Poppy, aged 17
One element of Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait that inspired me was the cohesive colour palette, as it creates unity in a painting that highlights Van Gogh’s struggles with his mental health, and art (the canvas in the background). My colour pallet is also cohesive as it shows unity in my piece. My favourite artworks by Van Gogh are the paintings of flowers, so I included flowers in my background in ode to the Japanese print in the background of his painting. A key feature of Van Gogh’s work for me, is that his pieces all have texture due to the brushstrokes he makes. I created texture in my piece by using mixed media which included fur on the hat, sequins and beads on the flowers and ribbon to create plaid on the hat. To me using different textures, materials, objects or meanings in art is something that is more contemporary or at least something that is seen more in today’s world.