Critical Investigation: Triptych

For this triptych, it was required that one canvas would be about who I am, how my culture or society affects me, and how I plan to
Donnelly, Brian. Heavy Lies the
Crown. 2015. Oil, Turpentine, Hand
Sanitizer on Canvas. Private Collection
give back to it. I knew I wanted to incorporate my environmental theme since I knew it would be easy to combine the prompt along
with my theme. I was at a loss for any ideas, so I began by researching triptych art to help with inspiration. I came across a triptych
of an impressionist landscape. This gave me the idea to create a triptych with a healthy landscape that slowly deteriorated into a
polluted landscape across the canvases. On the healthy side and polluted side would be me sitting, where they would be staring at
each other. I decided to ditch this idea after I stumbled upon Heavy Lies the Crown by Brian Donnelly. Donnelly uses turpentine and
hand sanitizer to create a colorful melting effect on faces, which is inspired by his interest in human identity and vulnerability.
Donnelly paints realistically to depict features flawlessly and then distorts the faces by melting them. When Donnelly uses turpentine
to create this effect, he describes it as “some days cathartic, other days deeply regretful. It’s a range of emotion, but that is part of
the whole thing: my ability to let go allows the work to speak to its limitations.” Seeing this melting effect and painting style inspired
the middle canvas. It inspired me to paint realistically with having my face “melting” or disintegrating to show who I am right now and
society’s effect on me due to pollution in the environment.

I decided to then have a healthy and polluted landscape on either side of this canvas. The healthy environment would
symbolize how I want to give back to our environment, because I want our environment to heal and become healthy again. The
polluted environment would symbolize and emphasize the effect pollution has on the environment. I knew I wanted to paint
these landscapes in a somewhat impressionist style. I knew how I’d paint the healthy landscape, as I have painted beautiful
impressionist landscapes before. For inspiration and technique guidance on how to paint the polluted landscape, I researched
impressionist cityscapes. This is when I came across Waterloo Bridge, Gray Weather by Claude Monet. Monet painted this as a
part of his London series, where he painted the Waterloo Bridge every morning. He observed the motifs and beauty of the
scene as he stood from his fifth-floor window at the Savoy Hotel. Monet commented on the fog in London and said “London
wouldn’t be a beautiful city. It’s the fog that gives it its magnificent breadth.” This inspired the idea to paint smoke stacks along a
body of water. I planned on using a similar brushstroke technique but with more vibrant and varied colors. I really like Monet’s
subtle use of orange throughout the painting, so I decided I would do this but not in such a subtle way.
Monet, Claude. Waterloo Bridge, Gray
Weather. 1900. Oil on Canvas. Art Institute of
“Brian Donnelly.” Brian Donnelly, www.briandonnelly.org/#21 Chicago, Chicago.
“Liquified Rainbow Portraits By Brian Donnelly.” IGNANTcom, www.ignant.com/2015/12/10/liquified-rainbow-portraits-by-brian-donnelly/.
​Monet, Claude.Waterloo Bridge, Gray Weather. 1900. Oil on Canvas. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago.
 Skills and Techniques: Triptych

Canvas Preparation: For each canvas, I began by quickly sketching out idea onto the
canvas. I did a rough sketch for each landscape. But for my face, I took a picture of
myself with the appropriate facial expression. I then printed out this picture as large as I
could and created a carbon copy. I did this by coloring in the back of it with pencil tracing
over the picture with pencil while it lied on the canvas. This allowed for the image to
transfer, leaving me with a perfect sketch of my face.

After I sketched out my idea onto each canvas, I began to paint. This of
course was the longest part of the process, and also the most challenging.
For each canvas, I began a pink wash in the background to help with the
painting process so no white would show through. I then started to paint not
exactly knowing where my painting would go. I sort of just had fun with the
process and made decisions along the way. I began painting the middle
canvas, then the last, and ended with painting the first. A quick strategy I
learned for my melting technique, the sky, and water was to squirt lines of
various desired paint colors directly onto the canvas. I took a large flat brush
and dipped it into some mineral spirits and just swiped across the canvas.
This created the impressionist look of long brushstrokes. The less I swiped
the brush, the more impressionist and unblended it looked. Which was good
for some areas. But for the sky, I swiped the brush more to blend the colors
a little more.
 Skills and Techniques: Triptych
I began with painting my face melting. I was very unsure about using this concept or being able to pull it off. This
ended up creating a very rough and experimental painting of my face melting. I experimented with too many different
textures, colors, and techniques. This lead to a painting I wasn’t satisfied with and I then ended up ditching this
canvas to start over on a blank one. However, with this first trial of painting my face I was able to discover a useful
technique that I used for each of the three paintings. This is where I discovered the quick strategy for my melting
technique, the sky, and water. I learned to squirt lines of various desired paint colors directly onto the canvas and
swipe across the canvas with a large flat brush dipped in some mineral spirits. This created the impressionist look of
long brushstrokes. The less I swiped the brush, the more impressionist and unblended it looked. Which was good for
some areas. But for the sky, I swiped the brush more to blend the colors a little more.

Reviewing, Refining, Reflecting: Triptych

Overall, I quite satisfied with my final piece. I think I effectively communicate my message while having a piece that find visually
aesthetic. My “melting” or disintegrating face shows who I am right now and society’s effect on me due to pollution in the
environment. The healthy environment to the left symbolizes how I want to give back to our environment because I want our
environment to heal and become healthy again. The polluted environment to the left symbolizes and emphasizes the effect
pollution has on the environment. I like how my facial expression and melting face symbolize my despondent emotions about
the deterioration of our society and environment while also showing the physical effects pollution has on humans. I feel like due
to my choice of hues and my facial expression effectively evokes a melancholic and grotesque mood to communicate a
personal message of my own but one that viewers can interpret. I think the similar hues I used in my melting face and in the
polluted water help unify the piece while also showing why I'm disintegrating to emphasize the effect of pollution to hopefully
encourage action. Furthermore, I'm very proud and satisfied with my blending throughout the piece. I like how I create
movement and unity by the use of certain hues.

My final piece connects to my inspirations because of how I painted realistically with having my face “melting” or disintegrating,
which is similar to Heavy Lies the Crown by Brian Donnelly. Because of this, my use of line and color are quite similar since I
decided to melt a face. Waterloo Bridge, Gray Weather by Claude Monet is similar to my piece as I used a similar brushstroke
technique which creates a sense of unity. However, I used more vibrant and varied colors. I really liked Monet’s subtle use of
orange throughout the painting, so I decided I would do this but not in such a subtle way.
 Skills and Techniques: “Approaching Acceptance”
After researching and arriving to a rough idea of what I wanted to create, I began sketching to have a more finalized idea. I
began with sketching a natural pose I often find myself in while contemplating or reminiscing, which was inspired by
Schiele's Seated Woman with Bent Knee. I then colored it in with colored pencils to map out the possible colors I would
use. I then drew this sketch on grey paper and practiced using the watercolor crayons in order to experiment with how to
use it before I began my final piece. While coloring this experimental drawing, I found that using the crayons alone were
difficult because they didn't offer any sharp edges I could use in more small or precise areas. This lead me to use the
crayons along with colored pencils, as the pencils could do more detail work and crayons could cover larger areas like the
skin and hair.

After my experimental drawing, I began the final piece by first sketching out the figure with a white chalk
pencil. I started coloring the eyes by using a violet blue for the outer iris, light blue for the middle to
create a gradation, black for the pupil and occasionally using white to help blend. I continued with
outlining the inner eyes with crimson, white for the waterline, and white and grey for the whites of the
eyes. I then continued by outlining the creases and shadows of the eyes with black and/or violet blue
colored pencil. After the eyes I roughly mapped out the highlights and shadows with white, burnt umber,
and black watercolor crayon. I then colored the facial skin with alternating between salmon pink, yellow,
and white crayon. I then moved onto the lips, which I first outlined in black and colored the lip creases in
black to create depth. I then went in with Crimson and White colored pencil, and finished it with Brilliant
Red crayon.

Once I finished the lips, I reinforced the highlight around the lips with white and created a cupid's
bow by using grey above the top lip that disrupted the white highlight. I then continued with the
nose and eyebrows, then finalized the skin by making sure to accurately color the highlights,
shadows, and any discoloration I wanted such as seen under the eyes. Once I felt like the face
was complete I moved onto coloring the hair with blue, violet blue, light blue, and mostly black. I
then finished my coloring the hand, neck, and shirt along with a slight color of blue, red, and green
in the background.
Skills, Techniques, Experimentation: “Approaching Acceptance”

I first experimented with oil pastel prior to

purchasing the crayons. I already had oil pastels
and so I wanted to see how they would work for
this project. I practiced with a simple portrait of
myself to get a feel for how they would work. I
discovered that I did not like them much because
it was hard to create detail and because of their
thick and oily texture, which is something I didn't
think would bother me. I did research into Fred
Hatt's work and discovered he used watercolor
crayon and so I thought these would solve any
issues. I then practiced using the watercolor
crayons in order to experiment with how to use it
before I began my final piece. I discovered that
the crayons alone were difficult because they
didn't offer any sharp edges I could use in more
small or precise areas. This lead me to use the
crayons along with colored pencils, as the pencils
could do more detail work and crayons could
cover larger areas like the skin and hair.
Refining, Reviewing, Reflecting: “Approaching Acceptance”
I'm very happy with my final piece because it turned out better than I had envisioned, especially since this is
the first I've worked with watercolor crayon. Furthermore, I think this piece successfully shows my battle to
acceptance. The color used is mostly dark, especially in my face and hair there's a lot of dark blues and black
that intensify my look to be more melancholic and somber. However, the contrast of the smile shows my ability
to find happiness and calmness despite the circumstances, which is a huge step for me and the step
necessary for acceptance. In addition, I tried to further communicate this by wearing a yellow shirt which is a
color often associated with happiness.

Fred Hatt inspired me to use aquarelle crayons since the oil pastels did not work out for me. In addition, Fred
Hatt’s portraits often included chaotic colors, textures, and lines, making the portrait look somber and
melancholic. This inspired me to do a portrait of myself in that similar technique because it helps to
communicate my acceptance as it’s a chaotic and melancholic journey to that stage which shows how I’m still
going through it and can’t fully accept yet. I think I used his style successfully, which took a few practices and
there's still room for improvement. But I think I found a second favorite medium besides paint, and I can't wait
to continue improving and evolving this technique. Egon Schiele's Seated Woman with Bent Knee looked as
though the subject was contemplating something in a calm and comfortable manner. This inspired me on how I
could further communicate my acceptance because I can contemplate life and it’s new possibilities due to the
loss in a more calm way, however I haven’t been able to fully embrace acceptance and thus wouldn’t show
myself completely carefree and happy.
Critical Investigation: “Man in Sorrow”

"Old Man in Sorrow" by Vincent Van Gogh "Daffodils And Tree Stump" by Lizzy Forrester
“150 years since Vincent van Goghs birth: 15 of his Forrester, Lizzy. “Daffodils And Tree Stump by Lizzy
best paintings.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Forrester.” Fine Art America,
Group, 30 Mar. 2013, www.telegraph.co.uk... fineartamerica.com/featured/daffodils…

My two inspirations include “Old Man in Sorrow” by Vincent Van Gogh and “Daffodils and Tree Stump” by Lizzy Forrester. For this
illustration, I had to recreate a piece of art and put it into our modern era to depict a negative aspect. Before starting, I knew I wanted
to do something impressionistic but I didn’t know how I wanted to depict a negative scene. So I simply began with researching Van
Gogh art and came across many probable pieces for inspiration. I then decided to use “Old Man in Sorrow” because I knew I could
easily show a negative modern adaption and because I loved the subject and style. Van Gogh suffered mental illness and seizure, so
he painted “Old Man in Sorrow” to reflect his condition and his belief of how all of mankind lived with uncertainty. However, for my
piece I wanted to reflect a different idea about modern society. The next step was figuring out how to make this a negative modern
adaption. Upon further research, I came across “Daffodils and Tree Stump” by Lizzy Forrester. The tree stump triggered an idea,
where I could have the setting behind the old man be many tree stumps to depict a deforested area. Which is a huge problem today,
as many locations today are deforested. This would depict the old man’s lament towards the environment, which can be a metaphor
for anyone’s sorrow towards the subject such as myself, elders, etc. I then began sketches, where I knew I wanted my subject to be
the same old man. Thus, I use similar color, line, and texture within the old man of my sketches and final piece in order to convey the
same depressing emotion and style. In addition, I use a similar color, line, and texture throughout the background and sky of my final
piece to continue with the same emotion and style. Furthermore, I based all my tree stumps and the grass off of “Daffodils and Tree
Stump” by Lizzy Forrester. I used a similar color, line, and texture from her piece as it went well with the mood and style. Lizzy
Forrester is a modern artist who specializes in impressionist art.
 Skills and Techniques: “Man in Sorrow”
Sketch on illustration
Sketch in sketch book board
I began by doing research in order to inspire an idea. I
researched many paintings and went through many ideas before
I came across "Man in Sorrow" by Vincent Van Gogh. Once I
saw this painting, I knew that I wanted to use this and that I
could easily turn it into a negative modern adaption as it was
already depressing. Then, once I saw “Daffodils and Tree
Stump” by Lizzy Forrester, it immediately occurred to me how I
could use this to demonstrate a negative in today's society. My
mind immediately jumped to using the old weeping man while
have a deforested area by having a bunch of tree stumps behind
him in order to demonstrate the lament felt due to the
deteriorating environment. I then began to sketch out this idea,
and it actually turned out to my liking. After the planning
sketches I had to draw a finalized sketch onto the illustration
board. With this sketch I made sure to be more precise and
detailed in order to make it easier for me to paint. In order to be
more precise, I drew the old man with a reference picture next to
me and drew carefully and lightly. Similar with the tree stumps, I
had a picture of an old tree stump and "Daffodils and Tree
Stump" to serve a reference for myself.
After sketching, I began to paint. I first started with a watercolor
wash to serve as a base coat and make it easier to paint without
leaving any of the white of the board behind. Then I mixed some
colors together, and began with painting the old man. I first outlined
the man with a dark blue, then began painting him with small
strokes to create an impression. This was very time consuming as
I later realized that it would be faster to have a darker and thicker
coat of blue paint for a base coat. Then simply go over this was the
small strokes of various tones of blue. After I finished the man, I
started to outline the hills and painted the sky with small strokes of
various warm and cool colors. In the sky, I wanted to used more
cool colors to contribute with the despondent mood, and almost
make it look like the darker cool hues were consuming the sun and
brightness as if to show the deterioration of happiness. I then
moved onto painting the stumps by painting with long thin strokes.
In order to continue with the despondent mood, I wanted to make
the stumps look dirty and almost rotten. Thus, I used dark brown,
dark blue, burnt sienna, red, yellow, and even some green. For the
grass, I used a variety of dark green, light green, yellow, burnt
sienna, and blue. To create the texture I have, I used a patting
motion with the side of a flat brush and sometimes the tip of it.
Skills and Techniques: “Pandemonium”
I began by having a friend of mine take several photos of me, until I was satisfied with one to
use for my portrait. I already knew that I wanted the background of my portrait to be similar
that of "The Scream," thus I knew that the photo of myself should express sadness, anxiety,
and/or stress. I tried taking photos of myself screaming to fit with "The Scream," however, I
didn't like any of these photos and preferred to not paint myself screaming. Therefore, this is
why I chose to do a more subtle pose. In addition, Untitled by Ivana Besevic also inspired me
to do a pose like this that evoked despondency and anxiety. Next, I sketched out my self-
portrait idea. All I did was first sketch out myself to see of that was the position I wanted to go
with. This way I found out that my right hand looked awkward to me in that position, so I
decided to simply put the arm to my side. Then, I mapped out the sketch of "The Scream" in
the background. I then had to somehow accurately sketch out my portrait onto my canvas. I
did this by taking the photo I wanted to paint, and putting it full-screen onto a laptop. This
way, I was able to connect a projector to the laptop and project this photograph onto the
canvas. Then, I simply traced the image that was projected.

This of course was the longest part of the process, and also the most
challenging. I began with painting a pink wash in the background, as I
thought this to be somewhat of a neutral color to help with the painting
process so no white would show through. The pink wash was also kind
of accidental, I wanted more of a brown with a slight pink tint to it. But I
left it as I knew I'd paint over it anyway. I then started to paint the face
and hair. I originally wanted to paint my face in an impressionistic style
like in Van Gogh's self portrait. However, this wasn't turning out the way
I wanted. Thus, I ditched that idea and decided to do what I'm most
comfortable doing and paint my face in a Baroque style. However, I
wanted the rest of my painting to be impressionist. I then moved onto
painting my hair, which I did by using long brushstrokes of various warm
colors to create an impression. ​Using a similar method, I painted the
background while referencing "The Scream" as I wanted to use the
same background in order to help express a similar mood of chaos and
anxiety to aid with my theme and message. Then I painted my shirt by
using the same method.
Critical Investigation: “Pandemonium”
For my self portrait I knew I wanted an impressionist style, at least in
the background. So I began by researching impressionist art to help
with inspiration, and I came across Self Portrait by Vincent Van Gogh.
This inspired me to do my self portrait completely in an impressionist
style similar to Van Gogh's. However, while painting my piece I
completely ditched painting my face in an impressionist style as it was
too difficult for me. Instead, I decided to paint my face in a style that I
was comfortable with while having the rest of the piece be
impressionist. Nonetheless, Van Gogh's Self Portrait still inspired me to
paint a similar portrait in regards that I used a similar pose that
included my shoulders and with an impressionist background. Van Self Portrait by Vincent "The Scream" by
Gogh painted self portraits because he couldn't afford to pay for Van Gogh Edvard Munch
models and didn't have enough commissions, thus he painted his own ​“Self-Portrait - Vincent "Emotional
portraits which also helped him develop his skills. In addition, the van Gogh.” Google Arts & Images." Scholastic
background seen in my self portrait was inspired by Edvard Munch's Culture, Google, Art. Dec, 1993: 3. Print.
"The Scream." I wanted to also use a similar background and color www.google.com/cultural..
scheme as this piece because I used this piece as inspiration in a
previous piece, which is why I wanted to use it again and because I
thought the color scheme would go perfect with communicating my
theme and message. The piece “The Scream” is perfect with helping to
evoke my message, as the bright and intense colors were seen as
radical and gloomy while the screaming figure represented Munch's
anxiety and other troubling experiences. Furthermore, I researched
more and came across the artist Ivana Besevic. She most often does
digital portraits of female celebrities. The piece above by Ivana Besevic
inspired me to paint my portrait with a similar pose and facial
expression, because the pose seen above expresses anxiety,
sadness, and exhaustion. These are similar emotions I wanted to
express to aid with communicating my theme and message. When
seeing this piece, it helped me figure out how to pose when taking a
Untitled by Ivana Besevic
picture. I decided that I needed to look distressed and sad, in which
Marie-Eve. “Artist Spotlight: Ivana Besevic.” Haute
covering my face with my hand would help.
Punch Magazine, 24 Aug. 2016,
hautepunch.com/artist…
Skills and Techniques: “Man in Deathbed”
Collecting Materials
I began with collecting plastic bags for the life-size figure, however I didn't give myself enough time to collect
these bags and thus ended up buying more. In addition, I collected my household's recycling from the past two
weeks. I would use this recycling for the installation part. The installation would essentially be a scene of a bed
made of trash bags and other lose recycling, which would also resemble a pile of trash that you'd see in a land
fill, a dumpster, etc. The trash bags would be filled with this recycling in order to support the life-size figure in a
laying down position. Then I would add additional lose recycling in the front to make the scene look more
chaotic and messy. I then had to start collecting materials for the armature of the piece. I first went to a nearby
art supplies store to get the mannequin head, as I knew I would need this.

However, during the time I went to shop for the mannequin head I was still unsure of how I was going
to construct my armature. The next day or so, I drew a sketch of the armature to determine the
materials I would need and what size they would be. I determined that I would need:

Roll of wire for the hands

6 - 12'' pieces of wire for the neck
4 - 18" metal pieces for the top of legs
2 - 16" metal pieces for the bottom of the legs
2 - 12" metal pieces for the top of the arms
4 - 10" metal pieces for the forearms and feet
2 - 20" metal pieces for the frame of the torso
1 - 18" wood piece for the frame of the torso
1 - 16" wood piece for the frame of the torso​

Once I determined these materials and sizes, I wrote a list for my dad. This way he was able to obtain
these materials from the waste pile at the factory he worked at. Everything wasn't the right size so we
later had to cut some pieces. He also obtained enough nuts and bolts in order to attach the pieces
together and act as joints, which allowed for the figure to bend however I wanted.
Skills and Techniques: “Man in Deathbed”
Constructing

This was the most time consuming and difficult step of the process. First, I had to screw together
the armature. To do this, I began with drilling holes in the metal and wood pieces. Which was very
time consuming and troublesome as I have never drilled through metal before. Once everything
was drilled, I pieced the figure together by screwing in the nuts and bolts. I then got the wire and
stuck it through the mannequin head and tied it to the frame of the torso. Then I took the roll of
wire and twisted together the hands, and tied them through a hole in the forearm. ​The next step
was to build upon the armature with the plastic bags. I did this by first tying together several bags
around the neck, torso, arms, legs, and feet. This was to serve as filler for the body. Then I
started gluing additional trash bags onto this. I liked how the hot glue melted the trash bags, I
thought this added a texture that looked creepy since it looked melted.

Once I finished putting trash bags onto the figure, I began constructing the installation. First, I
filled several black trash bags with my household recycling. I had to set aside some of this
recycling so I could later lay it down. I ended up running out of recycling to put in the trash bags,
so some bags either have old clothes in them or are simply filled with air. I even found some old
boxes from other products, I decided to use these in addition to the trash bags. I then took the
trash bags and boxes and arranged them into a rectangle, which would serve as the bed. I then
laid the figure down onto this. I had to rearrange some bags, because I wanted the figure to sit up
on an angle. I then took the recycling I set aside and laid some down in the front to make the
scene look messy. I look some newspaper and crumbled up some and threw it down, put down
sheets of newspaper, and randomly placed down other wrappers and plastic bottles. Once this
was all complete, I decided that I didn't like the bare wall behind the scene as the wall didn't really
fit in. To solve this, I taped white trash bags to the wall to make the installation look more
complete.
 Skills and Techniques: “Man in Deathbed”
Experimenting

I experimented a lot during this project. For example, I went through and experimented several different ideas before coming up with my
final idea. In addition, I experiment with the hot glue as this created many different textures. For instance, you can see this on the face of
the figure where the texture is much more rough and melted than the rest of the body. I decided that I wanted this texture for the face, as
this helped create a facial expression and made it look more grotesque. I didn't do this throughout the body because it would've taken too
much glue and may have taken away the features of the trash bags, since I wanted the figure to look like it was made from trash bags.

I also experimented with the lighting of the installation. I first positioned it as seen on the first photo in the slideshow to the left. This position created a shadow that
exposed a silhouette of the head and trash bags, which I found aesthetic and effective with portraying my theme and mood. However, I thought about it and realized
that it was sort of rather distracting to the installation. Therefore, I decided to position the light to light up the entire installation in order to effectively show everything in
the installation.
 Refining, Reviewing, Reflecting: “Man in Deathbed”
Overall I am pleased with how the final piece turned out, it was pretty much how I expected it to look but even better than I thought. Especially considering this is my first
working with trash bags as a medium, and even my first time using tool to constructing something out of wood and metal. I feel like I accomplished what I wanted to
communicate very well. I think that the installation resembles a corpse on a bed, which helps with portraying the mood I wanted that evokes a sense of horror. In addition, the
medium I used only helps to enforce the theme I wanted to communicate which depicts the harm mankind has inflicted onto the environment and our health due to our waste
and pollution. I'm also pleased with how I was able to overcome my struggles, which included constructing the armature. My final piece has an obvious connection to the work
of Khalil Chishtee, as I used the same medium and achieve the same form and texture that Chistee has within his life-size figures. This is done by using trash bags to create a
3-dimensional figure, and by the use of hot glue and ripped trash bags to create a rough and melted texture. In addition, I use a similar mood as seen in theCopenhagen Ice
Bear, where there is a similar horror seen as they both portray the decay of health and death due to waste and pollution created by mankind. Lastly, there is a similar emphasis
on the subject portrayed in my piece and in the Study of the Head of a Corpse by Charles Emile Champmartin. These similar subjects evoke a similar eerie mood, as they both
show a corpse.

This project was assigned and critiqued by UW-Milwaukee, which was an extremely
helpful experience that allowed me to grow as an artist. Having my work critiqued at
UWM was a wonderful experience, as it has helped me grow as an artist and even feel
proud about my own work. The professors that reviewed my work seemed unsure of
what I was exactly trying to communicate until I revealed what my actual intentions
were. They both were not able to completely see that the figure within this piece was
dead, rather they saw it as asleep. Because of this, this communicated my message
incorrectly. They said that my message and theme wasn't that off after I explained it, it
was simply hard to understand my message fully because my figure looked asleep.
Furthermore, the professors made it clear that every single choice an artist makes is
intentional and communicates something about the piece. I never really thought about
this, but it made me consider this more so. This is because when making art I'm not
always thinking about every little decision I make and how it will impact my piece as a
whole, however, I now know to consider this.
Critical Investigation: “A Cry for Help”
I began by researching art from the Art Nouveau movement as inspiration for block print. But
after realizing that fine lines were not ideal in creating block print, I decided to leave the Art
Nouveau design idea for drypoint. However, once I revisited my initial sketch for block print that
was inspired by Art Nouveau I decided I didn’t like it anymore. Consequently, I started
researching different types of artists from Art Nouveau such as Gustav Klimt and Alphonse
mucha. I created a sketch inspired off of these two artists but I didn't like it either because it
wasn’t communicating the theme I wanted. It was showing more of the connection humans
have with the Earth, rather than the Earth deteriorating. Thus, I began researching art from
Edvard Munch because I’ve always like his expressionistic style which I thought would be perfect
for drypoint since I knew I could use thin and scratchy lines. I liked his work more because I
wanted to create something that was more raw with a somber message, as seen in my block
print. The piece “The Scream” was perfect with displaying this type of message, as his bright
and intense colors were seen as radical and gloomy while the screaming figure represented
Munch's anxiety and other troubling experiences. Thus, I knew I wanted to emulate the theme
and message expressed. I knew I would use a feminine subject who was screaming while having
wounds to express a similar somber mood. In addition to this, I liked Munch’s use of line which
created a sort of impressionist feel. I then decided I wanted to use line in a similar way, which is
why the woman and background is drawn using thin scratchy lines. Furthermore, Munch’s style
reminded me of Vincent Van Gogh’s post-impressionist style. I then started researching Van
Gogh’s art and of course came across "Starry Night." During the time Van Gogh created "Starry
Night," he was living in Arles, France. This city greatly inspired many of his pieces, including
"Starry Night," due to how bright and colorful the city was. Because of this, his style became
more loose and expressive. I've always loved "Starry Night," thus I decided I wanted to
incorporate aspects of this painting within my piece. For instance, I wanted to incorporate his
use of movement and line. Where Van Gogh used short lines to make up the painting, in which
the placement of these lines created movement. I love this use of movement, so I decided to
use this movement and line within the background of my piece.
Skills and Techniques:“A Cry for Help”
The first three sketch's were inspired by the movement Art Nouveau, however I didn't
like any of the sketches inspired by this. Thus, after the third sketch I decided to start
researching other artists such as painter Francis Bacon and photographer Alex
Stoddard. These two artists inspired the fourth sketch, which I liked better but not
completely. Since many of Francis Bacon's art included screaming subjects, I had my
subject be a screaming woman. However, this screaming woman as a subject reminded
me of "The Scream" by Edvard Munch. Which I decided to research instead and base
my fifth sketch off of. But my fifth sketch wasn't detailed enough and was quite dry. I
tried to figure out how to make it more detailed, and decided I needed a more
shadowing within the woman and a less boring background. I gave a second look at
"The Scream," and Munch’s style reminded me of Vincent Van Gogh’s post-
impressionist style. I then started researching Van Gogh’s art and of course came
across “Starry Night,” where I decided I wanted to incorporate Van Gogh’s use of
movement and line within the background.

After I created my finalized sketch, I began to etch in my design into a

plastic etching plate using a triangular scraper. To do this, I simply took
my plate and placed it over my sketch and essentially traced my
drawing. However, there were times where I would take the plate off
the sketch and put it onto a dark surface so I could see my etching
marks. This is when I would fix areas as I could see them better, but
this is also when I sort of went free hand with the triangular scraper.
This is seen within the background, where it doesn't completely match
my drawing.
 Skills and Techniques:“A Cry for Help”

To begin printing, I soaked a couple

pieced of paper in water for a few
minutes. I set this aside while I worked
putting the ink into my plate. I did this by
spreading a small amount of oil-based
ink onto by plate with a spatula. Then, I
took pieces of paper to wipe off the
excess ink and while working the ink into
the grooves I etched. Once this was
done, I took out a piece of paper and
dried it off with a towel and wiped off
excess lint. Then, I took a piece of
normal drawing paper and set my plate
onto that. I set this on the printing press
and carefully placed my damp piece of
paper on the plate. Then I fed this
through the press. I repeated this step
two more times until I was satisfied with a
print.
Trial 1
Trial 3

Trial 2
Experimentation & Reflection:“A Cry for Help”
After I created a couple prints I decided to
experiment with water color paints. Since the
background of this piece is inspired by "Starry
Night," I used similar colors seen in that painting
within the background of my piece. For example, I
used different shades of blues, greens, and yellow.
I had to experiment with the paint to figure out how
to make different shades, which was simply a
matter of adding more or less water. In addition, for
the woman I used similar warm color scheme as
seen in "The Scream." I ended up using different
tones of reds, browns, and yellows. This also
created a contrast against the background, which I
liked. After this, I then decided to add brown within
the background to create a contrast to my own
personal liking. Once I finished painting, I decided
that I liked the black and white version better even
though the one in color looks good as well.
I am happy with my final piece for the most part, as it
turned out better than what I had originally sketched. I
ended up adding more precise detail within the background
from what I had originally sketched within my final sketch,
which I think makes my piece look better and more
complete. However, the only thing I do not like is how I
portrayed my message of the Earth deteriorating. I feel as
though I could have shown a better way to depict the
woman as being the Earth, as the car in the background
seems to deviate from my message. Although, it is
suppose to represent of one the things that are harming the
Earth as it implies how it will run over the woman. I also
feel like some areas of the background were etched too
much, making it look like there were blotches of ink. Next
time, I would want to exhibit my message in a way that was
easier to connect and create less negative space so detail
could be seen better in certain areas. Furthermore, I also
liked the mood my piece portrayed which was inspired by
Edvard Munch where his bright and intense colors were
seen as radical and somber while the screaming figure
represented Munch's anxiety and other troubling
experiences. Thus, I emulated this message by also using
a screaming figure for the subject and using similar colors
within my experimental piece. In addition to this, used line
in a similar way as Munch did, where the woman and
background are drawn using thin scratchy lines.
Furthermore, I used "Starry Night" as inspiration where I
incorporated his use of movement and line. Van Gogh used
short lines to make up the painting, in which the placement
of these lines created movement. I love this use of
movement, so I decided to use this movement and line
within the background of my piece.
 Critical Investigation: “Depression”
For this project I wanted to use watercolor, however, I wanted to use watercolor paper this time because I like the
style and the texture it creates. I also knew that I wanted to paint a female nude laying down to depict my
depression stage. This would also deviate from the self portraits I’ve been creating to depict the stages of grief,
making the process more exciting for me. I began by researching watercolor nudes, and found videos of people
painting nudes in watercolor. This taught me the technique of how to use watercolor on watercolor paper, especially
when it came to painting figures. I then continued to research nude art, and I came across the artist Fred Hatt. In a
particular series known as Opening the Closed Pose, Hatt created nudes of people to depict the vulnerability of
certain poses which express sadness, exhaustion, and even comfort. He used poses that extenuated the subject’s
bones along with the use of chaotic colors, textures, and lines, making the piece more horrid or melancholic. Hatt
explains that his art is “an art of movement, rhythm, and feeling.” This inspired how I would communicate depression
with the position of the body and with the use of texture, line, and color.

Hatt, Fred. Spinous Process. 2008.

Aquarelle crayon on paper. Private
Collection.

Earlier this year I went to Gallery Night & Day in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward. Here I found many local artists that were
inspiring for my work, such as Karen Williams-Brusubardis who paints unique types of impressionist landscapes. Karen
Williams-Brusubardis explains that her paintings are a reflection of her mind's journey through her childhood adventures,
which shows how memory and imagination collide. Foliage Particulates 2 Pathway particularly inspired the use of color
and shape, I then planned on using cool hues like violets and blues within the background and shadows to communicate a
feeling of depression. In addition this inspired the use of circular shapes in the background to add a dreamlike element to
communicate how depression disassociates people from reality especially from the increased amount of sleep. Fred Hatt’s Williams-Brusubardis,
art, particularly Spinous Process, inspired the how I’d position my figure and how I’d use color, texture, and line. Foliage Karen. FoliageParticulates 2
Particulates 2 Pathway inspired how I’d use color in the background and in the shadows, and how I’d use shape to Pathway. 2016. Acrylic on Canvas.
convey a dreamlike reality to show how depression creates another reality due to the disassociation it causes. Private Collection.
 Skills and Techniques : “Depression”

After researching and arriving to a rough idea of what I wanted to create, I began sketching to have a
more finalized idea of what I would paint. I began with sketching a child pose figure, similar to that
of Spinous Process. I then colored it in with colored pencils to map out the possible colors I would use, I
used colored pencil on black paper just for fun. I then drew this sketch on watercolor paper and painted it
in order to experiment with using watercolor and to see if I truly would like this position. After I completed
this experimental painting, I decided I wanted to use a different position that was more graceful and
looked exhausting. This child pose didn't seem depressing, it could rather be interpreted as a calming or
begging position. ​I then started to sketch a new idea in which this position was laying down, I decided
that a position laying down expressed exhaustion and therefore an indication of depression. Once I had a
final sketch drawn, I sketched this onto my piece of watercolor paper. I did this by drawing with reference
of my sketch and observing the way my body looked laying down. Once I finished the sketch, I applied a
thin layer of water onto the paper with a flat brush. This way the watercolor hues would easily blend into
each other while having a watery texture.
 Skills, Techniques, Experimentation: “Depression”
As mentioned before, I began with sketching a child
pose figure, similar to that of Spinous Process. After
completing this sketch, I then drew this sketch on
watercolor paper and painted it in order to experiment
with using watercolor and to see if I truly would like this
position. This stage was essential for me because it
helped me learn how to use watercolor and also helped
me decide that I wanted to use a different position. One
thing I learned was that it's important to maintain the
white paper for the highlights because it's almost
impossible to achieve a highlight once the paper is
painted with a darker color because white paint cannot
simply be added unlike when using other paints. This is
why you can see prominent white paint, I used white
acrylic paint because that was the only way for me to
create highlight since I painted with darker colors. I also
found a helpful method to speed up the drying process
and used an electric hair dryer.
To begin painting, I first applied a thin layer of orange watercolor. I made sure to mix enough water with the orange
because I didn't want it to be too dark and only add more orange where I wanted my shadows. Through my
experimental process I learned that it's important to maintain the white paper for the highlights because it's almost
impossible to achieve a highlight once the paper is painted with a darker color because white paint cannot simply
be added unlike when using other paints. Once this layer was complete I had to let it dry because letting the paint
dry in between layer is essential, this won't allow paint to run into each other and make a more precise painting. To
speed up the drying process, I found a helpful method that I learned from my experimental stage and used an
electric hair dryer which is why the paint runs everywhere in the first process photo. I then began adding thin
washes of crimson where I found necessary and began outlining the body and adding washes of burnt umber for
the shadows. I let this dry and added a wash of phthalo blue to outline the body's shadows because I wanted the
shadows to be blue to communicate a sense of depression. Once this thoroughly dried, I outlined the body with the
same blue to strengthen the lines. Once I was done with the body I began with painting the background a mixture
of phthalo blue, violet, and black. I liked the background from my previous painting in which the paint was running
down off the canvas. I decided I wanted the same effect, in which the paint would be running down from the body
to create a texture that looked like tears. I did this by using a large amount of water on the brush to allow the paint
to run down the canvas. Once the background dried, Foliage Particulates 2 Pathway inspired me to shaped
where I added white circles to create a dreamlike element. I did this by taking a fan brush and saturating it with
white watercolor paint, I then ran my finger through the brush to make the paint spew onto the paper.
Critical Investigation: “Denial”
For my senior art, I wanted to focus on the stages of grief because I recently
experienced the loss of a loved one. I thought this would help me express myself
during the process. The story of this particular piece is sort of unique. Before my
relative had passes, I was researching symbols of life and death for this project
because I wanted to symbolize the two roads our environment could take depending
on our human behaviors. I found that crows, moths, and owls symbolized death.
Minutes after finding this, I get news that my relative is in the ICU. I try to not freak
out and go about my day since I couldn't do anything about it that moment. I walk
into a different room of my house to try to get some work done, and I look up and see
a huge moth on the ceiling. There was no apparent way that moth could have gotten
into the house since that room had all the windows and the door closed. This is
when something immediately told me what that meant, that my relative didn’t make
Kollowitz, Käthe. Self- it. But being the naive person I am, I refused to believe such a sign and gave myself
hope every time I visited them in the ICU. A few days later, I find out the moth was
Portrait with Hand on
truly trying to tell me something. Or maybe it was my relative… This story is what
Forehead. 1910. Etching.
inspired the use of moths and me denying their meaning. I began by researching
moths, so I could observe their shape to successfully draw one. I found Early
Grey by Sarah Gillespie, which inspired the shape in which I drew the moths. The
next artist that came to mind was Kathe Kollowitz, as she was a renowned
expressionist artist who often depicted pain and grief in her subjects. This is due to
the loss of her son during WWI, which is what inspired the recurring subject of
mourning. To depict such a somber subject, she used dense lines and dark
contrasts. These aspects are what I made sure to use within my piece. Her
piece Self Portrait with Hand on Forehead, inspired me to depict the similar pose
and facial expression to communicate the pain I felt. In addition, I knew I needed a
way to communicate the denial I was feeling and I thought the pose Kathe Kollowitz
used in this piece was perfect as it looks like the subject was ignoring their
surroundings. I decided from this that I would use a similar pose with a background
Gillespie, Sarah. Early of swarming moths to symbolize how I ignored the message of the moths, but also
Grey. 2018. Charcoal and how I am still in a state of denying death due to its oddity and suddenness.
Watercolor on paper.
Private Collection..
 Skills, Techniques, Experimentation: “Denial”
I settled on the idea that I would depict me in distress, making sure to draw my hands in face in
order to depict the similar pose from Self Portrait with Hand on Forehead to communicate the
pain I felt. This would also help communicate the denial I was feeling because it looks like I'm
ignoring my surroundings. I knew I wanted to have a swarm of moths behind me along with them
crawling on me. However, I had to experiment with different backgrounds because I wanted there
to be a reason for a swarm of moths. An obvious reason would be a light source, as this attracts
moths. I tried using a desk lamp, but decided against this. I decided the light bulb in the back
gave a more somber and mysterious mood. After I created my finalized sketch, I began to etch in
my design into a plastic etching plate using a triangular scraper. To do this, I simply took my plate
and placed it over my sketch and essentially traced my drawing. However, there were times
where I would take the plate off the sketch and put it onto a dark surface so I could see my
etching marks. This is when I would fix areas as I could see them better, but this is also when I
sort of went free hand with the triangular scraper. This is seen within the background, where it
To begin printing, I soaked a couple pieced of paper in water for a few minutes. I set doesn't completely match my drawing.
this aside while I worked putting the ink into my plate. I did this by spreading a small
amount of oil-based ink onto by plate with a spatula. Then, I took pieces of paper to
wipe off the excess ink and while working the ink into the grooves I etched. Once this
was done, I took out a piece of paper and dried it off with a towel and wiped off
excess lint. Then, I took a piece of normal drawing paper and set my plate onto that.
I set this on the printing press and carefully placed my damp piece of paper on the
plate. Then I fed this through the press. I repeated this step two more times until I
was satisfied with a print. My first print did not turn out well because the ink came out
very light. I realized this was because the printing device wasn't tight enough and
because I wiped too much ink off. With the next print, I used more ink and tightened
the printing device. However, I must have used too much ink as it came out
smudged. To obtain the right print, it was just a matter of adjusting the amount of ink
and making sure everything was clean throughout the process. I also experimented
with watercolors and I tried a hint of yellow around the light bulb. I thought this
helped communicate it was a light bulb, but decided it wasn't necessary. The yellow
didn't serve too much of a purpose and I decided I liked the colorless print.
 Experimentation & Reflection: “Anger”
I’m very happy with my final piece, it turned out well and I’m happy that I was able to
learn how to use a new medium and style. In addition, I think it effectively communicates
my message of anger. The facial expression along with the use of movement, color, and
line help to communicate this emotion of anger. The facial expression and use of vibrant
red and orange hues obviously help communicate this, as the expression and colors are
often associated with anger. I think the use of line and movement help communicate this
emotion of anger, as the movement of the lines are chaotic which helps communicate a
sense of anger. The use of movement, line, and color were inspired by Nikos Gyftakis,
who specializes in large portrait paintings with a psychedelic style. He uses a
combination of unrealistic colors and an exaggerated use of line to achieve this style,
which emphasizes the subject’s facial expression. To emulate this style, I drew along
with a reference photo of Gyftakis' work so I could study the use of movement and color.
Thus, the use of movement, line, and color are similar. The hyperbolic lines, movement,
and unrealistic color express a sense of chaos which creates a mood associated with
anxiety or anger. Within my piece, it’s more connected to expressing anger
whereas Gyftakis’ work is more connected to anxiety. I think this is due to contrasts in
texture, where my texture is more rough which creates a more angry mood.
I had to experiment a lot with this project, hence why there’s so many planning sketches. I was
very reluctant to try a new medium and style because I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off, so I
began by experimenting with using the colored pencils in the pyschedelic style seen in Gyftakis'
work. I did this by drawing along with a reference photo of Gyftakis' work so I could study the
use of movement and color. I ended up being satisfied with how it turned out, so I decided I
would for sure use colored pencils. However, the colored pencils weren’t vibrant enough alone.
This made me decide to also use some chalk pastel pencils because they were more
vibrant, which helps to emphasize certian areas that the colored pencils weren’t doing. I was
also reluctant to use black paper because I had never used it and wasn’t sure if I could pull it off.
I then had to experiment with using the black paper in a sketch before I proceeded with using it,
and to also experiment with using chalk pastel pencils with the colored pencils. I also
experimented with using a more intense facial expression, while practicing the psychedelic
technique with both colored pencils and chalk pastels. This sketch turned out better than my
expectations and I decided this would be how my final piece would look. Experimenting was a
fun and vital process to creating my final piece and it even helped me learn a new technique
with a new medium, which makes me even more proud about my final piece.
The facial expression and
black background I use is
similar to the expression seen
in Francis Bacon’s Study for a
Portrait. In addition, I use color
similarly due to the
juxtaposition of the black
background and with the use
of vibrant colors to emphasize
an emotion. All of these
elements help to communicate
a similar emotion of anger.
Skills, Techniques, Experimentation: “Bargaining”
After I made my canvas, I had to prime it with gesso. This is a very important step as it helps preserve the paint,
and it must be done right otherwise it can warp the canvas. Therefore, when I applied gesso I made sure to
apply it evenly in one session. I also had to make sure to gesso the sides of the canvas, and to let it dry in a
safe place where nothing would poke it or anything. ​In addition to this, I had to apply watercolor ground since I
wasn't using watercolor paper. Watercolor ground makes the canvas more absorbent. After applying the ground,
I had to let it cure for at least 24 hours. I then sketched out my portrait onto my canvas. I did this by taking the
photo I wanted to paint, and putting it full-screen onto a laptop. This way, I was able to connect a projector to the
laptop and project this photograph onto the canvas. Then, I simply traced the image that was projected.
Next, I began painting. This was the most time-consuming and challenging stage. I immediately noticed the
difference when using watercolor, which made it easier and yet also very challenging. What made it more
challenging was how it needed to be painted in layers otherwise the paint would just run into each other rather
than blend, making it look splotchy. It was necessary for each layer to dry before putting another layer because
then there would be too much water and it would make the paint lift.

Before I began my final piece I wanted to have some

Also it was hard to bring highlights back because the
paint was basically transparent, it was easier to only
make the painting darker. This was frustrating at times,
but I simply just had to be patient and let it dry. This
was something I wasn't used to because I'm use to oil
paint which can tolerate several layers without needing
to dry. For my painting process I began with a pink
under tone, for this I used crimson red and thinned it
out in areas to made pink. After letting this dry I began
to add skin tones, which included burnt umber, peach,
and titanium white. I used a combination of ratios or
the pure color itself to use as skin tones. I painted
alongside a photo of myself to make sure I was
correctly painting the shadows and highlights.
practice with watercolor since I have never used it
before. I used a smaller 8''x 11'' canvas and drew a
small carbon copy of the photo I'd use for my final. I
began with the background to get a better idea of how
I'd paint the background for my final piece. This is
where I experimented with a "watercolor" texture. This
is where I basically used a large amount of water on the
brush to allow the paint to run down the canvas, which
was a texture I liked and did later use in the
background of my final piece. I then began to paint my
face, using a similar process I explained in my painting
process. Once I felt confident enough with using
watercolor, I began my final piece without finishing this
small piece because it only really served as a
practice piece.