- Hans Christian Andersen (Andersen, 2013) · 2018-01-18 · ARTIST’S STATEMENT “Everything you...

ARTIST’S STATEMENT“Everything you look at can become a fairy tale and you can get a story from everything you touch.”

- Hans Christian Andersen (Andersen, 2013)

Simply put, the overarching theme of my artwork will be to explore the multi-faceted nature of living organisms through merging separate parts of them together. Appropriately enough, the

open-ended nature of the phrasing of my theme allows for various interpretations, all of which I will explore in my artwork. On one hand, it refers to fusing parts of the same living organism to create a

discordant effect. Likewise, it could also indicate having an amalgamation of various body parts coming from various living things. Moreover, the term living organism also need not necessarily refer to a

real-life subject, allowing me to draw inspiration from fantastical creatures inhabiting the realms of fictional novels or movies. All of these conceptual interpretations are possibilities I explored throughout

my IB Visual Arts course. As a literature student and a voracious book reader, I have always been interested by irony, ambiguity and the blurred lines within relationships in the natural world, both in

literature and in the visual arts. Hence, choosing merging parts of living organisms together to create creatures which could belong to a surrealistic, fantastical world was only natural.

Throughout the course, I have explored a range of various media and forms consistent with the intentions of my artwork. For example, I was initially enamored with the concept of man

versus nature and exploring the animalistic nature of mankind through merging bird bones with the human form. At its core, this was a baring open of the brutal, unconcealable nature of man. This wildness

demanded a sort of Expressionist style that was reflected in a series of oil paintings I completed on this theme. Thus, my artwork during the early periods of the art course combined painstaking realistic

observations of the human and animal form with gestural, Abstract Expressionist paint drippings.

As I moved on with this style of semi-Realism and the uniformity of oil painting however, I started to dabble with Pop Surrealism due to its whimsical, ironically macabre nature. Noticeably,

my artwork started to become much smaller in scale as I began an in-depth investigation into the usage of minimal drawing media such as the ballpoint pen. The subtle, intricate line strokes that the

ballpoint pen rendered interested me much more than oil painting, marking a transition in my artwork from Realism to a more stylized yet lifelike style. The reason behind my smaller-scale work is two-fold:

firstly, because the artwork appears more intricate, homely and secondly, I believe that it does not take a grand, large painting to make a statement. This feeling is also manifest in my small-sized paper

sculpture works. I began to take inspiration from a range of literary work and deconstructed charming fairy tales and children’s novels that were part of my childhood. For example, I borrowed characters

from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, juxtaposing them with other subject matter. Thus, one can glimpse familiar visual signs reproduced in my artwork, now merged with other dissonant parts to form

new conceptually layered pieces. The titular Alice finds herself merged with her mortal enemy, the Jabberwocky, in one of my studio works and the eyeless Cheshire Cat with fish and eyeballs. My objective

was to essentially explore idealized children’s texts or childhood texts with a darker, ironic insight as a teenager and to create my own fantastical creatures. Oftentimes, the effect is one that is dream-like

and surreal, displacing living beings from environments that they are comfortable with. Consistent with my intentions to examine the irony through merged creatures, I took to merging predator with prey, or

the traditionally ‘weak’ creature with the ‘strong’. I eventually progressed on to mixed media trials, experimenting with applying small splashes of color onto my black-and-white drawings. I drew

inspiration from a range of mixed-media artists, both contemporary and classical such as famed book illustrator Arthur Rackham and contemporary artist Lauren Marx. During this period, I was also

interested in experimenting with abstract geometrical shapes and the odd patterns that they made; joining various living organisms together with towers of curved triangles, or a curved bridge of

geometrically shaped shards of glass.

ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO OWNERTAKEN FROM WWW.INTERNALASSESSMENTS.WORDPRESS.COM

OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES OF BIRDS

Type: Black ballpoint pen on paper (right)

Dimensions: 20 x 12 cm

This trial to the right depicts the anatomy of a bird; its innards showing

through under its downy feathers. Black ballpoint pen was utilized for

this drawing and the paper used was thinner, lightly tinted yellow in

hue. This contributed greatly to the decaying effect projected to

viewers in this art piece and was something I liked greatly.

Interestingly, I accidently spilt water over part of the drawing, causing

portions of it (e.g. the left side) to turn a deep, metallic purple. The

effect is a rather subtle, haunting sheen upon the feathers that

surprised me. I felt that this gave rise to other ideas and techniques

that could be developed further; for example, mixed media studies of

watercolor painting over a ballpoint pen underdrawing.

For some time I have fixated on the idea of flight and the connotations of freedom & struggle

associated with it. Hence, the first part of my process portfolio will focus on birds (e.g. bird wings,

bird skulls) as symbols for the concept of ‘fight’ or ‘flight’. But before I can tackle the conceptual

merging of bird parts with other living things, I must first polish my technical skills through

observational drawing to familiarize myself with their anatomical proportions.

The two ballpoint pen drawings above were a starting point for this portion. They were part of my

urge to investigate how different monochromatic colour schemes would contribute to the general

feeling of my art. As expected, the blue ballpoint pen was most appropriate for the contained

effect of the folded wings (left) whereas the red left an almost brutal and violent impression

(right). The fact that the dragonfly wings were arranged in a more abstract, chaotic manner helped

too. Although what pleased me the most was experimenting with the thin, delicate lines of the

ballpoint pen in order to convey these intense messages.

My Work (above)

Type: Blue ballpoint on paper

Dimensions: 10 x 10.5 cm

My Work (above)

Type: Red ballpoint pen on paper


My Work (above)

Type: Black and red ballpoint pen on paper, copper

wire


My Work (above)

Type: Black and red ballpoint pen on wrapping paper

with newspaper print


The two drawings to the left were part of

my exploration of mixed media and

drawing upon different surfaces. The trial

further left utilises copper wire glued on

top of a drawing of a raven’s head,

strangling it. The textural differences and

tonal differences made for an interesting

composition. The other trial similarly

depicts a bird’s head, drawn on a surface

of wrapping paper with newspaper print

however. I thought about creating a series

of paintings of drawings on book pages,

encyclopaedias with content relating to my

theme. However, I did not particularly like

the effect of this trial since the subject is

overpowered by the background

newspaper print. Hence, I decided not to

extend that process concept.


My Work (left)

Type: Willow charcoal and acrylic on canvas


In stark contrast to my charcoal drawing above, this charcoal

and acrylic painting is brighter in both tone and atmosphere.

However, the piercing stare of the owl still retains the same

sickly darkness as the eyes of the owl in the charcoal

drawing. A willow charcoal sketch of the owl’s head served as

the underdrawing; the charcoal blurring in with the acrylic at

times. In contrast with my tighter, more controlled ballpoint

pen drawings, this more gestural and abstract observational

painting was challenging to complete both technically and

stylistically. I appreciated how experimenting with a new

style forced me out of my comfort zones though.

My Work (left)

Type: Willow charcoal on paper


I set myself this charcoal drawing to do as an exercise so that I

would be better at balancing out the elements of a composition. At

times, I find that my art is too cluttered; there are too many

subjects, leading to an almost overwhelming effect. In this drawing,

I sought to select the most salient parts of the head of an owl (the

eyes and beak) and to render them in a bold, minimalistic way.

Specific parts are smudged by finger and other parts outlined by

thick, black lines. This was my first time drawing with willow

charcoal and the sticks of charcoal harder to control compared to

charcoal pencil. However, I liked how this forced me to draw in a

more loose, gestural style. The effect is rather darkly macabre,

especially with the eyes of the owl. I forgo drawing in the pupils and

instead, leave the centre of the eyes void of colour. The end effect is

reminiscent of the hollowed out crevices of a bird’s skull. Perhaps

later on in the course I will experiment with drawing bird skulls and

merge them with other dissonant living things (such as human heads

or living bird heads) to recreate this same haunting feeling.

OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES OF BIRDS: CONTINUED & WIRE SCULPTUREEXPERIMENTING WITH WIRE SCULPTURE

WIRE SCULPTURE PLANS (left)This marks my first foray into experimenting with a

three-dimensional art form: wire sculpture. In these

trials, I seek to merge a series of birds in flight

together. On a personal level, I meant for this

project to be a message about my life as a student

nearing the end of high school and the pressures of

work. As the work piles and is heaped onto me and

time shrinks the birds (symbol for myself) start to

burnout. As the birds increase in size (and age), they

start to merge with each other, their wings in a

tangled mess to symbolize literal chaos. I think that

copper wire will be a good choice of wire to use. The

reason is two-fold: firstly, copper is easily bent and

secondly, the reddish-gold glints of the wire parallel

those of dying flames, a literal ‘burnout’.

TOMOHIRO INABA

Title:星たちの逃げた夜 (2014) roughly translated into

The Night the Stars Ran Away

Artist: Tomohiro Inaba

Type: Iron sculpture

Dimensions: 19 x 19 x 17 m

Image retrieved from: http://www.tomohiro-inaba.com/

BURNING TRIALS (below)

The Night the Stars Ran Away by

Japanese wire sculptor Inaba

features one of Inaba's recurring

motifs: a fawn. The fawn has its

back arched upwards, the dispersed

tangles of wire sprouting out from

the middle half of its back. Initially,

I thought that I could recreate this

disintegrating wire effect to

represent the chaotic disarray of

mind. But ultimately, I did not think

that it would be a feasible option to

use this method for my sculpture as

specialised tools were needed to

meld the iron together. I thought to

wrap some material around the

wires and then burn it.

To test out my idea of wrapping material around the wire sculpture and

then burning it to yield a decaying effect, I did a test trial with an old

wire sculpture. Black trash bags were wrapped around it and a lighter

was used burn to the plastic (above left). Several problems I

encountered were trying to control the flame so it would not burn away

the plastic and preventing the wind from blowing out the flames.

However, the textural and color contrast between the copper wire and

the black trash bags conveyed the idea of disintegration appropriately

(final product above right).

Abstract technique: Dripping an

unusual color scheme mix of

diluted purple, black and white

paint down the canvas to create

abstract line patterns. Closeup of background line patterns


http://www.tomohiro-inaba.com/

EXPERIMENTING WITH WIRE SCULPTURE: CONTINUEDSCULPTING PROCESS (below) BURNING PROCESS (below)FINISHED PRODUCT (below) FINISHED PRODUCT (below)

Running the lighter up and down the plastic to make it burn and cling on

tautly to the wire bird sculpture. Safety precautions were taken to ensure

that my fingers were not burnt by the flame.

Wrapping black plastic trash bags around the bird. I had to ensure that

the pieces were wrapped tightly so that they would not fall apart.

Wings: Tightening the wire to form a loop for the wing and to strengthen the outer

frame using pliers. Finished wing shown above to the right.

Attaching the wing to the body by looping wire through the holes and tightening with pliers.

Side view of finished wire sculpture bird, wings arching

outwards and neck extended.

Aerial view of finished wire sculpture bird

Finished body of the bird with beak attached.

Overall, I liked this scorched effect the best, the burnt plastic shrunken

and molded around the copper wire

Closeup photographs of the beaks of the birds. Wire was

coiled tightly around a base to form a conical shape for

the beak. The head of the bird itself was made by

looping wire to form a spherical shape. The beak was

then attached to the head.

End product: the plastic is hardened and stretched tight

around the body.

Unfortunately, when I hung the plastic wrapped wire sculpture birds up, I felt that the

burnt plastic obscured a lot of the wire detail. Moreover, the effect was hardly

realistic. Hence, I decided to take off the burnt plastic and photograph the sculpture.

Initially, I thought of using this wire sculpture as one of my studio works. However, I

was not pleased with the aesthetic effect and decided instead to include this process

and finished work as part of my trials with a three-dimensional art form. However, I

still felt that using the copper wire was also a suitable choice as it resembled the

curling flames of a fire. Overall, I felt that this was a challenging and intriguing

experience. Perhaps I could experiment with different types of sculpture later in the

course (e.g. paper sculpture).

Type: Wire sculpture

Dimensions: 20 x 15 x 45 cm (length, width, height)

Light

Source

Smaller

(younger) bird

flying free

and unbound

Larger (older) birds

hopelessly entangled and

fused with each other in

chaos, hurtling to the

ground, about to crash and

burn.

Clear fishing twine

which would not show

on camera used to

hang the sculpture


Color scheme: Monochromatic color scheme of burnt umber, burnt sienna,

black and white to serve as contrast against the black background

CHARLOTTE CARON French contemporary painter Charlotte Caron was one of the

first artists I came across who deals with the theme of man

versus nature by transposing animal heads onto the faces of

human beings. What set her art apart from other artists I

investigated was her peculiar use of multimedia. Caron’s

utilisation of photography and acrylic painting (Olda, n.d.) was

unique and I felt that the mating of these two dissonant

mediums felt similar with what I was attempting to convey in my

own art. Corbeau depicts a realistically rendered animal head

that is painted on but then trails and drips away as Caron’s

brushstrokes get increasingly gestural. I felt that this expressed

the wildness of the inherent nature of humankind well: we

appear to be contained on the outside but are animalistic and

desperate on the inside. Though Caron appears to humanise

animals in her art (the busts are in typical portrait positions that

exhibit the profile, face etc.) (Kenoyer, 2012), I instead wish to

show the animalistic nature of humankind.

Much like how Charlotte Caron managed to find a way to express

the humanistic nature of animals in her art, I wanted to do the

same to show the animalistic nature of humankind in my art.

Hence, the conception of my idea to depict the ‘fight’ or ‘flight’

nature of humankind through various monochromatic oil

paintings.

Title: Corbeau/Raven

Artist: Charlotte Caron

Type: Acrylic and photography

Image retrieved from: http://trendland.com/charlotte-carons-painted-portraits/

My Work (above)

Type: Ballpoint pen and acrylic on paper


This mixed media trial was one of the most enjoyable to

do due to the freedom I allowed myself when splashing

thin acrylic washes onto the paper to replicate the

effect of decay. The wash was created with a mix of

yellow ochre, burnt umber and green and applied in

diluted layers. The ballpoint pen drawing was similarly

interesting to do as I wanted to convey the effect of

fading away by allowing the pen lines to trail away at

the ends of the girl’s head. The parts of the human skull

that appear to blend into her face serve to emphasise

the concept of ‘flight’ (defeatism and decay) that I

wanted to explore in my next oil painting.

My Work (above)

Title: ‘flight’

Dimensions: 35.5 x 45 cm

Type: Oil on canvas

The painting indicates a merging between the living human

and an inanimate skull and is representative of the ‘flight’

concept; to resort to defeatism. The head lies suspended in

the middle of the painting, disembodied from its original

body, suggesting a lost soul. I felt that the aesthetic effect

of this portrait was better than my previous

anthropomorphic painting due to some changes in painting

technique and processes that I adopted.

Refining technique and process: I layered short, flat and

thick brushstrokes of oil paint upon each other. It was a

lengthier process compared to the ‘fight’ painting but this

achieved a better, more realistic effect since the tonal

differences of the face are clearly distinguishable. Multiple

layers of paint were used in this painting compared to the

single layer in ‘fight’, thus allowing the colors to build up on

the each other naturally. Less turpentine was used to dilute

the paint, giving it more consistency and allowing me to

work with thicker, more vibrant layers of paint. Also, this

ensured that the paint did not blend excessively like in

‘fight’. A close-up detail of the lower face is shown to the

left, showing the multiple layers of paint used to build up

the composition.

My Work (left)

Type: White colour pencil on black pastel paper


This observational study of the skull of a bird

sharpened my drawing skills immensely. The pencil

and thumb method was used to gauge the

proportions of the skull properly from a reference

photograph. I felt the colour contrast between the

white skull bones and the shadows of the crevices

of the skull made for a dramatic, macabre effect.

This trial was completed in order to familiarise

myself with the anatomy of a bird’s skull before I

moved on to more abstract oil paintings. However,

the monochromatic colour scheme will be

maintained due to its sharp, clean aesthetic appeal

and the balance it creates. This observational study

provided the basis for the painting portraying ‘fight’

which merges the skull of a bird and the body of a

human.

My Work (above)

Title: ‘fight’

Type: Oil on canvas


‘fight’ depicts the anthropomorphic skull of a bird

merged with the body of a human and is

representative of the decision to give in to the

animalistic urge to fight on for a freedom of sorts

without the hesitations associated with human worry &

thinking. Nonrepresentational white brush strokes of

paint were added, going outside of the lines confining

the subject and providing a more abstract feel to the

painting. I also liked the stark color contrast between

the flat, black background and the much lighter shades

of the subject. This contributed to its ghostly

atmosphere. However, working with a monochromatic

color palette was hard for me to do as I had to

constantly alter parts to balance a painting with such a

limited colour palette of burnt sienna & white. I felt

that I overmixed the sienna with white, causing the

features of the head to turn out indistinguishable.

Another qualm was that merging was not explicitly or

clearly depicted enough.

Close-up detail of lower face (above)


http://trendland.com/charlotte-carons-painted-portraits/

My Work

Type: Photography taken with iPhone

These photographs of urbanized areas in China

were taken with my iPhone for a sense of

intimacy, serving as inspiration for my

investigation of the strained relationship between

the built environment and mankind. Amongst them

are aerial views of peeling, old flats, graffiti on

walls, construction sites. These photographs

served purely as references for my paintings. As

such, I did not deeply consider the technical

elements of photography as this is not one of my

main art forms.

This art piece depicts the collision between man, nature and the built environment. I

wanted to explore the precarious situation of the built environment with this particular

mixed media piece, hence, the surrealistic scene of vines merged with the human eye,

hurling buildings into the air. Nature is literally retaliating against the built environment.

The eye, symbolic of mankind, serves as the focal point of the composition, looking on

calmly and larger-than-life in the midst of all the turmoil. Mankind is the catalyst of this

turmoil: deforestation, demolition happens at the hands of us. Most significant is the

colour contrast between the bright buildings and the monotone eye, vines and

background; the buildings are pops of colour that are short-lived.

REFLECTIONAlthough this concept was intriguing to explore, I feel that I will not continue with this

idea of the relationship between man, nature and the built environment. Mainly, I feel

that there is more scope to explore with examining irony, ambiguity and duality through

merging living organisms together than this concept (which is admittedly more cliched).

My Work (below)

Type: Black ballpoint pen, marker pen and watercolour on watercolour paper


Though this drawing of mine did not necessarily combine two living things, it was consistent with my concept of depicting the strained relationship

between mankind and urbanization. The purposefully oversized human hand is enmeshed in a tangle of telephone wires from which it is helpless to

extricate itself from; the relationship between mankind and the built environment is a toxic, symbiotic one. We build, tear down our creations

(seemingly dominant as symbolized by the unrealistically large hand) but are secretly dependent on them for shelter, as a means of communication

(symbolized with the telephone poles) and so on. Hence, the fragile and peculiar powerplay of elements in this art piece. Pastel colours were used to

suit the surrealistic, dreamy atmosphere of the piece. While I liked the tonal values of the hand (the purplish green veins protruding) I felt that the

positioning of the fingers came off as unnatural. Thus, I might have to do some extra observational studies of hands later in the course. The

watercolour technique of

My Work (left)

Type: Black ballpoint pen on paper


CONCEPT

Although this screen of my Process Portfolio is breaks away

from my usual subject matter by exploring the concept of

mankind versus the built environment, it remains consistent

with my intentions of merging disparate parts of living

organisms together. This time, man with plant matter. The

fantastical and dreamy atmosphere consistent in all my

work remains though, as I examine the fraught inner

workings of the relationship of man and the built

environment, with nature caught in between.

Crosshatching (1-4): Mainly used to build up tonal

layers for the tree bark.

Scumbling (5-8): I found this technique appropriate

for the section of tree vine as it allowed for a

realistic tangled effect for the vine strands.

Tonal values

My Work (above)



‘blooming’ was utilized; applying stroke upon

stroke of wet paint onto each other to make

them bleed into each other. The result is lovely

and whimsical

My Work (above)

Type: Watercolour and marker pen on

watercolour paper


THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT (below)


My Work (left)



This piece was done in the vein of Restu Ratnaningtyas’ pop surrealist art style. A graphic novel style

girl is merged with fish tails, her body dripping away. This sketch draws on the double meanings

behind the phrase/word ‘fishtails’/’fish tails’ which could either indicate the actual, feathery tails of a

fish or the popular hairstyle. The ‘fish tails’ are shown as stylistic drawings above the cartoon-like

girl’s head, dripping to suggest the quality of water. I wanted to convey the ironic complexities of life

in this drawing and to suggest that things are not as they originally seem. The curved lines of the

organically shaped fish tails are the focal point of this composition in my opinion.

My Work (above)

Type: Watercolour on paper


Title: Our eyes will sink in lies (2010)

Artist: Restu Ratnaningtyas

Type: Watercolour on paper

Image retrieved from: catalogue titled ‘Hotwave #1’

INVESTIGATION INTO POP SURREALISM

Pop surrealism is defined by its ‘abstract imagery and dreamy cartoon characters’ (Kordic, n.d.) and uses ‘humor and sarcasm

as its strongest tools’ (Kordic, n.d.) to criticize and mock ‘conventional matters of any kind.’ (Kordic, n.d.)

An artist who prompted me to experiment with pop surrealism was Indonesian artist Restu Ratnaningtyas, whom I had to the

pleasure of interviewing during an art camp in 11th grade. Her hybrid creatures fuse together cartoon cutesiness and current

issues such as consumerism and the destruction of the natural elements such as animals. What struck a chord with me

though was her portrayal of these grave issues through small scale, seemingly insignificant paintings in order to strike a

‘balance in the everyday lives of people’ (Ratnaningtyas, 2016). My reproduction of her watercolour painting (top left) thus

illustrates this very sentiment of the insignificant and the undermined being representative of bigger matters. This felt

heartening to me as I wanted to work on a small scale due to my choice of ballpoint pen drawings.

EXPERIMENTING WITH MIXED MEDIAMy Work (left)

Type: Black ballpoint pen and oil paint on paper


Though this drawing of mine did not necessarily combine two living things

(instead a used glass like shards to form the contours and interior of a

human eye), this was an important trial due to the mixed media involved.

The red, blood-like flecks of oil paint was a startlingly contrast against the

monotonous grey-scale tones of the eye, evoking a haunting effect.

My Work (right)

Type: Colour pencil on pastel paper


Again, this art piece attempted to emulate the style of the Pop

Surrealists. It depicts the merging of a garden setting with the eyes

of a rabbit. The toxic red eyes of the rabbit act as dewdrops,

clinging onto the blades of grass. ‘Red eye is a relatively common

condition which causes swelling or irritation in the rabbit's eye’

(petMD, LLC., n.d.), an illness I found out about firsthand when my

pet rabbit suffered from it. The merging is therefore darkly ironic:

the rabbit is now merged with its food through its eyes, the grass,

and has literally gotten ‘sick’ from it. This is a subversion of the

predator-prey relationship which I found fascinating. I intend to

complete more art pieces and perhaps some studio works following

this concept: merging prey and predator together to both weaken

the predator and strengthen the prey. Simultaneously, I wish to

convey that all subjects in the living environment are all

interconnected with each, harmonizing peculiarly together.

Prismacolor color pencils were used, their soft consistency allowed

the colors to blend together easily.


OIL PAINTING STUDIES: adapting ballpoint pen drawing to oil painting

My Work (right)

Type: Oil paint on canvas


Reviewing and refining ideas: For the oil painting adaption of the

ballpoint pen drawing, I made several significant changes to the

composition so as to balance out the elements of the painting. Most

prominent is the removal of the cat’s eyes to project a sense of

whimsy and irony, considering the many eyes that are attached to

its body. Also eliminated was the mouth and the fish sprouting out

of the head of the cat as I felt that this creating an unwanted,

abrupt disruption to the flow of the composition. the color scheme

of this composition worked well; the contrast between the

complementary colors of yellow and purple resulted in a highly

vibrant, saturated and fantastical look. Also aesthetically pleasing

to the eye is the fluffy sky blue background framing the cat; the

negative space balancing out the complex composition of the cat. A

second, dry brush was used to blend the fur, creating a soft,

synthetically textured effect.

My Work (left)

Type: Ballpoint pen on paper


I utilised the classic Surrealist technique of displacement in this drawing: with the fish,

human eyes displaced from their original environments and attached to a cat. It depicts

the prey and predator relationship in a food chain. More than anything, this drawing was

supposed to be an amusing & ironic illustration of the fish being attached to their mortal

enemy, the cat. Several stray eyes, fingers linger around. This composition also partially

ponders the ironic wordplay of the name ‘catfish’ given to a particular group of fish. It is

a continuation and extension of the concept of irony portrayed in my previous ballpoint

drawing revolving around ‘fishtails’. Ironically, the appearance of the cat (and its glasses

as a marker of its intelligence) parallels that of the cunning Cheshire Cat from Alice’s

Adventures in Wonderland. This gives rise to other concepts to explore in my Exhibition

pieces such as a series on this novel (a fantastical amalgamation of Alice and the

Jabberwocky would be darkly amusing).

My Work (above)

Type: Ballpoint pen on paper


This concept was one I thought of as I was messing around with

drawing the strands of hair on the girl and the hair grew into the

finely feathered wings of a bird, hence merging girl and bird

together. To me, the simultaneous juxtaposition between man and

animal and their commonalities of sweetness and warmth seemed

like a good subject to explore since it is a breath of fresh air

compared to my darker paintings of bird & human skulls. The soft

curved lines of both the bird’s wings and the girl’s hair harmonize

with each other, evoking a gentle sense of freedom and flight.

My Work (above)

Type: Oil on canvas


In contrast with my previous paintings, this oil painting had warmer, more

whimsical connotations related to the idea of flight & freedom in birds and

humans alike. Both the reddish skin tone of the girl and her hair emulated a

sense of warmth associated with autumn, a symbol of being in transition and

freedom of decision. I felt that with this painting I started to grow more into

my own style: fantastical colour scheme choices, pop surrealistic, cartoon-like

style of the subject painted etc. Though merging the bird with the head of the

girl seemed like an odd choice at first, the blend of the colours and the sense

of vitality shared by both were instrumental in negating this. I used a 1:1

ratio of linseed oil and turpentine as solvents so that the paint would be

thicker and would blend better. Warm, vibrant colours symbolic of the season

of autumn were used.

Naples Yellow

Base fur color: 2 portions

Naples Yellow and 1 portion

Light Ultramarine

Base fish and eye color: 1 portion

Violet, 1 portion Permanent Magenta, ½

portion Titanium White

Background hues (left to right from

dark to light): Ultramarine mixed with

increasing portions of Titanium WhiteCOLOR SCHEME


MIXED MEDIA STUDIESLAUREN MARX ARTHUR RACKHAM

ARTIST REFERENCESTwo artists who inspired the alteration of my art style and my experimentation with mixed media were

contemporary artist Lauren Marx and book illustrator Arthur Rackham. Though separated by centuries,

similarities can be drawn between their intricate, delicate art styles. Marx has stated that her ‘work

definitely plays upon the newly romanticized view of nature as…pure, beautiful, and distant’ and explores

the ‘symbolic side of nature and animals’ (Kazoo, 2016). In turn, Rackham’s illustrations for children’s book

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland are rich representations of fantastical subjects on a realistic plane of art

style. The artists follow similar art processes: initial underdrawings of either ballpoint pen or ink (the distinct

and crisp) followed by multiple thin layers of watercolor to buildup a dreamy, surreal effect. This process is

one I emulated in further trials and explorations, utilizing ballpoint pen underdrawings and watercolor.

My Work (above)

Type: Black ballpoint pen and watercolour on paper


My Work (left)

Type: Black ballpoint pen and watercolour on

paper


This mixed media trial illustrates the dissonant

merging of a human eye and plaits of human

hair. Due to the distinct red watercolour

outlining, the effect is rather stylized. Instead

of applying watercolour washes over the entire

drawing in the style of Marx and Rackham, I

merely chose to outline the eye and apply a

light wash to the iris. In this way, the gradients

and values of the ballpoint pen underdrawing

still remain but are enhanced by subtle hints of

red watercolour.

My Work (left)

Type: Black and red ballpoint pen, marker pen

on paper


The ballpoint pen drawing to the left is

outlined with a fine-tipped marker pen,

depicting a jumble of ladybugs crawling on top

of each other.

The next stage of my process portfolio follows

my exploration of the amalgamation of

insects with human parts. These trials will be

rendered in the vein of Marx’s and Rackham’s

mixed media, illustration-like art styles.

Title: The Red Berries

Artist: Lauren Marx

Type: Ballpoint pen and ink

Image retrieved from:

http://www.ufunk.net/en/artistes/lauren-marx/

Illustration from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Illustrator: Arthur Rackham

Type: Pen, ink and watercolour on paper


http://www.peterharrington.co.uk/blog/the-golden-age-

of-illustration-arthur-rackham/


http://www.ufunk.net/en/artistes/lauren-marx/

http://www.peterharrington.co.uk/blog/the-golden-age-of-illustration-arthur-rackham/

My Work (above)

Type: Mixed media; black ballpoint pen, watercolor, papercutting on hard press watercolor paper


The conception of this idea partially arose from exploring the relationship between prey and predator that was

previously depicted in a ballpoint sketch and oil painting of a cat merged together with its prey, fish. In this trial, the

wasp’s wings trail away and sharpen into human fingernails. I drew upon the human perception that we are at the

head of the food chain and the nonchalance we have as we swat insects and pests alike away. It is then ironic in this

drawing as human fingers are reduced to form the wings of an insect. There is also a double irony due to the

hazardous nature of wasps and their stings. Hard press watercolor paper was used as its smooth texture allowed me

to render the ballpoint pen underdrawing with ease, allowing the individual tones to show up with ease. I utilized an

X-Acto knife for the paper cutting and liked how the organically shaped cut-out leaf patterns of the paper cutting

harmonize with the curved lines of the wasp.

However, I was unsatisfied with the way the fingernails were painted on as they were not realistic or fully fleshed out

sufficiently. Hence, I completed a separate, observational painting of a girl covering her mouth with a hand, knuckles

bent and her fingernails exhibited clearly. Instead of merely painting on one layer of paint as I did before, I painted

on a first layer of light flesh-colored paint and then a second layer of darker paint at the edges of the nails. The effect

is more realistic. I felt that this practice improved my watercolor painting skills.

Progression from process portfolio to studio

work:

My Work (above)

Type: Mixed media ; black ballpoint pen, watercolor on paper

Ultimately, I incorporated elements from both trials in one of my studio pieces. A snapshot of

part of its detail in shown above. The wasp wings merged with human fingernails act almost as

a frame for the individual bee itself. As shown, only a subtle ochre and yellow watercolor wash

is applied to parts of the bee. Then body of the bee itself is left unpainted as are the wasp

wings and the fingers merged together with the bee wings. This was a change from my original

trial as I wanted the fine details of the ballpoint pen underdrawing to shine through more. In

addition, a thin sheet of sketchbook paper was utilized for this studio piece instead of hard

press watercolor paper. Hence, it was more pragmatic to only apply a hints of watercolor

painting to the drawing as the paper would not hold the weight of the water and would start to

furl in on itself.

My Work (above)



This trial depicts wasp wings merged with human fingernails, entangled together with each other in an inescapable mess to convey chaos.

My Work (above)

Type: Watercolor on watercolor paper



PAPER SCULPTURE

EXHIBITION CONCEPT

Ultimately, I felt that my experimentations with paper sculpture were more technically and conceptuallysuccessful compared to my wire sculpture trials. The intricate, small-scale nature of my paper sculpture trialswas consistent with the general style of my art pieces. Hence, I feel that I could extend on my paper sculpturetrials and create a paper sculpture installation for the Exhibition. For example, I could produce large-scaleversions of the jellyfish-flowers for the viewers to interact with. They would be able to move their way througha maze-like installation, entrapped within a fantastical realm where the lines between land and sea areblurred. However, if I had to consider the feasibility of this plan, I would say that finding the materials (at leastA1 sized hard press watercolor paper) and the time to create such a large-scale installation would beimplausible. Hence, I think creating multiple, small-sized replicas of the jellyfish would be a wiser choice. Thishas its advantages too: the viewers would feel as though they were walking through a miniature fantasygarden or Lilliput (a fictional island from the novel Gulliver’s Travels populated by tiny people), henceenhancing the surrealistic atmosphere of the installation.

ELSA MORA

CONCEPTThe main goal of my paper sculpture trials was to explore the dichotomous

relationship between land and water. In these trials, the jellyfish finds itself

ironically displaced from its natural water environment: it instead finds itself as the

head of a flower. This idea arose when I was browsing through a National

Geographic magazine section on ocean creatures and observed with wry amusement

that the organic curved lines and form of the jellyfish were similar to that of a

flower head. Hence, using an X-Acto knife and white watercolour paper, I sought to

make a miniature garden of ‘jellyfish flowers’. The result is quaint and ethereal, a

fantasy garden where creatures of the land and sea coexist in peculiar harmony.

This delicate melding of disparate elements from the natural world parallels Mora’s,

as does the pure and simplistic use of white paper for the sculpture.

SELECTION OF MATERIALSI initially used white printing paper for the sculpture but discovered it

was too flimsy. I then tried out a thicker type of cartridge paper which

worked reasonably well. However, it would not bend or curve properly. I

finally settled on Arches hard press watercolor paper (the same type of

paper I use for my drawings) since it would curve well, was reasonably

thick but yet, easy enough to cut.

Wrapped the ends of the edges around a pencil to curve them

Light

Source

Light

Source

Light

Source

Light

Source

Light

SourceLight

Source

JELLYFISH

LEAVES

GRASS (below)

Title: Hand

Artist: Elsa Mora

Type: Paper sculpture


http://elsita.typepad.com/elsita/papercuts-by-elsa-mora.html

I was initially drawn to Cuban-born mixed media artist Elsa

Mora’s paper art, specifically, her delicate works of paper

sculpture. Mora considers paper as an ‘expressive medium’

(Mora, 2012) and her work draws on her personal experiences

and emotional ‘growth, transformation and change’ (Mora,

2012). Hand (above) depicts the intimate mutation and hybridity

of a human hand with elements of the natural world like insects

and flowers. Startlingly, Mora’s concept (the merging of

dissonant elements) and her intricate small-scale art style were

similar to mine. Hence, I take inspiration from the style of her

whimsical paper sculpture works in this portion of the process

portfolio where I explore the dichotomy between land and

water.

Design template for jellyfish

Using an X-Acto knife to cut out the paper sculpture design

PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN AT DIFFERENT ANGLES (above)

First paper sculpture design for grass: realistic in style

A lamp with yellow light was used as a light source when photographs of the paper sculpture were taken from different angles. Yellow light

was chosen due to the warmth it emanated; it cast a aesthetically attractive creamy glow that complemented the white of the paper sculpture

My Work (above)

Type: Paper sculpture

Dimensions: 17 x 14 x 20 cm (length, width, height)


http://elsita.typepad.com/elsita/papercuts-by-elsa-mora.html

CHINESE PHILOSOPHY: DUALITY阴阳

Artist: Wu Guanzhong

Title: 《屋楼》translated roughly into Buildings

Type: Chinese painting on rice paper

Image retrieved from: http://sinotime.lofter.com/post/1d2699d2_6a58f92

My Work (above)

Type: Black ballpoint pen and Chinese painting on

rice paper


WU GUANZHONG

Contemporary Chinese painter Wu Guanzhong was a main influence on my art as Iattempted to develop a style that fused together traditional Chinese painting and themore modern ballpoint pen drawing. Wu’s《屋楼》combines Western tradition in itsabstract depiction of a man-made environment of buildings (clashing with Chinesetradition to showcase the divinity of nature) and Chinese painting techniques. Wu’sintriguing color scheme choices, pastel reddish pinks and yellows alongside dull grey,were main influences on the color scheme of my representation of yin & yang.

Types of brushes used (from left to right): wolf, sheep, rabbit

My Work (below)



The juxtaposition of curved geometric shapes with the organic forms of the koi fish make

for an interesting composition. The koi fish is a symbol of prosperity in Chinese culture

(Carty, n.d.). I noticed that the curved lines of the koi fish resembled the yin and yang

symbol in Chinese philosophy and wanted to build on this idea in my exploration of

Chinese painting.

Technique practice: To create a gradient of two colours, I first loaded the brush with base paint and then loaded on a

second layer of blue paint on the tip of the brush. A spare sheet of rice paper was used to apply brush strokes until

the final, desired colour and effect was reached. Only then did I paint on the ballpoint pen underdrawing.

Technical difficulties: The paint spread out more uncontrollably due to the nature of the rice paper and the watery

consistency of the Chinese paint. This was a problem I initially attempted to counter but eventually, decided that the

way in which the faded paint leaked outside of the lines made for an interesting composition.

Ballpoint pen underdrawing of koi fish

Closeup detail of painted red fin

Ballpoint pen underdrawing of yin/yang symbols in nature

Practicing dry brush technique

Practicing line painting

Comparing and experimenting with color schemes

This mixed media exploration plays on the Chinese philosophical concept of yin (dark) and yang (light). The koi fish to the

left depicts a merging of a koi fish with decaying tree bark, dead leaves disintegrating away and worms wound around it.

This yin side is contrasted with its yang, the fish to the right merged with tree bark overflowing with bounty, vibrant

leaves and butterflies. The colour contrast between the reddish pink fish and the dark greyish-blue hues of the other fish

emulate Wu’s unique, clashing colour scheme choices. The rice paper used was already framed and mounted into a circular

shape, allowing the fish to model its curved edges closely and to create a flow greatly resembling the traditional yin/yang

symbol. The result is a harmonisation of various elements, creating a serene balance in line with Chinese philosophical

concepts. On a deeper level, it also portrays the merging of land and water which is a continuation of the concept of my

paper sculpture trials. Now the relationship is inverted, it is the trees which are displaced from their natural environment.


http://sinotime.lofter.com/post/1d2699d2_6a58f92

CHINESE MYTHOLOGY: CHOUYU

My Work (above)

Type: Black ballpoint pen and Chinese painting on rice paper


This painting represents my personal take on the Chinese mythological creature of the

Chouyu. In comparison with the previous Chinese painting drawing on the symbolism

of yin and yang, the technique used for this painting was rather different. Instead of

merely applying subtle hints of color to portions of the creature, I applied washes of

Chinese paint over the entirety of the creature, akin to Western artists I examined

previously such as Arthur Rackham. Lighter washes were applied first, followed by

darker outlines for specific parts. A sheep hair brush was chosen as its texture allowed

for softer, fuller-bodied strokes. The analogous color scheme of brown, sienna and

ochre chosen resulted in a soothing effect; its monotony balanced out by the vibrant

splash of blue applied to the tail.

COLOR SCHEME AND BRUSHSTROKE PRACTICE (below) CONCEPTContinuing the concept of injecting

traditional Chinese cultural and

philosophical elements into my art, I

decided to examine Chinese mythology.

This is my personal take on a Chinese

mythological creature known as Chouyu,

said to have the body of a rabbit, the

eyes and beak of an eagle and the tail of

a snake. A creature of darkness and

ominous foreboding, its presence brings

with it a plague of locusts. (Jennifer,

2015). As it is not a well known creature,

depictions of it in art are rare and I was

only able to find a modern digital art

design of it shown below. I use this as a

reference, along with injecting my own

elements and personal take on its form.

Ballpoint pen underdrawing

Closeup detail of dark blue tail

First layer of paint

COLOR SCHEME REFERENCE (below)


http://p2.zhimg.com/a1/9e/a19e5ed4fc6217a1931a3c0d11a58736

_m.jpg


http://p2.zhimg.com/a1/9e/a19e5ed4fc6217a1931a3c0d11a58736_m.jpg

ANNE TEN DONKELAARAdobe Illustrator Process (below):DIGITAL ART: BUTTERFLIES AND GEOMETRY

Part of the series Broken Butterflies

Artist: Anne ten Donkelaar

Type: Butterfly missing two wings, reconstructed with threads and

pins

Image retrieved from: http://anneten.nl/works/16-broken-butterflies

Installation artist Anne Ten Donkelaar restores the bodies and wings

of damaged, dead butterflies. Her hybrid creations are constructed

out of ‘fine materials: iron, fabric, yarn, paper, gold leaf…unusual

materials to give a touch of fantasy.’ (Broken Butterflies from Anne

ten Donkelaar, n.d.). The creation that stunned be the most, however,

was her reconstruction of a butterfly’s two missing wings with pins

and threads, resulting in interesting geometrical shapes.

DESIGN CONCEPT:Drawing upon Anne Ten Donkelaar’s construction of butterfly wings from geometrical shapes, I decided to adapt

her creation process through utilizing digital art instead of traditional techniques.

The merging is two-fold: first, one half of the butterfly is composed entirely of triangles, the second half is instead

substituted with a leaf. A stock image of a butterfly was used as a template for constructing the geometrical

triangles composing one half of it. The opacity of this layer was lowered to 50% and on another layer, the line

segment tool was utilised to outline the triangles. This was a rather lengthy process since it was my first time

using Adobe Illustrator. However, I formed a technique of outlining the wing and then constructing large triangles,

dividing them up into smaller triangles with line segments. The effect is akin to fractured glass and the harsh,

straight edges of the lines juxtapose the curved lines of the original butterfly wings. I continue this digital art

exploration by experimenting with colour and merging these geometrical wings with wings formed by leaves.

Using the line segment tool to construct large triangles

Dividing the large triangles into smaller triangles with line segments


http://anneten.nl/works/16-broken-butterflies

TRIAL ONE: BELOW

For this particular trial, the triangles were individually colored with the fill tool.

To achieve a psychedelic, fantastical feel, variants of pastel colors were chosen.

The saturated geometrical wing is then contrasted in form, line and color with a

dead leaf forming the other half of the butterfly. I used a stock image (right) for

the leaf; a photograph with a pale background was chosen so that the magic

wand tool would be able to select the leaf portion with ease. The leaf was then

transposed onto the other half of the butterfly with the rotate tool. The resulting

composition is one of contrasts: the dead, decaying leaf in direct opposition with

the living vibrancy of the butterfly, the lines of the geometric shapes juxtapose

the delicately curved edges of the leaf and the eclectic mix of colors of the

shapes oppose the dark, monotonous colors of the dead leaf.

Sense of fragility that was present in Anne

PASTEL COLOR SCHEME BASIS:

(below)

TRIAL TWO: BELOW LEFT

In comparison with the first completed digital art trial, this trial is a much darker, sparer one in

terms of form and color. The triangles are left unfilled and the leaf itself is a dark green. The

stock photograph chosen is shown below. The result is a much cleaner, minimalistic one in

comparison with the first trial. In some aspects, I prefer the result of this trial due to its

elegant, stylized nature as well as the way in which the white space of the composition is a

dominant element. Also, since the triangles were unfilled, the straight lines of the triangle

were much more clearly distinguishable as opposed to the ones in the first trial.

DIGITAL ART: BUTTERFLIES AND GEOMETRY CONTINUED

Overall, I felt manipulating images and forms digitally was an

enjoyable experience. This also constituted an extension of my

exploration of ambiguously shaped forms in nature; for example,

the similarity in form of human fingers and insect wings. In this

case, it is the similarity in form and shape of butterfly wings with

leaves. This also marked my shift towards a more minimalistic,

less cluttered and intricate art style.

The only part of the digital art piece I was not satisfied was this portion of the leaf that overlapswith the geometric design. The effect is rather unnatural and awkward. I decided against using theeraser tool to get rid of the overlapping part of the leaf since the effect would be pixelated andjagged.

REFLECTION:

Whilst it has been fascinating and challenging experimenting with digital art and Adobe Illustrator, Ifeel that I do not want to include any digital art pieces in my Exhibition. I feel that my skills with thisart form are not polished enough to create a main Exhibition piece of sufficient quality (there aremany tools I have not had the pleasure of experimenting with yet). However, I think that my digitalart trials (e.g. the geometric butterflies) will act as lovely supporting pieces or decorations for theExhibition. For example, I could have a projection of these geometric butterflies across the walls ofmy Exhibition area, strengthening the effect of whimsy and fantasy of my chosen studio works.

Stock image retrieved from:

http://ancagray.tumblr.com/post/577052

92604/yama-bato2-yama-

bato2013?soc_src=mail&soc_trk=ma

Stock image retrieved from:

http://miniimalism.tumblr.com/post/151600892003?soc_src

=mail&soc_trk=ma


http://ancagray.tumblr.com/post/57705292604/yama-bato2-yama-bato2013?soc_src=mail&soc_trk=ma

http://miniimalism.tumblr.com/post/151600892003?soc_src=mail&soc_trk=ma

BIBLIOGRAPHY(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.promostyl.com/blog/en/broken-butterflies-from-anne-ten-donkelaar/

Andersen, H. C. (2013, July 21). Hans Christian Andersen > Quotes > Quotable Quote. Retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/423275-everything-you-look-at-can-become-a-fairy-

tale-and

Broken Butterflies from Anne ten Donkelaar. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.promostyl.com/blog/en/broken-butterflies-from-anne-ten-donkelaar/

Carty, S. L. (n.d.). What Do Koi Fish Symbolize? Retrieved from http://feng-shui.lovetoknow.com/What_Do_Koi_Fish_Symbolize

Jennifer, C. (2015, November 11). 揭密《山海經》裡的神獸到底都長什麼樣？. Retrieved from http://hottopic.chinatimes.com/20151111005073-260809

Kazoo, O. (2016, February 26). EK Interview: Lauren Marx. Retrieved from http://www.emptykingdom.com/featured/ek-interview-lauren-marx/

Kenoyer, J. (2012, August 1). The Multiple Dualities of Photographer and Painter Charlotte Caron. Retrieved from http://hifructose.com/2012/08/01/the-multiple-dualities-of-photographer-and-

painter-charlotte-caron/

Kordic, A. (n.d.). WHAT IS THE LOWBROW ART MOVEMENT? WHEN SURREALISM TOOK OVER POP. Retrieved from http://www.widewalls.ch/lowbrow-art-pop-surrealism/

Mora, E. (2012, October 2). In Conversation: Elsa Mora. (I. Leyva-Pérez, Interviewer) Retrieved from http://www.cubanartnews.org/news/282-in-conversation-elsa-mora-991

Olda, D. (n.d.). Photographed Portraits And Painted Animal Masks By Charlotte Caron. Retrieved from http://beautifuldecay.com/2013/05/31/photographed-portraits-and-painted-animal-masks-

by-charlotte-caron/

petMD, LLC. (n.d.). Red Eye in Rabbits. Retrieved from http://www.petmd.com/rabbit/conditions/eyes/c_rb_red_eye

Ratnaningtyas, R. (2016, August 3). Interview with Indonesian artist Restu Ratnaningtyas. (S. Chang, Interviewer)


http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/423275-everything-you-look-at-can-become-a-fairy-

http://hifructose.com/2012/08/01/the-multiple-dualities-of-photographer-and-

http://beautifuldecay.com/2013/05/31/photographed-portraits-and-painted-animal-masks-

- Hans Christian Andersen (Andersen, 2013) · 2018-01-18 · ARTIST’S STATEMENT “Everything you...

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