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Free Spirit

For my final project, I decided to compose a piece on a canvas using oil paint as my medium. I was standing in the aisles at Walmart, scanning the shelves for paint, when I came across the oils. I remembered reading about this type of medium in our Pearson textbook and I wanted to create a piece that would hold emotion and depth. A challenge using this paint would be the drying time and how slowly it takes, it is not like acrylic paint. I sat down and began to paint, figuring out that I could add layers and several types of colors that blend nicely. I chose to paint a horse, to represent the idea of freedom and spirit. Horses symbolize being able to run freely without being held back, which is what I would like to capture in my work. Ultimately, the emotions are tied within my brushstrokes to create life and movement.

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Peering into The Matisse Opera

While walking through the Ringling Museum of Art, I noticed a fine amount of artwork and artists lined along the walls. I have never been a fanatic for artwork and walking through Museums, but the Ringling has a different story, it is quite intriguing, considering it is in my hometown. I stopped to view every piece, as I was taken aback by the detail and brushstrokes the artists had produced on the canvas. However, one particular piece caught my attention, it was named Matisse Opera, by Larry Rivers in 1992. The media utilized was “color photolithography and acrylic on canvas mounted on cast resin fiber and wood multiple”, (Gift of Warren and Margot Coville, 2020, 2020.2.2).

            To begin, Larry Rivers was born in 1923, later dying in 2002, in Yitzroch Loiza Grossberg where he carried many talents throughout his lifetime. Not only was he a painter, but he was also a “musician, filmmaker, and occasional actor”, (The Museum of Modern Art [MoMA], n.d.). One of his artworks, Matisse Opera, has a dimension of 47 x 38 ¼ x 3 ¾ inches: 1194 x 972 x 95 mm. The shapes on the painting have a 3D look to it, almost as if the two people in the portrait are popping out of the canvas. The subject within the painting appears to be a doctor who is diagnosing his patient, although you are not able to tell what gender the patient is. The table the patient is sitting on is blue, with flowers placed behind it. The subjects are emphasized in the painting, raising questions as to what is going on. Moving on, the Matisse Opera moves me to curiosity as to why Larry Rivers created this artwork. Although I do not have any specific emotion towards it, it reminds me of the times I used to go to the doctor when I was a kid up until now, (being an adult). It doesn’t look like a children’s doctor's office, considering there are no bright colors and playful items for a child to distract themselves. If I had to guess what the painting was about, I would say moving on from childhood and entering plain adulthood.

            Furthermore, this artwork was associated with cut-out techniques which were used in some of his paintings, almost as his specialty. In 1992, Larry Rivers created works based on depictions of family and friends and objects in the studio, ((Larry Rivers Foundation, n.d.), which places the Matisse Opera in this category. This artwork served as a milestone during River’s time, capturing eyes from the certain techniques he utilized during the series of works he produced. Overall, this says that Rivers was open to trying new possibilities and creating boundaries within the painting world, showing that it is normal to take risks even when one does not know the outcome.  

                  Ultimately, the importance of the Matisse Opera to society and the world lies within the painting, as it reflects the cultural transitions from the past to the present. I chose this artwork too because I feel saw if you can come up with multiple stories by taking one look at it, it also reflects the emotions that could come from a doctor's office as well. Not being able to see the patient's face, creates a back story and a means for hidden identity. The Matisse Opera will continue to get more famous as time moves on and it could eventually cause a breakthrough for artists in the future.

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1.) Journaling:

Unity & Variety: Variety combines different elements,, drawing the audience’s focus. Variety balances unity and allows the artist to create movement within the artwork.

Example: A sunset above the water, with it’s variation of colors and shapes that work together in unity and variety to complete the sky.

Balance: Balance organizes distribution between the elements within artwork, ensuring a sense of consistency and alignment.

Example: My parents wedding picture, with 3 bridesmaids and 3 groomsmen on either sides of my parents, creates balance by securing structure and design.

Emphasis & Subordination: The artist uses emphasis to guide attention towards the important elements in artwork, allowing curiosity to form within the audience. Subordination is used to repel unwanted areas of the artwork, maintaining concentration on the more important elements.

Example: A photograph of my grandmother, where her face is the only part in focus, emphasizing she is the main piece in the picture, using subordination to blur the unwanted parts of the picture.

Directional forces: Directional forces help lead the viewers to the right elements of the artwork.

Example: In the cat picture my brother had painted for me in his earlier stages of life, directional forces are demonstrated through the thin brushstrokes lines, infused with bright colors to add variation.

Repetition & Rhythm: Repetition is what makes the artwork obtain rhythm, making it aesthetically pleasing. Rhythm preserves the artwork, as it helps keep an organized and appealing order.

Example: The turtles scaling up my wall, from a baby to the mother, demonstrates repetition as each size increases one by one, developing a sense of rhythmic sequence.

Scale & Proportion: Scale refers to the size of an object, compared to another. Proportion ensures the size of elements, helping create balance in the artwork.

Example: The painted caricature of me at an amusement park focuses on scale and proportion, as my face is enhanced in size and other features play a minuscule role in creating my portrait

2.) Connecting Art To Your World: I have always been fascinated by color, everything I look at seems to have a deeper significance. I have always been intrigued by the different shades of color there is to offer, especially how humans emotions are connected to them as well. When I was in Middle School, my art teacher taught me how to paint a garden with all kinds of flowers, I used a variety of hues. I was able to blend strokes into a high color intensity which made the colors pop boldly and stand out. If I had to pick a color scheme for my life, it would be the way the sky paints it self when the sun is setting. The way the sunset is always different with coloring, whether its red, orange, or pink, draws me in. 3.) Art Project:

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Art and Writing This artwork has been in my life for over 10 years, it may not have any significance to anyone else, but it does to me. When I was younger, my brother painted a picture for me of our cat that we had that passed away. The cat had been with us since it was born and had always stood by my side through my childhood. The media utilized to create this artwork was watercolor for background painting and black crayon to outline the figure. I do think it is a beautiful portrait considering my brother painted it for me as a gift. Although an artist did not create it, it holds significant meaning towards me. Writing a Self-Portrait 1.) 19-years-old 2.) Female 3.) Bradenton, Florida 4.) Caucasian 5.) For fun, I enjoy going mudding, going to the beach, and spending time with friends and family. 6.) I am not a member of any organized group. 7.) I work at a nursing home, and I also work at a brewery as a sever and a bartender. 8.) What makes me unique, is my desire to help people even when they think they do not need it. I enjoy helping others who are less fortunate and children who need guidance during life. My passion is to be a Kindergarten teacher, so I can make a difference in the lives of our further generations. Art Project (Self-Portrait) I am fascinated by plenty of things in this life. The way the wind blows through the trees, the smell of freshly cut grass, the way the sun sets above the ocean. Everyone takes certain beauties for granted, just to wake up and view the outside world is a blessing. I would not trade this world for anything else. My best advice would be to put your phone down and view the real world in front of you, it might not always look this way.