Speaker Event

 

Tea Ceremony, Mai Ueda 

2D Concepts

First Taste (11x14)

 

Semiotics Triptych

Death

The theme that represents this work is one that every organism on this planet faces. 

We all face it in our own ways and each of us gets to have a unique relationship with it, but we can never escape it. I chose to bring it in close, ponder, research, and sometimes even daydream about all the possibilities of this great mystery. This piece represents a part of my own relationship with death herself. By exploring the semiotics associated with death, icon, index and symbol are conveyed using a grave, an angel, and the idea of reincarnation or an afterlife. I used oil pastels, magazines, books, foam board, mod podge, brown paper, and obituaries collected from the Villages, FL. 

The left panel of the triptych is a 3-D grave that depicts death as an icon. Tombstones are a universal way of representing not only a final resting place, but a marker of a life that has been lived. The way someone is honored may differ, but we all return to the ground in the end. 

The center oil pastel painting portrays an angel of death. She plays the role of index due to her longstanding place in death culture. Across religions and time, angels have been seen as divine messengers and keepers of souls. Their protection and guidance is especially known during times of death.  

The right-hand side of the triptych peers into the idea of an afterlife and reincarnation. While the two are not related by a religion, they are united by the theme. One of the most heavily debated subjects in the history of man relates to the question: what happens after we die?  The great mystery that has no answers is shown by a series of people coming out of other people. This symbol of death cannot exist without the creation of life and women. I chose to picture a woman breast feeding a child, layered with another woman and a golden man to show that while death and life may hold mysteries, we know a central truth, life comes from a woman. They are the only creators we have ever known.  

The background is what connects all three pieces and makes them a cohesive whole. I collected obituaries from a 55+ community and stitched them all together to show meaning and insignificance. To many people, the obituaries are just a page in a paper that may never be seen. When I was cutting them all out, I took time to read them and take in the the stories of each life.  Daughters, Sons, Mothers, Fathers, Grandparents, Great Grandparents, Pets... Lives. They matter. The overlay of living humans on top of the obituaries reminds us that our day in the paper will come. What will your relationship to it be? 

 

Color Wheel

Color Wheel (11x14)

This project taught me humility.

 

Tonal Portrait (Green)

Cropped (11x14)

“Cropped” 

    My portrait of my classmate, titled “Cropped” showed a more mysterious side of the person we see in class every day. For that reason, I chose the color green to represent a more envious side. In the process of getting reference photos of her, I received multiple cropped images and decided to paint her “revenge arc”. I imagined her cropping out old flames because “why should a good photo go to waste?”. I wanted to show a sassier side of her by using a color that is Earthy and grounding while still holding a regalness. Overall, I think this fits her personality as well as her green eyes. 

I used an impressionistic painting style along with different tints and shades of green to create a close-up version. I zoomed in to exaggerate the cropped effect while using darker shades to contour and the lighter tones to accentuate her features. I started by laying down a green wash and then I closed my eyes and put in the rough painting as I saw it in my mind. The painting has a textured look that came from layers and layers of greens that give it a sense of weight and depth. The light source in the top right corner makes her hair shine, while keeping the mood mysterious and heavy.  

I think this painting captures an essence of her. The color is bold and fits her eyes and personality. I may have added my own narrative to her photos, and it still captures a likeness and represents a real moment in her life. The creation of this painting felt like stepping into a small portion of her life and getting a close-up view of something distorted. No matter who gets cropped, this girl will always stay fabulous.  

 

Tints Shades and Tones Study

 A practice: precision and acceptance. 

A night away from phones with the one I love the most.

Paper Cutting Sculpture

"People of the Caves"

(15"x15"x7.5")

(Watercolor paper, printer paper, glue, water, watercolors)

In Progress...

Inspired By:

 

I was inspired by Winter Landscape and Splashed Ink Landscape from the Tokyo National Museum Collection because they visually convey lands that are untouched. The minimalism and simplicity drew me to the idea of caves, a time before modern buildings. Livable structures within the land mass became my focus and these two images were the guide; the creation of "cavetropolis" .

1. Winter Landscape

46.3 x 29.3 cm, 

Ink on Paper

Tokyo National Museum Collection 

2. Splashed Ink Landscape

1420-1506

Ink on Paper

58 1/2 x 12 7/8 inches

Tokyo National Museum

https://www.wikiart.org/en/sesshu-toyo/haboku-sansui-1495