Project Introduction
With this project I aspired to encapsulate the feelings of true love and adoration for this “homemade” toy. I wanted to illustrate this toy from the child’s perspective. I had initially pinned this creature as a beloved misfit toy of sorts. When I discovered that the owner was a little boy with a wild imagination I was inspired to integrate small aspects of truth and fiction into both works, ultimately having them work together as one piece.
Variation 1 (fiction): Concept/Project Development
1) – Writing A childhood friend. Reminds me of something that might come out of a gumball machine.
mood: playful, goofy, primary colors, clearly old, well loved, small companion, maybe faded primary (to illustrate age)
what is it: turtle, frog, crab
incorporate lots of colors, almost make it seem like a child made it
childhood symbols: crayons, glue, construction paper, safety scissors, peeled oranges, nap time, playgrounds, superhero’s, princesses, cartoons, sandbox, macaroni art
macaroni art, cut construction paper, blind contour, sewing
It was the first day of Kindergarten when I first discovered my new best friend. I had yet to meet any friends at this school but somehow at recess, playing in the sandbox I came upon him. I thought briefly about returning him to the lost and found bin. Perhaps there was someone here that was really missing him, maybe returning him would provide an opportunity for a first friend. but when I picked him up, I realized he would be that friend. I proceeded to dust him off and claim him as my own.
2) Brainstorm Sketches –
For this first piece I was mostly inspired by the bottom two images, I then further developed the 4th image.
3) Refining your Idea – I chose to work off the 4th image on the sheet because I felt that communicating a sense of simplicity and whimsy was critical to illustrating the imagination of a child. To me, the 4th thumbnail i designed expressed this inherent creativity the most, for it was the most surreal arguably. To further establish a dreamlike aspect I painted the sky with a far more figurative technique in mind. I wanted this first piece to be the more conceptual piece, grounding itself in inspiration from one of my favorite childhood books “Where The Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak. I wanted this toy to feel secluded, like the true adventures could only take place in this little boy’s dreams. I’m glad in the critique that the aspects of longing, and isolation were picked up on. It was interesting to hear how confused the audience was to see that he was in fact satisfied, in a way, with this isolation. I wanted my subject to seem like he was waiting for “his boy” to return back to continue adventuring. This piece to me represents the relationship Max (the main character from Where The Wild Things Are) still has to all of his own “Wild Things”, a continuation of the storyline if you will.
4)
Variation 2 (creative non-fiction) Concept/Project Development
1) Writing –
2) Brainstorm Sketches –
I was inspired by the top two images for this piece. Then I ultimately ended up developing the 1st image more.
3) Refining your Idea – This second piece is based in reality. Raven had exclaimed to me Pepe’s (my subject’s) good luck, and made note of a particular story. Pepe, not even an inch wide was dropped in a bush. Worried about her brother’s missing toy Raven would go on to fret all day until her and her friends arrived at the beach later that same day only to discover Pepe. A little maimed and sandy but no worse for ware. This was my reasoning for the beach landscape in both pieces. However to still attach Raven’s little brother’s perspective to it I placed it in the same beach scape as the first piece, so one could represent the reality of losing one’s beloved toy at the beach and the other could illustrate a dreamlike scape of adventure, waiting to be discovered again. I was pleased the audience in critique noticed his warped shape in this piece as well. To enhance the childlike/homemade aspect I wanted a real little boy’s perspective. With this idea I promptly sent the photo to my little cousin, age 6, aspiring artist, he lovingly sent me his rendition of the photo that I then used for inspiration.
Instead of using the actual photo as my singular reference for this painting I was able to draw from Jackson’s piece as well. This was incredibly helpful in terms of adding an extra element of childish expression to the work.
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Final Reflection
Ultimately I found these pieces rather challenging just because the original picture gave me so much freedom to work that I almost felt overwhelmed by it. By the end of this project I found myself wishing for some sort of boundary, but it ultimately really helped me in developing a process for working through art block and I found that to be invaluable. I also found myself struggling to make individual pieces once I learned the narrative for the photo, and if I were to go back and do them again I might try to separate them even further from one another. Even in the group critique I felt as though I was stumping some people and I never aim to hide the narrative of my work, so I wish I had been more successful in that regard. These however are small and “nit-picky”, at the end, I felt as though I came out of this project having learned a lot about myself and my creative process and although I wish I had a clearer/more obvious narrative I’m proud of what I made given the lack of boundaries I was provided with.
