Ava Passehl Capstone

For my Capstone project, I chose to dapple with space and perception/distortion. I was inspired by Edward Hopper's "Night Windows" to take a picture of Jocelyn from the fire escape of the art building. I was very interested in Hopper's use of unusual vantage point and window as a means of perceiving/looking at a subject. I was also inspired by Hopper's simplification of everyday scenes into flat colors and shapes. I simplified the scene but added textured brushstrokes to keep liveliness in the piece.  In addition, I wanted to experiment with lines to create the effect of enlargement. Jocelyn's figure was deliberately painted so small to emphasize her contrast to the giant surroundings. I also chose to paint her in a stylized, cartoony portrait to experiment with contrasting styles in the same piece (cartoon vs. Impressionistic/Hopper-esque). I loved this piece due to the freeing nature of stylized brushstrokes as well as the ability to split the painting into sections and work bit by bit to make a final piece!