Lies and butterflies

The student gallery exhibition I participated in, called "Redefinition", opened last Friday the 13th. It was exciting to see it all come together and as far as I could tell it was well received by everyone. It's nice to know our hard work paid off. I'm glad I got the chance to be a part of his exhibition and that I got to work with some of my very talented friends. I'm really proud of the end result. I'm not sure how long the exhibit will stay up, but I think at least through the summer term, which ends August 11.

My piece is called "Portrait of a Regal Buffoon". When I was told that the theme of the exhibit was portraiture and that we also had to somehow extend the painting onto the wall, I decided it would be interesting to play around with the deceiving nature of portraits. 

(And because a few people asked, I should also add that this is not a self-portrait. I based this character's features on the My Scene doll because I wanted her face to have a very manufactured look.)

Portraits can be planned out and edited to make the subject appear to be whatever they want. In this case, the subject sits on a throne looking powerful and regal. But this is just a portrait, and the real face of the subject is hiding behind it. I call her a buffoon because she is a fool and a coward for thinking a facade is all she needs to be someone worthy of respect and admiration. While the viewer has no way of knowing what she's really like, the title and the quirky background hint that what they see in the portrait isn't exactly what it seems.

The portrait portion is oil on wood panel and the rest is acrylic applied to the wall.

Besides my piece, I also painted several butterflies and a few ladybugs around the gallery per Kellen's suggestion. I think it was a great idea.

If you haven't seen the exhibition I highly recommend you do! My piece is only one out of seven awesome pieces featured in the gallery.

Maybe I should leave SUVA

For a semester and take a baking class at the Art Institute so I can finally learn how to make frosting that is NOT curdled and gross-looking. Or better yet I should write an old fashioned letter to Ina Garten asking for tips on how to make perfect frosting every time. She might even say my name on an episode of Ask Ina. That would complete my life. I secretly wish she was my aunt because (let's be real) she would be the coolest aunt ever. I would take the summers off and hang out with her at the Hamptons and eat croissants all day while simultaneously arranging flower bouquets with her fabulous friends. My frosting would always be perfect if Ina was my aunt. There is no questions about it. Luckily, my family isn't as concerned with the look of food as they are with the taste of it, so my failed bakings are still eagerly consumed every time.

Anyway, I will eventually find the secret to perfect frosting, you guys, I will!

...

Here are some hand studies I did for class. I decided to use acrylic paint because some people think that I use oils too much. So here I am, shamelessly giving in to peer pressure. 

My interpretation of Merlin's soul.

Pancake hand. 

Ina