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In my images, babies don’t have smooth and soft skin but terrcotta rough, and their faces looks dull and emotionless. Perhaps I chose the correct expressions for the theme, however they are also repeating all the times with the same angels and gestures. I should visualize various activities of small children, however, the drawing style is still bothering me. 

The collective references that influenced, inspired during this personal project. 

Roughs and notes while researching Louise Bourgeois’s installations, comments and interpretations. 

3. The most concerning problem I strongly doubted and worried about the drawing style and character’s design, especially those of toddlers and infants. Perhaps the beginning of the project I took inspirations from folk toys, but I received feedbacks that the faces are too naff and cartoonish, which perhaps didn’t fit in the atmosphere. I need to practice more on the dynamism of characters and the surrounding, since many angels, composition and perceptions are merely repeating.

The children’d still looks less life-like, almost a doll. It could be suggested as a interesting combination of both toy elements and realistic, however, I found there are less powerful and touching, which perhaps resulted from the less heavier and toned paint. For the next piece, I intend to use more diverse colors of skin tone rather than just plainly one, and make the texture more obvious. 

However, his works are mostly indicating the idea of mentally infantile adults, the lost, loafing and ambiguous sensations, the dullness of the expressions are betrayed by the vigorous and wild colors.  

From Jan -it seems you are bit tired and frustrated with the stages you are on by now. -working with different media: using collages with photos, fabric and even found objects. -looking at outsider artists who use strings: the idea of warping around objects ( related with D.W. Winnicott’s observation of a boy who obsessed with strings, that indicated his complex relationship with her mother and the family). -half graphic & half 3d? being illustrator doesn’t mean it has to be flat and graphic. It could be a series of objets and shoot as sequential images. -characters: human figure with toys? —uncanny? look at Peruvian dolls- toys made of people who died? -sequencial images as child growing up from birth towards death? -Work on bigger canvas, stick and collages, using fabrics and stitches. From Chris: A well composed presentationYou are obviously engaged in your research and projectThe drawing indicate that you have looked at and studied toys and children’s interaction with themThe colour palette you are using is unusual and far more sophisticated than one would normally use for a childrens book – that is a strength you haven’t gone for the obvious – bright colours and tones.There is a warmth in the colours – something nurturing .The use of colour and fabric also helps to reinforce your concepts.The 3D element – the string also helps the “narrativeThe sequence “about the gaze” works wellYou have written out for yourself a well-structured planThe “final illustration” seems to have worked and you have implemented you concept of mixed media Perhaps the little beads on the eyes of the child aren’t necessaryJust make sure the fabrics etc don’t overwhelm your actual drawingIs the work for children or adultsI would advise you make a beautiful work that is wanted by both that both groups can view it from their perspective. As to a final format  - if they are larger pieces how many would you do? （ I am planning to make least 5 pieces, at least A1 sizes) What scale might you work?I feel that the images might well work in a book format  - then you would have to impose some form of narrative sequence – but it need not be a story it could be the facts.  What I might suggest is perhaps scan and print out the images you have and lay them out in some sort of sequence to see how the look and work From Phil: -The characters seem to cartoonish, if the audience would mainly be adults? -Maybe is better to focus on the children’ s aspects, not complicated with feminism theme ( personally I regard this as quite problematic since the my intentions and ideas are tangled with mother-child & child- toy relations that they are not mutually exclusive. How toys and the interaction with them unveil the hidden ambivalent sensations children have while they coping with maternal relationship in domestic areas. I REALLY need to make this question clear, or, go with instinct? ) -The child character: looks like old man? — need to observe & life drawing. need to think about and distinct toyish/ real infant characters. -need to make clear what you are talking about with your image? about infant or older child? From Foz: -looking backwards. it seems like you are going back at the starting point. Make images that make sense to you, and take time visualize them. For this stage is the time to stop browsing researches, but record, develop and go further with them. -identify your interest —what kind of relationship you are tackling with? -force your hand more. make quick and rough images of single ideas: 50 images of mother-child relationship. String as cord: strong and powerful metaphor: make 10 images of belly bottom? 10 objects/shape relate to my mother. -relationship: different stages : inside the mother? outside mother? you identify with certain toys as your mother, are you looking/ interested in certain kinds of toys? -celebrating the ideas with excitements. -group those ideas and elements. From classmates: -audience: mainly would be adults. but could also be interpreted by younger generations. -could be in form of patched fabrics? ( could be drawn on the top? ) or using thread/ fabric as lines and tone.

The first images on the left was the earliest stage of the drawing, which the limbs were drawn without details, indicating the primitive stage of human life, with the mud-like bulk which suggests the always shape-shifting bodies in the mind of children.