"Nightfall"
Exhibition Text:Samantha Loontjens
"Nightfall" 12" x 16" Acrylic Paint September 1, 2017 This piece "Nightfall" is an acrylic painting that is inspired by Leonid Afremov. The meaning of this piece focuses on aesthetics and to appreciate the beauty, just like if it was a real life scenery. The main goal is for my piece to reflect positive thoughts and possibly have others think of past experiences that they can connect to when viewing this piece.
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Artist Inspiration:
I Saw A Dream 2 by Leonid Afremov. (n.d.). Retrieved September 04, 2017, from https://leonidafremov.deviantart.com/art/I-Saw-A-Dream-2-by-Leonid-Afremov-678901418
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The piece "I saw a dream by Leonid Afremov" inspired me to create "Nightfall" due to Afremov's strong use of brights colors and his technique. Leonid Alfremov created two types of paintings named "I Saw a Dream" that contains the same use of bright colors and texture of a palette knife. When creating my piece I tried to include the use of his colors by containing all the warm colors in the middle of the piece and then the cooler colors more on the outside. I also followed the same technique as Afremov by only using a palette knife to paint with, to create texture onto my piece.
Process:
Planning Sketches:
- Here are my three planning sketches where I was creating different landscapes that I could paint using Leonid Afremovs technique and style. The first drawing is a Milwaukee landscape with Lake Michigan. The second sketch is based off of a photo that I have taken myself and the third drawing is like a park landscape view.
Artist Research:
On the right is a video of Leonid Alfremov doing a painting with oil paint and a palette knife. Alfremov is continuously wiping off his palette brush to pick up more paint and have a clean stroke. He tends to do a criss-cross pattern when applying paint. He says that shading in the background should be cooler and lighter shades belong in the foreground, using air perspective. When doing his strokes he presses down very hard and spreads the paint out.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XQBcHNITcI
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Experimentation:
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Making Process:When making my piece I first started off by looking at the photo I took and sketching it onto my canvas. Then from there I started on the middle section of my piece where the yellow, red and orange section is. For each of the paints I used I mixed modeling paste into them so there would be texture on my piece. After the middle section I worked up and outwards on the pink and then the blues. Once there was a base coat on my canvas of the colors, I went over it several times trying to mix the colors together. With each stroke of the palette knife I wiped it off on a napkin, picked up more paint and then did another stroke, repeating this process several times. When painting The colors where always mixed on my palette and never on my canvas because if I would have mixed the colors on my canvas, it would have looked sloppy. Once I had the desire look I when back through my piece and added detail and highlights where it was needed to provide more depth into the piece.
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Reflection:I enjoy making pieces that involves modeling paste because its another challenge that is added on when creating the piece. I think the piece includes a great deal of bright and eye catching colors which was what I was going for. When creating my piece I struggled with blending the oranges out with the blues to make it look more natural. It was also hard for me not to merge colors onto the canvas and making sure to have clean strokes with the palette knife because its a simple task that can mess the look of the piece. When using the painting I needed a solid coat on the canvas so I when I go over it with detail it will appear more textured because the modeling paste. But when the paint started drying it made blending much more difficult to do. What I found successful about my piece is the gradation of color, going from yellow, orange, red and pink. I also think there is a nice contrast between the fore ground verses the sky using a dark bluish black against a bright colors.
Critique:My piece "Nightfall" reflects off of my inspiration Leonid Alfremov is represented through my use of bright colors in the sky. When creating my piece I used a great deal of yellows and oranges to catch the viewers attention. I also tried to use the same technique as Alfremov by creating a piece only using a palette knife; although I didn't use oil paint, I had acrylic paint that I mixed with modeling paste to give off the same effect. I also tried focusing on painting the same landscape with a large portion of sky to connect to the "I Saw A Dream" pieces because they both contain the dame use `of style and technique. In which was done successfully as you can see the large sunset in the art piece.
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Meaning:
The meaning of this piece is to simply enjoy the experiences and the things you see in your life. Its to enjoy time in the moment and appreciate all the little things. In my piece "Nightfall" it generally focuses on aesthetics and appreciating its beauty. When viewing this piece there is no wrong meaning other than not to appreciate what you see and to even possibly connect it to a time in their lives where they experienced a beautiful scenery. The use of bright colors is suppose to give off positive vibes and happy thoughts.
Connecting to ACT:
1. Identify cause and effect relationships between your inspiration and your artwork.
In my piece "Nightfall" that was inspired by Leonid Alfremov's piece "I Saw a Dream" I incorporated the same technique with applying texture ti my piece as well as using bright colors.
2. What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The overall approach to Leonid Alfremov's artwork is to create pieces of artwork that are aesthetically appealing and use a contrast of bright colors.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
The generalization that I can conclude from this piece is to enjoy the simple things in life and embrace what is seen right in front of you.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme of my piece was to create a piece that catches one eye and that one can automatically look at it with amaze, enjoying its beauty.
5. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
While doing my research I found out the technique hat Leonid Alfremov does himself while using the palette knife. To contain clean craftsman ship the palette knife must be clean between each stroke so there is a smooth line of color that is being applied to the canvas.
In my piece "Nightfall" that was inspired by Leonid Alfremov's piece "I Saw a Dream" I incorporated the same technique with applying texture ti my piece as well as using bright colors.
2. What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The overall approach to Leonid Alfremov's artwork is to create pieces of artwork that are aesthetically appealing and use a contrast of bright colors.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
The generalization that I can conclude from this piece is to enjoy the simple things in life and embrace what is seen right in front of you.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme of my piece was to create a piece that catches one eye and that one can automatically look at it with amaze, enjoying its beauty.
5. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
While doing my research I found out the technique hat Leonid Alfremov does himself while using the palette knife. To contain clean craftsman ship the palette knife must be clean between each stroke so there is a smooth line of color that is being applied to the canvas.
Citations:
A. (2016, May 26). Retrieved September 10, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XQBcHNITcI
The official online virtual gallery of Leonid Afremov here you can order original oil paintings directly from the world renown artist Leonid Afremov1. (n.d.). Retrieved September 04, 2017, from https://afremov.com/
(n.d.). Retrieved September 04, 2017, from https://afremov.com/Leonid-Afremov-bio.html