Studio 1
"Displacement"
24 in x 24 in
Acrylic on Canvas
August 2017
Exhibition Text:
"Displacement" is an acrylic painting based directly on the work of Stephanie Barenz. My intention for this piece was to create a monochromatic painting with clean lines and geometric shapes as Barenz does in many of her paintings.
24 in x 24 in
Acrylic on Canvas
August 2017
Exhibition Text:
"Displacement" is an acrylic painting based directly on the work of Stephanie Barenz. My intention for this piece was to create a monochromatic painting with clean lines and geometric shapes as Barenz does in many of her paintings.
Artistic Inspiration
Planning and Process
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Planning
In a previous painting, I used mostly blues and other cool colors, so for this piece, I wanted to stay on a monochromatic palette/ color scheme. Barenz also does this in her paintings, for most of her paintings, not only the ones on her Traverse gallery. But specifically for her Traverse gallery, she mainly uses browns, and beiges, and sometimes gray or white. My plan for this piece was to do the same but with blues and grays and whites. I wanted to have this piece be blue because for my gallery, I want to have a different cool color for every piece, and the last blue painting I did was not my favorite, so I wanted this one to replace it, as well as the meaning that blue can bring for it. Personally, the browns and beiges that Barenz uses to represent home, and new found hospitality are very welcoming and what I would relate to a nice home. Its not harsh on the eyes, and its calming. I wanted to use blue, not because it's a harsh color, because it's not. I thought it was calming, but a little sad, similar to Picasso's Blue Period, where he painted in blues, and had doleful subject matter. This was also not my first choice for my inspiration picture. I had chosen a different piece by Barenz from the same gallery, however because I did not have a lot of time, I picked a different piece. Regardless, I like how the piece turned out. |
Process
For this piece I reused an old canvas frame, so I just had to stretch more canvas, and gesso it, and then I was able to begin. I had a lot of blue paint to mix for this piece. The first layer of paint was a light blue, and then I used the bottom ring that broke off of a stool to trace the circle in the center of the canvas. Essentially ever part of this piece that is divided by a line gets a different shade of blue. Some of the shades of blue are pretty much gray, but blue was used for every color, even the line that appears to be white, has a small amount of blue in it. The most difficult part of the process was waiting for the background paint to dry. I needed to wait to sketch the house onto the canvas so that the paint would not smudge. And because so many layers of blue paint went on, a lot of waiting had to be done so that the paint would not smear or get gross. Experimentation Before I painted the birds, I practiced with different brushes on scratch paper. I was really nervous about putting them on because I though they would turn out horrible, because some of the practice ones did turn out horrible. I tried three different ways that appeared in Barenz original piece, but two of them ended up not looking like birds at all. So in the end I decided on the easiest way, and the one that looked the most like a bird. |
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Reflection
Overall, I am pleased with this piece. It's simple, but I like how it looks, and I it didn't hurt me to make. I really like Stephanie Barenz's style for her Traverse gallery, and I could see myself doing another piece like this in the future. All the colors turned out really nice, and Im proud of my birds, which I was really nervous about. I was just overthinking it. Once I painted the first one, the rest were fine, and I wasn't so anxious about them. If I were to do this piece again, I might take more time on the house, or maybe try and make better birds. But also this wasn't the first piece I chose for my inspiration. I originally had a different piece picked out from the Traverse gallery, but because of time, I decided against doing it. If I had had more time to do this piece, I would definitely put time into making the more intricate line design like in some of the other pieces in her gallery. Based on the critique from my peers, meaning behind the piece was not very apparent, and so I feel like the style is the most important aspect of the piece now. Aesthetically, I am very pleased with the piece, and the shades of blue, asymmetrical balance, and clean lines.
ACT Questions
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork.
The piece was inspired by Stephanie Barenz's use of line, and a monochromatic color scheme.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author explains Barenz work as a metaphor that represents connections made between neighbors, because her work relies heavily on feelings of security and hospitality that you can get from people who are close to you.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
While I researched I concluded that as a society now, we are very reluctant to ask for help, and that we often feel lost, but we can help others and ourselves with hospitable actions.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea around my research was that who you are surrounded by can change how you go through changes in your life.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I was able to infer that no matter how disorienting something can be, you can always rely on those around you for help.
The piece was inspired by Stephanie Barenz's use of line, and a monochromatic color scheme.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author explains Barenz work as a metaphor that represents connections made between neighbors, because her work relies heavily on feelings of security and hospitality that you can get from people who are close to you.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
While I researched I concluded that as a society now, we are very reluctant to ask for help, and that we often feel lost, but we can help others and ourselves with hospitable actions.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea around my research was that who you are surrounded by can change how you go through changes in your life.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I was able to infer that no matter how disorienting something can be, you can always rely on those around you for help.