Layering

I appreciate this piece for the risks that it takes. The choices to have the composition lean so heavily to one side and to include collage captured my attention during critique. I find the use of smoke as a description of grief to be appropriate. Grief is constantly becoming new shapes, new emotions. Your collage elements are powerful and eye-catching. I see now too that you’ve changed your method of mark making depending on the emotion, or stage of grief. This is a great decision that I would like to see made more obvious. When you’re drawing angry smoke, quick and scribbled texturing can work, but also consider where that smoke it’s going, the shape it’s making or what it’s trying to do. That being said, I understand grief is subjective; where you feel your mark making is appropriate, keep it. I would also say that the shading on your hand describes a form that doesn’t quite make sense. I believe it’s mainly the wrist, it could be that the shadow is too high in that area, or that the above contour line is too thick. It’s challenging to tell where the light is coming from. Otherwise, this is an interesting piece that takes valuable risks. Great job!