Kaupapa: My Kaupapa for this year is New Zealand history/politics. I am covering topics such as colonisation, the declaration of independence, the musket wars, the Treaty of Waitangi, voting rights and more.
Art series one: I have completed the first series of my portfolio board. The first series is about colonisation, and how the way of life was disrupted by the arrival of the British settlers. This was symbolised by having native animals in some form of capture, taking them away from what they are naturally used to, and causing them harm. The artist model for this series is Shepard Fairey. I used the way he incorporates geometric designs into his work, which both act as leading lines and critical parts of each piece.
Reflection: I am really proud of this series. I like how the colours and geometric shapes worked together, and how it contrasts with the black and white sketches. I am not a huge fan of pastels, as they are extremely messy and smudge easily. I don't think there is anything I would change about this series.
Art series two: Art series one is only partially finished. I have completed one of the pieces, but am currently stuck with how I am going to do the next. The intention of this series is to show how the settlers took over various natural parts of Aotearoa. The settlers are symbolised with Tudor roses, which are a national symbol of England. I used Sofia Minson as an artist model, taking the flat backgrounds and detail into my painting.
Reflection: I am proud of the piece I have completed. It took ages to paint, and looks pretty good.
Future planning:
I have started planning art series three. This will be around the musket wars, declaration of independence and the Treaty of Waitangi. I haven't entirely made up my mind, but I am thinking of using Shane Cotton as my artist model.
For art series four, I have a rough concept. This will be the first series on my second board, and will be about the suffragette movement.
