Week 7-9

 

What I did:

I finished my large drawing that I mentioned in my last post and also added some movement to the image. I started my next drawing and got the structure down, now I need to complete the movement. I wrote a proposal for my IP project and my Grant proposal that included images I developed of how I imagine the installation to look. I did a lot of research on bacteria and observed how it moves and grows. I made a map of my thoughts in my studio. I also met with my sociology professor to share my work with her and get any incite on how to make my work go from an individual “concern” to a social “issue.” I met with my poetry teacher to talk to him about my work and get some references that deal with “looping” of time, unsettling content, and ambiguity in visual and written art. I met with two lovely women in the Development of Language & Literacy department to talk about dyslexia relating to my art and as a personal endeavor. I also met with a psychology grad student in charge of a research campaign for children and adolescents with depression. By meeting with these various people I am beginning to grow and find my own type of audience and network for my work.

What I accomplished/ discovered/ encountered:

While trying to finish my last drawing with the girl on the island, I got very discouraged. I hated what I was doing and I didn't find any meaning in it at all. This concerned me because this drawing was one that I have wanted to do for the last couple of years. I thought it would be a cathartic experience; I thought that catharsis was the main drive for my work. But I was wrong. The drawing was very personal and had a lot of elements that I was juggling with. In addition to that, I was trying to express something that I just could not see in this piece, making me even more discouraged to finish it. I eventually got, what I felt I need to do to, done so that I could move on to the next thing. I learned that I needed to simplify my idea and focus on the subtitles that I am most interested in. I started my next drawing and it was of a small section of the body, the wrist. I pushed the wrist and hand in a strained position and framed it thoughtfully. From there I fell back in love with my drawing technique because I was much more apart of this drawing then the last one. Choosing a smaller section of the body and simplifying my approach allowed me to think about what was important. It make me think more about what I am trying to communicate, how I want the viewer to experience my work, and how I am going to accomplish it. I am in a much better place now.

What is next:

I am going to continue drawing and experimenting with ways of incorporating motion within drawings. I am going to experiment with lighting, value shifts, and perspective/positioning of my drawings. I am also going to experiment with ways to display my work, whether it me with projectors or monitors or other materials.