jarring colors. I originally had the idea to explore connections, since this was what I thought made childhood in my home state an amazing experience. Most of the charcoal image show connection in some way (intertwined hands, holding a sibling, a mother with her child), and the knit swatches were supposed to be another visual representation of connection. The distortions were inspired by some of the art I have made in the past—I knew that I wanted to play with line variation and the effect this has on a composition.
For materials, I used charcoal for the detailed portraits. The collage elements were print-out photos of a cardigan I made, and add variety. Watercolor paint was used for color, which became louder and more vibrant that I had initially anticipated. The ink was unplanned, and I worried that its darkness would draw attention away from the portraits. However, I think the washed out appearance of the charcoal makes the drawings seem like faded memories.
My process began with sketches of my reference photos, which helped me decide which ones would make it into the final work. I also knew from the beginning that I wanted to incorporate the knit print-outs, and I created a basic plan for piece based on this information. However, many details came into play while I was working on the charcoal portraits. The distorted effect of the ink was unplanned, and changed the focus of my painting to explore whether my childhood memories became kinder with time. The halos around the figures were a late addition, and I feel they contribute to the notion of whether we idealize past places and memories, regardless of fact.
