Artwork: Self-Portrait
Title: The Truth About Me
Size: 3 by 3 feet
Medium: Acrylic and Oil Paint
Completion: December 2017
Exhibition: In my self portrait I decided to use Frida Kahlo as my main inspiration. I was always inspired by Frida Kahlo is part of me and my culture so I decided to incorporate her in my self portrait.
Size: 3 by 3 feet
Medium: Acrylic and Oil Paint
Completion: December 2017
Exhibition: In my self portrait I decided to use Frida Kahlo as my main inspiration. I was always inspired by Frida Kahlo is part of me and my culture so I decided to incorporate her in my self portrait.
Artist Inspiration
In The Truth of Me I was inspired by Frida Kahlo Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird. I have always love Frida Kahlos work ever since I was little my parents were the one to introduce me to her work. My parents are also big fans of her work, growing up with her presence around my house made me love her. Little by little she became part of me as well as being part as my culture. So I decided to include her in my portrait because I wanted people to know that she is part of me. With her self portrait she uses a humming bird as a sign of hope which I also interpret it like that because I am wearing it all the time. I haven't lived a long time to experience grief but I believe that even like that using the humming bird around me symbolizes that I will always find hope even in time where I believe like nothing is worth it.
Planning:
When being introduced to the self portrait i was excited and a bit intimidated due to the fact that it was going to be painted in this canvas. Once I was done with my own face I decided to do the background but i was in conflict because I wanted to reflect me but it was hard because every piece has their own meaning and finding something that reflected me was going to be hard. So I started to look into Frida Kahlo because I love her work, this was when I remembered about the piece that I had re-created during my sophomore year. So I decided that I wanted to use her idea because I love her dark meaning about her piece. I wanted to re-create the pain and meaning that she had in her portrait because I can relate to it.
Process:
My self-portrait I decided to use the projector to trace my face, so I did not make a sketch about what I wanted to do. This was due to the fact that I was using the projector to create my piece. Once I had traced my face I was not sure what to do for the background, I was in a conflict because I was not sure what to do. Once I had found what I wanted to do for my background which was inspired by Frida Kahlo Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird. I tried to free draw it but the monkey did not come out as expected but it was fine I still liked the way it looked like. Once I was finished drawing the plants and the puma, I started to paint. I started by mixing all my skin tones, once the face was done I decided to start with the monkey and he was giving me a hard time but I had finished it. I started to do the plants which was easy for me, due to the fact that I love to paint plants.
Experimentation:
For my experimentation I decided to include oil paints. I am new to oils paints I had bought the oil paints because I knew that it would be a better blend and it took longer to dry so I was excited. I also bought a thinner so it could help it dry a bit faster since it took hours t dry. Using the oil paints was the best decision I ever had the only thing that I had trouble with was the amount of thinner I had to put, like I had said before I am new to oil paints so thinners was never something I had used. Overall my experience with oil paints was amazing.
Reflection:
I was very pleased with the outcome of my self portrait but even though i loved the outcome there are still things that I would change. Through out the project I noticed some of the things I could have changed for example in my self portrait I could have focused more on the monkey he does not look the best. Another thing would be that I would have added a bit more of shadows to create more of a realistic piece. Overall I believe that the things I would change are minor so it really does not affect what I feel about my portrait.
Critic / Compare and Contrast
Critic
When doing my self portrait I really did not go through many challenges as I thought I would have and that was a cool thing to go through. Although the thing that I was having trouble with was the monkey. Even then I was more than happy with the outcome of my self portrait.
Compare and Contrast
In Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird you can visually see that I used in reference her piece. I did a bit of my own twist to it which was that I always use the same hairstyle all the time which is a mid-pony tail so instead of making a bun I used my hair style.
When doing my self portrait I really did not go through many challenges as I thought I would have and that was a cool thing to go through. Although the thing that I was having trouble with was the monkey. Even then I was more than happy with the outcome of my self portrait.
Compare and Contrast
In Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird you can visually see that I used in reference her piece. I did a bit of my own twist to it which was that I always use the same hairstyle all the time which is a mid-pony tail so instead of making a bun I used my hair style.
ACT Question
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
Due to the fact that my thematic concept for my pieces is self image, and I was doing a self portrait I wanted to include as much as me as I can possibly can. I wanted to include the things that are important to me and have been since a young age.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
My overall approach with my self portrait was to depict myself in a way that many dont know. I wanted people to know me and what I believe that is important to me.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
With the research that I had done I was able to conclude that the paintings are a type of art that you are able to intreprete the most darkest things and still be able to look at them with admire.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?.
My thematic concept would be self image and in the self portrait of Fridah Kahlo she depicted was she has gone through and what she believes, I also wanted to depict who I am in my self portrait.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
Some of the inferences that I had while reading was that Fridah Kahlo painted her vulnrable self something that I wanted to. I also believed that she also painted herself and her life problems that she had faced.
Due to the fact that my thematic concept for my pieces is self image, and I was doing a self portrait I wanted to include as much as me as I can possibly can. I wanted to include the things that are important to me and have been since a young age.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
My overall approach with my self portrait was to depict myself in a way that many dont know. I wanted people to know me and what I believe that is important to me.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
With the research that I had done I was able to conclude that the paintings are a type of art that you are able to intreprete the most darkest things and still be able to look at them with admire.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?.
My thematic concept would be self image and in the self portrait of Fridah Kahlo she depicted was she has gone through and what she believes, I also wanted to depict who I am in my self portrait.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
Some of the inferences that I had while reading was that Fridah Kahlo painted her vulnrable self something that I wanted to. I also believed that she also painted herself and her life problems that she had faced.
Bibliography:
115 Things You Should Know About Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird. (2015, June 01). Retrieved November 16, 2017, from http://mentalfloss.com/article/64204/15-facts-about-frida-kahlos-self-portrait-thorn-necklace-and-hummingbird
115 Things You Should Know About Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird. (2015, June 01). Retrieved November 16, 2017, from http://mentalfloss.com/article/64204/15-facts-about-frida-kahlos-self-portrait-thorn-necklace-and-hummingbird