2D ART
Artist Statement
The concept for my self-portrait was motivated by reflections of my personal journey and the experiences that have shaped who I am today. My goal was to explore my non-traditional path in life in abstract form. Coming into adulthood I did life a little differently than others around me. I felt for a long time that I was doing life “wrong”. At my age now, early 40s, I am able to reflect on my path from a clearer perspective. What I have come to realize is that I wasn’t doing life wrong at all, but instead was following my own values and vision for what I wanted out of life. I was being true to myself.
I chose Piet Mondrian’s Composition A as my design inspiration. I selected this piece specifically because of the strict geometric design. I aimed to reimagine Mondrian’s design to reflect the complexities of life. For my color inspiration I chose Henri Matisse’s The Woman with the Hat simply because the color palette is pleasing to me.
I initially started the process by mapping out the position of every shape before applying color. This proved to be stressful for me. I could not get it to a place where I was happy with it. In a moment of frustration it dawned on me that I needed to approach the piece the same way I approach life (step by step). This further strengthened my concept. I began by creating a background of text that includes affirmations about the past, present, and future. These affirmations represent the idea that we all have values playing a role in our decisions, whether we realize it or not. On top of this background, I laid down three large rectangular shapes. The larger shapes serve the purpose of creating focal points and grounding the smaller shapes while also symbolizing larger goals, dreams, and purpose. Once I had this foundation I began adding smaller shapes to represent the small steps it takes to achieve these goals and dreams. I painted each shape as I went along, allowing the shape I was working on to determine the color and placement of the next shape. Some shapes are linked representing connections made along the way. Some shapes have empty spaces symbolizing loss or a part of myself I chose to leave behind. Others are filled with emerging color representing growth and transformation. The irregular shapes are intentional to serve as a reminder to embrace imperfection. Each of these individual pieces create a path through the composition creating a harmonious whole.
The piece explores connection, loss, transition, and transformation. It mirrors the way we evolve through our individual experiences and how each step prepares us for the next. The color palette is meant to be playful to celebrate the life that we create for ourselves.
3D ART
DRAWING
DRAWING STUDIES
Jen Robert Creative 