My Portfolio
Abraham Lincoln
This is a value study, rendered from a plaster cast with a single light source. I really loved this assignment. Also for my Foundation Drawing I class, this is the first time I achieved value without blending. The difference is obvious and captivating. Lincoln appears so much more three dimensional, (compare with Leonardo below.) I really appreciate the process I walk through with each piece I create. My goal is always the very best work I can produce. I have difficulty reconciling that goal with the idea of deadlines. Abraham is not complete, I expect he may never be, time will tell.
Copy of a Master/ Leonardo da Vinci
This one is graphite on paper. It was my first assignment in Foundation Drawing I, my first semester as an Art Major. This piece is my touchstone. It marks my starting point for Art school. With exception of a non-art major, beginning drawing class, to this point I've had no professional instruction. I chose Leonardo because I have adored and admired him since I was ten years old. I believe that we can "tap into" the energy of those that have lived before us by meditating on and conversing with them. I tested that theory with Leonardo when I was taking an Anatomy Lab Final...I swear he whispered answers to me! Hey, I passed; whatever works.
Self Portrait
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The assignment was a self-portrait. My own composition, this still-life rendered in graphite on paper, is titled "I Draw Strength." The elements represent all the things I draw strength from. Sometimes I talk to Leonardo, sometimes I talk to the Archangel Michael. He is represented in the card, titled Strength. The cross, for me, represents God in all His manifestations, i.e. God, Christ, family, all humanity, the heavens, and this world. The shadows are long to represent the many years I've been here. The coffee itself, represents the vices I've enjoyed, past, present, and future. I recognize the service they provide for my individual growth, and how unique they are to the human animal. The chocolate bar represents sustenance, "supplying or being supplied with the necessaries of life" (Dictionary.com). The book speaks to the knowledge seeker I am. This particular volume I credit with saving my life. It was written in the 1950's by Dr. Venice Bloodworth. It is called Key to Yourself, and was my introduction to the power, that is our birthright, we have to create and direct our own lives through natural law. It includes a chapter on the Law of Attraction. |
Paul
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I never met Paul, (this work was done from photographs) but he is special to me. He was husband to one of my dearest friends, and father to the man from whom I learned the true meaning of unconditional love. So...for me, Paul represents our potential for growth, our capability for expansion, and he is an affirmation of Love that surpasses mortal understanding. You can see it in his eyes. |
Compiled from photographs in old National Geographic magazines, this assignment was my final for my Color Theory class at SLCC. It is acrylic on canvas paper, in an analogous with compliment color scheme. One of my favorite pieces, so far, this one evokes a sense of peace for me that reminds me contentment comes from within and is always accessible.
Collage
I love glazing! Oil on canvas (that I stretched myself!) This one was a lot of fun!
Still Life
Pastiche
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My Intermediate Painting final, this is my tribute to American Women of a certain age. Everything has symbolic meaning to me, and speaks to my experience as a female at the end of the baby boom era. The little girl in the photo, her somber, vulnerable face in the shadows already a victim of the darker side of patriarchy. She appears below the 1959 (same year of my birth) version of Barbie, who stands strong and capable, beside the gender that fill our history books. No dark shadows here, although it's been said, "clothes make the man," fashion is no longer this doll's identity. The red of her lips harkens to a time when we tinted black and white photos, as well as brings attention to her as the focus, which leads one's attention to the less saturated, cancelled Lincoln 4 cent stamp. Even the postmark holds significance, as the dates include the birthdays of myself and my two sisters. And the 50's boomerang laminate...karma baby, karma.
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An Advanced Drawing Assignment, we were asked to choose an item and then draw it in nine different environments. I started with a garlic bulb for no other reason than I had forgotten to consider something until the morning we started the assignment. In class, that first day, I found the ARTnews postcard on the floor. Having taken a calligraphy class, I have developed a love for the written word as art. That was my jumping off point. From there I just let the piece evolve, looking to tie "garlic" to "art" I let myself think about all the things that matter to me, related to those two topics; garlic, used in Italian cooking, heart healthy, DaVinci from Italy, developed our understanding of human anatomy, etc. There's much more to say on this piece, but I will stop here.
I am learning so much about expression and composition! I really love this piece. |
Straight to the Heart
Harmony and Discord
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A diptych, this was an Intermediate Drawing assignment. I used mostly ink and watercolor. The movement and flow that began to appear in the first one gave me a feeling of music. That feeling really dictated the direction I continued in, especially when beginning the second piece, and is the reason for the "implied" music staves, and the vertical watercolor pencil "strings".
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