One: Freedom

Maria Nguyen
Mixed Media on Canvas
16 x 20 inches

For this art piece, I was inspired by the artwork of an Aboriginal artist, George Littlechild. Littlechild likes to use bright colours such as yellow, red, pink and blue to paint his masterpieces on a canvas. I love his style because it is unlike any other professional artist. His creative art has a perfect mixture of children style and artistic style. The objects that he paints do not look realistic like what most artists nowadays try to do, but it looks creative and artistic in a dreamy way that when you look at it, you would forget everything else to enter another colourful world. As Pablo Picasso, a Spanish painter said: “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”  

    

    In my "Freedom" art piece, I specially chose bright and radiant colours such as red, yellow and pink to express the wonderful feelings of liberty. This abstract painting was mostly decorated with circle decorations to bring up the strong Aboriginal culture. The eagle head symbolizes the magnanimous and majestic soul of an eagle inside every Aboriginal person who will use the "Wings of Freedom" to fly over all the fences of stereotypes and also breaks all the chains of racism. Besides that, the star at the right bottom is the sacred star of hope that will  guide the Aboriginal heroes on their way of finding justice. The dream catcher originally has a very meaningful meaning to the Aboriginal people. In my painting it also has a significant importance that it will help them accomplish their eternal dream of getting back their human rights. The colourful background behind the tent conveys a beautiful message that behind the dark-looking tent of the Aboriginal people, you will discover a very traditional and mighty culture that has been passed on from generation after generation. Lastly, the most important element which is also the main focusing of my painting is the "Wing of Freedom". Blue is the colour of the immense sky and the deep ocean which has a sacred meaning to the Aboriginals. It symbolizes trust, honesty and loyalty. Its most well-known representation is peace. That's why I chose it as the colour for my wing. Also, when the viewers look at my painting, the peaceful colour will catch their eyes first since it is the darkest and the most powerful colour in my painting. With a colourful background and the stand-out blue wing, I believe that it will create a perfect mixture and balance between the colours in my painting.
      

       After a while of guardedly thinking, I finally decided to name this art piece "Freedom" because the man in this painting, who represents his Aboriginal tribe, is using his majestic "eagle wing" to fly over all the walls of racism to seek out for peace and liberty.  My title is only one simple word but if the viewers take a closer look and think deeper they will find that this word "Freedom" comprises all the little meanings of every single element in this painting that I wanted to convey through the powerful communication of my artwork. 

:)