McKenna B. AP Art

Taking AP Art this year really helped me to grow as an artist. Through the process of creating my portfolio, I learned more about both myself and my art.My medium of choice ended up being watercolors, as I feel they are one of the most expressive mediums to work with. My concentration in AP Art was linked to personal experiences.

COMMENTARY
1.) The central idea of my concentration has been overcoming my internal battle with depression and anxiety. The stark black and white details in my art work represent the depression always lingering in day to day life, despite how small the amount may be. The watercolor represents anxiety. While the bright and beautiful colors represent how the world as a whole tends to see me, the messy patterns of it all depict the turmoil inside; disorganized yet coinciding to create an interesting image.

2.) My concentration has developed into a strong focus from a single painting. I first painted a portrait of myself in simple colors and tones, but with a chaotic scheme of patterns flowing together to create the picture of myself. This idea is what developed into my concentration- the idea that seemingly disorganized brushstrokes can coincide to create something beautiful. As I continued with this idea, I watched it form to include the depression and anxiety I’ve faced from a young age. I worked to include various issues I’ve faced psychologically, and use the material to create a piece of art. This theme further developed by implementing single features, which I feel can be the most expressive traits a person can use. I used the facial features to convey a morose tone; the black and white once again used to display darkness or emptiness, with a variety of watercolor splats being used to symbolize the idea of something pleasant being created from chaos. This ties in with my final piece in my concentration, the mouth holding the pentacle; this displays the strain associated with rising above stereotypes of the social norm, with bright fiery colors, and of course the pentacle, symbolizing this. I feel that the colors implemented in my concentration are what complete the emotions which are meant to be conveyed to the viewer.