With the Canvas Connoisseur : 2015

Monday, April 20, 2015

Scratchboard

Hannah Quintas

Betta

Scratchboard

This scratchboard piece is my favorite work that I've completed this semester. I think it turned out fairly well. I love this piece because of the visual impression that it gives. When I started this project, my goal was to have a very flowy feel to the piece, which I think I accomplished. I am a little disappointed in a few specific areas of the piece, such as the dorsal fin at the top of the piece and the beginning of the fin on the tail. This was the first scratchboard piece I've ever done, so I think that was one of the reasons it turned out like so. I do really like how the different lines differ in shape and texture, which helps the strong contrast in the piece. I also think that the scales could be improved in their texture. I would like to redo this piece and improve upon it more, and think I will attempt to do it again in the future, either with the same or a similar image.

Goal

I am getting my B.A. in studio art. I want to make more pieces like this with a strong visual impact. I want to experiment with different media, and improve my portfolio. In the spring of 2016, I will be attending the University of Texas at Arlington. My goal is to create a current portfolio that shows a range in media with a big visual impact.

Complimentary color schemes

Monday, March 16, 2015

Medical Ethics piece

This medical ethics piece was definitely a difficult piece. Based on the moral debate of HeLa cells, it is visualization of the ongoing struggle of her legacy. Before this piece, I had no idea what HeLa cells were, or the medical advancements made by her "donation" to science. In summary, HeLa cells were the first harvested human cells that could survive outside the human body in a science lab through testing. Because of their extraordinary ability to survive, medical tests performed on these cells gave rise to innumerable scientific discoveries and provided cures and medicine. The story in this work begins in the top right corner with the structure of a woman whose bottom half is a network of branches, providing a representation of Henrietta Lax, the woman whose cervical cells became known as HeLa cells. To the left, a visual representation of the many scientists and tests that were involved is pictured. Below, Henrietta Lax's family members are visualized in their suffering. They received absolutely no financial compensation or medical support from the donation of the HeLa cells. The colors used, blue for the medical community represents their embodied coldness. The red color in the statue represents the arguments over the moral issue of Henrietta's unknowing donation. Her family members are colored in fading gray tones that show how they were forgotten or pushed aside from the medical community. I think this is a pretty effective piece in that the color representation is how I desired it to be, and I think the story is pretty clear.