Art Alley Painting

May 2014
Creativity/Service

Our IB visual arts class has an annual project at the end of each school year where each student must produce a work of art, in particular a painting, to hang one one of the historical buildings in our downtown local area. It is a chance to present ourselves as an artist to our community and produce a piece of culture for our town. This also presents the International Baccalaureate program to younger generations. Even while new to painting, I gained new skills while working on each piece. In my personal experience, it is a challenge to get colors right and even decide on which ideas you want to present to the community. My first year, I worked over and over with colors to make my piece more realistic The idea I wanted to present is the concept that there will never be such a thing as free will. This painting included a drawing of a lion's open mouth next to a crooked-necked cat dangling by strings. The background of this piece became the lion's mane. Halfway done with my piece, I participated in our class' critique. During this critique, we must collaborate and listen to one another in order to improve the value of our pieces. Though I received some negative criticism, it was worth the while to improve my final result. Once my artwork was completed, it and many other paintings were hung downtown in what Goshen, IN calls the “Art Alley”. During First Friday of the Month festivals, our works receive public criticism. It’s an amazing learning experience to introduce an amateur artist into what a gallery will eventually be like. Most recently, I have completed this activity for two consecutive years. This experience taught me how to use colors in my palette and how to incorporate the texture of fur into my work. I also feel as though it helped me gain prestige as an artist overall.

Below is my painting from the summer of 2014: