Neo-Pre-Raphaelitism

Thomas Hart Benton's Artwork holds hidden meaning and symbolism that I wanted to implement. His whole portfolio has a theme of painting ordinary people doing common things, using movement and continuity to unify his work.

In the collection I wanted to keep with his theme but add unordinary instead of ordinary through use of color theory and textural components. Making my characters and their actions odd. 

I took inspiration from Thomas Kincaid and his technical understanding of light and spiritual motifs to create a dreamy, luminous effect. His work is realistic which I was interested in experimenting with. Still keeping my painterly style, I began my experimentation with source lighting.

Considering oil paints to create a softer effect (I've never used them as they take too long to dry). I discovered a new medium that I love. I found that I could build up texture, come back to areas needing more detail, and create continuous movement quite effectively with oil paints.

I'm committed to continuing to explore and grow. This portfolio is a documentation of a journey that has no end. The next chapter is a resurrection of my own interpretation of Neo-Pre-Raphaelitism. An area I'm keen to explore now is light source development and landscapes. The experimentation of depth and environment has allowed me to create a physical manifestation of an inner narrative. The goal was to create final compositions with interest and suspense, leaving the viewer questioning.

Originally my artwork felt flat with very little tonal shifts, shown in my Graffiti collection. As the portfolio progresses, notable changes are made as I begin to create hints of an atmosphere. Within the final stages of this investigation (2022 Portfolio Inquiry) the subjects begin to depict human condition; choosing to humanize rather than objectify.