Fall Tree
The main objective of this assignment was for students to experiment with textures and materials and how they could manipulate the viewer’s perception of the weight and materials used. I didn’t have much of a starting point so I began messing around in adobe illustrator and I made an illustration that resembled a tree, I then began to work with colors and felt like the fall color palette (red, orange, yellow and brown) seemed appropriate. I printed out the image and cut it out, I then used the “mold” to cut out pieces of foam board and then I began to think about how I was going to use texture. I knew I was going to paint the foamboard using acrylic rather than attach the paper to it. I then decided to make a wood pattern on the leaves which would not only make it seem like I used wood but also make the leaves seem heavier than they would be in real life. Another aspect of this assignment was to create a structure without using any adhesive, we were meant to use joinery of some sort. I had trouble thinking of how I wanted to do this and I settled on using brass fasteners which I painted over but upon completion, I think that it would’ve made the squares have more tension if I had used toothpicks or small pieces of wire pierced into the foam board. To make the trees stand up I cut slots into the foamboard base however the trees would still lean towards the front or the back so I cut a thin piece of foamboard and filled the rest of the slot but I could’ve used a popsicle stick or some wire to make it more stable. Overall I really enjoyed how this sculpture came out, I enjoy the Mondrian aesthetic that I gave to it with the use of colored squares.
