Pascal Creativity Project

The drawings from the “Minerals” and “I’m still running” subseries summarize my achievements and explorations so far. In them, I combine two completely different techniques: pencil and ink. I juxtapose raw forms and strong chiaroscuro with delicate, fluid shapes of spilled ink. Thanks to this contrast, in my view, each piece evokes strong emotions.

“It’s already day 300 – I kind of feel it, but it’s a bit hard to believe.” – note from July 2, 2024.

I noticed that the art world, unfortunately, also contributes to environmental pollution to some extent. Some action has already been taken, but there is still much to do. I believe art should move toward upcycling and reusing. It’s worth using its impact on people’s awareness and addressing environmental issues. In some of my works, I used objects and materials that were intended to be thrown away. Many installations were made from discarded materials like packaging, scraps, and plastic objects. Sometimes I drew on the back of other works or reused elements from previous pieces. Giving art a new life supports the evolution of ideas while reducing waste. I aim to show that sustainability and creativity can, and should, go hand in hand.

When this wide, flat-tipped nib fell into my hands, I immediately liked it. Thanks to it, “Main Characters” gained a more geometric character, which I emphasize by leaving empty spaces between the connections.

“My creative project has been going on for 200 days now! I have already discovered a lot, but there is still much more to explore.” – note from February 17, 2024.

Piece number 183 is important for two reasons. First, it marks exactly half a year since I began the project. Second, it started a new series. I came up with the idea of making my challenge even harder: I limited my time, shortening it by one minute with each new installation. It was a much bigger challenge than I expected, so not every attempt equally satisfies me. Timing myself made me realize how long it actually takes me to finish a piece. It was a good exercise, and I will return to it from time to time. I tend to be a perfectionist, so I wanted to polish some works more, but not everything always has to be perfect.

This is how I decided to creatively deal with a lack of time. I made a modular collage that can be divided into 9 parts. Each one can function independently, but together they form a coherent whole. I later reused this idea several more times.

I’ve come to enjoy ink. Thanks to it, each of these illustrations gained a unique, distinctive atmosphere. Despite the strongly graphic form, the viewer can immerse themselves in each of these landscapes, imagine being there. I can almost feel the scent of the the air.

“Yesterday was the 100th day of my project. I created 100 things that I probably wouldn’t have made otherwise. Thanks to it, I finally had time to try out new techniques. Sometimes I made more thoughtful pieces, and sometimes I worked quickly, guided by impulse. I know in which direction I want to continue developing this project – this is not the end, but rather the beginning.” – note from November 9, 2023.

This is a form of collage created digitally by layering two photographs on top of each other. This way the artwork gains an additional dimension. This series began with "chestnuts”, and then I created a whole series developing this same idea.

Now I often use ink, which allows me to create faster and on larger scale. Depending on the nib or brush, I can achieve different effects. Several pieces from the “Main Characters” series were created in black and white – I believe the lack of color allows the viewer to focus on composition and relationships between individual objects. At this stage, organic shapes resembling nuts, pumpkins, or flower buds also appeared, and this motif continues later on.

Pascal Creativity Project is one big experiment. I tested new techniques and used various tools for the first time. I got into ink, acrylics, collage, linocut, and even pencil. I often combined different media, which brought interesting results. I created both in 2D and 3D. The works ranged in size from 5 cm to 70 cm, and I discovered the potential of large formats. I believe that knowing different techniques and forms of expression is essential to create fully consciously . Each piece, in addition to its title, also has a description of the technique I used.

The first piece was created on August 1, 2023. That’s when I decided to make one every day for a month, and if I was satisfied with the results, then for a year. At that time, I didn’t know what form the project would take or where it would lead me. I simply did what I felt like doing.