Breadth Works. . .

         At first, I was worried about this project because I felt like the criteria was too open and that I wouldn’t know what to do because there are just so many options, but once I started looking deeper into Pinterest, my brain started to get filled with inspiration. I had to make sure that these pieces worked to complete my breadth section of my portfolio. I had three strong ideas that I decided to roll with that ended up having varying concepts. I knew that I wanted to go back to working with cut paper, so I decided to create an intricate design that I was going to lay over a photograph. I wanted this first work to show a dreamscape in a flowing, abstract way. For my second work, I wanted to do some simple geometric patterns in Photoshop it give the image a trapped feeling by making it look like the viewer is either in front or behind a fence. Finally, for my third project, I wanted to create something that was really abstract and had a sharp, hurt feeling.
         To create all three of these works, I used many different kinds of materials. For my first work, I transferred my photograph using the hand sanitizer transfer technique onto rice paper and I painted watercolor paper and used an exacto blade to cut an intricate pattern into the paper to layer overtop. For my second work I attached tiles to a piece of wood to make a background and printed a photograph on organza and attached it to a wire to hang it. Finally, for my last work, I photographed pins using a macro lense. I also put the pins in foam core to keep them in place and used studio lights to create sharp shadows and highlights.
         Throughout all three of my pieces, I used many different elements and principles. Line was used in all three of my pieces along. In my first two works I used shape, texture, and contrast in the cut paper and the organza. The last two works had balance and rule of thirds because of the way that I organized and placed the images. The second work used form in the tiles and pattern in the editing in the photograph and finally, color, movement, leading lines, and fill the frame were used in the first work.
         After working on all three of these works for a while, there are some things that I can see that I have done well and some things that I could improve on. This was the first time that I had to come up with three different concepts at once and I think that I did pretty well making each one different. I also think I did well with craftsmanship in all of these works because I had to complete them is a short period of time. Finally, this was the first time I had transferred a photograph using hand sanitizer. I think that for my first transfer using this technique, it turned out pretty well. Along with things that I did well, I also have things that I would like to improve. I wish that I could change my last photograph because I liked how it looked without the pins at the bottom, but I was just afraid that the original would have too much negative space. I also wish that I could get rid of the pencil lines on my first one, but whenever I tried, it started wrecking the paper.
         Throughout this whole project, I learned many things. The main two things that I learned was how to shoot photographs using a macro lense and how hard it really is and also how different papers can give your final print or image a different color, texture, look and feel.

Death

          For the alternative media project, I was actually really excited because this time I actually had a concept in mind. We were required to create a work using an alternative media that we have never used before. At first, I didn’t really know what to do for this project because I have printed on many different things when I was in photography 1 and 2. I realized that I have never printed on newspaper and I thought that this project would be a good opportunity for me to try. One thought lead to another and I started thinking about printing on obituaries which lead me to my concept. The main concept of my work is death and the beauty of death; the beauty of the transition from life to death. I was mainly inspired by the movie The Corpse Bride and also because it was getting close to Halloween and I was feeling spooky! To create my work, I used obituaries, unprinted newspaper to back some of the prints, a needle and thread, and a camera.
          I used two elements of art: value and texture. I used value in the photograph and the different blues of the butterflies and I used texture in the substrates. I also used six principles of art: balance, contrast, movement, leading lines, rule of thirds, and fill the frame. I used balance where I put the butterflies and I used movement, leading lines, and rule of thirds with the butterflies. Finally I used contrast in the color of the butterflies and the photograph and I filled the frame with the portrait.
          After looking at my final piece, it is easy to tell what I did well, and what I need to improve. I’m glad that I made all of the butterflies different colors and sizes to add variation and I also feel like I did a good job printing. I was very nervous at first because I have never printed on newspaper before and I didn’t want to mess up. I’m pretty glad how it turned out. Along with things that I did well, there are also things that I need to improve. I feel like I could have sewed the pieces together better, maybe by using a sewing machine. It would have made the process a lot faster. I also probably would have printed a lighter colored photograph because this one printed really dark and it is hard to tell what some parts are. Finally, I would print on two layers of newspaper instead of one so they would be easier to rip off.
          Overall, this project taught me a lot. Mainly that printing on newspaper was harder than I thought and that sewing paper is hard (and a little painful). I feel like in the future I will try to print on different materials to make my work more interesting.