Sustained Investigation #7

Reflection of Work:

I chose the ideas, materials, and processes that I did for this project for multiple reasons. A lot of it was that I just wanted to be fun and colorful and unique from my past work. I wanted to depict beavers in some way because as a kid, I would always go on hikes with my dad and we would try to find places beavers had been, so it felt kind of personal and I liked that little connection. I chose the materials that I did because I had gel sticks at my house and I was excited to try them out, and I knew that a combination of those with acrylics and oil pastels would be really fun and colorful. I had gotten inspiration from a few artists and their work, and I was ready to go into a piece not too worried about the tiny details or exact values, as I had been very focused on those in my raven piece. I wanted to use canvas because I like the tooth that it gives for the oil pastels and acrylic gel to adhere to. I thought that a portrait could be fun because this whole year I’ve missed making portraits and stills, and I think that this was a great way to incorporate that composition while still making it meaningful yet light-hearted. 

My piece shows evidence of practice, experimentation, and revision guided by my question. I experimented with compositions and media, practicing on gesso’d canvas, raw canvas, and acrylic painted canvas. I experimented with color combinations and combinations of chalk pastel, oil pastel, gel sticks, and acrylic paint. I practiced sketching out the composition multiple times before finally on canvas so I could find the style I was going for. I revised the picture frame and added texture/depth, as well as outlining the beavers and changed the wallpaper pattern after feedback from peers. 

Moving forward, this piece will remind me that I am allowed to explore with art and do things that I don’t usually gravitate towards. Even if I am able to do something incredibly detailed and deep, I am allowed to simply do something fun and different and a little more experimental. I had such a good time with this piece, and loved every step. There was never a part where I didn’t want to keep going, and I never felt disencouraged. While we have no more pieces this school year technically, :’) I still want to continue with this style. In our time after the AP submission, I think I want to practice throwing and ceramics because I have a wheel at home and haven’t had the time to work on my technique which is very bad at the moment. I am super excited for my portfolio and have loved this process!