Rising

    I used charcoal and fineliner to create this sketch. I also used strips of ripped newspaper that look like rays of sunlight due to their composition on the page. This sketch was of a sculpture of burnt tree logs, charcoal seemed fittings to use as you get similar markings if you scraped burnt wood/ash across the page. I let the charcoal be quite messy and not in the lines as smoke is uncontrollable. I also didn't fill every stump as i liked the empty lines among the markings.
    When first seeing the sculpture i thought about the idea of someone burning their dreams away to focus on reality or have no choice as thy need to survive and cant fulfill their dreams, therefore being left with ruins of what it use to be filled with. However, on the page it looks like the stumps are rising up like different levels of ambitions as someone tries their best to achieve their dreams. Additionally it reminds me of the scene from Harry Potter and Half Blood Prince when Dumbledore took Harry to that cave with the crystals and potion of despair. It made me rethink the image and see the stumps as depression seeping in and creating a sold, rough wall.
   To improve this i would zoom in on the stumps so its easier to see them in detail and make them look more threatening and overtaking. By doing them larger and can think about the composition more and focus on the shapes of the stumps. Maybe even do the charcoal in more drastic lines that run down the page as if they were jagged rock icebergs that go down the cliff edges. It would show the unexpectedness of how depression creeps up on people and overtakes their mind.

Soldier

   I especially like the style of drawing i did on this piece and the simple colours. I ripped up some newspaper and used fineliner to draw straight lines and shade in areas by creating block shapes. I thought this was a contrast to the sculpture that inspired it as the figures looks like they are burnt lava corpses and have no straight edges as they are flesh has melted and merged together.
   I focused on the specific figure at the back as they looked as if they are saluting. Once i drew them i thought they looked like a soldier walking in a parade or on a World War 2 poster. With the newspaper pieces the entire piece made me think about how the media coverage during the war was manipulated to make people sign up and not lose hope. The false stories they told covered up the mass losses and torture that it was to live in the trenches as they made men believe it would be fun like a camping trip. That's why the straight edges look clean and appealing like the uniformed, smiling man on a sign up poster, but reality it was like the sculpture, with the cold and injured pain when living in the trenches.

   I really like the drawing style i did for this piece and would like to develop it. I think it would work best with living creatures, like a human as turning it into the straight lines causes them to lose human features and look robotic like. I could also try plants and animals to see what sort of outcome i get. I think it would work best doing a single drawing as drawing this style in an entire scenery may look confusing and lost all together so i would need to be careful with composition.

Wonderland

    Once again i  had old pictures that i did to recreate an artists work, Loretta Lux who created fine art photos of children. Her style was porcelain, sad looking children in vintage clothes. The dress styles made me think of Alice's dress from Alice in Wonderland so when i found sculptures of rabbits i thought it would work perfectly. I stuck the photos down as if they were scattered on the floor then i drew the face of a rabbit in black ink pen, doing small lines. Then to pick up on the red pocker dots on the dress i added red lines on the right side of the black lines as if it was two separate drawings overlapped or when you look through 3D glasses and see the colour lines. I thought it picked up on how Wonderland is a world where you need help to see it, like you need 3D glasses to see the 3D picture correctly. Additionally one of the rabbit sculptures was in two pieces and connected with metal bars which helps complete the sculpture image otherwise it would almost be like 2D.
                     Unfortunately, the pictures in the background are quite dark so the lines don't show up so easily to the eye. However, i think this adds to the idea that only Alice saw Wonderland and no one would believe her. Wonderland without Alice was empty as they needed her help and Alice felt lost before she fell down the rabbit hole. Therefore the rabbit image being empty with just a few lines shows the emptiness waiting to be filled by Alice. Again the pictures depict the girl looking sad and uninterested in life around her, very fixed and clean as Alice wants an adventure. Together the photos and drawing compliment each other to show their relationship.
     To develop this i would like to recreate the images of the photographs but of a girl in a blue dress to represent Alice, sticking to a cold empty style. Then i would like to try adding in images of iconic Wonderland images in the photos. For instance the drawing of the rabbit could be on the dress skirt and only be seen if the skirt was spreaded. I could also try body art where the background is just people painted to look like Wonderland to show how it is a dark and twisted place with people you cant trust.

Invisible

    Using old photos i had of water sceneries, i stuck them down on the page, overlapping to create a scrapbook like appearance. I didn't want anything to look fixed as water can never be controlled, especially the sea. When visiting the sculpture park i drew some sculptures that inspired me and i thought this octopus worked well with the water images as an octopus has a water habitat. I wasn't really interested in the colours or pattern design but more the positioning of the body and tentacles. The tentacles spreaded in every directioning really making it look alive and powerful.
    Using a black biro, i loosley scribbled, in continuous lines, a drawing of the octopus. I thought continuous lines made sense with the long tentacles as it mimics their movement. I made the lines more dense around the edge to make the shape of the octopus stand out more from the pictures in the background. I'm glad i took the colours and patterns out of the overall drawing as it made the octopus appear more natural with the natural surrounding pictures as if it was blending into its surroundings. Its similar to when a person hides parts of their personality to fit in, like not sharing their fascination with their favourite Tv shows in fear of being mocked. These two pictures work together as my drawing is the version people see in daily life but the sculpture is the true version that they hide and is actually real with being a touchable sculpture in real nature. To develop this i could use more water pictures but create the octopus using the pictures so from a far oit looks like anoctopus but close up you see they are all different photos.

     I did develop the octopus image by creating it using buttons and tinfoil. I made this one colourful as but so was the background so it still blended in. Overall from the materials i used i made the octopus look artificial like a child's toy made out of random things they found but imagination was the key to making it real. Using a variety of buttons, i followed a pattern of sizes and colours indicating to the pattern design on the sculpture. Then i screwed and twisted up some tinfoil and made the legs 3D as when seeing the sculpture the legs really look as if they are reaching out to you. I painted a thin coat of silver paint over the buttons so it looked shimmery in the light like an octopus's skin or fish scales even. It was hard to spread the paint as the buttons were uneven so i had to make sure it didn't build up in the lines in between as that would waste the paint.
   To develop this i would create a small sculpture version using buttons pinned into a polystyrene shape, or could be sewed onto a fabric version that was possibly knitted.

Travel

    I created this using acrylic paint, I began with squirting white paint on the bottom and black on the top. Then I started spreading the paint and mixing them together in the middle. My initial plan was for a more fading gradient but the paint dried quickly, however I like the outcome of the grey in the middle. I did a spiral motion with my brush creating a grey cloudy night sky. The layering change of the colour on the black works really well as it looks thick and closer, making the night sky look untouchable like it really is. Using tipex I created a moon and used silver paint for stars. I didn't know how to make them look realistic, I would improve that by doing it on a bigger scale so I could focus on the details more, for instance the moons markings. I do like how the black paint doesn't have a clean edge it makes it appear like it is a drawing in a kids book, where the drawings work into the text instead of using a border.
     For the bottom half I used fine liners to draw skyscraper buildings. I kept them minimal, only using lines to create basic details. Its the opposite to the painted sky as they look 2D therefore making the sky look more fascinating and life below not important. I didn't use a ruler so I don't like how the lines aren't straight but I feel it adds to the unrealistic look like maybe a child drew them, or they look unfinished like some areas in children's book when the details fade out.
    I like the idea of it being the view a child has on the world, ignoring the people around them and being amazed/inspired by the sky, maybe they want to go into space or so on. To improve this I would do it on a bigger scale to really put detail into the grey clouds and night sky, it would be more effective as it takes more space so the viewer can be more engrossed in the whole image. I would keep the buildings in 2D but make the lines bolder and work on composition like more smaller buildings to make the world look busier and stressful. It would show how people forget to appreciate beautiful things about the world due to their stressful days.
    This page is connected to the next one as my original idea was of a person sleeping in a city dreaming of a peaceful waterfall. Using acrylics again, I painted the water by letting the dark and light blue paint mix with white whilst putting it on the page. Then I did the spiral paintbrush technique again for the area the water hits the ground. Repeating this technique shows a connection, the dark clouds could be pollution which is unhealthy and they wish it was a tranquil lake instead. For the grass I used a fan brush to create lines like grass. I did struggle with making the grass look like the side to a hill where the water drops so now it doesn't look right, however dreams sometimes don't link or look right so I think it works to show its not real. I added some more detail with fine liner which I think really helped with the grass.
    I like the initial idea I have with the two paintings but I have faults with my bad painting skills. I need to work on my ability to make things look how they should for instance the grass hill. I especially still want to improve my painting skill so I create more detail with the paint.

Exit Sign

      I decided I wanted the last page to be a message suggesting that the entire sketchbook showed a journey through dreams and now the viewer needs to leave and wake up, like when Dorothy clicks her heels or Alice has to leave Wonderland.
   Throughout this sketchbook I have looked into children playing pretend, then the effects of daydreaming too much. In a way it may encourage a constant daydreamer to take a step back from it all, and this message suggest for them to do just that.
    Using Styrofoam I wrote the message "Time to Wake Up" and printed it backwards. Although it makes it harder to read I like the idea of the person standing on the other side as if they are already out and looking back at the door, like when you are on the other side of the bathroom door and see the sign backwards. It suggest they are already in the real world and looking back either remembering the events in there, or questioning if they should re-enter as it is a safe place. I painted a red block in the middle of the page before the print then black around the edge to create a border. This colour scheme makes the sign look ominous as if it was in a nightmare to taunt the dreamer as they can not get out. The weak print a long side this adds to the tortured look. Lastly I added petals that I got from a wedding around the black border. This really stands out as it contradicts with the whole page. I think it appears to be on the outside of the sign therefore suggests that reality is a nicer place to be in a sit is safer and falling into a long dream can be very dangerous. On the other hand it could be to look inviting to fool a person into entering the nightmare. Similar to when a horrid warning sign is covered with plants and can only be read when they are pulled aside in films.
   I quite like the petals acting against the rest of the page on this piece but if they were used on a nicer looking sign that works with the same colours of white, purple and pink then it would appear almost fairy tale like. I coulve done an enter sign in that style and proceeded with this wake up call sign to show how the fairy tale is fake and all dark once you're inside, just like the real dark stories children's books are based on. Originally the sign was suppose to be a block of colour so the words were the only red showing but I do like this outcome as it changes the tone to be more dramatic. I think to develop this I would create a small sign post with two signs pointing in opposite directions playing on the fairy tale vs nightmare idea as it makes people choose. Or I could do dream or reality option to test which people prefer their real life over their dreams and who is wiling to give their real life up. I could do different test versions where the options are altered so the person has to sacrifice something in order to enter their dream to see how wiling they are.
    For the last page I used the Styrofoam to show the message the right way round. I marked the page subtly by pressing the Styrofoam with little ink onto the page and dotted some red and black with a paint brush. Then I snapped the Styrofoam in to two uneven pieces and connected them with some string as if they were being stitched back together. Its still hard to read the message with the ink on the Styrofoam but I like the broken area where the sticking is as it is subtle on the plain page but catches the eye. This being the focus as if the person broke the sign to get out, I think it shows how recovering will take a while to get use to. Additionally I like the idea of the person either escaping or dying in the nightmare and the sign is being puled back together ready for the next victim to be trapped. This gives the idea of it having a dark life of its own therefore unhuman power that's very disturbing to think about like mental health.
    I tied a key ring of some bells to the page as if the bells would help wake someone up like an alarm. I like the use of the key ring but it could be more effective with an actually alarm playing or bells as it would be irritating. The last page is very improvised but I would develop it by using wire to stitch unliving things together as it is very unusual like a tree or rock etc. as it adds to the nightmare version being unreal but disturbing, full of dark life.

Growing Bloom

    When going home on the bus i saw light shining through some branches and thought it was really beautiful. I didn't get a chance to take a picture as i was on the bus but decided to create my own version as light plus nature really intrigues me. Using watered down acrylic paints i began by painting the light and blue sky. Then built up the dark clouds and sun rays. In all fairness i think the painting turned out good for me as i am not that experienced with painting full detailed pictures, however its not amazing and still has a lot to improve on.  I think with some practice and if i had more time to carefully build up layers of paints it would look better through quality.
    For the tree i used thread to sew the branches and i added blossom. I quite like the simplicity of a few lines to create the branches however im not entirely sure if it works well with the background as it doesn't stand out too well. I would try building up the thread in some areas so its more bold or even completely. I think i would take the style of this tree and try it with something different so the tree itself is more central. I really enjoy the use of thread and like this mix of painting with some thread detail and would like to develop it and try more. I would also like to make a series of sewing the blossom tree from a beginning growing stage until its fully grown then the basic outline i have sewn here would look more effective standing alone with other versions.
    This piece does not directly link to my fantasy exploration it just caught my eye although nature and warm light has always been advised as calming and healthy for our minds when wrapped up with a lot of work. Additionally the tree not being fully sewn could show a disconnection to reality as daydreaming makes you miss details, or it could be the dream. Dreams never contain huge details as its impossible for the mind to make it all make sense, therefore contain unnoticed gaps. I also see the branches trying to reach the sunlight with the branches reaching up, like a person trying to achieve their dream.

Plans

    I asked two friends and my parents to write down their favourite book and film with the reason why. Then what their future plans are or a dream they have had. I wanted to see if any were influenced by their favourite books/films. Even though i could not say these dreams are connected to the books and films many people do get inspired by characters and stories which influences their career path.
    Films are written on the red posted notes that are placed around the edge followed by books on orange posted notes.  Lastly the dreams are on the beige notes all together, i did this formation as over time books and films affect us, people are more willing to admit their favourite film than their dream.
    I thought this was really interesting to do and would work really well if i could do this on a bigger scale where the public could write down their on and include it on a wall. The more answers would make it intriguing, not only do people get to see what they plan or dream of it would also be useful as to find book and film recommendations. To improve this i would change the colour scheme so the colours look more different as the orange is too close to the red. It might work nice with a more obvious colour change from red to yellow, or have completely different colours for each as they are all quite different. Maybe use the primary colours as if they mix together they create more wonderful colours just like books can turn into films and inspire people more.

Melodrama

    This was inspired by Lordes album "Melodrama". Her album is about recovering from a break up and she really exposes her emotions. When listening to the songs i felt a dark colour scheme of rich purples and blues on black conveyed her experiences. I also pictured a girls face in white chalk to show her isolation. I drew a girl using chalk but i really need to improve my skills in this area as i struggle to make the chalk blend, additionally the overall drawing is not good as i need to spend more time developing those skills for a more realistic outcome when i have less time to draw. I stuck down some pages from a book to show how a book can be someone's only comfort or can be used to give the reader these emotions like i got when listening to Lordes album. Then i scraped the blue and purple paint over the page in an unmethodical manner. I think the mixing, scraped paint shows the whirlwind of emotions Lorde went through as she recovered from this break up. I squirted some white paint on the page as it shows the freedom she now has to explore and could also be her happiness beginning to return.
    On the next page i repeated this process but wrote out some of her lyrics from various songs that connected to her emotions changing and the idea of using partying to escape them. I changed the colour scheme to white, green and light, turquoise blue. It doesn't convey happiness but more calm and complete. I used moe paint and as the paint mixed more they created wrinkles that look like light shining on dark water. Making it overall appear more peaceful as she has passed the most hurtful stage.
   I like the way i used the colours and spreading paint; also squirting some white paint on top. I thought it created an interesting comlex and would like to try this with more methods and other colours. I definitely need to work on the drawing of the girl in detail, create a shaded pencil sketch then  attempt to use chalk more efficiently so her emotions are expressed realistically and so she is more white to stand out so she looks colder.

Escape

    This piece was a spare in the moment thing after thinking of what to do with a piece of paper that i had rolled printing ink on when using it for another piece. I dont like throwing away things when they could be useful later on, especially if they have paint on or some type of marking as it makes it unique. I made the pages look quite rough, using a paintbrush with black paint, i roughly painted some strokes to fill any white gaps. I also printed some random black circles and made white lines with tipex to help some written words stand out on the page. I proceeded to rip some of the left page and staple it. Finally i tied these two pages into my book using broken headphones as this entire piece was linked to music as a form to escape. Music helps us release emotions we hold inside, i made the pages look rough as if someone was trapped inside scratching walls to get out. Additionally a song on the first listen can sound completely  different and simple compared to when you have listened to it more and pick up on the lyrics that can reveal a darker tone. Similar to when looking at these pages as the longer you look at them the more details you notice.
      On the pages behind i kept it quite simple. I glued ripped pages from a book. Each page had some text that i felt was relevant and told a story of its own. Basically it shows a conflict with wanting to stay asleep to escape reality as it is easier but needing to wake up. Originally the book was about a girl in a coma. This progresses as the right page is more about accomplishing it, thats why the page above isnt ripped and has no staples in. Even though it's still chaotic the page is less broken as if it has begun to heal. On the rest of the back page i squirted black, acrylic paint. I was originally going to spread the paint but i liked the paint splatter so i let them dry. The black paint is like the voice from the pages encouraging her to go back to sleep, it may act as a comfort but permanently it is unhealthy and eventually they trap you if you let them overtake. On the page they have not taken a formation they look like germs spreading but not to a rate that it has caused an illness, yet. This story connects with the pages on top as i feel they express the torment of her mind of feeling trapped. I used lyrics from songs by Walking On Cars as these lyrics link in with the idea of escape.
    The song used on the left page is called "Catch Me If You Can". When first hearing this song i interpreted it as being about someone afraid of their emotions and the world around them, they had been hurt before and from a young age so now they hide and hope someone can stop them from running away in their mind but are too afraid to commit to anyone for that to happen. Alternatively, they are in a relationship and one lost the other or is losing them to an illness or death. For instance they could have alzheimer's and due to their memory loss feel trapped in their old marriage as the other is not willing to let them be free. Personally i like the idea of a person who lost their love to suicide and in grief begins to imagine them as if they are being called to catch them like said in the song. It would also deal with the mental health that affected the person to commit in the first place. All these ideas i had imagined for this song links to the idea of wanting to escape; i felt the lyrics helped express and connect to the emotion made from the story on the back pages. I zoomed in on "I'm a little bit scared of life and vulnerable is all you need to know so won't you play pretend." as it sums up the majority of what i'm looking into through this body of work.  Itr shows how they want to live in a fantasy to cope with everything that they are not coping with, it also invites others to join them as they fear being alone.
     On the right page i used the song "Tick Tock" as it is about trying to let go of childhood. The song is quite sad as it is clear they are not handling adult life easily and wish they could go back to their play pretend as the song describes falling. It also says "I love you but i must say goodbye" which is always heartbreaking when hearing it in the song. Overall each lyric is beautiful and meaningful. I felt this song worked for this page as it shows a development in the person, they are trying to move on from their fantasy and understand it's unhealthy to live in. But they are still hurting thats why their is little difference in the pages still as they are beginning to heal. In this picture it shows the lyric "Inside all these people are small kids ready to scream" which i felt was very important as it reflects how they are not alone and the mass problem of mental health in the world currently. I tied these pages in with broken headphones as the wires act as a rope trapping the person, but them being broken shows a disconnection and even the idea of the person turning them off to stop daydreaming.
    To improve this i would maybe try making the pages more different to show a better, more obvious progression. For instance using different colours like lighter ones to show happiness and use smoother paint strokes to make it clear they are recovering. Although i really enjoy the disorderly look shared on the pages as it conveys the overpowering mixed emotions.

Other World

     Inspired by the film Coraline with the two worlds, and Coraline's fascination with the impossible things that happened in the other world that made it so appealing to her as an escape from her reality. I felt it was the perfect story that connects with my idea. When Coraline walks around the other world, into the forest as it begins to deteriorate around her, i thought the boney trees were very interesting with their empty life as the false world around her was revealed through the loss of colour until it became just white. This loss showed how cold the other mother was and also how fantasys give a false satisfaction as the daydreamer really achieves nothing.
     I decided to create my own version by cutting out tree shapes on black paper. I chose to not have the trees as thin and straight edges like in the film as it would've been difficult to cut out and the whole image would not be so obvious to everyone. Although their unrealistic shape in the film is quite intriguing especially as it adds to the unnatural world that Coraline has entered, it really adds to the overall style. The trees i cut aren't truly realistic but are more curvy giving a winding, clawing sort of look as if it was a nightmare. The branches are bare and dead reflecting how people feel when they don't have the energy to pursue their dream for whatever reason that prevents them. I stook down layers of book pages then placed the tree cut out on top before painting the rest of the page black. I quite like the use of monochrome colours for the dark feeling it shows, also the use of the words on the pages kind of acting as bark or tree circles which show their age and their story.
    Then on the next page i recreated the same image but with colour and the tree cut out. I layered strips of different paper and some fabrics to create a background, mainly sticking ti light, pale colours as if it was spring. It creates an interesting contrast with the colourful strips and then dark trees up front. Next to the other page i think it shows how becoming engrossed in a fantasy can be unhealthy for yourself as you become stuck and lost in reality. The colourful page conveys turning the story trees into a solid reality therefore feeling emotions and being connected to the world around you.
   To improve this i think i would work on my cutting skills, try different styled trees, maybe more twisted branches, more trees in layers or even have leaves on the colourful page. This could include using background images/colours that represent the transitions of different seasons from winter to summer like those overlapping photographs taken in the same place throughout a year. It would also be nice to try different cut outs of sceneries creating a silhouette of people, buildings etc.

Ultraviolet

    I really like the composition of the colours in this, majority of the colours fit into the purple spectrum except the light green and blue, however these do not distract the viewer but instead helps make the purple stand out more on the page. I first ripped the tissue paper into pieces, like strips or just a block as I wanted them to be bold and overlap. I mostly created a border with the darker tissue paper. To me it looks comforting like a hug but could also be sad thoughts, memories, mental health or a past trauma creeping in to the mind.
    Using a scraper I spread paints on the page in a left to right motion, gradually changing the gradient to a dark blue. I really like the soft change between the colours and the rough outcome when they dried as the paint is not smooth and has scratches on the surface. The paint changing is very aesthetic to me and I would like to try doing this but with other colours like green, red, grey and skin colours then see how the different colours make people feel. To develop this it would be interesting to experiment and try different styles of scraping the paint for instance trying to turn it into a circle or other shapes and directions. Maybe instead of going in a gradual line they overlap in different directions like a cross hatch but still fade in to each other slightly.
   The lines that I have made on this piece kind of curved which makes it look like a music/sound symbol which could show how music influence our imagination. Furthermore, the gradual change from light to dark colours convey the idea of someone's mental health becoming worse and falling into depression.
    Another way to develop this is to rearrange the tissue paper and try different compositions, like having the tissue paper on one side and the paint on the other half covering the paper. Maybe have the tissue paper in strips and gradual change from  ark to light colours but the opposite way round to the paint.

I Need You To Be Free

     When listening to a song called "Palace" by Hayley Kiyoko I had this image of bright red and yellow colours as the song is very vibrant. I decided to create this as the song itself describes a fantasy and shows a slight desperation in needing to let go of it and to move on, however is clearly refusing to let go as the song continues to describe this person in expressive detail, showing their fascination has not gone. Certain lyrics really caught my attention that helped me create this piece.
    The lyrics "turn your shattered dreams into rhapsodies" is very beautiful as I feel it connects with my work with the idea of taking fantasy and developing it into our reality, fuelling our motivation to live life how we want and to achieve. Fiction stories and dreams help us escape and feel different emotions just like listening to music. It helps to extend feelings as we get engrossed in a story or melody. In my piece I made the paint look a little rough and the tissue paper to look bare and screwed as if it was broken like "shattered dreams" but the vibrant, bold, colours oppose this as they appear strong and emotive.
    "Every memory adds another piece, purple, blue and green" this lyric descripts colours but I didn't let that dominate my original colour scheme idea. Purple, blue and green are very creative colours  that have connotations of loyalty, truth, faith, mystery, pride, power, luxury, ambition, life and growth. Purple is a mix of calm stability blue and fierce red which I think goes with the song about tranquillity but also lust. I incorporated these colours by cutting out some padding I had on a shirt. The pattern on the shirt was very free and lively, the colours worked perfectly with the song description. They are light, almost pastel making them appear delicate in contrast to that fierce red. At the beginning and end of song you here running water like a fountain or spring stream, the colours really picked up on this light spring feeling, clean, new and always changing.
     The middle 8 says, "Dance in your colour, Reflecting in your light, You're my horizon, You'll always paint my sky". This reference to horizon and light links to the bright yellow and red that the sun makes when setting or rising. Its always fascinating to watch the colours change as a new day begins, I think it shows how this fantasy helps them get through to the next day and that's why they wont let go. "Dance in your colour" is also very  vivid when listening to the instrumental of the song, altogether this song creates a utopia, it also shows how they see this fantasy version of the person as God like, as if they are worshipping them and their power that holds them there.
     I wrote the chorus on the page, "So this is where I leave you, sitting in a palace covered in gold inside my head. This is where I see you, on a bed of roses when I wanna kiss your silhouette." Once again the worshipping of this person continues, the idea of leaving them in the palace and kissing a silhouette shows how they are not worthy to be with them, therefore can only dream. I considered painting the roses I stuck down gold, but decided to leave them dried up and looking old as it shows how they want to give this person everything but can not afford gold or red luscious roses. The dried roses are also the only real thing on the page conveying the mere, dull reality incorporated with their emotions and fantasy. This also suggest how they are confusing reality with fantasy as they get so lost it begins to merge together. The last key lyric from the bridge before the chorus is the line "I want you to be free". This repeats how they want to let go and let this person live, relish and evolve like a phoenix from a fire as they can not provide all the gold and roses that they deserve. It also adds a lingering "want" showing how they can not let go of such beauty. I wrote this alone in the corner to express this isolation they fear and how they can not forget this fantasy.
    To improve this I think it would be the font writing. I did my basic handwriting as if I was the person who could not provide or be this beauty so it was basic and small. However I feel some fancier, calligraphy may have appeared better as the words describe a irresistible utopia.

Earth Vs Fiction

  For this piece i wanted to look at the basic landscape of Earth and compare it to another world. This was inspired by stories like Wizard of Oz, especially how in the film begins in black and white then turns into colour when in Oz. I wanted to look into this comparison and create my own.
    I painted the page brown first then using a mix of blue acrylic paints roughly painted a river. I added white, letting the colours mix so it looked more alive in every paint stroke. Next i put blobs of green paint on the page before mixing it in with beaded acrylic gel. I made it quite thick and let the beads group up to create friction like a wild, grassy field.
    I really like the rough paint strokes in the paintings as it adds to the bare, unruliness that sums up most creatures that habitat the Earth. I also like the lack of representation of what is actually on Earth; there is plenty of beautiful landscapes that are quite breathtaking and so much that is unbelievable. I considered adding in mountains and other feature but decided against it as not every inch of the world is blessed with these views. I wanted a close up of the ground and wanted to mimic this on the next page but make it unrealistic therefore more interesting and fantastic that viewers would want to explore that land instead of our own. However, i think i need to look into composition more and maybe try a different viewpoint. It would probably look better if added some rocks or something that makes the land look dryer to get my point across more clearly.

   On the next page i became more experimental to see what i could create. I think the land was heavily inspired by the idea of Mars with the hot colours and metallic river. Mars carries the name of the Roman God of War. I feel the colour red also identifies with the Romans capes and the metalic river is similar to their metal armour. Altogether it is very powerful and looks destructive like a God. It's definitely more eye catching than the Earth land when viewed next to each other, also has more features to look at and explore when viewing.
     I painted the page red then stuck down little pieces of polystyrene. I covered these with paint too. I wanted to build the paint up so it looked more like a hill in the ground but didn't have enough paint or a chance to think of a different way to create it. I also glued down some thread, some quite screwed up and some more loose. Using a piece of wallpaper i printed some yellow on the red land to add more detail to catch the viewer's eye as they look further into it. I also wanted to make the land look less block like, i should have mixed some lighter or darker shades into the red to improve this. Using a bottle lid, i mixed the paints blue and white to get a unique look. This little detail i quite like and would like to try using in another piece, for instance creating a whole image using bottle lids with different mixed colours on the insides. It also kind of looks like Earth from a far away space view as if the viewer is look back on where they came from. Even on this page the red land is more intriguing compared to the bottle lid.
     I poured some Opaque black and gold paints, letting them mix. I like the movement of the paints especially with the direction around the bottle lid. It reminds of the chocolate river in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory that was very appealing but also powerful and dangerous. The colours don't explicitly mix together but instead just invade each other's space which is an interesting relationship. Lastly i put some different stones that i bought from a museum in a plastic sheet and stuck it on the page with a ribbon wrapped around it. Originally i was going to stick the stones on the page but didn't want to overcrowd it. The group of stones stand out as a landmark on the page but don't distract from the bigger picture.
     To develop this i would recreate the two pages on a bigger canvas but have the lands gradually merge together in the middle to show the change from reality to fantasy. I would also focus on the background more to create a more realistic dimensions with the grounds using shadows and 3D areas that stand out more as hills.

Playful Mess

     I saw this art style on the instagram explore page, i thought it was simple and quite interesting so decided to try it. As it is my first attempt it didn't turn out the best but still worked. Using a large paintbrush i painted the colour blue in the same motion i did to create the lines. I then went over this with green. Using a rubber sick i drew lines in the paint, following the same direction as before. The blue paint was suppose to show where the lines are white so that didn't work, and in some parts i had to go over as the paint had dried and the lines didn't really show. Despite these problems i still like the outcome. I created some marksa round the page with the paint left on the rubber and brush. The whole piece looks quite playful, very much as if a kid created it, which is what i like, all together it is controlled chaos as i repeat the same motion three times and get a playful piece.
     The drawing itself is quite abstract, the simple, continuous line creates a person, head and body. This isn't really my style but it was very enjoyable as i didn't have to stress about detail. I also liked exploring the style and it would be good to re try this and eventually develop it into my own version as  one of my aims is to develop a more free style instead of being really controlled.
    To adapt this piece i would let the first layer of blue paint dry so it shows when i draw through the second layer. I like the rough paint strokes on the edges however it might work better with a thicker layers of paint as it would take longer to dry. It would be good to try this and draw something else and use different combinations of colour. maybe do different patches and fade the colours together using a sponge. I could even try using this technique to paint more complicated scenes by using multiple layers of colours and finer lines for detail, it would be difficult with needing to do it before the paint dries but could work if it is done in sections.

Dream State

    This piece was inspired by the journey we take in cars, listening to music. Many people have mentioned the times they were younger and looked out their car window pretending to be in the music video to whatever song was being played on the radio. Listening to music help accompany us on our long journeys. which for me is the perfect time to daydream.
    I began with the focus on the literal journey. Taking a rough cutting of a map that had been coffee stained previously. I wanted this brown colour as it represented the Earth- dirt- real life. I also wanted it to stand separately from the strong black and white colour scheme so it would be a contrast to show a disconnection from reality and fantasy.  Using purple paint, i painted a line on the map to show an actual journey being taken. Unfortunately the paint was very liquid so created a thick line but i would of preferred a more delicate, thin, line to show careful planning for the journey. Furthermore, to improve this i would of liked to have shown a more realistic journey, taking other directions to show a more complex route. Or to have an actual route i have traveled before shown on the map but as i did not have a map of an area i know i have been i didn't get the chance to make it more personal.
      Next to the line i wrote some lyrics from the song "Dream State" by Son Lux. I have used this song previously in my work as the whole context of it is intriguing and contains many different aspects that can be pulled apart and recreated for new ideas, for instance lyrics, melody and specific sounds and feelings created throughout the song. The lyric i took for this piece was "Days we were young we took photographs of everything we could be" i thought this was very fitting but also melancholy as it sounds as if they have lost the hope and excitement they had as a child believing they could be anything. Photographs capture permanent memories and i remember as a child taking photos of landscapes and fields full of horses when going on long travels, they were all so new to me and pretty so i wanted to keep them. However, i hardly ever look at those photos and have even lost some of them showing how we forget and move on but still hold on to something with a little hope.
       Roughly around the map i painted black, acrylic paint to show an absence. This gap cut out portrays the fantasy created during the journey, therefore memory of the journey is lost, cut out, and replaced with the daydream. I glued down strips of ripped book pages to create a new story, these words would influence people's dreams so plays a major part in the dream itself. Mixing PVA glue with purple to create a light colour that seemed glossy and allowing the words to show through. The colour appears more delicate but still rich just like dreams are, they are full of creativity and potential but can be forgotten and lost so easily. On top of this i used scrabble pieces to create the name of the song as the entire sound is important to me in creating all these ideas, unlike the single lyric that was just relevant to this piece. Using some leftover scrabble pieces, i painted them black and filled in some gaps around the words, i thought this would add an interesting composition with the letters as if they are connect block pieces from a game. Thus making them random and containing gaps that are free to be filled with new ideas and a new version of the dream. The purple colour is the same as the roadtrip line, showing how they are connected, for instance on the returning journey they could repeat the same dream by being inspired by the similar surroundings.
     To improve this i would first need a stronger background like cardboard or canvas as the paper is too weak with the scrabble pieces stuck to it. I would like to try pulling different aspects of this piece apart and experimenting them separately to create new outcomes. For instance the map journey, scrabble pieces and the black and purple area; i would take these apart and see how they look reused and what they inspire me to create. For this piece alone i would definitely use a map of a journey that i have taken. Maybe coffee stain the paper so there are more visible markings or paint the map with the PVA purple paint. I would also draw the journey with a thinner, bold line because i think it looks too messy with the paint. I like how the map is cut out with straight lines, it looks very cut off and open but i would like to try with it ripped or the black paint seeping into the map as if the dream is conquering over the reality. I could also try painting it all black and then sewing or painting on the journey map lines so it is solely focused on the journey and no other part of the mpa. I think this would be very effective on a large piece with lyrics painted out next to the map lines in bold letters. It shows how the dream really takes over throughout the journey therefore would have no recollection of the actual journey. 

Forgotten

   

    This piece represents the gaps we forget once we wake up from our dreams. The page on the right shows the pieces we do remember which are very vague and usually dont make much sense, so i did random brush strokes and didnt let the colours mix so it appears more complexed and unordered. I like the lines created by the clingfilm on the edges and the rough paint strokes that come out of it as they are very strong but lost as you can not see the source that they come from. 

  The left page i put the clingfilm to show how the paint turned out on that material. Each strip is very different which i think shows the different stages of dreaming that can occur as we have multiple dreams in one night. When the pages are close the strips will line up with the paint on the other page, filling in the gaps like when we have a reaccuring dream, however the gaps return when opening the pages as we would forget the dream again.I let the colour purple dominate over the others as i thought it linked to nightmares with the darkness. We usually remember nightmares more due to the heightened emotions and anxiety That's why i painted the strokes  more violently. The red paint was for nice dreams as the colour is warm and the dreams can come as a comfort so will be embraced. It is also a happier colour with its brightness and bold, but also has subtle pink as an undertone making it more delicate as the dreams are precious. I included a little green to represent the unusual dreams as they are so random and unexpected. They aren't always terrible but create unusual feelings of confusion so are not so enjoyed.

    To develop this i would like to do it as a bigger piece to explore the different colours and paint strokes more as there will be more room to show them. I would also like to try different backgrounds like black paper or scrap metal to see the outcome and how it changes the emotions conveyed by the colours. I think if other mediums or patterns are added it will look too much and be complicated, loosing the meaning and effect.

Galaxy

   This piece was the second one i did using cling film as i found it interesting how the paint mixed and spread on the material. I also wanted to look at how the paint looked on something transparent if held up to the light- i feel it didn't work well in this piece as i painted it on too thick therefore blocking the lights passage. However some light did come through pink. To fix this i would need to experiment with how thick the paint is and possibly adding some PVA glue to the mix.
   I decided to do a galaxy as they are always mesmerising to look at and there is so much we don't know about them. It was also inspire by a daydream i had to the song dream state by Son Lux as it involved moving through the night sky, space even.
   I'm not entirely impressed with how this turned out. Using a brush i dabbed the paints i had put on the page, white, light and dark blue. I tried to fade them in to each other but when i added the black on top the colours didn't quite mix. I needed to add more blue and minimise the black paint as it bacem too dominant. I was afraid to build up too much paint on the page. I decided to try mix in some acrylic bead gel as it was a new thing i had never used before and i wanted to see its effects. The beads added some texture and worked well as stars or dust in space. For a bigger impact i need to build up the mix more and i look forward to seeing what interesting texture i can create in other pieces.
  Cling film is a nice material to mix paint on as it is so smooth. For this i put a mix of purple, pink red and white paints and then mixed them in loosely so the colours still differentiated. I would definitely use cling film to create abstract paint mixing as u can press the cling film together and mix the paint by pushing it around. I did this technique later on with a plastic bag.
    I did the opposite colours to the blue and black as the cling film acts as a mask like people do with their emotions. However, people can only hold back their feelings for so long before they start to seep through, hence the blue and black showing through through the cling film. For both paintings i forgot to do the stars which i think would've helped show what they are easier.Overall i like this idea as it has many interesting options as it creates two different paintings that can become one. For instance doing a drawing of a bare, broken building on paper. Then colourful painting of plants and scenery on the cling film which would be layered on top. This could show the reality on paper then the dream a person viewed on the cling film. The biggest improvement needed for this piece is the painting and mixing of the paint colours, i need to develop a better technique to paint galaxies.