Ap Art

Sustained Investigation Pieces

Charcoal, Demi-Pastels, Graphite Pencils

Originally sketched in pencil, highlighted/ blended with charcoal, background highlighted by pastels

24×18 inches

Oil Pastels and Graphite Pencils

Oil pastels drawn over graphite references

Oil pastels blended with fingers and paper blending stump

14 x 18 inches

Oil Paints and Graphite Pencils

Sketched out using graphite pencils

Oil paints mixed with oil medium to create shape and gradient.

18 x 24 inches

Watercolor Paint, Ink, and Graphite Pencils

Watercolor painted over graphite references

Fineliners over graphite to highlight shadow.

18 x 12 inches

Oil Paints and Graphite Pencils

Sketched out using graphite pencils

Oil paints mixed with oil medium to create shape and texture.

Written Evidence

The inquiry guiding my sustained investigation is the anguish of losing a loved one. I investigated the complex range of emotions that those who lose go through. Using the complexity of emotions such as grief, anger, depression, and indifference allowed me to convey powerful messages through my artwork. This theme allowed me to touch on many adjacent subjects, such as mortality. I was able to employ irony in many of my pieces to create the contrast of vibrant appearances to the grim significance of the topics driving their creation.

My inquiry includes pieces using a numerous amount of media, including Oil pastels, Demi-Pastels, Oil paints, Charcoal, Watercolor, and Linework. Through my investigation I have masted the use of charcoal and demi pastels, using them to understand the relationship of light and shadow, value and gradient. I have experimented with oil paints exploring shape and unity as well as understanding the dimensions of the human form. I have painted over many shades of color to finally select the correct transition colors to create cohesive pieces of work that convey emotions otherwise indescribable.

The White Paper Challenge

My white paper challenge idea was to make a conceptual figure that looked fragile but also imposing. I wanted to make a more top-heavy figure with protrusions that are meant to support it. This challenge was incredibly difficult because of the fragility and balance of the paper. Making it stand was a struggle and forcing it to be upright was something that took me a long time to orchestrate correctly.

This project benefited my visual process of creating art because it forced me to think about the physical supports contributing to a piece and having that extra restriction in a work of art forces more creativity to shine through. I feel that I made a good connection to the fragility of life represented by the support needed to prop the piece up as well as the spiraling nature on the top of the figure.