Experiments and Critique

In order to grow as an artist, there is the need to experiment.

Lately i've been exploring watercolor in relation to my pattern work. I've found that watercolor gives a even flat texture, without showing the brush-marks. This is what I aim for, and why I have used Ink in the past. I enjoy watercolor more then using an inkwell because it is easier to mix and manipulate.

I also am able to experiment with color layering and the effects that has on my patterns. Layering my stencils is something I have experimented with in these studies I have recently created. I enjoy the interplay that is created between the hands as well as the effects the colors have on each other.

In this piece, I worked with overlapping colors in my patterns. I enjoyed the layering of colors and the new shapes and colors created by overlapping the yellow and the red, But I feel it would have been more successful if the colors were of the same value. The yellow is less noticeable and less distinguishable. Therefore the red becomes more prominent. I would like to try this again with two colors of equal value, yet different hue. Also I tend to stick to the primary colors, which gives the work a very "Pop art" look. I dislike this and would like to start using mixed colors and/or colors that are more natural.

In this piece I treated the negative shapes as positive ones by filling them in with the black. The shapes created are interesting and unique. By highlighting them, you tend to notice them first, and then focus on the negative shape if the hands. When looking at this piece from afar it is very effective in the tricks it plays on your eyes. The spiney shapes are very distinguishable and give alternate reactions to the work.

This piece for me was not finished. During my critique, my classmates expressed that they liked it this way because it simplified the forms even more and abstracted the image. New shapes are formed and again when looking at it from afar your eye makes different connections.

My critique gave me many things to think about:

In terms of study and process-

It was expressed that although these are beautiful they are time consuming. Because they are just studies for other works of art, xeroxing the pattern in different colors or onto different backgrounds would be a way of experimenting with different colors.

In terms of where to go from here-

Bigger Bigger Bigger. Time to create larger scales of these.

Also experiment with fabric, Try to translate onto fabric. This may be more difficult and take time to figure out, but I think it is worth investigating.