Project 1
Honey Jar
Oils on gesso-board 20.5 cm x 20.5 cm September 2020 Exhibition Text My piece "Honey Jar" was inspired by the feeling of a fleeting spark, the kind of love that only lasts one trial. A honey jar is a Wiccan spell that binds two souls, and if the jar gets broken, so does the relationship. There is honey and a piece of paper with each name on it inside the jar, and the candle on top is to seal the spell. The spell (binding of two souls) is complete when the candle burns out, but as you can see the jar is already cracked before the candle has died out. |
Planning
Inspiration
My main inspiration for my meaning was the feeling of a fleeting love, such as one that only lasts a week or so. My inspiration for the composition however was the Wiccan spell "honey jar", not only for the plain beauty of the spell, but also the fact that it's a soul-binding spell for friendships and romantic relationships. The picture on the top left is one of my own honey jars that I used as the subject for this painting. The top right is an example of a more elaborate honey jar ritual. The inspiration for the style I used was from Matisse as I liked the way he used color and line. In my painting I use no black as to not mute the other colors and make the honey and flame on the candle really pop. I took a more realistic approach to Matisse's painting style; used more realistic colors and tighter lines with a bit more detail. Though, at the same time I tried to make the figure abstract and background a semi-solid color like Matisse. |
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Planning Sketches
In my first thumbnail I was thinking about painting a scene of a spell in progress. I was going to either write something toxic on the note or crack the jar to show a toxic relationship or 'losing the love before it's created'. In the end I thought the idea was too obvious and would look weird on the small gesso-board I had. The second thumbnail is supposed to be a close-up of the jar, where you can see the note and some cracks in the glass. I didn't chose this thumbnail because I didn't like the composition. The third thumbnail, the one I chose, is almost a direct copy of the picture I took of my own spell. But I wanted to see the honey dripping out and maybe some cracks in the side. This thumbnail is the one I chose to base my painting off of, but I didn't paint the background and made the honey pool like it was on a flat surface so I could bring more attention to other aspects of the piece. The fourth thumbnail is of the process of cleansing a jar with incense. I really liked this idea because I really like to paint smoke, especially the smoke that comes off incense. But in the end I chose the third option because it represented the meaning I was trying to go for the most. |
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Process
Process
I regretfully couldn't take more pictures than this because my phones camera was broken and being fixed when I started this painting.
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Experimentation
Truthfully, I didn't experiment that much within the painting. I tried paining without using pure black for the first time, and was successful! I really enjoy how using dark blue doesn't take value away from the other colors of this piece, which makes all the colors look way brighter, especially the candle flame. I also inspirationally experimented, as I don't particularly like to talk about my love life to strangers. This was a large step for me as an artist to open up more to my feelings and translate them into my work. I also experimented by using a pink and cream instead of pure white for the highlights to show low lighting. I additionally used physical texture in the honey to make light reflect off of it to show maybe some broken glass or semi-crystalized sugar. |
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Critique
I feel as though this work would be a stronger piece if the background didn't seem so rushed. I could have done a background like Matisse, using values to replicate 3D space. Other then that I feel the wax drippings would look way better if I used a strait edge with the drips going down the glass, it would just look cleaner. From the compare and contrast below; i'm proud I didn't use any black and how I showed curve of the glass so easily. The style I used is not exactly like matisse's, but the almost rough aspect of his work is what I was inspired by most anyways.
I feel as though this work would be a stronger piece if the background didn't seem so rushed. I could have done a background like Matisse, using values to replicate 3D space. Other then that I feel the wax drippings would look way better if I used a strait edge with the drips going down the glass, it would just look cleaner. From the compare and contrast below; i'm proud I didn't use any black and how I showed curve of the glass so easily. The style I used is not exactly like matisse's, but the almost rough aspect of his work is what I was inspired by most anyways.
Green Stripe by Matisse
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Compare and Contrast
Similar - never using black - simple backgrounds - Imperfect composition - Shading with darker versions of the main colors, not dark or grey overlays. Contrasting - My painting is more detailed - I also use colors more true to life - A portrait vs an inanimate object - I use more muted colors and Matisse used brighter, more saturated colors |
Honey Jar
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Reflection
With this piece I stepped out of my comfort zone, as I painted glass and candle flame for the first time in this piece. I feel like i've actually accomplished painting these new textures really well. I now feel way more confident trying out new techniques and textures in my artwork. My artist inspiration doesn't exactly match the style of my final piece but I feel like the style it ended up as fits it more. If I would have used different colors for shading it would have looked like I was just trying to copy Matisse's style exactly. Instead, I took inspiration from his imperfect form, line, and shapes. My biggest challenge that occurred in this project was the background. Since I wanted most of the focus on the jar, I wanted the background to be really simple, though I feel like I could have chosen a better way to paint the background. The concept of this piece goes well with my other pieces since my overall focus is on spirituality, yet i've unconsciously been doing works about more legends and myths, so the spell inspiration fits really well.
ACT
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork:
I was majorly influenced by my personal life, so I purposely made the work a little messy and imperfect to reflect myself and my relationships.
What is the overall approach (pov) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
My research was searching how exactly a honey jar is made as to make and paint it correctly. .
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
None since i'm already part of the Wiccan community.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
Lost love and losing feelings.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
How to make a honey jar and what it should look like.
I was majorly influenced by my personal life, so I purposely made the work a little messy and imperfect to reflect myself and my relationships.
What is the overall approach (pov) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
My research was searching how exactly a honey jar is made as to make and paint it correctly. .
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
None since i'm already part of the Wiccan community.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
Lost love and losing feelings.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
How to make a honey jar and what it should look like.
Bibliography
Saussy, Briana. “How to Make a Honey Jar (with Pictures!!!).” Briana Saussy, 3 May 2019, brianasaussy.com/how-to-make-a-honey-jar-with-pictures/.