First Thoughts/Initial Research

1st idea.....

my milanote board

Out of the 3 themes we had to choose from, I chose Oceanic from the very beginning. As I always remember, nature is my greatest inspiration and communing with it through art is a great satisfaction for me. 

Before I get down to the creation stage, I did a little research and added its elements to the milanote board.There you will find information about artists who were inspired by water and the ocean. Examples of sea animal sculptures, sketches and more. 

My first idea was to create sculptures depicting ocean animals such as seahorse, turtle, dolphin and octopus. I'm not sure what to use to create them. Maybe gypsum, ceramic mass or paper mass ...My second idea was to cover them in a beautiful multi-colored mosaic ... or colored glass .... It seems to me a very interesting idea and project, but I'm worried that it may turn out to be too laborious and time-consuming. I'm already wondering how to experiment with obtaining pieces of mosaic and what will be the easiest way to create the figurine itself, the sculpture. I already have a few ideas for the mass from which it could be made, but I don't know if it will be possible to get the right shape.

I was inspired by the mosaic by the artist Gaudí and his famous work Dragon Fountain in Park Guell. 

Gaudí dragon fountain at Park Güell.

2nd idea....

The second idea is sea monsters that I came across while looking for further inspiration. Not everything in me is always sweet and colorful, maybe creating something darker that has terrified humanity for generations will be an interesting experience. I liked this idea after seeing a painting by the artist Gustave Doré - The Destruction of Leviathan. 

Gustave Dore - the destruction of leviathan

Very interesting is also the fact that this painting has a biblical background.

The Book of Job – Chapter 41

"Lord speaks to Job and describes about Behemoth and Leviathan. Leviathan is described as a creature that is so fierce that anyone witnessing will be terrified and overwhelmed. He has teeth that are terrible and a mouth so strong that no man can open with force. The scales of Leviathan are strong, double-layered and impenetrable. Even air cannot go through the scales for such is the firmness of the scales. His sneezing causes light to emerge and his eyes appear as great light of the morning".

"Leviathan is full of fire and his breathing is enough to spark coals. The greatest strength of Leviathan lies in his neck and his flesh is immovable. The heart of the creature is hard resembling a stone. The Lord mentions that no mortal weapon can pierce Leviathan and it laughs at such threats. Finally, Leviathan is described “he is king over all the children of pride”.

"In The Book of Isaiah [27:1] it is written that when the God comes to Earth during the judgement day He shall punish the great serpent and slay it."

Ref:

Arrambide, M., (2023) Gaudi’s Famous Lizard: Parc Güell, Barcelona. [ONLINE]. Available at: https://wanderingtrader.com/travel-photos/parc-guell-lizard-barcelona/ [Accessed 13 April 2023].

CAU. 2023. Gustave Doré – The Destruction of Leviathan – Analysis | CAU. [ONLINE] Available at: https://classicalartsuniverse.com/gustave-dore-the-destruction-of-leviathan-analysis/. [Accessed 18 April 2023].