Last semester I took SA 2620A: Introduction to Painting hoping to get a mark that would boost my GPA like any other student at Western. As a lifelong artist and painter, I thought this class was going to be a breeze; boy was I wrong. Next thing I knew I was staring at 4 giant (3’x2′) canvases with not a clue of what to produce. Each assignment was wildly out of my comfort zone and the other immensely talented students in my class were intimidating. I spend around 24 hours on each canvas, not including the time it took to plan out a full composition. Needless to say, this experience was one of the most challenging of my art courses but it helped me develop much stronger skills in my art practices.
This was truly a hard project for me in which I hated every step of the process. Transferring my Jocelyn Hobbie college to a 2 x 2.5-foot canvas, the goal for this assignment was to utilize every section of my composition important to the overall composition story. I was challenged to use a variety of painting techniques (ex: washes, thick paint, masking, texture, glazing, etc.) that resemble your college as closely as possible.
Meeting the expectations of the class felt impossible. Looking at the final project, however, I’m actually starting to appreciate and accept my creation. I named this piece after Ophelia from the Shakespearean play Hamlet. I figured the water background reminded me of her scene where she floats in the pond filled with flowers.
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[devvn_ihotspot id=”734″]OPHELIA
Matte print of the acrylic painting “Ophelia” by artist Bridget Koza. A Jocelyn Hobbie-inspired painting mimicking the technique of collage through acrylic paint.
Print comes with the artist’s signature. Framing available for customers in London, Ontario
You’re not just looking at 18 strawberries, but 24 hours of blood, sweat, and tears trying to complete this project. Using a still life image, in this case, strawberries, the goal of this assignment was to develop the “Perceptual Colour Technique” in acrylic painting. This process involves looking for “shapes” of colour rather than blending colours or using lines. I was required to exaggerate and emphasize the colour that I saw and challenged to not let colours blend, not to use black, nor use any outlines.
All that hard work and a rush to complete the project before the due date was so worth it in the end. This project has made me realize the strength I have when it comes to recreating still life and has taught me that patience in the practice results and a great final product. I’ve gotten many comments from people that this painting is by far their favorite painting of mine. Last December I posted this painting on Redbubble and started selling on merch, such as stickers, journal covers, and clothing (click the links below to see the merch for yourself). I currently have the phone case with the strawberries on it and I love it! It reminds me each day how proud I am of myself and pushes me to keep creating my artwork. When I was finally done with the painting I was happy that I had a little photoshoot with it and posted it on my socials. Let’s just say I’m “berry” glad to have created this painting.
LAS FRESAS phone case!
KOZart’s is breaking into the world of merchandise with a collaboration with Redbubble. In my shop, you can find my art work on virtually any piece of merchandise, not just a phone case and not just a strawberry painting.
This item is not purchased through kozart.ca but through the Redbubble site.
LAS FRESAS
Size: large (8″x10″)
For my final large-scale surrealism painting, I wanted it to encapsulate this trapped and overbearing feeling that 2020 has brought me and the rest of the world. Specifically, I wanted to express a feeling of being a swimmer with no water to swim in, rather an ordinary home office space. The painting has become this confusing space where you don’t really know if it’s underwater or on land. You can notice that my painting takes all elements of my studies including the textures, the background, and the figure. I’ve provided some close-ups since the painting has quite a bit of hidden details you probably wouldn’t notice at first.
This painting took 3 weeks to plan, paint, and focus on making details realistic. Here are some progress pictures from the beginning to print.
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[devvn_ihotspot id=”706″]This painting, along with two other paintings of mine, was featured in a Publication by ICONOCLAST Collective, STARDUST Volume 10 Spring 2021. ICON was created to support personal, intersectional, and interdisciplinary examinations of student lives at Western University. Each issue aims to be a nuanced discussion about an idea—the glitches in our lives, the plasticity of modern society, existing in a state of resistance. Their publications and events explore the complex connections between art, identity, and politics, in every medium imaginable. To view the full publication link to the button below!
FLOATING
Matte print of the acrylic painting “Floating” by artist Bridget Koza. An image that encapsulates the trapped and overbearing feeling that 2020 has brought to the world. Specifically, it expresses a feeling of being a swimmer with no water to swim in, rather an ordinary home office space. The painting has become this confusing space where you don’t really know if it’s underwater or on land.
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My work is an abstract painting inspired by the warm summers spent at Wasaga Beach. For my family and me, Wasaga was the scrapbook of our childhood memories and a place that brings us great joy and peace just thinking of it. I challenged myself to mimic the textures of the beach with several techniques including paint drippings and a hairdryer to push the paint across the canvas. As a finished product, I’ve gotten many different interpretations and the more I look at it I’m able to reveal deeper levels to the narrative. One unique addition to this piece is the actual sand from Wasaga beach is glued onto the painting- a subtitle addition that adds to the emotion of the piece. This place was an exploration of my relationship with nature. It’s an appreciation for its gifts that nature has given me and a chance for audiences to interpret its organic forms and textures. This painting evokes audiences to think about their contention with nature how it makes us feel.
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[devvn_ihotspot id=”688″]In February 2021, “The Beach” was fortunate enough to be a part of sustain.ability, an online environmental art and sustainable fashion showcase hosted by USC Public Arts Commission, Envirowestern, and USC Charity. This event seeks to highlight student talent while also raising awareness and funds for environmental preservation. To learn more about the project or see my artwork in their virtual gallery click the button below!
THE BEACH
Matte print of the acrylic painting “The Beach” by artist Bridget Koza. An abstract painting “not about how the [the beach] looks, but how it feels.”
Print comes with the artist’s signature. Framing available for customers in London, Ontario
This painting project was actually not an assignment in SA 2620A whatsoever. In my free time after finishing the semester, I created this bitcoin-inspired painting as a special gift I give my brother Adam for Christmas. Adam is a Cryptocurrency fanatic and also very hard to buy a gift for so this painting was very suiting. The reason why I decided to include it in this blog post and in the exclusive Spring Print release is because it was heavily influenced by the many techniques that I learned throughout the semester. Without realizing it, I used several different acrylic paint techniques and textures, I used the Perceptual Colour Technique to recreate the subjects and elements, I juxtaposed elements that are not normally put together and inspired by the sand on my abstract, I used mod podge to include glitter to make the center Bitcoin shine.
Buy your print before the sale ends!
Now until April 30th all Spring prints are 25% off to celebrate the end of a great academic season.
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