:Exhibition:
My piece, Green Tree, White Light, is inspired by Dr. Seuss piece Green Cat With Lights. This piece is mostly green with blue shading and yellow highlights, which is more visually appealing than darker and lighter green. The lights covering the piece are eye catching. This piece is representative of life, the green tree growing and flourishing and the warm, comforting light enveloping the entire piece. It is meant to feel peaceful. Title: Green Tree, White Light Size: 2ft by 3ft Medium: acrylic painting Date of Completion: June, 2022 |
Inspiration
Green Cat With Lights by Theodor Seuss Geisel known most commonly as dr. Seuss, which is the name he wrote his famous children books under. Here we have one of his personal works that he did not release during his life time, as many of them contained darker themes. This secret collection was surrealist work that he made in his free time and was completely separate from his other illustrations, it is an honest expression of creativity and emotion. His work is identifiably very detailed, and makes extensive use of texture and bright colors. This piece is unique in being signed in the bottom right as Stroogo Von M. When Seuss displayed this work in his house he wanted an honest opinion on it from his guests, which he got by not claiming it as his own. The figure in this painting stands nervously, and green bursts forth from their head like a tree. The apprehension of someone putting their work out to be seen and waiting for their response. The strings of light look like stars or fireworks.
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Planning
I started with a simple sketch to lay out my ideas, I wanted softer, rounder shapes on the cat and brighter colors. I transferred this sketch onto my canvas, which I had painted solid black in advance. I applied a dark green to silhouette the cat and tree, and built up lighter highlights on top of this shadow layer. The lights were trickier than I had thought, I used a q-tip dipped in paint to get the fine detail and consistent shape of the string of lights. I realized that the lights I planed for were too simple and were not as visually appealing as the inspiration piece, so I quickly made a new layout working with what I had already put down, and the result doesn't leave large blank spaces.
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Critique
Similarities include:
-There is very similar use of color in both my piece and Dr. Seuss's, there is heavy use of green with blue shading and yellow highlights. The background being pitch black brings out the color in the foreground, especially the lights.
-The composition is also greatly similar, with a cat-like figure standing with a tree growing from their head and lights strung all around.
-The medium of both is the same, being a painting on canvas.
Differences include:
-Dr. Seuss's piece has much softer blending, likely because he was using a paint that blends very softly, but the exact paint he used for this piece is unknown. My piece makes use of acrylic paint, and isn't as soft and fuzzy looking as the inspiration.
-The pattern of lights in my piece is semi-symmetrical, while my inspiration piece has the lights skewed to the left side of the painting in an asymmetrical fashion.
-Dr. Seuss's piece is in a more surrealist style, with the oddly long neck and other unusual proportions, while my piece has more realistic, human like proportions.
-There is very similar use of color in both my piece and Dr. Seuss's, there is heavy use of green with blue shading and yellow highlights. The background being pitch black brings out the color in the foreground, especially the lights.
-The composition is also greatly similar, with a cat-like figure standing with a tree growing from their head and lights strung all around.
-The medium of both is the same, being a painting on canvas.
Differences include:
-Dr. Seuss's piece has much softer blending, likely because he was using a paint that blends very softly, but the exact paint he used for this piece is unknown. My piece makes use of acrylic paint, and isn't as soft and fuzzy looking as the inspiration.
-The pattern of lights in my piece is semi-symmetrical, while my inspiration piece has the lights skewed to the left side of the painting in an asymmetrical fashion.
-Dr. Seuss's piece is in a more surrealist style, with the oddly long neck and other unusual proportions, while my piece has more realistic, human like proportions.
Reflection
Overall I am pleased with the work I did, the shades and tones of green work very well together visually. I am less so pleased with how the strings of lights look, the layout is messy and if I were to do it again, I would plan them out more delicately, as I have a tendency to be heavy handed.
ACT Connection
1.) Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork:
My artistic inspiration was Dr. Seuss. His works have a very distinct style and his private work interested me, since it was a more personal expression. I wanted to do the same thing in my work, focusing on authentic feelings and expression.
2.) What is the overall approach ( point of view ) the author ( from your research ) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Life can be felt and interpreted into art in many different ways, no interpretation is incorrect.
3.) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Dr. Seuss seems very much locked into his personal style, drawing the same way he does in his books even in personal work he never intended to sell or display. It makes me wonder if that felt like a restriction, being stuck in one style of art.
4.) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
I wanted to encompass the importance of life to me personally, and to me the three most important things are cats, plants, light, and love. When I found Green Cat With Lights it perfectly encompassed all those things.
5.) What kind of inferences ( conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning ) did you make while reading your research?
delicate application can do a lot for a piece, the lights in my piece ended up feeling overpowering instead of gentle and a lighter hand would have fixed that. Now I know to be more careful in the future.
My artistic inspiration was Dr. Seuss. His works have a very distinct style and his private work interested me, since it was a more personal expression. I wanted to do the same thing in my work, focusing on authentic feelings and expression.
2.) What is the overall approach ( point of view ) the author ( from your research ) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Life can be felt and interpreted into art in many different ways, no interpretation is incorrect.
3.) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Dr. Seuss seems very much locked into his personal style, drawing the same way he does in his books even in personal work he never intended to sell or display. It makes me wonder if that felt like a restriction, being stuck in one style of art.
4.) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
I wanted to encompass the importance of life to me personally, and to me the three most important things are cats, plants, light, and love. When I found Green Cat With Lights it perfectly encompassed all those things.
5.) What kind of inferences ( conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning ) did you make while reading your research?
delicate application can do a lot for a piece, the lights in my piece ended up feeling overpowering instead of gentle and a lighter hand would have fixed that. Now I know to be more careful in the future.