"Day and Night"
Oil on Canvas
​20"x24"
2020

"Spicy"
Oil on Canvas
11"x14"
2020

"Eyes on the Prize"
Oil on Canvas
16"x20"
2020

"Thiccc Fluffy Boi"
Oil on Canvas
​24"x20"
2020

My assistant

Quarantine studio in my dining room

FINAL STATEMENT

​For my final painting, I chose to imitate the style of Vincent Van Gogh.  I did so because I wanted to be more loose and fun with my brushstrokes and colors.  Van Gogh’s style is very much unlike my own, but in a way that I aspire to be more like, so I thought it would be a great way to push myself and try something new.  I used looser and choppier brushstrokes while playing up the complimentary colors in my bear (like Van Gogh) which made the fur seem abstract (but my bear’s form was still realistic), however my strokes were longer and more fluid, and I had a little more detail in the face than a Van Gogh portrait would have.  I kept the background simple in order to pop the bear’s texture and body out as well as modernize the piece, but added a little orange on the side opposing the bear in order to fill empty space and further emphasize the blue.  This painting taught me to have more fun, to not waste time agonizing over insignificant details, and to be more painterly.  The title of this piece is Thiccc Fluffy Boi (inspired by the luxurious fur on the bear), because that’s what my friend Luke insisted on calling it.  


This class truly helped me grow as an artist.  I’ll admit that I was intimidated by oil painting, as I’d only used acrylics before.  However, I really grew to like oil paints, due to how forgiving they can be in many situations.  My first painting was a mess, in that I spent so much time at the beginning trying to make everything perfect, so I wasted my time and was so rushed at the end.  From then on, I let go more and just got it done. I also discovered that painting isn't just about perfectly rendering an object-you have to actually make an interesting and exciting piece around that.  Otherwise, you might as well just take a picture of said object.