gouache
gouache
My strongest medium is gouache, I find its flexibility freeing, it gives me the room to create a piece with however much depth and strength I choose.
2021-2023 - A1
This piece reflects my maladaptive daydreams during the global pandemic, our last trip outside of the country was to Indonesia, where we spent a lot of time by the sea and amongst sea animals. I spent a lot of time during the lockdown thinking of the times we weren't grateful for enough, when we were free to explore. This piece was initially done with watercolour, until I revisited it with gouache, after my skills had developed and I had a clearer vision for the piece. This piece is where I developed my gouache skills.
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Inspired by Cristina Troufa
Inspired by Cristina Troufa
Final Piece:
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I took inspiration from the piece on the right, “Sinfonia” which is a Portuguese word that translates into harmony. I saw the harmony in Troufa’s piece, how her arms work together to hold a spectacle for the bubbles. I saw harmony in the way that we have learnt to live in harmony with technology and use them tools and not as weapons. Especially throughout periods of isolation, screens brought us closer together than apart. I used this inspiration for my final piece.
Troufa’s use of colour is what really drew me towards her art, the way she plays with the intensity of colours in all her pieces adds to the content. The gentle pastels of the piece on the left create a scene of serene and calm, whereas the piece below uses a piercing yellow, emphasising the discomfort of the model staring directly at you, straight through the art. The harsh yellow tones used in her skin and lack of competition in the body, again filled with the yellow keeps you looking at Troufa (the model), looking at you, somehow gives you the sense of sharing an experience.
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The above is an in the style of piece, I noted the striking use of yellow and chose green for my defining colour in my piece. Following my theme of isolation, I decided to have the models eyes looking slightly away from the viewer. Unlike Troufa’s bold gaze, my piece is almost shying away from fully being present in the moment.
“Sinfonia”
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Cristina Troufa is a Portuguese contemporary painter whose work focuses on self-portraiture as a means of exploring identity, spirituality, and personal transformation. Often depicting multiple versions of herself within a single composition, her paintings create visual dialogues that reflect on memory, inner conflict, and growth. Using simplified backgrounds, precise lines, and bold fields of colour, Troufa balances realism with abstraction, producing imagery that feels both intimate and universal.
Pastiche of Cristina Troufa, 2023
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(left)
I first practiced on Adobe Illustrator, sketching and rearranging the limbs to ensure it was somewhat anatomically correct for the final piece.
(right)
The process of my artwork.
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