In the first post, I briefly described my creative session with children Doroteja (8) and Domas (5). In this and future posts, I will tell you how the drawings by these children, their interpretations and photographs inspired me to create a variety of ideas for a Neverland Portrait.
When the three of us went outside to take pictures, Doroteja and Domas discovered a fun game in the yard – running with an inflatable pool. For me, these photos were a great inspiration for creating Neverland Portrait ideas.
Looking at this photo, I imagined there could be some kind of monster instead of an inflatable pool. Could Doroteja be so happy to carry a dangerous monster because she and her brother had already defeated her? Or maybe, by changing children’s facial expressions into fear, could it look like a monster swallowing or a whirlwind sucking in a girl into danger? Ideally, looking at the painting, you could see both scenarios at the same time.
It is very important for me to create ambiguous paintings. In this way, the viewer can use their imagination and guess for themselves what story the painting conveys. In any case, what the viewer sees and feels is a reflection of their inner experiences. Therefore, ambiguous paintings are mirrors of our inner world.
While creating the monster for this sketch, I used a co-made drawing by Domas and Doroteja. The blue and red swirls drawn by Domas fit well with the round shapes of the pool from the photograph.
And how, in this case, could I create an ambiguous drawing? The facial expressions of the children say the most, so I decided to portray them as completely neutral. When we only look at the neutral expression of the character’s face while looking at the painting, it is difficult for us to decide how the character feels in that situation. This leads us to imagine various potential scenarios and the emotions of the children.
