The Finished Product

I started off the 3-D project with more than a little trepidation. I am more used to, and comfortable with a 2-D medium because for me it is easier to manipulate items in a 2-D space than a 3-D space. I was originally inspired by the Dome of the Rock and the Pantheon, but as I went along I became more inspired by the arches in the Agnes Scott symbol and triangular shapes. I knew I wanted to construct more of a building rather than a sculpture because I tend to work more from concrete ideas and objects, and the concept of a sculpture just seemed too abstract. But, I found myself having to let go more and more from the original plan because measuring is not one of my strengths. One of the biggest problems that I ran into was measuring and cutting the foam core. I would measure three times and all the sides or pieces I needed would still be different sizes, so I found myself having to work around and respond to those problems. What I ended up with was something a little less like a solid building and instead, I gained something a little more whimsical and something that actually enhanced the look I was going for.

I knew from the start that I wanted the viewer to be able to look inside of the structure, but I had not thought beyond putting card stock squares on the floor to provide something to look at. As I began to work I started playing around with cutouts and layering strips of paper to add some character, and using the scraps from the cutouts to add to the structure. Finding gold paint revolutionized the way I operated because it changed the way I was looking at the piece. I liked that that the gold paint was reflective and I began thinking about capturing how the light played on the gold accents. That is what made me use so much gold on the inside because it was that hint of a surprise that I wanted and it was less gaudy to me on the inside. I created texture along the inside walls of the piece using gold paint and dabbing it on with a napkin, then I gold dusted the floor to give it a hint of sparkle and painted the inside on the roof gold so that it would not be visible from the outside.

The greatest success and what I am the proudest of in the piece would be the dome. I wanted to replicate the shape and material of the Dome of the Rock, but I also wanted to add the hole at the top like the oculus in the Pantheon. Finding an appropriate template and cutting out the pieces and constructing it was a pain, but it turned out better than I had hoped. Finding what to cover the inside walls of the dome was a trial and error process. At first, I had painted it all black and I was going to put gold-dust as I did with the floor, but that did not work out, so I took some cardstock and layered that within the dome. All in all, I did enjoy building the piece at times and I am happy with the results, but I think I will stick to 2-D mediums.

Self-Portrait Update

I had finished a sort of rough draft on the Strathmore paper and experimented with some techniques I wanted to carry out, and then I moved onto sketching it out on the Rives BFK. I wanted to start on the what is the hardest part, the connection between my neck and my face. Because my head is tilted up there is no clear line of a chin and I decided to work in vine charcoal for that part in order to layer the color and smooth it out.

I am stilling working on the mouth to shift the emotion. In the picture I took my expression was more calm and serene, and not necessarily anger. But, the way the mouth is turned in the drawing is coming across as more angry than anything; so, I will need to go back and reevaluate what I was doing. I am also experimenting with color theory in the other square and exploring inks with a stippling technique. I wanted to try something new and colorful, and to break away from some of the darkness of my other drawings.