Post 2: Maria R.

1. Who are the 5+ artists you chose?

• Mark Ryden https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81nXq3CI4Bc
• H. R. Giger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83kJOl06ikk
• Salvador Dali https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3FAy0teMNo
• Camille Rose Garcia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6hOEz0MoPk
• Tara Mcpherson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq1hR6tsA1Y

2. What were 5+ themes the artists addressed about making work?

• Mark Ryden’s work explores themes of children, kitsch, religion, and spirituality.
• H.R. Giger’s art explores themes of the macabre, the human body, penetration, and the biochemical.
• Salvador Dalí’s themes are about dreams, sexuality, death, and decay. 
• Camille Rose Garcia’s work is usually about failures of capitalism and the loss of innocence. 
• Tara Mcpherson often explores themes of innocence, love, and wisdom. 

3. What were 5+ challenges the artists faced in making their work?

• This wasn’t said in the video, but in another interview, Ryden mentioned the amount of time it takes to make his paintings is very challenging because he has many exciting ideas, but his time-consuming technique limits the number of ideas that eventually become paintings. 
• Due to his sexually suggestive work, Giger had to deal with censorship. His early exhibitions were either vandalized or shut down because his work shocked and disturbed many folks.
• Dali suffered from mental health issues, including paranoia and obsessive-compulsive disorder, which affected his creative process and his personal life.
• Garcia's work received mixed receptions, with some saying it's not "real art." She faces the challenge of proving the legitimacy of her style in the broader art community.
• Like me, McPherson works on multiple projects at once. She works on her paintings, toys, and posters while having health-related limitations.

4. What were 5+ inspirations you drew from the artists?

• The colours and probably the big eyes, but I’m not entirely sure!
• The eeriness and the macabre at times. 
• The subconscious mind usage. 
• The colors she uses for her backgrounds. 
• Tara McPherson frequently uses herself as a model for the female characters she paints and illustrates.

5. What were 5+ things you would like to incorporate into your own work after watching these videos?

• I would love to make my own elaborate frames like Ryden. 
• Giger created his own furniture; I would love to build my own as well. 
• I would like to explore themes of sexuality in my paintings.
• Seeing Camille Rose Garcia's work on wood panels makes me want to experiment with oil painting on wood someday. I love the lined texture it brings to the background.
• I'd love to incorporate positive themes to push myself out of my comfort zone.