Reflecting

1. My expectations were to learn more about art history, how to use art materials, and about what kind of artist I am. They were met. Especially the last one. I realized that I like to do a lot of self-reflective work based on how I am feeling or what I am currently experiencing. I have been sketching more since I started taking this class.

2. “For me, I define art as a way to express myself without using words.” This still stands. Even more so than before. I’ve always loved the expression “A picture is worth a thousand words” because it is true. There is so much to be said through that cannot really ever be ‘said’ verbally.

3. My favorite artist was Michelangelo. Now I am interested in Frida Kahlo. A lot of her pieces really spoke to me and I connected well with them. It was nice to explore new artists and see where I could most relate.

4. I feel great about taking online courses. I was excited in the beginning to take an online course and I felt that I was self-motivated enough to get through it and I was. It was a wonderful experience and I plan to take more in the future.

The Image of Self

 I found my images online.

Self-Portrait Sklyarevskaya by Sklyarevskaya Inna, 2008, oil on canvas, 60x50

Self-Portrait by Ham, Myung Su, 2000

Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror by Francesco Mazzola, 1523, oil on convex panel, 9.6 in diameter

Original Picture

Artwork

1. I wanted my piece to not be just a photo of me, but with something else that explains a big part of who I am. I wanted it to look somewhat cartoonish, not necessarily like a photograph, and I wanted it to not be a forward facing angle of me. I got all of these ideas from the three works I chose for inspiration.
2. I chose to use pencil and pastels. I outlined the work in pencil and filled it in with color with the pastels. I chose this because I felt as though I would be able to blend colors better than I would with paints or collage. I also do not have as much experience with paints and was not sure how well it would turn out. Those are also the supplies I had at my house. My colors of paint were very limited.
3. I had a lot of trouble with the initial outline. I kept trying to start by sketching my hair and head first, but the shapes kept coming out wrong. So, I sketched the background first and went from there. It really helped me put everything in perspective and manage the spacing much better.

4. This piece represents me because it shows the firm foundation in which I have built my life. I find comfort in religion. The fact that people can believe in things at all in this world is a miracle. I like the idea of there being a greater reason for things, and knowing that someone is watching over me. I plan to be a pastor in a UCC church and help advocate for the open and affirming movement.

5. I applied the element of color. There aren’t too many distinct lines since I blended most of the piece. The color is what breaks apart the different pieces of the artwork. I also used shapes such as the cross behind me and the steps, making it easier to see what I was doing and where I was.
6. I did. I had a lot of ideas for this project and it was hard to narrow them down. It is always nice to be able to express yourself through art.

7. I liked my final piece. It was really hard for me to draw my hands because they were so small, but besides that part I felt it came out similarly to what I had imagined.

Project 4

This project was definitely a lot of work. With watching the videos and searching through the sources to try to sort through the works, the hardest issue I found was what theme to come up with. The works that interested me the most were the self portraits, so I decided to create a theme based off of those. Analyzing the photos was something I was already used to, so that wasn't too bad for me. It was interesting to me to see the way the artists portrayed themselves and to try to uncover things about their lives based on those paintings. Overall the project was a good experience and I was glad to learn so much about the artists I chose.

Burchfield Penney Art Center

Exhibit

A-Z An Historical Survey Of Women Artists

The theme of the exhibit is portraying the way women artists painted by recreating their style with a pear as the main focus. Each oil painting shows a pair, but they each are very different.

Gallery

The lighting in the gallery was very subtle. The lights were small and mainly shown upon the works. It was spotty.

The walls were a light beige, almost white, color, or a dark grey, almost black, color.

There is not much in the interior. In one space there were some fake trees on the wall and a quote stickered to the wall as well.

The movement was smooth. Part of the gallery is similar to a school without walls. The whole gallery is less ‘spacious’ and more made up of paths for the viewer to choose which one to go down.

Artwork

The artworks were mainly organized by what exhibit they were a part of. Mostly paintings were together and sculptures were together. Although, there were spaces where both were intertwined.

I found that the art work in a specific exhibit was obviously very similar in style and structure, but all of the other artwork seemed very different for me. Some pieces were bright and colorful and very detailed. Others were plain, but still were able to stand out just as much. Each piece had such a different feel to it. I had never been to Burchfield Penney before so it was a very new experience that I very much enjoyed.

The pieces were framed in all different ways. Some had very thin frames, some were not framed at all, and some had such thick frames that they almost amounted to be bigger than the work.

Each artwork had a square on the wall next to it telling of the artist, title, year made, medium, and what collection it was from. For some of the sculptures the squares were on the platform of the work.

 Most pieces had room enough for two people to stand between the artworks. Other works, as in the pear exhibit I mentioned above, were more tightly arranged.

Art Criticism Exercise

Jackie Pancari, Reflective Translation (red letter), A letter from sol Lewitt to Eva Hesse, 2015, Mirrored plate glass, reflective material

The artwork was very unique. I had never seen anything like it. It had the simplicity of lipstick writing on a mirror, but the complexity of a sonnet. There were six mirrors hanging from strings attached to a board that was attached to the wall. Each piece of reflective material had many words written on it. The words were all written in a shade of pinkish red, and all of the words were displayed in different ways. For example, the words in one of the pieces look to be in the shape of an eye or perhaps a finger print. Pattern is something that really made each piece of mirror stand apart from each other. They were all written in merely the same color, and each piece is the same size. The patterns of the ways in which the words are written are what make each one so different. This piece reminds me of something that was once done at my church. There were mirrors set up, and each youth had to come up and write something that was troubling them on the mirror. It was a surreal experience because as I was writing, I was looking at my own reflection. It made it feel much more personal. The artists’ note that was on the wall next to the piece says that the artist asked other artists to re write a letter written in 1965 in their own words. I feel as though the artist put these writings onto reflective material so that while the viewers were reading it, they could see themselves in the piece and connect it to their own lives.

Namdoo Kim, White City, 2015, Casted Glass, wood and mixed media

This piece immediately caught my attention because of its familiarity; Monopoly. As I stepped closer, I realized that in the open door of the structure was a baby that appeared to be plastic but could have been glass. It was curled up and would light up indigo, and then go dark again. The complete rest of the sculpture was just white and the same material. The structure was very plain, having little design etched into it. Color and light definitely emphasizes the baby within the structure. The contrast from the rest of the structure to the baby is strong. The infant is meant to stand out to the viewer, as well as the monopoly man’s head. That familiarity was also used for emphasis. The bottom part of the structure is symmetrical, as is the top part, but the middle part stands alone, being asymmetrical. This piece does not remind me of anything; it was very hard for me to understand. The baby having such little space could symbolize something such as a panic room, or lack of space due to a situation like poverty. Monopoly is a game all about money, and his head is enlarged and on top of the structure, perhaps making a statement about where wealth lies in the world. With the door being open beneath the head, it gives the impression that there is escape for the little one. That perhaps it is possible to get out and make a change.

Edith Lunt Small, The Entry of Christ Into Manhattan, 1982, acrylic on board

This is a painting of Manhattan, with many well-known people walking about throughout the streets. The top is spacious, showing the skyscrapers and a touch of sky, whereas down below people are everywhere. There are beams of light coming down from the sky, and they are surrounding Jesus, as it appears he is coming into the city. Color is heavily used. There are many different colors. This helps to show how many people are about, but also how different they are all. Space is a big factor. All of these people wearing different colored clothing are all so close in proximity, showing how little space there is for them to be and how busy the city is. There are a few miniature Santas that I spotted throughout the painting. I feel as though these symbolize how many people view Jesus. Also, they symbolize what people think they are celebrating on Christmas. The birth of Jesus has been replaced by a fat gift giving hero in a red suit. With all of the people gathered, they could possibly be there to see Jesus’ arrival. However, none of them are looking at Him. Although it appears that Christ is in the city, it also appears that he is not. His physical presence, but maybe not his spiritual presence. He is so little in the scheme of the whole painting, maybe reflecting how little the artist feels his importance is in many people’s lives.

I thought it was a nice experience. I felt like I had a purpose being there. I have always just walked aimlessly around art galleries not sure what I was looking for, and as for the Louvre, being overwhelmed by its size. It was interesting to see how the gallery was set up and to think about how this makes the visitors feels. It was also neat capturing some bird’s eye views of the gallery from the second floor.

Mask Making

I selected these three masks as inspiration because they were the ones I most connected with. I love feathers, gold, and detail. They each were so different, but all so beautiful. I liked how the last mask did not cover the whole face, the use of colors in the second mask, and the way the two colors stood out against each other in the first mask, and the way the different texture of the feathers made the beauty of the gold stand out even more.

1. This mask looks like one that would be worn to a masquerade. Around the mouth and the eyes looks smooth, where the rest of the mask has raised patterns. Texture is prominent in this piece.  It is a paper mache mask with tabby feathers. It was hand-crafted in Italy and has a baroque style. It is a Venetian mask. The feathers almost make it look like hair is attached to the face of the mask. The pink color of the feathers stands out against the gold, which also stands out against the feathers. The colors complement each other. The emphasis is on those parts of the mask while the mouth of the mask is just plain white. It is symmetrical. Although being unrealistic, the symmetry of the mask gives it a human quality.

2. This is a Hindu mask titled “Hanuman the Monkey God.” The mask does depict a monkey with human features such as the earrings. This piece is unrealistic, but is representational; representing the God. Its features are accented by patterns and colors. The patterns appear in rings and change through each new ring and each new color. The use of so many different colors and patterns emphasizes the entire mask, making the complete work stand out to the viewer. The shape of the chin also stands out, appearing to be a beard on the chin of a monkey.

3. These masks were made in Iran. The shapes of these masks hold the emphasis due to them being of one singular color and having no real signs of pattern and texture. They are half-masks that would only cover half of the wearers face. These are simple masks, revealing the eyes and also some of the forehead, possibly the eyebrows. These masks look much more artistic than a mask to be worn out to a party.

I wanted to add texture to the mask, so I cut out paper feathers and frayed the edges. I made the mask symmetrical to show humanistic qualities. The mask is shaded with light blue, and also some other light cold colors. I put a pattern on the top rim of the mask, almost as if on sunglasses. I added lines underneath the eye holes to add a sense of rhythm, as if they were waves coming to the shore line. I made this mask in a way that would represent me. I even put eyeliner on the mask in the way that I put on mine. The pink feathers are emphasized, being the only warm color on the whole mask. Blue is a very calming color, and I wanted that to be portrayed in my mask. I also wanted the mask to cover only half the face, but shape it in a way where the lines do not just form right around the eyes, but make it droop so that the mask covers the cheeks as well.

 I wish that I had paper mache or other materials to actually create a real mask; I would have liked to see if how I saw it in my head could actually be created. One of the hardest parts about creating the mask for me was shaping it. It was hard because my first two sketches were very weird shaped, and I did not want the mask to be overwhelming or super abstract. Overall, though, it was a neat experience.

African Art

1. I chose the two videos “African Art” and “African Art: Legacy of Oppression” because they had to do with Africa. In my readings, I found African art to be the most interesting, especially some of the ways women were involved with art and the ways they were portrayed. Much of African was connected in some way with spirits which was also very interesting to me.

2. The first video I watched; “African Art: Legacy of Oppression” explained many works of art in the Tervuren Museum in Belgium. The art that affected the west was dramatic and startling. Many African artists moved away from representing people or landscapes as ‘realistic’ and inspired many modern artists such as Pablo Picasso.  Ivory was a common material used in art. Rubber became in high demand and families would be kidnapped until the males came back from the woods with their quota of rubber met. Some sculptures were meant to ‘speak’ to the dead and were used to connect with spirits or send messages to them. The second video; “African Art” focused on what the art meant to the people. It explained the geography of where the art progressed over time. There was a distinct architectural style of the Africans and they built many places of worship. The acts of their lives, such as hunting and gathering, were shown in ancient rock art. The video also explained the two basic approaches to artistic expression- conceptual and perceptual. Perceptual is what the artist sees throughout their life, while conceptual is what the artist sees in their imagination. The conceptual approach was most common in African art.

3. The videos spoke of how much of the art portraying women glorified motherhood, which was also discussed in the text about multiple sculptures of women. Also, some of the artwork was used to ‘stick it to their enemies’ and in doing this the artists would stick nails in a work of art or various other things. This was something that was also discussed in the text; sometimes using art for evil. All African art played a role in daily life or ceremonial rights. Many of the works were to or for spirits. They also discussed this concept in the book and how the works represented spirits or ideas and not specific people. Both the movie and the book, too, discussed how important masks were in the African culture. They would represent spirits and be worn in parades and they were also used in war until the bullets were proven to withstand them with no problem at all.

4. I liked these films quite a bit. They shared many same concepts with the text which made it easier for me to understand them because I had already read about much of what they were saying. They gave a lot of background of African art and showed how it progressed and changed and even how some pieces were copied and recopied. They also explained how to look at the art in a way in which to make it easier to understand.

Hand in Hand

1. I found it quite difficult. It was hard to place my hand in a position that made it comfortable for the other one to be drawing it and for it to be in good view. I drew the top of my hand with my right hand and the inside of my hand with my left because they sat easily in those ways.

2. I chose pencil because that is what I am familiar with and I would have had to practice a lot with the charcoal beforehand to get used to it. I used charcoal once and the side of my hand just dragged it all over the paper. I would like to experiment sometime with charcoal, though, and see what I can do with it.

3. It felt wrong in a way. I am not the best artist, but I kept getting frustrated thinking of how I could draw it so much better with my right hand. I could not press down as hard and I had to go very slow and I felt as though the hand did not look as realistic because I could not differentiate the darkness of the lines. I was surprised, however, that it came out as well as it did.

4. I am not sure how ‘successful’ they are. They do show a significant difference which I am sure most would unless someone was ambidextrous.  The dominant hand drawing definitely looks more realistic and stands out more.

5. No, I would not. It did not feel good and I do not think any artwork I would create would come out the way I would want it to because of the lack of skill my left hand has.

Michelangelo and Da Vinci

1. I selected the videos “The Drawings of Michelangelo” and “Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance” because I was most familiar with those two artists. I have seen the Mona Lisa at the Louvre and I someday hope to stand in the Sistine Chapel.

2. The video about Michelangelo mostly focused on how his works came to be. Shown were many “works in progress” and even some of his sketches that ended up on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel. His works are all very detailed and were realistic looking. For 60 years his focus of expression was male nudes and he created images of future body builders, whether they were sketches or sculptures. The video explained many of the ideas behind his paintings and went into great depth about his religious ones such as his Jesus on the cross. The video showed that much of his work of male nudes was idealistic and he would create many versions of a pose to try to make it look just perfect. The video also revealed that some of his work resembled Ghirlandaio’s work, but he rejected any ideas of this assumption being truthful. The video about Leonardo da Vinci showed how many of his works were personal and knowledgeable, and planned out in a logical way; similar to many artists of the Renaissance. He was not only an artist, but also a mathematician and an engineer. He was keen on his abilities and inventions and would introduce himself as an engineer. He worked for the Medici family and there was some writing found that shows some homosexual tendencies he may have had. He was a perfectionist and never considered his works to be done. Geometry played a big role in his pieces of art and he often mixed art with engineering to create new inventions.  

3. The text went over many artists and explained many of those artists work, including Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. The videos were much more in depth about the two artist’s lives and journeys of being artists and dissected many of their paintings. The book spoke more of the time periods as a whole and how art developed over time. It also spoke of the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Counter reformation and how religion was also changing with the times; or at least what people chose to believe in. The videos just focused in very closely on small parts of the text, but did incorporate some talk of the time periods.

4. I liked the Michelangelo film. I thought it was informative on his life and kept to the point for the most part. I thought the video about Da Vinci was lacking. It was hard to follow because it moved so slowly and there were many points where only music was playing for any number of seconds. They explained some of what was in the reading in more detail, but for the reading as a whole, they did not connect as well in my mind. The videos did, however, go through many of the reasons work of the renaissance was created and how and added depth to what the work meant.

The Human Form

1. I selected the video because of its title “Greek Art and the Human Figure”. It related to the other video and I am very interested in how art and the human figure are interrelated.

2. For the required video, I felt as though it was mainly trying to explain why the human figure is represented the way it is in different works of art. Many human artwork has exaggerated features that people felt were more important than others. Often, woman statues will be connected with fertility. The Egyptians showed the body parts by which they thought were the clearest angles. Many of the artworks found were related to religion and told a lot about the past. In the video I picked, it talked a lot about humans modeled in a realistic way. The Greeks created the “perfect form” which affects the way humans think of their bodies still today. Many people strive to be as fit as shown in Greek artwork. Artwork sent messages to people. It was more than just an expression or a random inclination. It was sending a message or telling a story.

3. The videos relate to the text by explaining in detail parts that were gone over in the text. Egypt and Greece were mentioned in the text and these videos went into greater detail of their art and why and how it was made and what the meanings were behind them.

4. I liked the films. I really liked the mandatory film. I felt like it did a great job explaining why the human form was depicted the way it was and keeping the viewer interested. Visual learning is always helpful in connecting the voice over to the physical aspect of what is being discussed. 

Architecture

1. I chose Prairie Style. It was about Frank Lloyd Wright and how he changed architecture. It discussed how houses and buildings now have more open space and how it is not all the same. For example, his doors were not just in the center front of the house. He felt that placement was important. He loved the environment and wanted there to be “environmental harmony” and a nice flow from room to room. He referred to his work as organic.

I also chose Architecture as Art. It was about Frank Gehry’s buildings and designs. He expressed how he had to respond well to the time and place. If he did not fall in love with the place and the people, he could not make a building. He also explained how for him, architecture has a lot to do with feeling and his work evolves based on what he is feeling right then and there. He also did not want to overwhelm people with his work, but draw them in. He would break his work into parts to do this.

2. They both referred to the many aspects of architecture and how it is constructed, types of building styles, materials used, etc. However, I felt as though the book went much more into depth with those things and threw a lot of information out at once while the videos were mainly about the architect being discussed and their specific work. While watching Prairie Style, I felt as though I was touring many of the Frank Lloyd Wright houses.

3. I liked the films. I felt like they helped to further understanding because there was so much visual learning involved. Footage of walking through the houses to explain what the architects were describing and pictures of drafts done before the actual building occurred were interesting to see.

4. I chose the Frank Lloyd Wright film because I remember taking a tour of his house in Buffalo when I was in third grade and being fascinated by it. Also, I had some prior knowledge so it was interesting to see what I did and did not already know about his work.

I chose the other film just because it seemed interesting. I liked the title. I’m glad I picked it because it was nice how Gehry incorporated feelings and emotions into his work and explained that in depth in the video.

Sculpting and Ceramics

1. Key concepts I learned throughout the videos were mainly how to sculpt and how to make ceramics. They expressed the tools that are used to carve for sculpting, and the tools that are used to shape glass and ceramic. They showed the different materials these art forms can be created with and how when dealing with glass and ceramics, heat is a major component. The point that these pieces are fragile and incredibly delicate was stressed.

2. The videos related very closely to the text. I felt as though they went more into a visual depth of what was explained in the text such as the process of sculpting and ceramics. Many of the same things were mentioned such as materials/tools used in these processes and that heat is a major component and some of the history behind why these pieces of art are still being made today and where they originated.

3. I liked the films. I liked how the one film went through the process of sculpting and what tools to use to do so. I have had very limited experiences with this. It was also cool in the other video to see the glass and clay being formed. I am very interested in stained glass windows. I did not even know about the steel that goes between each piece to hold them together. It was nice to read about the processes of making these art forms and then be able to see them in action.

Peer Reviews

kasidysartblog.blogspot.com

mayaaed.blogspot.com

2. I did for the most part agree with the elements and principals. I was only confused about one photo and am interested to learn more about it! I liked seeing other people’s images and seeing how they understood the project. In some of those photos I saw more than one element or principal which is always cool to me. For example, in Kasidy’s blog, the image of a sunset that she chose for unity also expressed color and balance.

3. Yes, there was only one between both of the blogs that I also had. It was a painting Maya had also posted in her blog title Peinture NO. 0528(Painting NO. 0528). It was an extra photo in her blog so I am not sure as of now if we had chosen them for the same reason. I had chosen it because I wanted to learn more about it and to me just saw a bunch of different colored shapes. Paintings like that are very popular these days and I would like to know more about that.

4. Yes, a painting Maya picked called Theater Box really grasped my attention. She mentioned wondering why we cannot see the woman’s face and wondering what her expression would be. I also was wondering the same thing. There is no indication in that painting as to if the woman watching the show is enjoying it or interested in it at all. It is very interesting and I wonder why it was done that way.

5. I do find it to be valuable. It is nice, especially because this class is online, to hear from peers about their projects and see what they did and how they interpreted it. I thought it was so interesting how we all had such different ideas of what to take photos of and what paintings stood out to us at the museum.

6. I did not find the comments to be helpful per say. More or less I got to see what we had in common and what they agreed with me on.

Creating a Logo

1. I thought it was very hard. I am not the best at sketching. I saw what I wanted it to look like in my head but could not make it come out the same on the paper. It was frustrating because it took so many tries to make my final copy.

2. I first thought of what I want my future to look like and things that I love. I started writing my name with a music note making up the “F” because I love music, a candle making up the “I” because I love candlelight, and a cross making up the “T” because I want to be a minister. I also had waves coming off of the “H” because I love the beach and a smile inside of the “A” but I did not want to stick with those. Then I developed putting my name inside of a cross and putting a word going down that would melt with my name. I tries minister then simply and then withstanding. I liked the word withstanding best, however simply fit better. I created a final with withstanding but it did not come out as I hoped so I redid it. I wanted the cross to be the typical wood color and simple. I wanted it to be simple because I am not flashy. I chose to write my name in cursive because that is how I always hand write. I used the word simply because that is how we view being a follower of God in my church, simple. It is all about loving relationships and accepting everyone.

3. The most important discovery I made was that making a logo is not easy. Not only that, but it is hard to break down who you are as a person and put it into a simple logo. It is also hard to know how viewers will see the logo and what it will mean to them. I am seeing it through my eyes, but I already know myself.

4. The most important thing I learned was that there should be many different ideas so that there are some to choose from. Also, when having those ideas, you can branch off of them, combine them, etc. Also, you have to look at the logo and really think if it defines what it is supposed to and sending the right message. With this, colors and font do make an impact. The movies were insightful since I have not dealt much with logos in the past. However, I felt they were a bit lengthy for the message they were trying to send.

A Visit to the Gallery

An artwork that made an impression on me was titled Music by Thomas Eakins. It was large sized with an oil on canvas medium made in 1904. This work made a sad impression on me. The colors were all very dark, creating a solemn mood. He is looking down and seems to be in deep concentration and also somewhat sad. It makes me wonder what song he was playing. It may have meant a lot to him or made him feel something deep.

Another artwork that made an impression on me was Scrambled or Fried by Dan Colen. It was medium sized with a chewing gum and chewing gum wrappers on canvas art form in artists frame made in 2008. I was intrigued when I saw the year because many of the other works that had stood out to me were older pieces. The gum on the canvas created a 3D image. It was scattered with no particular line pattern. However, I got a ‘beauty in chaos’ type of feel. I found humor in that there was an egg found within the work. There were many other works like this one in Colen’s exhibit and the whole area smelled fruity from the gum. It was gross yet beautiful all at once. I found it very creative.

A piece I felt a connection to was New England Houses by Niles Spencer. It was medium sized with an oil on canvas art form created in 1924. I have spent a lot of time in New England because my boyfriend’s family lives there. It is such a special place to me that I love to call home. His church looks a lot like the church in the photograph which is one of my favorite places to be. Also, the colors are subtle, which makes the painting look natural and real.

Another piece I had a connection with was Elinor, Jean and Anna by George Wesley Bellows. It was large sized with an oil on canvas medium made in 1920. In the painting, the two older women and the young female are all looking in different directions than each other and they seem lost or dazed. The woman on the left seems to be demanding something of the young girl and she seems to be gazing into something that the woman on the right is as well. The colors are dark and the women practically blend into the background. The girl is contrasted with a white dress. I connected this to my life because the women on my mother’s side of the family are very withdrawn from people altogether and my sister and I decided to separate from them have relationships with people and find happiness. I am not sure what exactly the painting is saying, but that is something I got out of it.

An artwork that made me want to know more about it was La Voix des Airs (The Voice of Space) by René Magritte. It was small sized with an oil on canvas medium made in 1928. It was very mysterious to me. It looked like four balls with slits floating in the air over a mountain top. The whole picture is done with only shades of black and white. I felt by looking at it that it had much more meaning than I could find in it.

Another work that I would like to learn more about was Peinture No. 0528(Painting No. 0528) by Alberto Magnelli. It was large sized with an oil on canvas medium made in 1915. When I look at paintings such as these, al I see are a bunch of different colored shapes. Although it is appealing to look at, I wonder what the meaning behind it is if there is one. I also wonder what the artist was thinking and feeling when he was created this work. 

Experimenting with Tones

1. I actually really enjoyed it! I did not know that blue and red were not actually primary colors, and it was interesting to see how easy it was to mix the actual primary colors together and have them come out right.

2.  Although I sketch often and hardly ever paint, for this project I liked using the acrylics better. I feel like there are so many more opportunities with the colors. There are an infinite number of colors that can be mixed to be created in a work. When shading, I had trouble. It was easy to press down too hard, and then I could not just erase it. I had to make the Value Scale three different times until I got it right.

3. For me, the most important discovery was of endless opportunity. Although shading was not my strong suit, with both the pencil and the acrylics, so many different shades/colors can be made. Also, it needs to be precise. Too much of one color can dominate, although I found it was easier to fix the colors than it was the shading.

4. I thought the videos were helpful! All I really learned was the actual primary colors and how to make a Value Scale and Color Wheel step by step. However, I had never done these things before and it was a pleasant experience.

How Colors Effect Emotions

1. Colors effect emotions in many different ways. Most of our responses to color are transmitted by our brain. Something that is majorly contrasted catches our eye quickly because it is ‘loud.’ It draws attention to the viewer because there is a difference and two or more parts of a work are standing out, against each other. Warm colors may have a more positive response with some people because when using temperature, people often think weather, and many people like warm weather. I, however, like the winter, and love to see cool colors being used in paintings. This is a response I am having based on what colors have meant to me in the past, before I saw the painting. Most people are also drawn to stronger colors such as neon because they are emphasized with their brightness.

2.The aspect that most intrigues me is how our minds place color with certain objects, and that is how we feel they should be. When those things are not the colors they should be, we begin to become confused and think something is wrong with them. On the website when I was experiencing with the emotional responses and flipping through the pictures, the thing that really got me was the blue pasts. I did feel weird about it because it was something so out of my normal. It definitely provoked an emotional response out of me, and I think it is crazy how just a simple color change can do that.

3. With the Color Video, I realized that what anyone feels about color is based on who they are. Not everyone will feel the same about a color or a work of art, it is all personal. When the woman decided to paint her painting in the beginning of the video, she talked about how she liked the colors and there were a nice combination of them and it felt calm and peaceful to her. To me, the spot looked dull. Maybe if it had meant something to me or if it had reminded me of something that was important to me, I would have felt differently about it. Or, perhaps, if I were there in person and not just through a video. I do believe that certain colors give almost everyone a general sense of feeling. Like for example, light pastels and earth tones are pretty calming and I think most people would agree that they are more calming then say hot pink.

4. The paintings in the Feelings video, some that I have personally seen at the Louvre, are more or less defined by their color. The royalty are in lighter colors and the more plain people, per say, are in darker colors and less flashy outfits. When seeing these works you can get the feeling of importance and power just by looking at the clothing of the royalty. By looking at the clothing in the painting of that of the Mona Lisa, you get a more natural feeling and a more calm sense because her clothes are not covered in shiny accessories. You also get the feel of mystery, because she does not wear who she is on her sleeve, but just gives her artist a slight smile.

faithlalafaithlalaxo27's Fundamentals of Art Inquiry slideshow on Photobucket

The Elements

The photo I took to show the element of line was a photo of two birds flying together. They are following each other, and the photograph makes your eyes follow where they are going. The two birds created a line.

The photo I took to show the element of value was a photo of a bathroom window. This photograph shows light and dark. The frame of the photo is very dark, due to the brightness of the sun shining through the glass window.

The photo I took for shapes is a photo of hands making a heart. The lines of the shadow come together to form the imperfect shape.

The photo I took for forms is a picture of the city of Buffalo taken from City Hall. The buildings are all three-dimensional shapes shown in architecture.

The photo I took for space was a photo of my friend looking into a revolving door. The area between him and the door is minimal. Because they are so close, his reflection becomes visible, which makes the closeness even more visible.

The photo I took for color was a photo of weeds against a brick garage that has been painted over with a bright blue. Because of the difference with these two colors, it is easy to see how they differentiate.

The photo I took for texture is a photo of a grasshopper sitting on my friends finger. Because of how close this photo was taken, the threads of his sweater, the hairs on his fingers, and the texture of the grasshopper's body are all plainly visible. His fingers appear smooth while his sweater appears to be rough.

The Principles

The photo I took for balance is a photograph of the sanctuary in my church. It is an example of symmetrical balance.The pews, carpet, organ, wreaths and wooden planks are the same on both sides, creating an upside down V shape. Because of this symmetry, it makes sense to the viewer.

The photo I took for contrast is a photograph of my rain boots, with already contrasting colors of white and black, against gravel pavement and bright green grass. Each of these three things stands out so strongly because of how the colors contrast one another.

The photo I took for movement is of a duck swimming on the lake. the ripples in the water show movement and allow the viewer to understand that the duck is the thing making those ripples because they are surrounding it.

The photo I took for emphasis is of a sunset at UB. The dark clouds high in the sky at the top of the photo and the dark paved parking lot at the bottom of the photo help the middle of the photo to stand out, the beautiful yellows and oranges and reds of the sunset. These colors are brighter and strong, therefore they stand out against the dull and darker colors.

The photo I took for pattern was a photo of me standing on a dog with the sun on my back, creating a shadow of my legs. This shadow appears on the wooden planked created a nice repeated pattern in the background of the main focus.

The photo I took for proportion is a photo of an ice cream cone with a park in the background. The proportion of the ice cream cone is much larger than the biker behind it because it is closer to the camera. It shows that the dessert is the main focus, but also the scenery of where I was and what was going on around me.

The photo I took for unity was of a wall in my bedroom covered in photos. These photos all perfectly fit together with one another like pieces of a puzzle, and appear to be in harmony.

Aesthetics Blog Posting

1.       Some key concepts I learned from the first video were that Aesthetics is the philosophical study of art and beauty and that many people have many different theories on this topic. Also, art forms are each very dynamic, so there is no proper definition for art.

Some key concepts I found interesting from the second video was how scientific viewing art really is. All of the sensory input and thought processing that goes into viewing a work and understanding it. Certain things we like stimulate our brains to look closer or want to see more.

Some key concepts I liked from the article were how people are so much quicker to look at a painting when they recognize something from everyday life. When they see something that they understand, they feel good about looking for something more. I also like how the article mentioned that many people connect symmetry with beauty because a lot of times when something is symmetrical, it means it’s alive. That is a very interesting concept that I never before explored.

2.       From the video, the philosopher’s theory I most connected with was Kant whose theories came to be during the age of enlightenment. His thought on what was beautiful was that the judgment of these things can’t be rule based. He said that it was all based on feeling. When one thinks something is beautiful, it is normally due to strong feelings they have towards it for whatever reason. Also, he also states that no school in the world could teach someone how to make a masterpiece. One’s own creativity can’t be learned.

3.       I liked a lot of what Changeux had to say. Something that really stood out to me was when he talked about bottom up realism and top down abstraction. Someone can look at a painting of a tree and just see it as a tree, which is our bottom up processing. Our brain is letting us see something for what it is. However, maybe if we look a little longer, we will start to maybe see things hidden in the picture, or that the tree is also something else. Or it could even be just a tree, but there could be a message the artist wants to portray with that image, and we can see that we use our top down processing. It allows us to think abstractly and not just simply see what is there. During this process our brains are making use of the information we are receiving.

I thought Ramachandran was a little over the top, however I did like how he pointed out that a lot of art is not meant to be realistic. Many times people will say that something doesn’t look like it’s supposed to, but that’s because it’s not. Many artists like to create abstract pieces that will capture viewers’ attention. They deliberately exaggerate features or distort images. I liked how he also said that people seem to like things more when they are farther from realistic. People tend to think that the closer to realistic something is, that maybe the artist messed up the work. But with someone like Picasso, people adore his work because they can see it is meant to be that way.

4.       The videos and article relate to the text because they explore how to look at art and how to determine what we think is art and what we think isn’t. They also explored single artists and why they painted the works they did or constructed what they have constructed. It’s fascinating to look at something and see it as a mere painting, and then to get inside the artists head and see so much more. It is interesting to learn about an artists’ life and their past experiences. It helps to get inside their head and think more about not just what they painted but how they painted it. They also all talk about beauty and how beauty connects with art and how they can somewhat be interchangeable but also on completely different spectrums to some people. Plato found no art in writing, but some people feel as though writing is art, but they do not think it is beautiful. I like how all of the different sources gave away the reality that art is different for everyone, which is why it is so hard to make statements about it.

5.       I liked the article much more than the films. It was much more upbeat and I liked how it brought science into making art but also kept it interesting and kept the theme of it art is a lie or not. The Picasso quote at the beginning of the article caught my attention right away. I thought they added depth to the reading because they explained some things that weren’t in the reading but were about some of the same artists and what not, and they gave a lot of information on how humans see art and why we like what we do. I feel as though the book goes more in depth, but the videos and articles added some interesting details.

Introduction to Blogger and Gmail

1. The process for setting up this Blog was relatively easy. The directions were very straight forward. It was nice that I already had a personal Gmail account, so I did not have to set a new one up.
2. In this course I expect to learn more about the history of art, more about the use of art materials, and more about what kind of artist I am.
3. I am actually very excited about taking an online course. I am self motivated and feel that this will be a positive experience for me.

-Faith Reed