Tag: #Challenge 1

The Art Laneway to My Creativity

This challenge is my opportunity for self-reflection, creativity and a way to share something about my art journey with others, in the following steps:

1. First up I will complete a River Reflection, identifying my various experiences.
2. I will then Identify key words and feelings.
3. Finally I will explore different ways to summarise my story in six words (YES it is a challenge!)

My River Reflection

My older brother was the one with natural artistic ability, which was highlighted when he was in Kindergarten.  He drew a train, which his teacher painted and was hung in pride for many years in our family home.

Dance: I started ballet at the age of 4, which I continued for 8 years. I also took tap and jazz dance classes.  I quit when seeing the girls a year above struggle with pointe shoes.  I had a size 10 foot.

Singing: I sang in the school choir during primary school.  I used to love to sing, but I considered myself not to be a good singer.

Music: Learnt to play the bass clarinet in year 5 which I continued into the first couple of years at high school.

Visual Arts: Through art, I discovered I could embrace my own style.  There was no right or wrong.  I enjoyed this freedom. I studied Art and Drama throughout High School.

Creativity: My creative skills were hidden but not forgotten after I left school. I always have had a flare with patterns.  These skills once again surfaced when I started to design beaded jewellery and make quilts as a hobby.  I am also creative in the kitchen and experiment with flavours and textures.

Self Portrait

My portrait: I started with a pencil drawing, which I tried to make realistic and it does show some resemblance to me. However, I have opted for a more traditional approach but used the image four times in different colours. 

I then took this image and experimented with the size and colour. 

I also tried my hand at a Picasso inspired self-portrait, where the nose and the mouth were to one side and the other facial features such as the eyes as if it was a face on the portrait.  Picasso also used bold lines and simplicity in his portraits.

I also experimented with Andy Warhol’s style of the many identical prints using different vibrant colours similar to his Marilyn Monroe 1967 portfolio. Warhol used silkscreen to give an assembly line effect.

MY book cover:

For this next part of my blog I will:

1. Think about colour theory and carefully consider the message I wish to convey.
2. Read up about fonts and typefaces – once again explore options and make informed choices.
3. Experiment with design layouts and impact.
4. Create my cover in an appropriate application
5. Evaluate the impact and success of your design.

I have opted for a more traditional approach but used the image four times in different colours.  I have chosen four faces to represent the four different aspects of Art that have impacted my creativity.  These being Dance, Drama, Music and Visual Arts.  However, they also represent laneways.  I have used primary colours are to represent the primary aspects of Art, and green (a secondary colour) to represent a blending of colours, as many Art disciplines are blended together. I have used an enlarged copy of the image to make the book cover more abstract, and have a focus on the eyes. I believe that the eyes are a window to the soul which is a common metaphor. It’s an expression for saying that the eyes of a person are supposed to give you insight into their inner world – their feelings, thoughts, etc. So the general idea is that if you look into a person’s eyes you get an idea of who they are.

6 words:
Laneway is a play on my last name being Lane.  I have used the black lines between the images to break up the writing to highlight the laneways. “The Art” is in a different font to the rest of the writing, representing the strong impact on the past that has lead to a changed more modern future. By reflecting on my art journey, I have discovered that my past has lead to my current creativity. The writing un-centered, however centring would lose the effect of the words through the use of the black lines.

Through this challenge, I have reflected on my past, and how art in its many different forms have shaped me to be who I am today. This journey, therefore, represents the Art Laneway to My Creativity. I have completed a self-portrait that shows some resemblance, I have not attempted a self-portrait since high school. This aspect I found confronting, as I no longer draw. I have through this challenge experimented with size, colour, layout, design and different styles. Changes I would have made: not happy with how I have drawn my teeth, and the text is lost amongst the different coloured images in the Book Cover.