The Mature Artist
AGE: 17 YEARS +
The mature artist is one that takes a serious interest in art and decides to devote a significant amount of time to creating artwork. At this point art can be seen as an important hobby or a serious career choice. Either way, at this stage, art becomes integrated into the mature artists' life.
The mature artist has mastered skills with many tools and materials and is successfully able to convey ideas with an audience. With full command of materials and techniques, mature artists can explore a range of subject matter and ways of representing the world. However, many mature artists choose to work in series to allow themselves to explore certain ideas more deeply. Artists often question themselves and others about "how" and "why" they make art.
Characteristics to look for:
The mature artist has mastered skills with many tools and materials and is successfully able to convey ideas with an audience. With full command of materials and techniques, mature artists can explore a range of subject matter and ways of representing the world. However, many mature artists choose to work in series to allow themselves to explore certain ideas more deeply. Artists often question themselves and others about "how" and "why" they make art.
Characteristics to look for:
|
|
Pen and ink was used to sketch out the objects in this still life. Watercolors were then added on top of the preliminary drawing. The maturing artist shows skill with both materials. The focus of the drawing shifts from "nailing objects in space" to an investigation in color relationships. Caitlin painted the central objects in more saturated colors, heightening the contrast between the cool blue background and white cloth in the foreground.
The nude model has been a source of inspiration for centuries. Continued practice in figure drawing will lead to a better understanding of form, light, shadow, color, and proportion. Figure drawing can be informative for artists even if it is not their primary subject matter.
This drawing was made as part of a series of drawings inspired by a week-long trip to Italy. This sketch was inspired by moments she quicly captured in photographs and then drew from. They are done using pen and ink and watercolors. At this stage, Caitlin's interest in color
|
In her senior year of collage, Caitlin decided to focus on painting meat still-lives. Many of these paintings, although inspired by real life, were composed and painted from her imagination. After painting with oils for 8 years, Caitlin's skills have become quiet sophisticated.
These two drawings are part of a series of charcoal drawings that Emily made when she studied abroad in Italy. The sketches of her roomates were made quickly with vine charcoal. For each drawing, Emily observed her friends interacting with each other during leisure activities. What developed was an series of intimate observations of friendships and social interactions. Working in series allowed her to set up and discover different compositional challenges.
While studying in Venice, Italy, Emily became interested in painting domestic spaces. While working on the Yellow Room painting, Emily investigated composition and color choices through other drawings while simultaneously working on the painting (bottom right.)
For this painting, Emily has developed a specific painting style. The thinned-down oil paints allow her to create a sense of impermanence. The painting exists within the moment, and the scene might change suddenly. Purposeful distortion is used in order to include a wide viewpoint and attention is given to specific details (i.e. the target bag) in order to ground the painting in reality.
|