1. Describe the craftsmanship of your sculpture. (Is it neat and well executed?)

I would say that my sculpture is well-executed and is crafted as neatly as it could be. I took my time making sure it was life-sized and proportional. I feel like the form of the fruit and the painting that I did for it is well-done, and I think the fruits go well together as an overall sculpture.

2. What was the most difficult part of this project?

The most difficult part of this project was the sculpting stages, primarily making sure that the clay wasn't too thick. Since I had taken a sculpture class prior to this one, I trusted my ability in how I would be able to sculpt the fruit. However, many of my sculptures had cracked or exploded when they were fired, so I was determined to make sure this wouldn't happen again. I took extra measures to make sure this wouldn't happen, like carving away extra bits of clay or poking holes into the hollow parts of my sculpture. It was difficult to keep up with these additions and modifications, especially considering the multiple fruits I had sculpted.

3. What types of clay hand building techniques did you use to construct your piece?

I created my sculpture primarily through pinch pots, although there were a few instances where I used slabs to build. For the body of the banana, I created pinch pots that I then stuffed with paper towels and connected together. I did this to ensure the sculpture would be hollow and wouldn't collapse on itself. This same technique applies to the strawberries, albeit they are smaller than the banana. For the banana peel and slices, I created individual slabs of clay that I applied through the score and slip method.

4. Did your color choices work together harmoniously (are they true to the color of the food)?

I believe that my color choices work well in comparison to the true color of the food. I did my best to be accurate in relation to the references I had, though if I were to change anything I would tone down on the color of the banana next time. The yellow is a bit too bright, and it might have looked better if I added some darker or lighter shades of yellow to provide more depth to the piece.

5. Is your sculpture interesting from all views?

I think my sculpture is interesting from all views, mostly because I didn't want to have the banana merely sitting in a normal position. I wanted to imply that some sort of action had occurred in relation to it, which is why the banana slices and strawberries are there. Based on the position it's in, I'd say there's always some sort of detail that stands out no matter where someone is looking.

6. Describe the differences in constructing a sculpture and doing something 2D.

There are many differences when it comes to sculpture and 2D art. While an artistic eye is always necessary for these two categories, there's many different techniques that apply to one but not the other. When it comes to 2D art, there's different mediums that are considered, as well as a variety of styles and perspectives that can change the outcome of the drawing. For sculpting something, you have to look at it from all angles and ensure that every side matches the idea that is reflected onto the clay. Adding texture and color is also vastly different compared to 2D art, as you have to physically carve this texture and use glaze or paint to create the effect of the color.

7. How did you create textures in your sculpture? Did you carve textures or paint them? Explain.

I created texture in my sculpture by carving into areas where the texture would be physically felt on a real-life object. For example, when someone runs their thumb over a strawberry, they can physically feel the individual seeds. I wanted to reflect this by carving small lines onto the strawberries to mimic the seeds on a real one. This is also applied to the banana, where I carved small patterns along the edges and on the surface where they would be most notable. Since this is a sculpture that would be felt and touched, I didn't want to rely on painting the texture, since this would remove the realistic aspect of the sculpture.

8. Does your sculpture look like the actual food? How did you accomplish this?

I'd say the sculpture looks somewhat like actual food. While I could probably tell the difference between a real banana and my sculpture of a banana, I still feel like this sculpture gives off the impression of what I intended. If someone were to look at it, they'd be able to register it as a banana because of its shape and color. I feel like that's what helps give the sculpture the impression of it being actual food.

9. How did your research of Pop Artists influence your piece?

My research of Pop Artists helped influence my sculpture because it taught me how those artists applied different features from real life to create a piece. They were able to utilize colors and pictures to create a more meaningful image, and although I didn't construct my sculpture with the intention of it being meaningful, I still learned how to use the shape and form of an object to create my piece.

10. What would you do differently if you were to do this project again?

If I were to do this project again, I would probably try to create more recognizable shapes with the clay. I feel like the reason the banana can be recognized as a banana is more because of its color than shape. Since bananas aren't perfectly round or smooth, I'd carve defined sides and edges into it to give it more of its shape. I would also alter the colors a bit more to make them more realistic, mostly by adding different shades of yellow to the banana, and different shades of red to the strawberry.

1. Who was your referenced artist for the painting? Name 4 main ideas you used from your research to create your painting.

Name - Edgar Degas

a. Thin brush strokes

b. Muted colors

c. Colors blend together (no defined lineart)

d. Slight blends of analogous colors

2. Describe the craftsmanship of your painting. (Is it neat and well executed?)

I think most of the painting is well-executed and mimics the style of Edgar Degas. I'm proud of how I was able to paint the sky and the ocean, and I think my use of color there is neat and executed well. While the palm tree in the bottom right corner isn't as satisfactory, I don't think it takes away from the overall effect of the piece. I think I did a good job of trying to mimic Edgar Degas's method of painting while trying to maintain my own style as I painted.

3. What was the most difficult part of this project?

The most difficult part of this project was staying consistent with the painter's style. Oftentimes I would apply thicker brush strokes or try to brighten the colors up. This painting was out of my normal comfort zone, so I would frequently do things to try and ease myself back into it, even though it wasn't part of the original painter's style and technique.

4. Describe your color choices and how they reflect the work of your chosen artist?

I chose to go with muted colors to reflect the way Edgar Degas often colored his paintings. When I was painting, I would mix my colors with shades of gray, white, and black to give it this feel. I also tried to blend my colors together depending on where they were in the piece. While there's no thick or defined lineart in Edgar Degas's paintings, you can still tell where a color begins and ends. So, I tried to reflect this by not blending too many of my colors or making the blending too thorough.

5. Describe how the style of your landscape reflects your chosen artist.

The style of my landscape reflects my chosen artist in the sense that it is simple and doesn't have much detail. Instead, I tried to focus on my use of colors and use them to better express the piece. I tried to mimic the artist's style by keeping my brush strokes thin and applying different shades and tints to alter the way the lighting is expressed in the piece. I feel like these implementations help reflect Edgar Degas's style without relying too much on making it the main aspect of the painting.

6. What do you think your chosen artist would say if he or she could see your painting today?

I think if Edgar Degas saw my painting today he would think that it's a start in the right direction. I'm not much of a painter, and I think that is partially reflected in the drawing. However, I think the painting still does a decent job of trying to reflect his style, even if it doesn't measure up to his level of skill and technique.

7. What would you do differently if you were to do this project again?

I'm quite satisfied with the final product of this project, aside from the bottom-right corner of it. I couldn't replicate the palm tree in the same way that I was able to paint the other palm trees, and it made that part of the piece look relatively unappealing. So, if I were to redo the project, I would keep everything the same and try to do the palm trees at the same time. This will ensure I keep the same colors for them and maintain the same style. Another thing I could do is scrap that palm tree altogether, and instead have it be an empty sandy beach. I feel like this would help keep the viewer's eye on the rest of the piece and enhance its overall effect.