American Black History

(I decided on the term black versus African American because it can include people who more closely identify with Mexico or the Caribbean rather than Africa and may be called "black.")

Mixed Media

So, not too long ago I posted about this very project. I shared the final drawing (the step just before this finished piece) and some of the process that got me to that point. You can see how this piece was thought up here.

 A Note on Color Choices

 I resolved to make the root, faces and all, a similar color with varying tones to emphasize their connectedness as a root. I chose a slightly orange leaning brown and then accented it with purples and greens that allow the browns to stand out.

 Textures

To help give the feeling of a root and tie in the subject matter with the background space I chose to use textured papers both in the background and under the painted faces so that the paint could bring out any embedded fibers from one face to another. This choice increased the piece's atmosphere and emotion. I also included some hatching (a series of parallel lines) with colored pencils to carry a texture throughout the faces. This is simply another incarnation of my mixed media technique.

They Were Parallel

Mixed Media

(I just had to make this big enough, so it has jumped the border of my blog. I'm trying not to let that bother me. ;))

Compositional Concepts

I'm kind of fascinated with the effect of tangencies, static shapes like rectangles, and repetitive imagery in art. I like how they create tension, but I recognize they can feel like a mistake and can definitely be mistakes.

 The Image that Emerged

In this piece I played with a tension that is created by using mostly peaceful shapes but denying them a dynamic interaction. They are parallel to one another but not quite interacting, so we are drawn to their mysterious connection. I like to think this kind of composition forces us to look for a connection.

 Development up to this Point

This was another long overdue update on a project I finished a long while back. You can see where it started as little comps in the post Idea Building, then the Color Study, and then the post Finally Drawn.

P.S. Another statue, like a fine art piece I did, that feels alive and maybe even with it's own agenda, has popped up here. There will be more statues to come.

Map Works by Matthew Cusick

These images explore with maps and collage, two of my favorite things. I'm a bit mesmerized. :)

This was based on the simple article concept that much of medicine is conjecture, profit oriented and therefore, dangerous. So, of course, I imagined the journey to the exam table being a climb into the grave. A bit morbid I know, but a wryly fun too. :) I enjoyed employing papers to make everything look a bit decayed/dirty through textures.

Remember the start of this piece? You probably don't, because I completed it awhile back, but I have not shared it with you all. Here is a refresher, a post about it in the middle stage of development is here: http://ambergoulet-art.blogspot.com/2010/03/catfish-piece-inbetween-stage.html. Early detail photo post: http://ambergoulet-art.blogspot.com/2010/02/large-catfish-3.html. This is the post that covers the initial idea development for this piece: http://ambergoulet-art.blogspot.com/2009/09/fun-begins-it-is-friday.html. Wow, I did a lot of posts about this piece. Here is the first post about this piece, way back to the event that inspired it: http://ambergoulet-art.blogspot.com/2009/09/preview-of-coming-attractions.html. So, now I've shared the last stage and you've seen the process start to finish. :)

Final Process
For this piece I wanted to add to the sense of foreboding by making the technique a bit more rough. I intentionally exposed the layering of papers and elements of the drawing in colored pencil sticks. I used angles within the composition and background elements in the image to increase the mood and add symbolism.

Here is the original post about the development of this idea: http://ambergoulet-art.blogspot.com/2010/07/hooded-sheep-disclaimer-this-post-is.html.  Now I am finally sharing the final illustration!

P.S. I finally realized the comments were restricted on my website. I've changed the settings, so feel free to add any comments!