Diatoms: Bella Rubal p.7
This is an image of diatoms under the microscope which I used a lot of reference
This is a glass sculpture by my current artist Luke Jerram, who is becoming well known for his glass sculptures of microscopic organisms
My master artist Paul Klee used fluid shapes, which similarly represent the uniqueness of diatoms.
These are the sketches I made to figure out my project
My final project
My final piece shows a variety of diatoms that are meant to be seen as if they are underneath a microscope. A diatom is a type of micro-algae that behave as a plankton found in water such as oceans, rivers, and lakes. The background of my project is a bright blue which greatly contrasts the diatoms. I made the diatoms unrealistic shades of warm colors to display their uniqueness. This project is meant to be perceived as a piece that shows the complexity of the world around us. I first sketched out the different diatoms that I would drawing. After that I drew in different patterns and designs. Next, I traced them in a thin marker to make them stand out a little bit more. I then colored each diatom in with varying warm colors, but I mainly stuck to yellows and oranges. Next I drew the entire background in a very light blue shade, but in a few spots it left pen-like streaks, so I went back over it a more royal blue so the marks were less obvious. I then went back and filled in anything spots that were lacking color.
I relied heavily on my references to understand more about the pattern and complexity and diatoms. I also really enjoyed looking at the work of my current artist Luke Jerram. He is able to create mesmerizing sculptures of microscopic organisms in a much larger scale. I tried to mimic his realistic structure by making my diatoms the same shapes as those seen under a microscope. I also referenced work from Paul Klee. I was inspired by his fluid designs as well as his vibrant colors, which I also wanted to depict in my piece. This is part of the reasons I chose the bright colors that I did, as well as the rhythmic patterns within the diatoms. This piece relied heavily on the use of rhythm as well as pattern. Pattern is seen in the designs in the diatoms. I used different lines and shapes to produce different types of patterns. Rhythm is seen in the diatom shape itself. Each one was strategically placed, allowing each one to flow into the next.
This piece has a lot of meaning to me. I want to work in microbiology one day, and diatoms are something that have always fascinated me. They have an incredibly simple structure to survive. They are unicellular, yet they are so intricate in the design patterns seen on them. This also shows the complexity of our ecosystem, and how far it goes. It is crazy to think that microscopic beings cover our earth, but are unable to be seen. The patterns in the piece represent the diversity of life, regardless if you are made of trillions of cells, or only one.
I am very happy with this piece, I enjoyed making it because I am very passionate about it. There are definitely a few things I would change about this piece. Overall I love the concept and ideas I had about this piece, but I think a few things could have been done better. For example, I do not like the background of the piece. I have no clue why, but the colored pencil I originally used created sharp, dark lines like a pen. I covered them up as well as I could with a darker colored pencil, but it still shows through. For the most part I am happy with how the diatoms turned out, but I bit sloppy when I colored in with the darker colored pencil and left a few blue marks and the diatoms. Overall I am happy with this piece, but some things could have been done better.
