1. Define which techniques you tried and mastered? Struggled? 2. How did you draw inspiration from other artists techniques or aesthetics in your work? In what ways did you derive meaning or gain historical perspectives from their work? Why these artists? 3. Describe the evolution of your piece. Decisions made. Compositional elements. 4. If you could consider doing something over, explain why you would do this and what you would do next time? 5. Elaborate on how this piece links with your other pieces? What is the common thread?
1. A technique that I had tried to incorporate within my composition was the utilization of watercolor in a controlled manner. This meant that I was experimenting with the amount of water I was using when diluting or adding colors to my watercolors. I was able to master this technique throughout my painting. Additionally, I was also challenged during this project by the waiting process. Usually, when I work with watercolor I find it difficult to wait for the water color to dry and continue my piece. However, this time I allocated my time to different parts of the painting as I waited as not to mix my colors. This allowed me to take more time in certain parts of my drawing. 2. I had drawn inspiration from several artists I follow on Instagram (such as Margaret Morales). Within many of their drawings these artists incorporate the anime style of drawing while focusing on women in an elegant and beautiful fashion. I had personally found their drawings and paintings to be incredibly thoughtful while portraying the backgrounds or emotions of their subject. Thus I had also wanted to do a similar form of art. Within my own composition I thought about which aspects and details to added in order to highlight the woman's story. 3. Throughout my creation process, I had first created the woman in a different position and more centered. However, further contemplation I found the composition to be boring and lacking in movement. Then I created this draft in which the woman was in a different position. In order to add more layers to this composition in different areas I decided to add leaves, additionally I thought that the leaves, when wilted and yellow, would complement the mermaid's tail more. The green of the trees would also complement the blue. However, the mermaid's purpose for simply floating in the water was unclear to me, thus I placed her in the zoo. After painting my mermaid I still felt her identity was too ambiguous and decided to add tattoos and a black shawl/scarf, aspects not commonly seen on mermaids. 4. If I had the opportunity to do this piece again I would fix the word "caution." Additionally, I would consider perspective for this composition more, I would either consider putting the leaves out of focus more or the mermaid. 5. This piece links to my theme of identity and incorporates the mythical aspects of my pieces through first focusing on mermaids and secondly on entrapment or a loss of identity. This theme is portrayed within this composition as the mermaid, beautifully decorated with aspects of her identity is kept inside a zoo and unable to help herself. The message of this piece is the entrapment of the things that people may deem as beautiful and the lack of change in such situations. This applies to a loss of identity depending on the desires of society.