Inside King's-Edgehill School
I hope you enjoy our virtual exhibitions. We admire not only our students' skills and creativity but also their courage in sharing their work with us. Please join me in congratulating our 2020 IB Visual Arts students on their hard work and achievements.We would like to introduce IB Artist: Deanna Fraser
The main focus that I carry throughout my works is to present pieces that are not only pleasant to look at but also pleasant to the mind. I want my pieces to impact my audience with a sense of calmness and thoughtfulness -- overall carrying the theme of solitude, which is the state of being alone, however not necessarily lonely. The idea is that one is content with being with oneself. My vision is to pull emotions and connections from the audience and have my work be impactful to them and their life.
Through my work I explored different styles of brush strokes and the use of plate knives. I loved the different feelings that these different techniques portray. For example, in my piece Paint their Hearts, I used soft brush strokes on the dancer’s skin and soft blended plate knife strokes on the dancer’s dress in order to create texture and elegance. Whereas with the background of the piece I wanted to be bold and chaotic to contrast the dancer, so I used large and harsh plate knife strokes to create this effect. I pulled a lot of inspiration from my pieces from aspects of my own life because that is what I am most passionate about and I want my pieces to carry that passion in them. Art has always been an escape for me, it truly feels like a little oasis that I can always go to when nothing seems to make sense or be going right. Some great examples of this within my exhibition are Endless Hours and Noëlle. Both of these pieces became outlets for me to express my grief over the loss of loved ones when words did not seem powerful enough.
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic my school was closed, and my fellow classmates and I were unable to have our IB Art exhibition. However, if I were to have had the exhibition, I would have placed my larger and stronger pieces closer to the center of my exhibit and center them at eye level to present my pieces in the best way possible. A strategy that I used with my Self-Portrait and I to develop a relationship between my artwork and the viewer was to have these pieces be making direct eye contact with the viewers. Portraying this eye contact establishes a personal connection with the viewer and draws them in. It is for this reason that I would most likely place one of these pieces on either end of my exhibit in order to draw the audience from both sides. Overall, I am very proud of the pieces that I created during my time in IB Art and the growth that I made in my techniques and skill as well as the growth
that I made as a person. It was unfortunate that my fellow classmates and I were unable to show our work in the art exhibition but with the turmoil that is going on in the world right now it is fully understandable. I hope that another opportunity to present my work will arise in the future so that others will be able to understand and experience the impact of my body of work.
Figure 1: Noëlle (Feb. 2020)
Oil paints and gold leaf, 20” by 16”.
On October 17th, 2020, Noëlle Fuller was ripped from our hearts and souls. She was not only family but my role model. In her short 20 years of life she embodied everything that one should wish to be. This piece is dedicated to Noëlle and meant to show her continuing to grow in heaven. The brilliant colours represent her vibrant soul and the gold leafing represents her sending love and wisdom down to earth through fallen leaves.
Figure 2: Photo Series: Europe-14 photos (Feb. 2020)
Photography, 8” by 10”
This series was done while I was on a trip to Europe in my grade 12 year. I was inspired by the beautiful and historic architecture and landscape of the European countries that I had to take advantage of the opportunity. Some of the themes within this series include centering, reflection, emphasizing organic shape and combining nature with manmade infrastructure.
Figure 3: Photo Series: Solitude-13 photos (Feb. 2020)
Photography, 8” by 10”
Solitude is the state of being alone, however not lonely. The word
carries the sense that one is enjoying being with oneself. The beauty of solitude is that it shows self assurance, which is a quality that I value in myself and others because it shows strength. What I love most about this series is how these photos carry such strong emotions and feelings not only within the photographs but also by looking at them.
Figure 4: Endless Hours (Apr. 2019)
Acrylic paints, 12” by 16”
This piece is in memory of my wonderful aunt who passed away from cancer. She was a book lover and poetry professor who received her PhD in English and was a true light in the world. I remember going to her house as a child and admiring her bookshelf wall, filled with books that continued all the way up the vaulted ceiling. I wanted to paint the memories and honour her and her endless hours spent reading and interpreting literature.
Figure 5: Village Drawing (Mar. 2020)
Pencil, 8” by 10”.
This drawing was based on one of the photographs that I took on my grade 12 trip to Europe for my photography series; Europe. I also chose to draw this photo because I had been looking at one point perspective drawing and I liked the style and wanted to try it for myself.
Figure 6: Lupins (May 2019)
Pencil and watercolours, 8” by 10”
This piece stands out for two reasons. Firstly, lupins are my mom's favourite flowers and they are also a common flower in Nova Scotia, where I grew up. The other reason is because while I was sketching it, a fellow student asked if they could get a copy of it because they wanted to have it tattooed. She got it tattooed recently and I was quite honoured that she wanted to have one of my pieces permanently tattooed on her body.
Figure 7: Self-Portrait (Nov. 2018)
Soft pastels, 30” by 20”
For this piece I took inspiration from Mary Cassett’s style. I felt that her style aligned with a part of who I am as an individual, especially when I am doing art. Art gives me a sense of relaxation and escape which helps me balance the more hectic parts of my days, thus I used soft pastels to create my piece as well as lighter colours and cooler tones to give a sense of calmness in order to embody who I am.
Figure 8: I (Dec. 2018)
Acrylic paints, 30” by 40”
The focus of this piece is the eye. In art, when the eye is looking at the viewer it draws attention to the piece to create a connection with its audience. The closeness of this perspective also gives the piece a feeling of a deeper connection and seems more personal. By making the background light and simple it keeps the attention on the face.
Figure 9: Paint their Hearts (May 2019)
Oil and Acrylic paints, 30” by 40”
I painted the dancer calm and put together but I made the background chaotic and bold in order to represent what would be going through a dancer's mind before performing. Being a ballerina myself, I know this feeling firsthand. The name comes from how a dancer aims to move the audience with their dance, much like it is a painter’s aim to move people with their pieces and thus painting their hearts with art.
Figure 10: Mind vs. Heart (Aug. 2019)
Acrylic paints, 16” by 20”
I titled the piece Mind vs. Heart because the woman that I painted is deep in thought and is trying to make a decision. I also wanted to show that her mind is overtaking her heart. This idea of having one’s mind overpower their heart in a decision comes from my opinion, that in our generation of hyper-technological society, we are beginning to become programmed into overthinking instead of listening to what our hearts are telling us.
Figure 11: The Bench (Jun. 2019)
Oil paints, 30” by 40”
I chose to paint a bench because I have always loved the sense of sharing and mindfulness that comes with one. A bench signifies a time of reflection amidst people’s busy lives. I also left the bench empty so that it can be interpreted in whatever way one wishes to view it. To simulate weathering and wear that the bench would have obtained over years of use, I chose to use oil paints, given that oils have been around for years.
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