Competition.

This past weekend we had our local competition for Visual Arts. It’s a little art event we hold, that displays our artwork and we compete against each other.

The three pieces that I competed with was called Filters, STOP, and Bethanie.

    My Mixed Media piece was titled Filters.

    Design Concepts:The center of attention is the gas mask. It was inked in a deep black ink. The flowers are arranged so it looks like it is coming out of the filters. The flowers create depth and a divergent kind of detention to the piece.

    Process: I drew the gas mask on a non stick paper and printed it on paper in black which created my base. Then I compressed flowers in a book press to flatten them and then I put modge podge on them to make sure they were secure and no air could get through. 

    Problem Solving:When pressing the flowers, some were still hydrated so I had to use an iron to evaporate all of the moisture.

    My Media Arts piece was titled STOP.

    Content:In the photograph you see a typewriter sitting on a bench in the dark.  The keys S, T, O, and P were pushed down.  There is a blank, crumpled sheet of paper in the typewriter. The colors add depth and makes the photograph more interesting. 

Design Concept:Emphasis is on the crumpled up piece of paper because of the high contrast the dark values of the background and the typewriter.  Movement is created by paper coming out of the typewriter and from moving to like values.

Process/Problem Solving:I set up the still life in a room that had spotlights in it and I used a large sheet of black mat board as a backdrop. I repositioned some of the lights because as they were set up there was too much light on the typewriter creating a harsh effect.  Also, by moving the lights I could create a more interesting cast shadow.

My Printmaking piece was titled Bethanie.

    Contents:The print includes a female figure that is placed center withbirds falling at her sides.

Design Concept:The center of interest is the girl’s face.  She is inked in a dull pink color to express her innocence.  The birds, inked in a cool, low intensity, dark valued tone of blue, the birds are arranged in a triangular layout.   The birds frame the face emphasizing her and creating movement in the piece.

Process:I took the photograph and drew the birds to create my negatives from.  I used them to exposed the screens in the darkroom.  After the screens were washed and dried I printed the girl’s image first.  After the first color was dry I inked the second screen.  

Problem solving:When I first drew the birds they were all the same and the image wasn’t visually pleasing so I redrew one of the birds to be different.

Discovery:I discovered that you have to start with a pure colour when printmaking because if you start with a colour that is already mixed, you don’t know how the new colours will react to it.