Self-Portriture

Following on from the Research page of M.C. Escher, I have drawn my own self-portrait using graphite pencil. To do this, I firstly chose my reflective surface which was a small hand held mirror. To add a meaning or purpose to the mirror, I painted on a daisy in watercolour.

When drawing my self-portrait I also wanted to give it a meaning which complemented the mirror and so I drew my portrait with the daisy positioned over my mouth. I wanted to capture the idea of only speaking positive in drawing; 'talking daisies' perhaps. 

This is another example of observational drawing in the style of M.C. Escher. I like Escher's attention to detail and the simplicity of his ideas yet the complication of his drawing. I have taken the idea of reflection and used it in the background of my A1 page by reflecting the title. 

To improve my drawing I would like to take my idea to a bigger scale and use another medium other than graphite pencil.

Reflective surfaces- M.C. Escher

To start drawing from reflective surfaces, I have taken inspiration from the historical artist M.C. Escher. He worked in a range of mediums ranging from etching, pencil and ink to chalk and carving. 

I have created my own response to his work by drawing myself and the classroom in an old thearte light. This is my first piece of observational drawing which took place in one of my art lessons. I have drawn this picture in oil pastel and have used bright colours (including: red, green and yellow) to highlight the perspective of the room. The picture is distorted which can be seen in my drawing as it bends around the thearte light. My body appears large compared to the rest of the room; everything, including myself, appears to have been brought further forewards.

I have used Escher's idea of observational drawing and self-portraiture and I would like to develop this further into a self -portrait by using my drawing in the style of Escher as an inspiration:

Reflections in a journal...

I have chosen to use a journal to show my journey throughout this project. I feel this is a great way to express my thoughts and feelings throughout this project.

I have named this journal 'reflections through life' as I plan to write about experiences from the very start of life to the very end. I want this journal to be a way of finding a path through this art project. I will use it throughout my journey to express my thoughts and to share the places which I visit.

I hope this journal will reflect my everyday life and my chosen pathway through this title. 

Starting point- inspiration (Kaleidoscope)

As a starting point for my title 'Reflections' and as a project for 'Art in Woodstock' my class and I designed and created usable kaleidoscopes.

To create these involved a series of steps, some complicated. I devised a series of written instructions including pictures, which can be seen in my art journal:

I created an A1 page on the project and used inspiration of tessellation and symmetry to create an interesting background. I have written down the steps underneath flaps for the user to read.

By following my step-by-step guide, I have been able to create a small Kaleidoscope. I have photographed it from many angles in order to show the viewer the true nature of the product. I have chosen a variety of beads in a variety of shapes and colours to fill the bottom of my kaleidoscope as I wanted to create an almost fluorescent reflection. 

Looking at my photographs, it is possible to see the decoration on the outside of my Kaleidoscope where I have used purple beads to form a crest. I have taken these photographs myself using a digital Nikon DSLR camera and a light projector:

I like the reflective effect that my kaleidoscope gives. The mirrored surfaces project and tessellate the surrounding beads. It looks like a tunnel of light, an explosion of colour. 

To develop this technique further, I would like to draw from a mirrored surface to see how a reflected image would look using pencil and my own imagination. This brings me onto an artist who draws from reflective surfaces. M.C. Escher.