Week 3 Update

All Caspar David Freidrich, all the time!

Working on an assignment from my advisor, Hannah Barrett, I am recreating 2 paintings by Caspar David Freidrich. I'm enjoying the experience a lot. It is very technical, difficult, and a bit boring, but I'm learning a lot about the rules of landscape, experimenting with my colors and trying to match his, etc. I also feel, that while I would like the ability to paint in this manner, I don't believe I would choose to do so. The "picturesque" is not for me. I am amazed by the talent that goes into these, but I don't enjoy spending sooooo much time on tiny, bluish trees in the background hills... sort of like too much Bob Ross and I want to fall asleep. But it's a great assignment and I'm getting close to finishing.

Here are the two I am working on with the originals.

Week 1 & 2 update

Here are the images from the first 2 weeks in my studio. The first image is more a traditional style for me personally. Going off feedback from Deb Davidson and Oscar Palacio, I wanted to push the "creepiness" factor a bit. It's more blatant than my normal work.

I did numerous studies for the wedding dress of the figure in the lower right of the first painting. I had a great discussion topic with Trevor from Group 1. He gave me a great technique to do clothing/folds with out the harsh black.

After gaining a bit more confidence, I have been trying to work on developing my color palettes. I'm trying to make various grays from complimentary colors. This is a nautical landscape, but the colors are much richer and interlaced than my usual piece.

Another experiment with colors. This is entirely blue/orange/white. Laying some base layers and trying to mix colors more professionally.

This is another color study. Pushing the grays and whites and not using any blacks. None of these are finished yet. I have a few more figure studies, but after talking to Christine Willcox on Wednesday, I feel that I can get away from the figure and work on creating tension and interest with other things.

I am starting my first research paper. It is a bit daunting for me. My assignment in this first paper is to incorporate some of the material from my critical theory seminar and also to relate it back to my own work. I have chosen the theme of Orientalism. I haven't quite crafted the thesis/argument of this paper but I think it will be something about how they are using reality as a launch point and creating their own world.