Lazy Sundays

Lazy Sundays

Materials:  Acrylic paint on canvas

To create this piece, I first drew the image or flowers on a canvas using a hard pencil.  This created a light sketch of the flowers so it was easy to paint over.  Using green acrylic paint, I used a wet on wet technique for the background where I placed water on the canvas and then dripped the green paint throughout the water as the colour spread, creating a water colour affect.  Once I painted the background, I used red and white paint and various shades of pink paint to paint the flowers.  I placed red paint in the center of the flowers, white on the outer egdes, and pink in the middle of the flowers and dragged the colours together.  Then, I finished the painting by painting the stems using dark brown and light brown paint.  This helped to create a more realistic look to the painting.  

As inspiration for this painting, I looked at this painting of flowers.  I liked the idea of having flowers painted across an entire canvas.  I also liked the colours in this painting but I felt that they needed to be more vibrant instead of soft, which is why I recreated this painting. 

I decided to title this painting Lazy Sundays.  For me, Sundays are a day of relaxation and spending time with my family.  During the summer, my family and I would go out and search for new flowers to place outside, and around the house; this would usually happen on Sundays.  When I look at this painting, I feel relaxed and calm, almost as I am spending my day picking flowers on a Sunday.

I believe that now, people get so caught up in their everyday lives that they forget to stop and appreciate the life that they are living.  Hopefully, this painting will catch peoples attention and make them appreciate not only art that is created, but art that is created to help people release tension and stress that they may have.  It may help them to let go of whatever they are holding on to, take a breath, and appreciate life.    

"The trick is to enjoy life.  Don't wash away your days, waiting for better ones ahead." - Marjorie Pay Hinckley

- Yours Truly 

Fashion Croquis

Fashion Croquis

Materials:  Pencil on cartridge paper

As two female models stood in front of me, I looked at them and drew one as I saw her.  This is a quick, live sketch of a model which is what considers it a croquis drawing.  Using various shades of pencils, consisting of 2B, 3B and 4B, I drew the model and shaded the image. Using the different pencils allowed me to create tones throughout the drawing, creating shadow and lightness in certain spots.  I also tried to recreate the same outfit that the models were wearing at that time.  

The first step for this drawing was to draw the figure of the model, creating the same stance.  After that, I added clothes on the figure.  I decided not to draw a face on the model because I feel that drawing a face takes away from the image of the actual figure and the clothes that the figure is wearing.  

"Fashion is art and you are the canvas." - Velvet Paper

- Yours Truly 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/200691727119749350/

Beneath the Surface

Beneath the Surface

Materials:  Acrylic paint on reading novel paper

To create this piece, I first placed pieces of paper which I have ripped out from old novels, and glued them on top of a large sheet of paper.  Once the glue had dried, I painted the face of woman on top of the paper, using only black paint for the details of the face and blue and white paint for the eyes.  Using different tones and washes of the black paint, I was able to create the appearance of shadows on the face, making it appear more realistic. 

I decided to call this painting beneath the surface because the woman in the painting looks as if she is looking in the distance and is captivated by something which cannot be seen by the viewers.  I also decided to paint the entire face using black paint, while only the eye with blue paint because I believe that eyes are the windows to the soul; a lot can be seen through the eyes of a person.  It is a persons eyes which light up as they tell an intriguing story, that start to water when a person is emotional, and that never change as a person gets older.  I believe that beneath the eyes, there is always more beneath the surface of a person.  There are untold stories which want to be shared, but cannot; thoughts that are cramped up inside a mind waiting to find a way out.  Many people may think they may know a person well, however, they may not see the entire person inside and out.

The main goal of this piece was to captivate an audience and intrigue them into finding what is beneath the surface of this woman, and also make them wonder what the woman is looking at which cannot be seen.    

- Yours Truly 

Inspiration:  http://favim.com/image/2440144/

Native American Art - Geometric Bird

Geometric Bird

Materials:  Acrylic paint on cartridge paper 

To create an art piece representing Native American Art I painted an image of a bird.  In the Native American culture, there are various symbols representing different things.  

I tried to recreate this image of Native American art which I found.  It is a very intricate drawing of a bird that has meaning to it.  The bird is believed to represent the physical form of a spirit helper and guide.  It is also believed that because of their ability to fly, birds are seen as messengers and bringers of change.  The birds of the feathers are used for spiritual and ritual uses. 

Within the bird, there are different geometric shapes that make the image of the bird appear to be slightly abstract.  This image of a bird does have meaning for Native Americans and I believe that it is important to understand the art of different cultures.  It is important to see the differences and similarities between the art of cultures, so people can find ways to connect with each other.  

- Yours Truly

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/397935317051618491/

http://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/native-american-symbols/bird-symbols.htm

Art of Mexico - Flowers and Leaves

Flowers and Leaves

Materials:  Marker on paper

To create an art piece for the art of Mexico, I decided to draw patterns on paper using various markers.  All of the objects in the foreground of the drawing are flowers while the green background is supposed to be images of leaves.

I was inspired to create this drawing as I saw this Mexican art piece which includes images of trees with flowers and leaves falling off of it.  My art piece is more abstract since it is difficult to see what it is actually a drawing of.  However, I wanted to capture a similar feeling as this piece, and so I included flowers and leaves in my drawing.

- Yours Truly

https://www.pinterest.com/hofer77sandra/mexican-art/

Art of Africa - Peaceful Place

Peaceful Place

Materials:  Acrylic paint on paper

To represent an African art piece, I painted this image of a silhouette of a tree, placed in front of a sunset.  Using pencil, I first drew the outline of mountains in the background and the silhouette of a tree.  Then, using various colours consisting of red, brown and yellow, I created a wash with these colours to place in the background.  Once the background paint dried, I used black paint to paint the silhouettes.

I decided to title this painting "Peaceful Place" because as I look at this painting, it brings a sense of peace and calmness to me.  The sunset and the isolation of the scenery makes me feel calm as this place appears to be far from society.  It is far from wars, and far from anything bad happening in the world.  

I was inspired to create this painting as I came across this image of African Art.  This painting made me feel peaceful as I watched the sunset and the family in the foreground of the image, walking peacefully in the sunset.  

In my painting, I wanted viewers to have the same feelings that I did.  I wanted them to be able to picture themselves watching a sunset, as they are alone in a deserted area, away from society.  

- Yours Truly 

http://www.nairaland.com/124005/art-lovers-house-appreciate-african

Modern Canadian Art - Cherry Blossom

Cherry Blossom 

Materials:  Acrylic paint on cartridge paper

To create this painting, I first drew the outline of a tree, and then taking different tones of red paint, I blotted the paint throughout the background of the painting and then painted the tree brown. Once the paint for the background and the tree dried, I dotted white paint on the branches of the tree, and in the center of the white dots, added red to create the look of flower petals.

To create a painting based on modern Canadian art, I decided to paint a Cherry Blossom Tree. To me, this seems like a typical painting that would be hung throughout the homes of many people. It is a painting that many people would want to have to decorate a space.

I was inspired to create this painting as I came across another painting of a Cherry Blossom tree.  To me, this painting appears as if it is hung within a home as a decoration for the space.  I believe that modern Canadian art is any art that one would want to decorate a space with.  Also, because times are changing, modern Canadian art would be anything an artist would want to paint along with anything one believes is art.  People are becoming more accepting with different types of art, which is why art can be anything a person believes it to be.

-Yours Truly

http://vancouver.canadianlisted.com/art-antiques/original-canadian-modern-abstract-art-painting-cherry-blossom-200-west-vancouver-coquitlam_3094391.html