Artist Statement
An Exploration of Ancient Cultural Landscapes
The series project is designed to be an example of creative thematic work displayed in a cohesive method. The subject matter and stylings that I chose to develop for this work is something that I personally find appealing and fun to work on, but also something that a lot of the world seems to forget about and pass by without much thought. My chosen subject is four ancient countries, Italy, Armenia, Greece, and Egypt. Each of these is important to me and I feel that they are similar in culture, geography and scenery that it would help provide an overall structure to my concept.
I plan to take a look at the similar, but unique landscapes of each of these countries, using typical landmarks or scenery as the basis. This way they may be more recognizable for what they are, but also to show the beauty of the places. Each of these landscapes share many geographical similarities, for example each of these are arid to temperate climates so the vegetation. Though the flora can be lush and diverse, it is typically rough and hardy to make it in the sometimes-harsh climate. Though I will be aiming to create accurate or realistic representations of the landscapes in my compositions, I am going to approach the production of the piece with a bit more of a whimsical rendering style with looser lines and more cartoonish features. This way it is not just a landscape drawing, but a stylized interpretation of each location.
I chose to go with an entirely digital creation for this series for a number of reasons. First, I was able to complete more detailed compositions within a limited amount of time. Second, I had a huge variety of brush choices and expansive array of colours to create a cohesive palate that worked across all four pieces. Finally, I thought that my style would go well with a digital, tight lined composition, which is what I was aiming for with this series. Overall, I think that my choice was appropriate and worked for this project.
My goal was to represent four important places to me and to the world in my own style. Being a first-gen Canadian, my mother and father and immigrants from Egypt with Armenian descent and Italy respectively. I am hoping that with some perseverance and hard work my series is a successful representation of these four fantastic cultures and my own artistic style.