Dusk at Saguaro - Acrylic Painting
Title: Dusk at Saguaro
Size: 30.48cm by 60.96
Medium: Acrylic Paint and Canvas
Date of Completion: December 2023
Exhibition Text:
Within my piece "Dusk at Saguaro" I exhibited my fondness for depicting the beauty of nature simply as it is. This is a landscape piece inspired by Joseph Mallard and Frederic Edwin Church and their differing techniques to create serene and tranquil scenes of nature. In my own piece, the pinks and yellows seeping through the blue sky portray the time of day right after the sun sets in the desert.
Size: 30.48cm by 60.96
Medium: Acrylic Paint and Canvas
Date of Completion: December 2023
Exhibition Text:
Within my piece "Dusk at Saguaro" I exhibited my fondness for depicting the beauty of nature simply as it is. This is a landscape piece inspired by Joseph Mallard and Frederic Edwin Church and their differing techniques to create serene and tranquil scenes of nature. In my own piece, the pinks and yellows seeping through the blue sky portray the time of day right after the sun sets in the desert.
Inspiration
J.M.W. Turner was an English artist most well known for this watercolor pieces. I was especially drawn to his piece "The Scarlet Sunset" due to its vibrant colors and unique style. The painting appears light and wispy with many elements areas feeling undefined giving it an eerie tone. I wanted to replicate this style while using a different medium of acrylic paint rather than oil. I assumed this difference in medium would create some challenges in my effort to replicate the style however I chose to conduct research in order to learn how to be achieve my desired effects. The red seeping through the yellow sky sweeps in a horizontal motion which I specifically wanted to include in my piece. I also appreciated the faint outlines of the city-scape in the distance which I decided to replace with mountains in my own.
The Scarlet Sunset by Joseph Mallord William Turner
I primarily drew inspiration regarding the composition of this piece by Frederic Edwin Church. The layered foggy mountains in the background was a feature I wanted to replicate in my piece. Additionally I repeatedly referenced the water in Church's piece in the way different colors are used to represent the setting sun and sky. I was also inspired by his ability to portray this certain time of day right before night which is similar to what I decided to do in my piece. This piece displays more elements of realism which is different from the style I wanted form my own piece.
Mount Kathadin from Millinocket Camp by Frederic Edwin Church
Planning
I began my planning page with a small outline sketch on the top left on the page. Through this image I intended to portray my original idea for this piece roughly. I wanted to began to gather a sense of placement for the main features of the painting such as cacti and the layout of the background landscape. However, I found this composition to be too similar to pieces I had created in the past and also did not feel it was dynamic enough. I then created a second thumbnail sketch vertically that I liked much better. I especially that the vertical layout would provide a better composition for the large cacti. Finally, using a ballpoint pen I decided I wanted to create a sketch of what one of the cacti in my piece could look like. Despite pen being completely different from acrylic paint, I felt the sketch helped me gain familiarity with the shape and features of a cactus and I began to visualize its placement and role pithing my piece.
Process
I created my canvas using 1ft and 2ft wooden beams that I fit together to form the frame. I then cut out the canvas material and stretched it over the frame by stapling it onto the back tightly. Next, I used Gesso to prime the canvas and decided to paint two layers of this on. I decided to do an extra layer because I wanted to increase ht vibrancy and opacity of my paint and this allows me to use less layers of the acrylic.
I used a method that was experimental for me to create the background of this piece. I began painting with a medium blue shade toward the top of the canvas. I wanted to create the illusion of dusk in the desert and thought adding lots of different colors in the sky would create this effect. Referencing my inspiration pieces I started by adding yellow and very slight amounts of red paint into the sky. To add these colors I used a big sweeping motion with a large flat brush to blend the colors together while still allowing them to stand out from one another. I had some difficulty as I found certain areas began to look muddy as the colors blended too much into one another. To remedy this reoccurring issue I decided to let the canvas dry completely in between adding colors to the sky. I finally added more red toward where I intended to paint in mountains to create the effect that the sun had just set.
To make the large cactus on the far right of my piece, I first created the outline using a small round tip brush. I then began filling in their outline with a mixture of blue green and white paint for the base color. I then created shadows using this mixture with some brown added in and created highlights with white added in. I decided to add in clouds in the sky with white paint using a circular sweeping motion. I tried to be light and make sure the clouds looked wispy and undefined as much as possible. |
Experimentation
I experimented a lot throughout the process of making this piece primarily while creating the background. I did not have a singular reference photo but was primarily just drawing inspiration from the style of the two pieces I selected. I knew I wanted to portray dusk through the sky as if the sun had just set. I did so by beginning with a blue shade as the base color and then slowly adding in different colors such as red, pink, green, and yellow. At first I was unsure how to add these colors without them dominating the piece and looking unrealistic. At first I tried just adding some water to dilute them but these still left the colors feeling as if they did not meld into the background. I then added some of the blue paint into each of these colors and used a large flat brush to sweep them over top in broad strokes. This produced the effect I desired and I continued this method for the rest of the sky adding one color at a time.
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Critique
Similarities:
Differences
- Landscape scenery
- Elements depicting foreground, middle, and background
- Unique times of day such as sunset and dusk
Differences
- Differing styles
- Techniques
Reflection
This painting was one of many landscapes I have created over the past few years. I thoroughly enjoyed the process and am relatively pleased with the end result. I did feel I slightly rushed myself though and that a higher level of detail could have been achieved if I spent more time on the piece. I really enjoyed drawing inspiration from the two pieces I selected and found them very helpful to reference throughout my process for both composition and style. I rarely create a landscape piece without an image that I am specifically basing the composition off of. While it was fun to be experimental and imaginative with my composition, I think the piece would have benefited from me having a concrete reference photo rather than looking at various online images. I used many vibrant colors throughout the piece which was really fun and more contemporary than many of my other works. I do feel that some of the elements in my piece feel disconnected from one another slightly. Such as the cactus from the background. However overall I like the tone of the piece a lot and I enjoyed the process.
ACT Questions
1) Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
My inspiration primarily was regarding techniques used by different artists to create landscape pieces which I applied to the techniques I used to create my own piece.
2) What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author's approach regarding the serenity and untouched qualities of nature is that it is these qualities that can often create a disconnect from humanity and natural elements.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I have been able to generalize that the qualities of modern society such as consumerism, and industrialization have led to this disconnect may of us experience from nature.
4) What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea around my inspirational research is that there are few areas of earth that are untouched an undisturbed by man. Human's plight of conquering nature has ultimately resulted in a disconnect and unfamiliarity we each may experience from nature.
5) What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I have been able to infer that technology is in part to blame for the disconnect humans have from nature.
My inspiration primarily was regarding techniques used by different artists to create landscape pieces which I applied to the techniques I used to create my own piece.
2) What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author's approach regarding the serenity and untouched qualities of nature is that it is these qualities that can often create a disconnect from humanity and natural elements.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I have been able to generalize that the qualities of modern society such as consumerism, and industrialization have led to this disconnect may of us experience from nature.
4) What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea around my inspirational research is that there are few areas of earth that are untouched an undisturbed by man. Human's plight of conquering nature has ultimately resulted in a disconnect and unfamiliarity we each may experience from nature.
5) What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I have been able to infer that technology is in part to blame for the disconnect humans have from nature.
APA Citations
Joseph Mallord William Turner. High Quality Reproductions Of Turner paintings. (n.d.). https://www.william-turner.org/
Visciglia, S. (2023, June 21). “Mount Kathadin from Millinocket Camp,” Frederic edwin church. Portland Museum of Art. https://www.portlandmuseum.org/magazine/arttrail-fredericchurch
Visciglia, S. (2023, June 21). “Mount Kathadin from Millinocket Camp,” Frederic edwin church. Portland Museum of Art. https://www.portlandmuseum.org/magazine/arttrail-fredericchurch