Accordian Book

Edy Wong, Edy's Accordian Book, 12/2/09, paint and ink, 5" x 5" accordian book, FCS art classroom

My accordian! The picture isn't in an accordian form because I separate pictures of all the pieces and put so you can see each of them in detail. As some of you may know I first painted the paper black, then painted the different pictures on it. It's not really clear in this picture, but some of the black paint shows through the colors on top to add an INTENDED EFFECT. Okay, maybe it wasn't so intended, but it sorta gives the images a chalky effect. And I wasn't wasting black paint. So stop complaining. Each of the pictures represent things that define who I am and things that hold importance in my life.

Did I use changes in value to create form? I used many different colors on each picture to create form, like using a darker shade of a certain color to make the objects realistic.

How did I use the Elements of Art and Principles of Design to express who I am? Like I explained earlier, I used different colors to create form and value in my artwork, and I tried to use streaks of colors (especially for the backgrounds) to create a rough, somewhat chalky texture (and the black paint underneath helped to create that texture). The objects, like the pinwheels and flowers, are painted realistically and are proportionate and balanced, and I painted the backgrounds with colors that would give emphasis to the objects. I tried to vary the colors so my accordian would look interesting but the piece as a whole is still unified with the same techniques and style.

What was I trying to communicate to the viewers of my art? The purpose of this assignment was to create an accordian book that tells something about me. My pieces portray some aspects of my life, who I am as a person, and my values. The lotus flower and the orchid are flowers found very commonly in Chinese culture, which represents my ethinicity; the tree is the Tree of Life; the piano keys show that I am a pianst and my enjoyment of music; the Bird of Paradise flowers represent paradise in Heaven (and because I have these flowers in my backyard and they are so pretty!); the cross definitely tells viewers that my faith is in Christ Jesus; the Chinese lanterns are another depiction of my ethnicity and culture; the beach represent relaxation and a place I really love; and the pinwheels are there because I was born and raised in the U.S.

Would my family or friends understand me better or see me in a new light by seeing this portrait? Definitely. Viewers can have a better understanding of me as a person when they see some of the things that characterize me as illustrated in my accordian book.