Block Print
The Tree that Stands TallBlock Print
15cm x 7 3/4cm September 2019 Exhibition TextThe Tree that Stands Tall was inspired by the Environmental art movement. This movement is newer than most starting around 1960's. I chose this movement because it amazes me how an artist is able to capture moments in nature. They capture images that people don't normally take the time to stop, look at, and appreciate.
Within this piece, there are 3 sections. To me, it symbolizes the different stages a person goes through in life. How we change over time, but no matter what we going through, we can rely on our roots to hold us up to our fullest. |
The Process:
Inspirations
My biggest inspiration was nature itself. I have always been inspired by the way nature forms itself, and the way that the tree is able to stand so tall by itself without collapsing. In my first inspiration picture, there is a tree within a person. This made me think about how not only nature has its branches and roots. We do too in different ways whether we recognize them or not. The second picture has a bunch of leaves, but each at a different point in its' life cycle. It shows the brightest of greens, but then it also has the darkest of reds. The green is in the beginning when the leaves are still fresh and new and full of life. The red are towards the end of its' cycle when they're getting ready to fall during autumn. The third inspiration is actually something from a completely different art piece in a different movement. This piece was made by Vincent van Gogh, and when I look at it, the first thing that comes to mind is a tree getting blown around, moving with the cold air of the night. This piece related to my winter side. I think the biggest difference between my inspirations and my actual piece is that my piece had one main object while the conditions around it changed, instead of itself. For example, in Van Gogh's piece, the object I see as a tree is going with the wind, and in the picture of the leaves, the environment is the same, but it shows the different stages the leaf will go through. From the differences, there are also similarities. I got at least one idea from each different piece. I had originally just searched up "nature" and "nature art" because I had the idea of revolving my piece based on nature. That was when I saw the picture of the leaves and got the idea of doing something based on seasonal or thematic changes. Later on as I kept looking and search for different ideas, I overheard someone make a reference to a tree. I remember them saying, "Think about yourself as a tree. You can roll with the window and the storms which are like the punches in life, or you can fall over with every little breeze that hits you." At first when i heard it, I just thought that"s a really good way to look at things in perspective. Later I began working on art again, and with that idea still in my head, I thought about drawing it. Drawing how you can stand tall through it all, so that's what I did, and then I found the picture of a tree within the person. Then rest just came from there. The connection to Van Gogh's piece is the fact that the tree or object hasn't fallen over yet and is still standing.
My last and most inspiring piece wasn't a painting or even a picture. It is actually a quote that I recently saw online, and it says, “If you feel like you’re losing everything Remember that trees lose their leaves every year and they still stand tall and wait for better days to come.” Basically, it's telling the reader that if you ever feel like everything is just falling apart and everything seems to be going wrong, just remember a tree has to lose its leaves every year in order for it to look pretty again as soon as the better, sunnier days come around. Just give it some time, and you'll find that the pain won't last forever. This is what I tried to portray in my piece. |
“If you feel like you’re losing everything Remember that trees lose their leaves every year and they still stand tall and wait for better days to come.” -unknown
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Planning Sketches
My 1st sketch was going to be called "City Within the Trees". h I actually made this sketch when I started drawing for fun in one of my study halls. I liked this drawing a lot because two of my biggest inspirations are both found in this piece. Trees and the way that a city works. The trees to me represent the basic structure of the earth. We need them to breathe, we use them to construct buildings and houses, and we look at them for inspiration how to construct our daily buildings. To me they represent both strength and support. They truly represent what it means to just go with the way things are. In the wither, they lose their leaves, but still stand tall, and then once summer arrives again, the leaves come out, they become "pretty", and they still stand tall. The most amazing part is that through out both the winter and summer, they're constantly growing and changing to better suit their needs. The city on the other hand shows how with enough organizations, you can find a way to put thousands upon thousands of people in a small area. They even crazier concept is that with some more organization and team work, they can find many ways to easily function properly and effectively. I see it as if you can't find a way or space to build outwards, find a new way and build up.
I liked this sketch, but I really didn't like the way I designed the city. To me it felt like it had a lot of empty space, and I wanted something that could fill up the print completely. I also just didn't like the overall design, and even with modifications, I didn't think I would be able to connect to it as well as I did the other one. |
My 2nd sketch, which I called The Tree that Stands Tall, was the one I decided to use as my final block print template. Like I said previously, one of my biggest inspirations is trees. In this particular drawing, there are three different sections. The section to the left is taking place during a winter storm in the middle of the night, while the section to the right is a tree in the middle of the summer. To me, the winter represents a time of being cold, alone, weak, and in some cases on the edge of breaking or falling over. The summer side represents the opposite. It shows a time of warmth, prosperity, high energy, and growth. The final section is the area where the roots are. This is basically your base or support system. There are 3 sections to symbolize how we will go through many different things in life. There are stages of good, and then there are stages of bad, but no matter what, just stand tall, stick with your roots, and just try your best to get through the cold winter, so that you can see the warm, sunny summer days. This tree symbolizes that we can stand tall now matter how bright or dull life currently is, you can always rely on your base to help support you.
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My 3rd sketch is similar to my 2nd piece, but overall this concept was my least favorite. I'm not completely sure what it is, but I don't like the way the tree forms, and I really didn't like the background. I feel like it looks to fake and to busy. I was not pleased with this sketch at all. The "wind" now looks like the ocean waves, and the tree looks very unrealistic to me.
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Process
I started off this sketch with a big tree in the middle. I knew from the beginning that I wanted one of my sketches to be about nature, more specifically, a tree. After looking through the internet I found a picture of leaves through out different stages. This gave me the idea of doing something where the tree is going through different phases. As mentioned in my inspiration text, I heard a quote that really made me think about how a tree stands tall. Yes we all know it stands tall by growing up and using its roots as its base, but how. I never stopped to think about it before, but tress have to deal with harsh winds, snow, heat, storms, and a lot more, yet they still stand up tall living through some of the worst things imaginable. This made me think of the different conditions many face in life, and in the end I decided to go with a sunny side and a stormy side. The next part was actually figuring out a way to show each side. I couldn't really use color for this beside black and white, so I couldn't just color in yellow for the sun, But I could however draw the rays of the sun to give the viewer an idea of what they are looking at. After that, I thought about making the other side dark and gloomy to represent the hard times, so I tried adding the moon. I couldn't figure out how to draw the moon, so I decide to just leave that part all black. The next challenge was deciding what should stay white and what should be black. I drew it our first to get a good idea of what I wanted, but by the end I didn't get what I originally envisioned. I feel like my end product ended up having to much black on the dark side. I tried making white dots to shows snow falling, but this didn't come out the greatest, and left a bunch of dots that didn't make sense, but I still liked the idea.
Techniques and Tools:
To the right, I have inserted pictures of the tools I used throughout this process. I used four different linoleum carving tools, a 6 piece carving set made by a company known as speedball, brayer roller, a Japanese baron, and a red baron with a wood handle. The three carving tools I used the most were the one shown in the 3rd picture, and tip 1 and 6 from the speedball set. I used tip 6 from first to carve out the beginning lines. I used this to draw the basic template before actually carving out the rest. I realized that by doing this, as I continue to carve with my other tools, the line that I made with this tools acted like a border, and it was very rare that my tool kept carving past my inscribed lines. After marking all my lines, I started by using tip 1 to carve the edges so that I had a clear idea of what would end up white and what would be black. After I cleared up the borders with tool 1, I used the tool shown in picture 3 to start carving away the major areas of block print that I wanted to show up as white. Overall, the tool from pic 3 was used the most. Compared to that tool, the other tools were mainly used for edging. Once it was time to print, I had to apply a thin layer of linocut ink onto a paint tray. Using my brayer, I rolled it through the ink until I got a nice even coat across the entire roller. Once I had a nice even layer, I rolled it across my block print until there was enough ink for the transfer. Once there was enough ink on the block print, I place a white sheet of printing paper on top as lined up as possible. I then used the Japanese baron to transfer the image. The technique I found that worked best was a lot of pressure in circular motions. I then used the red baron with the handle for any areas that I felt didn't get enough pressure. After doing this for a few minutes, I removed my paper, and depending on the results, I would hang it to dry if i liked it or throw it away if I was in need of improvement in a specific area. I think I used the best techniques I found, but with a bit more experimentation, I could've probably found something that worked better for me.
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Reflection
Overall, I am very pleased with my Block print. I didn't get my original vision, but I do think that in some ways I got something that looks even better.
What I Liked: I really liked experimenting with different tools, and just trying something new. This was a completely different experience and I'm very pleased with it for being my first time. I like my idea/concept of the piece, and i really like that I can connect with it. This didn't just feel like a grade. This was something I got to enjoy, have fun with it, connect, and learn. I feel that I really like being connected to nature, and this was one of those pieces that I believed might've helped me understand it a little more.
What I Wish to do Different: I feel like there aren't many things I didn't like, but the things are bigger. For example, my biggest mistake was leaving to much in black, and then not knowing how to fix it without ruining the rest. I was too scared to take off more and then risk ruining everything I already had done. Although it does meet what I wanted, I feel like a little less black would've been nice. My other big mistake happened with the "snow". I tried making snow flakes to give the impression that the dark side was in the middle of a snow storm, but it didn't come out as planned, and came out looking like a bit of a mess. You can't tell exactly what they are just by looking at it, and I feel like it just made it blurry and confusing.
Most of my inspiration actually came from past experiences, previous knowledge, and from memory of spending time in nature. I've always been an outdoorsy type of kid, so discovering new places and things was very interesting and fun for me. I would much rather be in nature than to be inside playing some video games. I feel like this has had a great role in why I love nature art so much. I like the free organic lines, but I also like a bit of straight edges. One thing I did learn was look at other artist. This is something I rarely do, but with a certain vision already in my mind, plus inspiration from other pieces, I thought of so many different things to add, and I even saw certain pieces in ways I had never seen them before. Overall, I think it was a great learning experience.
What I Liked: I really liked experimenting with different tools, and just trying something new. This was a completely different experience and I'm very pleased with it for being my first time. I like my idea/concept of the piece, and i really like that I can connect with it. This didn't just feel like a grade. This was something I got to enjoy, have fun with it, connect, and learn. I feel that I really like being connected to nature, and this was one of those pieces that I believed might've helped me understand it a little more.
What I Wish to do Different: I feel like there aren't many things I didn't like, but the things are bigger. For example, my biggest mistake was leaving to much in black, and then not knowing how to fix it without ruining the rest. I was too scared to take off more and then risk ruining everything I already had done. Although it does meet what I wanted, I feel like a little less black would've been nice. My other big mistake happened with the "snow". I tried making snow flakes to give the impression that the dark side was in the middle of a snow storm, but it didn't come out as planned, and came out looking like a bit of a mess. You can't tell exactly what they are just by looking at it, and I feel like it just made it blurry and confusing.
Most of my inspiration actually came from past experiences, previous knowledge, and from memory of spending time in nature. I've always been an outdoorsy type of kid, so discovering new places and things was very interesting and fun for me. I would much rather be in nature than to be inside playing some video games. I feel like this has had a great role in why I love nature art so much. I like the free organic lines, but I also like a bit of straight edges. One thing I did learn was look at other artist. This is something I rarely do, but with a certain vision already in my mind, plus inspiration from other pieces, I thought of so many different things to add, and I even saw certain pieces in ways I had never seen them before. Overall, I think it was a great learning experience.
ACT Responses
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause and effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
One direct effect I saw from my inspiration is that I really like organic free flowing lines. This is seen all over nature and in few older art movements. I also got the idea of going through stages from the picture I found online.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding your topic?
The author is very much into the movement. His word choice, and the way I read it make me come to the conclusion that this is a movement he is comfortable and interested in.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while researching inspiration?
While researching, I realized that my environment and nature isn't much different than those around me. I didn't take the time to look for things just around me. I was looking at things from all over the world, and I realized things weren't very different from what I see here around me everyday. While researching, I also saw different sculptures and art pieces that showed me some insight into other cultures that I hadn't seen before. I saw a lot of pictures involving people in the center of the woods or nature.
What was the central theme or idea around your inspirational research?
The central idea I had while researching mainly revolved around the course a tree has through the year. I thought about how we can relate to it and how we can relate to tress by also going through certain stages in life. We all have our ups and downs.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I had to make inferences while reading and looking for inspiration. I had to try and picture what the artists and authors wanted for me to imagine. I also had to make inferences based on how to use certain tools, and which methods would work best for what I wanted.
One direct effect I saw from my inspiration is that I really like organic free flowing lines. This is seen all over nature and in few older art movements. I also got the idea of going through stages from the picture I found online.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding your topic?
The author is very much into the movement. His word choice, and the way I read it make me come to the conclusion that this is a movement he is comfortable and interested in.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while researching inspiration?
While researching, I realized that my environment and nature isn't much different than those around me. I didn't take the time to look for things just around me. I was looking at things from all over the world, and I realized things weren't very different from what I see here around me everyday. While researching, I also saw different sculptures and art pieces that showed me some insight into other cultures that I hadn't seen before. I saw a lot of pictures involving people in the center of the woods or nature.
What was the central theme or idea around your inspirational research?
The central idea I had while researching mainly revolved around the course a tree has through the year. I thought about how we can relate to it and how we can relate to tress by also going through certain stages in life. We all have our ups and downs.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I had to make inferences while reading and looking for inspiration. I had to try and picture what the artists and authors wanted for me to imagine. I also had to make inferences based on how to use certain tools, and which methods would work best for what I wanted.
Bibliography
Clare Tapia, http://cargocollective.com/claretapia/filter/printmaking/Linoleum-Lithography-Gelatin.
Daily Inspirational Quotes. “If You Feel like You're Losing Everything, Remember That Trees...” Daily Inspirational Quotes, 19 Oct. 2018, https://www.dailyinspirationalquotes.in/2018/10/if-you-feel-like-youre-losing-everything-remember-that-trees-lose-their-leaves-every-year-and-they-still-stand-tall-and-wait-for-better-days-to-come/.
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-environmental-art-definition-history-movement.html.
Environmental art. (2019, September 19). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_art.
Daily Inspirational Quotes. “If You Feel like You're Losing Everything, Remember That Trees...” Daily Inspirational Quotes, 19 Oct. 2018, https://www.dailyinspirationalquotes.in/2018/10/if-you-feel-like-youre-losing-everything-remember-that-trees-lose-their-leaves-every-year-and-they-still-stand-tall-and-wait-for-better-days-to-come/.
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-environmental-art-definition-history-movement.html.
Environmental art. (2019, September 19). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_art.