Post #2

"The Dancer"

My merged image is a dancer using a seashell as the tutu. It is an ink sketch on paper, using a shell sourced from Treasure Island Beach. When looking for baroque inspiration, I initially used the search term "baroque dance" because I knew I wanted to explore movement in my piece. Almost immediately, I came across this painting:

It caught my eye right away, as I was drawn to the white dress focal point. When looking at the thumbnail alone, the skirt reminded me of a shell I had picked up at Treasure Island beach a few weeks prior. I have a small collection of shells, and I had one in particular that looked as though it has "ruffles" and is a similar shape. I got the shell out of the container and inspiration struck: if the shell looked like a skirt, why not use it as one?

I once again looked to Google images for guidance while sketching out the dancer. I searched for ballet dancer silhouettes, looking to capture the graceful and elegant look of the female subject in the painting. After carefully lining out the image, I traced over it in quick bursts with a thin Sharpie, seeking to maintain a more organic look; sharp lines and bluntly geometric figures did not seem to reflect art from the Baroque time period. I then placed the shell where the tutu would go. 

My piece essentially draws from Baroque inspiration through a lens of capturing movement and fluidity, infused with an object which represents a sector of my identity (a reflecting of my home and habitat, coastal Florida).