My Work

The Cost of Progression: A Toxic Legacy

Grade 9, 2022-2023

Oil & Acrylic on Canvas

After researching the harmful effects of oil toxicity on people, I wanted to bring awareness to the issue. In this painting, I employ symbolism to convey my message and carefully choose every element from the foreground to the background. The umbrella frame in my painting represents an attempt to safeguard against toxicity, but in absence of a canopy, the harmful elements still manage to seep through. Accuracy in my paintings is highly important to me, so I conducted hours of research to carefully depict my topic and choose my materials. I used oil paint as a medium to symbolize the oil spills. I took reference photos of myself to accurately show proportions and combined parts from different skeletons, aligning them together with the reference. I experimented with texture and depth in my work by using a natural sponge and multiple layers, with a blurred background and vibrant, crisp colors and linework in the foreground. I used colors to set the atmosphere and connect the viewer to my painting.