.Hi everyone! Last-last weekend was Jr. VASE, which is an art competition between middle school art students all across our region, and I’m super excited to share that, this year, I won two platinum(highest level) medals! Going there and competing was an amazing experience, as it gave me the opportunity to talk about the technical and creative sides of both my pieces and get a look at the kinds of unique art that other students my age were making. From sculptures to still lifes to portraits, the diverse collection of art was truly inspiring to look at and learn about.
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Embroidered Self-Portrait– embroidery, jewels, and watercolor
My first piece, titled “Embroidered Self-Portrait,” was done purely with embroidery and jewels to show part of my Indian culture through my art. This was actually my first time doing a piece with embroidery, so it was definitely very challenging, but with time and patience, my hardwork finally paid off. I started by embroidering my face onto a piece of cloth, which was probably the longest, most arduous part of the process, but, here are some tips and tricks that helped:
Do a sketch of your piece first to get an idea of the colors and values
Figure out the implied form of what you’re trying to embroider and be sure to go in the direction of that form (If you are unsure of which way to do the lines, I suggest doing a cross-contour drawing of it first, and then stitching in that direction
Put the right colors and values in the right areas
Prepare yourself mentally and physically, because embroidering portraits is neither easy nor fast, so be patient and remember that practice makes perfect
.After finally finishing that part of the process, I stitched on some beads and jewelry and did a simple watercolor wash on the background to bring it all together.
My second piece, “Birds of Paradise,” was a more surrealist piece, transforming the elements of a peacock into a dress. I love fashion design and fashion illustration, so it was really exciting to get to combine that with my love for nature into one piece.
Birds of Paradise-Prismacolor and watercolor
I started this piece with a watercolor underpainting, then went over with Prismacolor colored pencils, using color, value, space, texture, contrast, rhythm, and unity. As usual, I made sure to layer the colors, building up value and depth to make everything come together.
In the end, I’m super thankful to all my wonderful art teachers for their guidance and encouragement. I’m grateful have earned two platinum medals and for the amazing opportunity of participating in Jr. VASE this year!
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