Written Without Words: Paint Palette

The idea to create an ‘art’ type of suitcase has come to mind, so I have brought a paint palette that I am going to layer in paint to make it look used. I purposefully got a wooden palette as this was more fitting for that time opposed to a plastic palette.

After doing research, before the invention of cameras, drawings and paintings were the main way that soldiers and other service members documented things and passed time. To begin I scraped the wooden palette on sharp objects to create dents and a ruined look. I added heavy layers of paint to make it feel aged and used.

During the war, letters were the main form of communication between those who were separated, and the palette represents another form of communication, one without words. I wanted a demonstration of the way in which people demonstrate their emotions through art opposed to words.

Creating a worn surface demonstrates endurance and repetition, I wanted to reflect the passing of time and excessive use of the palette. The built up of paint can be viewed as a build up of emotions, the constant layering representing the back and forth of emotions.