I'm participating in the workshop but I loved this class so much so I decided to post a project before I move on. I was so encouraged to find that the things I’m drawn to in other people’s work actually align with my own style that’s trying to emerge. Who knew!? I think it will be so helpful in my artistic practice to work on those things as I’m creating.

I decided to focus on color, texture and rhythm because those seemed to be the things that mattered most to me in looking at artwork and design. I used my Pinterest boards to consolidate artwork I liked and after spinning my wheels for a bit I started dragging the pieces I LOVE to the top and things became more obvious.

Color

Lightbulb! - image 1 - student project

One of the few things I already knew about my own style is that I love jewel tones and “fall” colors the most. As I started looking at the pieces I love so much, it became clear that I also love warm colors paired with cool colors and pops of color. I really love the contrast provided by a few analogous colors plus one or two very different colors. I also like the emphasis created by those pops of color. In addition, I really enjoy a neutral thrown in for extra balance. I’m drawn to colors that are pretty even in tone or value throughout a piece but in my own work I’ve noticed that it often makes a piece feel too flat. But I soon learned not to fear, because texture comes to the rescue.

Texture

Lightbulb! - image 2 - student project

In examining my pins I soon discovered that I love subtle textures implied by line or shape. For me these textures add just enough detail to increase the visual interest of flat colors but they aren’t too noisy. I’m drawn to designs with very subtle depth created by texture. This seems so simple and obvious now but my mind is blown because I think this is one of the biggest things I’ve been missing in my personal work. I’m so excited to play with texture more!

Rhythm

Lightbulb! - image 3 - student project

Full disclosure - I might be using the wrong term for this one. But I’m here to learn, right? :) I love irregular rhythms that create a sense of flow (so maybe they’re actually regular and they just feel irregular because of other elements??). It’s the sense of unordered movement that is really pleasing to me. Or maybe it’s a sense of ordered movement with elements that seem to throw off that order slightly? You can see that I’m totally unsure about how to communicate or analyze this one but I feel very strongly about it in examining what I like and don’t like. I love designs that could almost be geometric but are created by more organic elements. And in patterns (I love patterns if you couldn’t tell), I like enough space for breathing room but not too much space. I think this adds to the feeling of movement that I love. I also love asymmetry that creates a sense of overall balance.

Thank you for this class, Dylan! It was immensely helpful and I’m so excited to see how it helps me to develop my style!

Kelly Reese

Artist & Surface Pattern Designer

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