Figure of Speech

This project was inspired by (an) Idiom(s) with at least 5 different objects from around my house. I had a lot of fun conceptualising this project and I enjoyed the creating process of creating an interesting composition with a few simple objects. However, the objects in the composition taught me a lot about composition, texture, lighting, change in value, and limiting my color pallet.

Note the detail work in some of the textures and form.

“Hot Potato” Prismacolor, Strathmore 400 series, 19x24

Reflective Thoughts

1. Why did you chose the objects in your drawing?
   - I took a literal approach at the phrase “hot potatoes” and found some really interesting objects in my kitchen that would help me think more about the change in value, texture, composition, color, lighting, etc.
2. What is the point, or meaning, of this drawing?
   - When you take a step back from this piece, it may just appear as some potatoes and sauces with some green onions. But, the piece is more about the concept and the execution of the subjects and the relation it has to one another, including the relation to the artist. I was playing around with the phrase, then came to the thought of “How can I make this interesting and fun?”. I began to play with colors that would compliment each other such as warm tones like reds and yellows, and even some warm browns and warm blacks with hints of cool tones such as the greens and the cool black (blue-ish black). More importantly, I was aiming for space, lighting (light and shadow value) and texture; the texture from the cloth, to the potatoes, to the glass and plastic bottle, to the cellophane sauce packets.
3. What is the feeling or mood you were going for in your drawing?
   - We typically associate our senses with color and how color helps determine how we feel, or should feel, about something or some one. This piece in particular, I was playing around with the idea of spicy-ness and the relationship it has to the color red, or warm tones, as well as something not so spicy and the relationship it has to the color red. So, once again, it comes down to the concept of emoting a spicy flavor with something usually bland and their color relations.