Digital Collage
Alive
(24in x 36in) Digital Manipulation
Completion September,2015
The Know Thyself was a digital manipulation piece that was suppose to be a representation of my sexuality and how I was hiding in the closet. The image shows me turning on a light bulb revealing multi colored butterflies coming from my headless body. The butterflies represent freedom and the light represents coming out. In order to do this digital piece I had to take several pictures of myself in different poses and a picture of a fake butterfly and a light bulb. Once I had everything I put it together in photoshop and just cropped out my head, changed the saturation and sizes of the butterfly and made my body black and white.
(24in x 36in) Digital Manipulation
Completion September,2015
The Know Thyself was a digital manipulation piece that was suppose to be a representation of my sexuality and how I was hiding in the closet. The image shows me turning on a light bulb revealing multi colored butterflies coming from my headless body. The butterflies represent freedom and the light represents coming out. In order to do this digital piece I had to take several pictures of myself in different poses and a picture of a fake butterfly and a light bulb. Once I had everything I put it together in photoshop and just cropped out my head, changed the saturation and sizes of the butterfly and made my body black and white.
Block Printing
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Deer Zen Block Prints
(7in x 5in) Ink on Paper
Completion October, 2014
The Deer Zen Block Prints are block prints of a deer's silhouette with a zen design inside it. The piece was made to follow the theme of nature and line design. I started off with a sketch of the deer which I then transferred it onto the linoleum so that I could be able to determine which parts would have to be carved off. The process of getting a nice print was difficulty but finally managed to figure out the correct technique to get a smooth, dark print.
(7in x 5in) Ink on Paper
Completion October, 2014
The Deer Zen Block Prints are block prints of a deer's silhouette with a zen design inside it. The piece was made to follow the theme of nature and line design. I started off with a sketch of the deer which I then transferred it onto the linoleum so that I could be able to determine which parts would have to be carved off. The process of getting a nice print was difficulty but finally managed to figure out the correct technique to get a smooth, dark print.
Dry Point
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What Childhood?
(8in x 9in) Ink & Watercolor on Paper
Completion November 2014
"What Childhood" was suppose to be a parody from Goya's piece "What Courage" I replaced the dead soldiers with toys and the women with a child. The meaning behind this piece is that sometimes there's parents who force their child to grow up even though they're still children. The toys on the ground are suppose to mean the child's childhood is dying. This dry point piece was one of my weakest pieces, I struggled with the shading and trying to draw out the figures clearly.
(8in x 9in) Ink & Watercolor on Paper
Completion November 2014
"What Childhood" was suppose to be a parody from Goya's piece "What Courage" I replaced the dead soldiers with toys and the women with a child. The meaning behind this piece is that sometimes there's parents who force their child to grow up even though they're still children. The toys on the ground are suppose to mean the child's childhood is dying. This dry point piece was one of my weakest pieces, I struggled with the shading and trying to draw out the figures clearly.
Mix Media
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Fairy Candy Box
Mix Media
Completion December, 2014
This piece was made to represent my grandmothers childhood in the streets of Mexico. When she was younger she was put to sell candy on the streets of Mexico with her older sisters. I placed some of the Mexican candy that she use to sell in the shadow box and also placed a picture of her sitting on the candy with butterfly wings on her back to represent her as re-carnation since she passed away and "reincarnated as a butterfly.
Mix Media
Completion December, 2014
This piece was made to represent my grandmothers childhood in the streets of Mexico. When she was younger she was put to sell candy on the streets of Mexico with her older sisters. I placed some of the Mexican candy that she use to sell in the shadow box and also placed a picture of her sitting on the candy with butterfly wings on her back to represent her as re-carnation since she passed away and "reincarnated as a butterfly.
Self Portrait
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Front Row
(36in x 36in) Acrylic on Canvas
Completion January 2015
This piece was inspired by Edgar Degas Blue Dancers and his Dancer IV. This piece was created with acrylic paints on canvas. I tried to create the same style of Degas's Oil pastel drawings so I painted it with short brush strokes to create the same effect. The ballerina's in my eyes are represent how I'm in the background just observing, never part of the main attention. The background color was inspired by Dancer IV background it was filled with many colors (blue, yellow, and green) showing abstract movement.
(36in x 36in) Acrylic on Canvas
Completion January 2015
This piece was inspired by Edgar Degas Blue Dancers and his Dancer IV. This piece was created with acrylic paints on canvas. I tried to create the same style of Degas's Oil pastel drawings so I painted it with short brush strokes to create the same effect. The ballerina's in my eyes are represent how I'm in the background just observing, never part of the main attention. The background color was inspired by Dancer IV background it was filled with many colors (blue, yellow, and green) showing abstract movement.
Industrial VS. Organic
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The Ugly Duckling
Found Object (Toothpicks, Cotton, Newspaper)
Completion February 2015
This piece was inspired by Ellen Jewett's animal sculptures. I used toothpicks because it easily resembled her pieces of open interiors. This piece was inspired by my father who points out my flaws and judges them, the ugly duckling is a metaphorical representation of me. The interior of the Ugly Duckling represent its flaws. I created this by making the structure of a duck with hot glued toothpicks, then spray painted the toothpicks copper to make it look metallic and finally added the cotton.
Found Object (Toothpicks, Cotton, Newspaper)
Completion February 2015
This piece was inspired by Ellen Jewett's animal sculptures. I used toothpicks because it easily resembled her pieces of open interiors. This piece was inspired by my father who points out my flaws and judges them, the ugly duckling is a metaphorical representation of me. The interior of the Ugly Duckling represent its flaws. I created this by making the structure of a duck with hot glued toothpicks, then spray painted the toothpicks copper to make it look metallic and finally added the cotton.
Choice Piece
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Ink Wash Portrait
(46in x 28in) Ink and Water on Paper
Completion March 2015
The Ink Wash Portrait was a piece that helped improve on my ability to differentiate gradients When working on the ink wash the first step was to do draw contour lines. After the outlining I went in with watered down ink then went over it with a darker shade to make it darker until I got the right shade. This piece was inspired by Jamie Blaster. He does Japanese ink wash paintings. The ink wash represented my younger self when I was antisocial, hiding in the shadows avoiding people..
(46in x 28in) Ink and Water on Paper
Completion March 2015
The Ink Wash Portrait was a piece that helped improve on my ability to differentiate gradients When working on the ink wash the first step was to do draw contour lines. After the outlining I went in with watered down ink then went over it with a darker shade to make it darker until I got the right shade. This piece was inspired by Jamie Blaster. He does Japanese ink wash paintings. The ink wash represented my younger self when I was antisocial, hiding in the shadows avoiding people..
Artist In The City
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Confused Edgar, Lost Edgar, Within Edgar
(23.5in x 11.9in), (23.5in x 23.5in), (23.5in x 11.9in) Acrylic on Canvas
Completion April 2015
Confused Edgar was inspired by Pablo Picasso's cubism pieces. I didn't fully cover my entire face with geometric shapes to represent my confusion of who I am in sexual identity. Lost Edgar was suppose to represent artist in the city so I took it in a literal sense. When I go downtown I get pretty lost easily because of how vast it is to me so I tried to represent that in my painting by adding arrows going everywhere in the background and also included some city landscapes. Within Edgar was another piece that was taken literal since the theme was city in the artist. I created a silhouette of myself and the city within me. The first two pieces where easy to create, except Within Edgar because the buildings I created where a bit small and difficult to create the small detail in it.
(23.5in x 11.9in), (23.5in x 23.5in), (23.5in x 11.9in) Acrylic on Canvas
Completion April 2015
Confused Edgar was inspired by Pablo Picasso's cubism pieces. I didn't fully cover my entire face with geometric shapes to represent my confusion of who I am in sexual identity. Lost Edgar was suppose to represent artist in the city so I took it in a literal sense. When I go downtown I get pretty lost easily because of how vast it is to me so I tried to represent that in my painting by adding arrows going everywhere in the background and also included some city landscapes. Within Edgar was another piece that was taken literal since the theme was city in the artist. I created a silhouette of myself and the city within me. The first two pieces where easy to create, except Within Edgar because the buildings I created where a bit small and difficult to create the small detail in it.
Sacred Vessel
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Man
Mix Media (Clay and Found Object)
Completion May 2015
Man was based off a personal experience. It's about a person who opened my mind and made me realize that love doesn't have to be between a man and a women. The body was a metaphorical symbol of me and the flowers represented my love blooming while the ones on the floor was to represent how they were slowly dying. In order to create this piece I had to look up 3D models of male torsos so I could get a visual and mold the clay into a body. I also welded a base for the figure to stand on it's own.
Mix Media (Clay and Found Object)
Completion May 2015
Man was based off a personal experience. It's about a person who opened my mind and made me realize that love doesn't have to be between a man and a women. The body was a metaphorical symbol of me and the flowers represented my love blooming while the ones on the floor was to represent how they were slowly dying. In order to create this piece I had to look up 3D models of male torsos so I could get a visual and mold the clay into a body. I also welded a base for the figure to stand on it's own.
Summer Project
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Summer Photography
Photography
Completion August 2015
During the summer I decided to do some photography since I haven't done any photography piece before so I wanted to experiment with it. I tried to follow an Ansel Adam style, black and white. I started to take pictures of the usual things that are around me. One of the events that I see everyday in my life is cemetery near my house, I have always passed through it since I was little. I took plenty of pictures there and tried to show the sorrow and beauty of the cemetery, because there's some tombstones that have been ruined and others with beautiful tombstones. As I was doing photography I learned that going at different angels can change the meaning and view of the subject. Photography was a good experience for me which I might do more often.
Photography
Completion August 2015
During the summer I decided to do some photography since I haven't done any photography piece before so I wanted to experiment with it. I tried to follow an Ansel Adam style, black and white. I started to take pictures of the usual things that are around me. One of the events that I see everyday in my life is cemetery near my house, I have always passed through it since I was little. I took plenty of pictures there and tried to show the sorrow and beauty of the cemetery, because there's some tombstones that have been ruined and others with beautiful tombstones. As I was doing photography I learned that going at different angels can change the meaning and view of the subject. Photography was a good experience for me which I might do more often.
Patients and Fury
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Patients & Fury
(24in x 18in) Ink and Water on Paper
Completion August 2015
This piece was inspired by Andy Warhol's idea of repetition and color. I created another ink piece to see how I've improved on my skills. This piece was done to show who I am. This piece shows how I can sometimes be filled with fury but I must let go of that fury so I replace it with patients and slowly let it go. The blue face on the left shows calmness while the umber colored face on the right shows anger. The process of this piece was quite similar to the Ink Wash Portrait I made in the past.
(24in x 18in) Ink and Water on Paper
Completion August 2015
This piece was inspired by Andy Warhol's idea of repetition and color. I created another ink piece to see how I've improved on my skills. This piece was done to show who I am. This piece shows how I can sometimes be filled with fury but I must let go of that fury so I replace it with patients and slowly let it go. The blue face on the left shows calmness while the umber colored face on the right shows anger. The process of this piece was quite similar to the Ink Wash Portrait I made in the past.
Orange
Orange
(23in x 16in) Ink and Watercolor on paper
Completion September
"UNitE To End Violence Against Women" a NGO project to bring awareness about women who are abused and don’t speak up. When I knew about this organization I decided to make a piece to help bring awareness. I created a block print of a bloody face to represent violence, a bloody hand to represent the hand that causes it, and a mouth to represent the women out there who can’t speak for themselves. I did a block print because of Kathe Kolwitz, who does block prints that show distressed figures.
(23in x 16in) Ink and Watercolor on paper
Completion September
"UNitE To End Violence Against Women" a NGO project to bring awareness about women who are abused and don’t speak up. When I knew about this organization I decided to make a piece to help bring awareness. I created a block print of a bloody face to represent violence, a bloody hand to represent the hand that causes it, and a mouth to represent the women out there who can’t speak for themselves. I did a block print because of Kathe Kolwitz, who does block prints that show distressed figures.
Corazon
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Corazon
Clay
Completion October 2015
Corazon was a clay piece I created to make a visual representation of someone playing with someone's heart. This is a small ocarina in the shape of a heart. I made this piece because I feel many people can relate to this, either their hearts been played with or they have played with someone else's heart. This piece was inspired by Janis Wilson who creates these ocarinas. It was a difficult process to create this ocarina I had to make at least three to finally get one to work. I got it to work just the only thing I wasn't able to do was tune it correctly so it can play a full song, it can only play up to two notes.
Clay
Completion October 2015
Corazon was a clay piece I created to make a visual representation of someone playing with someone's heart. This is a small ocarina in the shape of a heart. I made this piece because I feel many people can relate to this, either their hearts been played with or they have played with someone else's heart. This piece was inspired by Janis Wilson who creates these ocarinas. It was a difficult process to create this ocarina I had to make at least three to finally get one to work. I got it to work just the only thing I wasn't able to do was tune it correctly so it can play a full song, it can only play up to two notes.
Dream Lamp
Dream Lamp
Mix Media (Mannequin, Lamp, Lamp Shade, & Acrylic) Completion November 2015 Once I had everything setup I went on to coating the mannequin with gesso to paint it later. I decided to go with complementary colors for the mannequin so the colors can collide nicely. I also tried it on my sketch to see which colors would look better.
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I decided to create to create the mannequin into a lamp, and in order to do that I had to buy a lamp and lamp shade which I acquired from the Salvation Army. After I acquired everything I drilled a hole from the top of the mannequin's head that followed through the bottom of the mannequin. Then I took apart the lamp and passed down the wires through the hole I created. I had to cut the metal shade it came with the lamp so the lighting can expand more.
My artist inspiration was Salvador Dali's Lobster Telephone. I really liked is idea of using an object and combining it with a daily used object and making it into an abstract furniture, so I wanted to the same but with a mannequin. I used his ideas of dreams and Illusions in my art piece. In order to make this into a Dali piece I had to make the lamp a bit more dream like so I decide to include some tentacles on there and green splatters to represent the octopus's ink.
This art piece follows the culture of creativity. Of people who's mind are filled with great imaginations and ideas. The light bulb is a symbol of creativity and when it's turned on all those ideas start to flow but when its off, the mind is dark. |
This piece was one of my most favorite pieces that I have created because it can actually be used as a lamp. The meaning of this lamp was to show how creativity works when you open up the mind to it, just like how all of Dali's art pieces came to be. The only struggle I had with this lamp was the dissembling the actual lamp that I bought but other than that it was pretty simple. Also the tentacles were my favorite because I didn't think they would come out nice but I was able to execute it well. If I were to do this again I would try using other colors for example a navy blue background and some florescent colored blots and tentacles.
Narcissistic Green
Narcissistic Green
(36in x 24.7in) Acrylic on Canvas December 2015 |
For my last piece I decided that I wanted to go for a painting this time since I haven't done an acrylic piece in awhile. I wanted to follow a theme of self obsession so I decide to do anther self portrait. I figures that I should do some kind of renaissance/religion style where the saints would have an aura at the back of their heads, also I had recently read a book where it mention Andy Warhol's Endangered Species prints and I was fascinated by the colors and so I wanted to incorporate that in my piece as well.
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My artist inspiration was Andy Warhol and his Endangered Species print. The colors are so bright and outstanding as well as how he uses black for the shadow which is what I tries to include in my piece as well. I also did the change of color for the background as well I decided to use complementary colors like how Warhol did with the black rhino.
This piece follows the culture of people who are narcissistic and admire themselves too much. There's people who see them selves as perfect and that's what I tired to represent here I'm posing here as if I was flawless.
The aura is there to show that narcissistic people can also be seen as a saint because saints are admired as well.
This piece was one of my greatest accomplishments because I had never created a piece like this. This piece was made because of all of the mistakes I learned from my previous works. I ended up leaving the background plain because I didn't have the tools to make a fine line, so I'll probably do that at a later time. The process for my painting was actually pretty easy a bit time consuming because of the surface area but was easier because I understand the process of painting now. If I were to do this again I would like to experiment with different colors and try to replace the black with a color to make more Andy Warhol style.