Prickly and Grey, 2021
Despite Collection 2023
Prickly and Grey
Despite Collection 2023
At the center of this piece is a small blue embryo; starting his own palette within a messy complexion - an environment already self serving - and yet here he comes bringing his own world despite the circumstances.
* This creation has an inner frame
Michelle Dugan
Specialization/Major
Art & Design
Graduation Year
2023
Location
United States
About
Michelle is a multidisciplinary artist based in New York City. She received her BFA from Boston University’s College of Fine Arts, and is currently pursuing her masters at SCAD. She dabbles in digital design, photography, mixed media as well as traditional studio practices in oil painting and mixed media painting.
Measurements (Width X Height X Depth)
36 X 48 X 1.5 in
91.44 X 121.92 X 3.81 Cm
Weight
6 lb
2.72 Kg
Materials
Oil and acrylic paint, charcoal, oil pastel on canvas
I was drawn back to the sketch due to the models powerful stance - power I found interesting since the model is posed in what appears to be a vulnerable moment, weak and falling under some invisible pressure. However, the composition and body positioning always made me think of its muscles and strength: with his hard back protecting him like a shell. I revisited the piece in the summer of 2020 and the painting was completed by August.
At first, visually depicting this feeling I describe posed many considerations and challenges. But once I was able to clear all those questions and thoughts and move around the canvas as I viscerally saw fit the piece began to open up before me.
Mixed media also plays an important role to the piece as I believe it provides a texture and grain that cannot be achieved in one solution. I worked in this way for much of my process throughout the pandemic and found it to be very fulfilling - no perfect clean lines, the more messy and layered I got the better release I felt.
