Art

An explanation of my concentration topic: Wine.

For my concentration, I chose to explore the darker, more subtle aspects of wine. At first, I focused in the apparent sophistication that wine brings to say, a dinner table or a party, then attempted to bring out the unseen side of wine: that of an alcoholic, one in depression, etc. More particularly, I was interested in the way wine plays a part in relationships: how it can begin as a celebration of happiness, such as champagne at a wedding, or a red wine at a fancy restaurant, and then evolve into something darker as the relationship progresses, becoming an addictive comfort to soften then pain, and eventually progressing to obsession, drunken-ness, and broken dependency.

#1: Champagne
Chalk Pastel



#2: Tipsy
Charcoal



#3: Dirty Habits
Prisma Pencils, Chalk Pastel



#4: Apothecary
Prisma Pencils



#5: Shadow of the Day
Charcoal, Chalk Pastel



#6: Waiting for You
Prisma Pencils, Chalk & Oil Pastel



#7: Full Circle
Pencil



#8: Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Inktense Pencils



#9: A Toast
Marker Stipple & Watercolor Background



#10: Broken
Pencil



#11: My Own Prison
Chalk Pastel on Black Paper



#12: Something's on my Mind
Acryllic Paint




****NOTE: I ordered my drawings knowing that the AP Board judges were going to be looking at it - so I put some of my good ones in front, my bad ones in the middle, and my best ones in the back, to start and end with a good impression. After that, I tried to order it in the progression of the topic, but mostly the order was for the judges' benefit. Some of them may seem obscure because this was for an art class, and I had a deadline, and was scrambling to find something to do. If I'd had more time to do them, I might've thought about some of them better, and it might make more sense. As it was, I procrastinated a lot and ended up doing pretty much all 12 projects in under 3 weeks, which was absolutely insane. My topic, I must admit, I chose because I thought it would be easy to find stuff to draw for it. Just imagine having to find a topic that was specific, but general enough that you'd be able to do 12 different projects on it, and actually develop it as you go. It's not too easy. Wine was an easy topic. I could just as easily have done the other perspective of wine, the lighter side, but I had to choose one, and I thought that the darker side would be easier for me to get into.

Mostly, I'm posting this up here to celebrate my finally being done. It was really hard. And I don't think I will be becoming an artist anytime soon.

I'll stick with writing, thank you very much!

-Katie