concentration

I began my concentration wanting to explore line style and techniques in pen and ink, from using straight lines to a single connected one. This led me to a more introspective discovery on the desire to remain hidden. Piece 4 shows the shift when I realized that the style I used was one I wanted to expand on; I found love in freeform lines. Thus far the subjects in the pieces are distant, even when looking at you, and initially this was intentional but while 4 has eyes closed, she is hidden in her moment of joy. I took this and ran with it, so from then on my line style is fairly consistent. The story began emerging. My portfolio shows people hiding emotionally in a few ways: 6 & 7 remain obscure with sunglasses, and while 8 has her eyes open her thoughts are concealed in anxiety. 9 stares and dares you to judge as a way to shroud herself. Hiding from the world seems easy, but my conclusion with this is that no matter what you do, you cannot truly shut yourself away. As the story became more about hiding, it became a more personal journey for me as not just an artist but a person, and the majority of the later subjects are self-portraits. My last three pieces show this; I blocked out areas with empty space to reflect the subject’s desire to close off. 12, what she wants hidden most, her eyes and face, are the only exposed parts.