Confessions: Proud of My Work

          The proudest I have ever been for creating a work of art is a tie between my first oil painting ever and a sculpture that I completed last quarter in Art 7C.

My First Oil

          My first oil painting was finished when I was about ten or eleven years old.  At the time, I was attending art lessons at this place called Kids Art in Northridge, CA.  The painting was of a still life of a white bowl with two apples in it.  I had drawn and painted these objects many times before, because the program was set up so that the kids would pick from a set of props to depict in their work.  You would start out drawing; move up to pastels, watercolors, acrylics, and then oils.  So by the time I got to play with oils, I had used these plastic fruits and ugly white bowl before.

          This is when I fell in love with oil paints.  They smelled good (the industry was still using good ol’ toxic turpentine), they were shiny, and the things I was painting came out looking more real.  Because I had practiced replicating these same objects, my oil painting turned out pretty good for a ten or eleven year old.  I was so stoked at the time.

          But now, looking back on it, I don’t think I have as much of a connection with that painting itself as I do with the memories commingling with the process of working on that painting.  My favorite instructor, Larson, was still working at the studio at that time.  He was an amazing teacher and one of my friends (as close a friend as a kid can be with a college guy).  Claudia worked there too.  She was more eccentric but still awesome to be around.  But it was Larson who mainly helped me with my painting.  He encouraged me, gave me tips, and demonstrated how to make depth happen with oil paints.  I learned so much from him and Claudia.  I’m proud that my first oil painting has their fingerprints all over it.

(I will find a and take a picture of the painting the next time I go home.)

Sculpture

          Last quarter in Art 7C, we were assigned to create a sculpture out of everyday materials.  I chose to make mine out of coffee filters.  I pictured massive, organic forms that could be constructed using this material only.

          While constructing this piece, I was in my living room and had nowhere to put this mass of coffee filters.  I leaned it against the glass door and immediately saw the beauty that the light coming from within added to it.  So when I installed the ‘finished’ product, I made sure to set up lights inside of it.

          I am mostly proud of this piece because of the sheer manpower it took to complete it in only a week and a half.  I used over 2500 coffee filters and a ton of hot glue, but it came together in the end.  I ultimately want to expand the piece, at least quadruple it in size, and mount it in a wooden frame.  I would have to create a system for lighting it, but that’s just a technical thing.

Coffee Filter Sculpture