Teacher Name: Deidra Grimm
Grade: Senior
Materials: Ink
Dimensions: 11″ x 14″
Artist Statement: I tend to put a lot of my emotions in my work, and this piece truly reflected how I felt while making it. I don’t make self portraits often, but I decided that this time will be different. I used pencil on paper to understand the basic outline of the piece. Then I outlined and colored it with ink, giving it a desaturated comic-book feel to it by using dark purples and grays. Outlining the piece with black ink makes all the features pop out a little more while also giving it a cartoonish style. I really like using ink because I feel like it is more solid than watercolor in a way, which makes it more controllable to use. I could be wrong but that’s how I feel personally. I’ve been using ink for a few years and it’s my favorite traditional art medium to use ever since. I also feel like using ink makes a piece look more vintage-like. Speaking of which, I incorporate vintage fashion with a gothic twist in both my visual art and the fashion I wear, making my artwork even more personal. I play with a lot of metaphors and juxtapositions in my work and I think this piece captures the ironic situation of a frowning figure wearing a clown outfit. It symbolizes how people use humor to cope with sadness, which is something I do. This piece plays a large part of self expression to me, which I find to be important in all forms of art.
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