Final Blog Post

This term as been quite a journey for me. I had never felt so inspired. I always thought drawing and painting did not come naturally for me and that I had to work really hard at it. I thought this art class was going to be look at the vase now draw it, now paint it. I was totally wrong. Every assignment we had was long and intricate. What I like about this class is its very free to adjust to everyones comfort levels in art. Every assignment turned out different and all the assignments had a meaningful point to them. There was no assignment that was just to draw a person. The assignment would be draw a person as a hero with some sort of meaning to yourself. One thing I did miss from Art Principles was the drop everything and draw day. I feel like I learned most on those days. All of the art projects I completed I was completely surprised by. With every project I struggled to come up with an idea. Some of the projects took me days. Looking back on all my completed art I can realized they every final piece is different from each other. No assignment was the same. I feel like I new know so much more about myself as an artist. I know that if I stick with an idea and give it more then 5 minutes before getting frustrated that I can actually come up with strong ideas.

Clean It up Project (Water cleaner)

For this project my idea was a little different then everyone else's. I felt that my project needed to have a strong point to it something that would make a difference. My idea really progressed through time. Over all I like my project. My favorite part is the background. My brother took that photo in Africa and when I formed my idea all I could think about was that photo. The photo is of the sewage line running next to a house and how gross it is. If I could change one thing it would probably be the tops to the objects. They look a bit funky. This was by far the hardest project for me. It took me I think over a week to figure out the project and I got really stressed about not being able to have an idea instantly.

Heros project

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For me I couldn't really find an idea for this project but I love how it turned out. I feel like I put so much work into the project and the message is very strong. If I could change one thing it would be that the people are not as strong as I wanted them to be and the trash pile is a little over powering. Overall I love how this project turned out.

Heors.

This piece of art was done by Hu Ming. This art resembles a heroic act because first of all fighting in the army makes a person a hero. They are fighting for to others to protect others. The women in this photo is a hero herself separate from the men because she is fighting as the only women with a bunch of men. She is taking a stand for her gender. She is the only women fighting and she is proud to fight.

Most of the heros I am seeing from The Boston Globe and The New Yorker consist of people who are acting as heros in movies. One article juxtaposed the difference between a hero and an anit- hero.

What does it mean to be a hero? To be a hero means to achieve something helpful. A hero does something good thats not done for oneself. A hero helps others to achieve or feel better about themselves. A hero steps in when nobody else will. Think about all the movies where a hero plays a big role. The movie that comes to my mind right away is the Incredibles. That movie is all about different kinds of heros and their superpowers. Maybe you dont have a superpower that gives you crazy speed or makes you invisible. But never the less you can be a hero even by an act of kindness. Saving a suffering stuck cat from a tree is a heroic act. To qualify as a hero one does not need to save the world from the evil guy who is trying to ruin the world. Life is not always an action movie. Heroic acts is done by somebody who cares and somebody who wants to help. A heroic act can range from someone helping an elder cross the road to someone risking their life to save others.

Product Project

- Phrases with water

- good idea very strong

- Ironic

Mid- Term Reflection

So far in our art class we have worked on three major projects. The first project was the Nature project where we thought about a word that meant something to us and represented how we feel about nature. In my life I have a lot of nature. Nature is a big part in my life. For this project I chose the word simplicity but the finished project did not resemble simplicity. It showed complication which is exactly what I was going for. I am happy with the out come of this project I didn't want to leave it unfinished. I think the piece sends out the message I wanted it to. For this project I did a lot of background research to find pictures of landscapes and natural disasters. I also sketched and did not rush through this project at all seeing that I finished it only today. Overall I loved this assignment and found it very inspiring.

The second project. Or second project also had to do with nature but involved more creative thinking. We were supposed to think of a problem in the world that we cared about that has to do with landscape. My project took a lot of thought and different planning. I had many different ideas before i settled on the final idea. Lots of changes happened in my sketching before I was finished with the final idea. I did a lot of research for this project and found many helpful pictures for guides. I stepped a little outside my boundaries during this project and tried something new. I had never traced something with a projector which is what I used for the coffee cup. Also i drew the whole thing which is not something I normally do. I dont normally draw everything. I didn't trust myself when it came to drawing. This drawing was complex seeing that I had to draw a city which I had no practice doing. Overall, I am happy with where the project is right now and I want to keep working on it. I loved this project. This is my kind of a project. Has to do with nature and future and the earth and things I truly care about. I loved this project and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Our last project was the painting of the cleaning supplies. This was completely new for me! I dont think I have really ever painted before. And I love it. I was nervous at first. But I love the way the brush feels on the paper and how its not as tense as drawing it. And not so exact and you can go over lines. I would love to paint more. I think I chose a challenging position because their is one red item that is tipped over which is a challenge. Still I am very happy with how it is coming along and I would love to keep working on painting and learn more about it. I started the painting with a light watery color then moved onto deeper colors with more paint. Last weekend I wanted to paint in my grandmothers studio so I think painting is affecting me in a good way!

Sally Mann

Criticism What if?

The feedback I got on my project was very helpful. My idea was to have a coffee cup tipped over with the city pouring out into ice water with ice bergs and polar bears on it. The question is What if everyone stopped caring? The feedback I got on my project was that I should change the coffee cup from a world wide cup to a Starbucks cup. Also they said it was a little confusing to visualize and that maybe I should work on the sketching a little more. They asked helpful questions that helped me to think more critically about my project and idea.

Source images

Text as a Visual Medium

My nature word project is supposed to be about Simplicity. My word is Simplicity and in the top corner I think it will say essential. In each letter of Simplicity is going to be an aspect of nature. Each letter will be complicated. It is supposed to say Simplicity but then each letter shows complication. This piece is supposed to represent my summer. This summer I spent 4 weeks back packing through Europe. To me it was just so simple compared to real life because our biggest problem was what exactly was for dinner and if it was going to rain or not. Being in the woods seems so simple and calm but then at the same time their are many different complicated obstacles to run into. The word essential relates to my experience as well because all we lived with was the essentials. We didn't have phones or computers or tons of clothes. We had everything that was on our backs. Which was a few pairs of clothes and some food and tents and sleeping bags. And that was all we needed. The feedback my group gave me was to add a background which I was planning on doing in water colors. And maybe to cut off some of the white space. Also to put a fish into one of the letters which is a possibility. They liked my idea which makes me proud because I love this project and I am intrigued by it.

Blindfold Drawings

When you heard the directions what thoughts went through your head?

Right away I knew what I was going to draw. my quite spot. It was a place in my room where I could be quite and it was in a window in a comfortable space the relaxed me. This summer I took an art class and we had to do something very similar and that made me think of it so I was nom freaking out. Because I knew that I cant see so its not expected to be my best.

How did the blindfold help or hinder your ability to picture a place?

It helped me to think about this place because with my eyes closed I just thought about that place the whole time. And now about what It would look like.

How did you start to translate your thoughts into marks on the page?

I felt out the page to get a feel for how big the paper was and what I would be working with. Then I just let my hands flow with the pencil and my thoughts of what it used to look like.

How did the act of drawing blindfolded change if at all as time went on?

Overtime I felt more relaxed about it. I sure how it would come out. But then time felt longer and I wasn't sure how long it would be before time was up and I didn't know what else to add.

How do you feel about the outcome?

The outcome is a little messy but not to bad. It shows the curtains and I can tell what it is but I dont know if anyone else would be able to tell.

How is the resulting drawing similar or different to drawings you have made in the past?'

Well I dont think I have ever tried to draw my quite spot but I know this drawing means something to me. I dont know if I have ever made a drawing like this in the past though. But it wasn't exactly from imagination it was more from memory.

Drawing from imagination vs. drawing from observation

Drawing from imagination always seems like more of a creative way of drawing to me. I feel like when you are drawing from imagination its more yourself and whatever you feel like drawing such as doodling. As opposed to drawing from observation which is more along the lines of what you are looking at and being exact and having more of a different feel. Drawing from observation can be more challenging for me because I feel like it needs to look exactly like what I am looking at. Drawing from imagination is something I feel is more laid back and whatever you want you can express on the page. I definitely like both kinds of drawing though they both have a totally different meaning and come out looking completely different.

Reflecting at the End of the Course

Art has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Everyone in my family is an artist. My mom works with ceramics and all the plates and cups and bowls in my house were made by her. My brother is a very serious photographer. My aunt designs business cards. My Grandmother makes paintings and collages, and my grandfather was an architect. And my cousins makes jewelry and drawings and paintings. So pretty much everyone in my family does some sort of art. I also have an extremely artsy house instead of spending money on expensive shoes my parents spend money on art. It makes them happy but I think someday soon my house will burst open with overload of art! Last year I chose to do art instead of theater. I spent the entire year working on designing fashion. I took a course two summers ago on fashion design and ever since I have had an interest in it. I am also really interested in collage. I have a wall in my room that I worked on for a long time and it is covered in a collage of fashion designs and pictures and other interesting things I found along the way. The wall is very overwhelming but it makes me happy when I look at it because its so detailed and it represents me. This class has helped my art and inspired me soooooo much! I feel that I learned so much and it wasn't soo strict on exactly what the assignment was we still had space to make it our own. Before this class I did not feel so confident in drawing but now because of all those drop everything and draw days I felt it got much better. Art has been my favorite class this year. I have felt I have worked so very hard in the class. I would come in to art an extra 1-2 hours a week during x-block or lunch so that I could spend extra time on my art. My art grade was important to me and I wanted to feel satisfied with my art. For me my favorite project we did was the found objects sculpture. I felt very inspired making my house and I could just keep adding to it and I loved the outcome of it! However the project I am most proud of is my self portrait. I spent so much time working on it and I had a little struggle in the begging but by the end I loved what I had created. I was sad to see the flower had broken but we still have a picture of it so its okay! This class was a good get away from other classes I was always happen when I walked into the open room. I also made so many friends from this class it ended up really helping me! I see art playing a big role in the rest of my life. I know that when I am older my house will be artsy. I also want to keep taking as many art classes as I can next year and the rest of my life so that I can get better. I truly loved this class and I think I have never had such an organized art class in my life. It was just a great experience for me! It made me feel very inspired with the variety of work we were doing! I also think drop everything and draw days were very creative and a good way for a break and to learn. If we really think about it we probably learned so much from those days (even though some of them made us hyper) I dont think that I can answer the question how does it end? because it does not end. I dont want it to I want to keep doing art and keep being inspired!

Self Portrait as a Ostritch

When we started this project I was stuck by choosing between animals. I knew my animal had to be something that could run and was tall and had characteristics like mine. I realized I picked that hardest animal to make out of clay. I picked an Ostritch because it can run and its tall. Making the animal took alot of time and was definitely a challenge. At first I was a little stuck because the clay was being difficult and I was having problems making the legs and neck. The hardest part for me was picking a place to be in. If i could go back I would change the place. I put myself in a city because I love the city and the marathon takes place in the city. But if I could change it I would put myself in an airport. I would be there because I love the airport I think its so much fun and I love to travel. Also I think its interesting that this one place can take you so many places. And you can get on a plane in Boston and get off somewhere totally different with a totally different culture. I love traveling and I think that an airport is kind of a magical place that opens new dreams and ideas!

I See The Light Drawing

For me this project was a little challenging. I know that I got a late start since I was in Germany but I came home and got to work. I wanted mine to end up alittle creepy. I had quite some time to think about this project because when I toured last year they were working on this project. So I have known that it was coming for awhile. I thought I was going to do a sunset for awhile until I wanted it to be alittle creepy. So I thought that if it was in the woods it could be creepy. I wanted it to be night time and a car going down a dark road in the woods. I dont think mine exactly portrays what I wanted it to portray. It dosnt really look like its dark at night. I was thinking about putting a runner in the road but I didn't really think it would work out. I worked pretty hard on this drawing and I dont think its my best but I dont hate how it turned out.

M- Scape: A Reductive Block Print

We were told that we were going to make a print and it would be the hardest project we had done yet. We were also told that we would all most likely make a mistake. I went into this project now worried because I have done print making at camp before. As soon as I found an image that I liked I printed it and started. I think that picking the colors was sort of hard because I did not choose them before. I also messed up pretty bad by carving a part out before I printed with it. So i had to carve deeper so that I could have that color. I struggled a little during the project to fix it but Mr. Books helped me and i ended up getting two nice prints. The other ones were a little to off centered to work out. Anyways I am now happy with how the prints turned out!

Thinking about the use of light in art

A few examples of light and dark could be in the winter when I finish a day of skiing and then its dark out and from where you are staying you can see the snow groomer going up the mountain. The only thing you can see is i the light coming from the machine pointing up the mountain. This always excites me because I know that we are just getting ready for another day of skiing. Another example of light and dark is when its dark out and my brother is home and has friends over he juggles fire outside. When I look out the window to watch everything is dark except for my bother lit up like he has a spotlight on stage. I can see my brothers arms flying and his eyes settled on his tossing. The fire is spinning in the air, and my brother acts relaxed like nothing out of the ordinary is occurring. Another example of light and dark is the effect that day light savings has. I feel when day light savings happens it throws me off so much. It is so noticeable because one day I run and its light then the next day it is already dark and the same time. This always makes waking in the morning more of a struggle. Last year when I came to visit for the day I remember they were doing this project and I thought it was so interesting and everyone was doing any amazing job. The teacher then told me that I could try on myself so I remember I drew a sunset from when I was in Mexico with my family years ago.

I am a Friend, and a Student

When I look at my finished piece of art I smile, and feel success. I know that I put many hard working hours into this project including at least two extended lunch periods. The finished product is different then I had planned it would be. I realized I am much happier with he finished product then I had planned to finish it in the begging. During the project I kept adding parts or seeing what looked right. I definitely took advice from others especially Ms. Robert's and Mr. Brooks. I am most proud of the face that i drew and the flower that I made in her hair. The flower was made out of pencil shavings. I never believed that I could draw, but when I worked on this project I knew what I wanted to draw and I am happy at how it turned out. I think that the project tells that when I walk in the room I have this story about my life so far. I think that it also shows that I have alot of ideas in my head. I wanted the art to come off as it also shows me as an artsy funky person. I like how the pictures I used for my family stands out of the paper because they are in black and white. I think the main idea when looking at this art is showing that it is a story that I am trying to tell and that it has an artsy feel to it.

Artist- in- Residence : Alenander DeMaria

I looked around the webiste and when I looked at his drawings this one totaly stood out to me. The detail in it amazes me. To me this is a very detailed house but next to it I am not really sure what is next to it. At first I thought it was a giant person with shaggy hair. This fits into his art because his drawings all look somewhat alike they all have the same idea to me. And it looks like he dosnt use much color so it fits with the others. A quesiton that I would ask him is how does he come up with these pieces of art, what gives him the idea to draw things like this.

Reflecting on Self Portrait progress

Today in class we talked in our groups about each of our projects. I got some helpful feed back on what i need to fix in my project. I had not thought about the background of my piece yet and my group helped me realize that. They gave me ideas of making my portrait stand out more then it was. I am pretty far along with my portrait but still need to work on putting color into it. I liked everyone else's ideas on there portraits as well. Some were way more creative then I could have thought of. When I explained my portrait I explained all of the parts in the book in the thought bubble. I think that I will still need at least three more classes to work on my project. But it is coming along and I am very proud of it!!