I chose to present the body of works reflecting my perspective on various objects and pictures I have seen and been interested in recreating. All my artwork reflects my perspective, observational drawings, with a consistent theme of light. Throughout my higher-level visual arts course, I have explored various mediums, techniques, and art processes through my artwork. I chose these pieces because I believe they show my exploration of observational art and how the theme of light contributes to its portrayal. Charcoal, pencil, and watercolor are easy examples of mediums that show how light is controlled through perspective but acrylic paint is more challenging due to its inability to be blended as smoothly and effectively as the other mediums. Some clear connections between my pieces are due to medium choice, but the subject matter throughout my exhibition is more ambiguous. One of the most important aspects of my work is to provoke my audience to think about every stroke, smudge, and detail I put into my pieces in order to create the final product before them.

I started by putting my charcoal and pencil drawings in a pile, and I matched them with another image that relates closely to it in order to unify my pieces despite their differences. The first two pieces both have fruit in them, more specifically, apples, titled “Hydration” and “Fruit.” The second row has the pieces “Round Things,” “Skull,” and “Shapes.” I purposefully placed the pieces with the most round objects to the left, and as the line progresses, the subjects become more geometric and rigid. I thought that progression would emphasize the various plays on light and shadow the most effectively. I also believe that the variety of textures and the shading techniques would be most obvious and visible. The third row has two images, “Naked Lady 1” and “Naked Lady 2”, these pieces are identical in the subject matter; however the medium is different, and so is the perspective in which they are drawn. Hence, drawing more attention to the contrast created by the medium and its connection to light. The fourth row contains only one image, titled “Smith’s,” because this piece has the most detail and is a vocal piece in my exhibition. It contains the most color, number of mediums, and texture. I didn’t put this piece as the first piece because there would’ve been less of a flow throughout the exhibition to have the colorful work first and have an abrupt change to black and white pieces. The fifth row has two pieces, titled “Blue Lady” and “Yellow Lady,” which work together to complement each other, which is why they are placed directly. The monochromatic aspect of these pieces created unity between the two. Although the pieces’ line quality and complexity are different, the overall vibe from these pieces is the same.

A couple of artists have influenced my art, such as Janet Fish and Vincent Van Gogh. Fish focuses on hyper-realistic artwork, and her usual subject matter consists of everyday objects and fruit, while Van Gogh typically focuses on self-portraits and landscapes. These artists have very different styles, but both inspired me to step out of my comfort zone with subject matter and medium.

My exhibition conveys an understanding of observational art and how none are ever identical. Nothing ever looks the same twice once you're standing in a different position regarding the object or person. Angles also play a large role in determining the perspective of the art. Another relationship between the pieces and the viewer is the play on light and various expressions of light forms. This can be shadows, line quality, highlights, different shades of color, smudging, and texture. Although not all the pieces showcased fall into one category, such as colorful, all the pieces have many unifying elements that properly portray my artwork’s theme. Observational drawings are a method of showing someone a new perspective since no perspective is the same. By drawing from my point of view, it is easier for the viewer to understand what I am thinking about, chose to emphasize, and how I used the light and contrast to my advantage to portray the objects and figures in the manner I did.