Module 9 Art Making/Material Exploration: Exploring Line

1. What was it like using your hand as subject matter for a drawing?

Drawing my left hand with my right was not difficult at all. I was able to draw the outline pretty well, and the details of the wrinkles came out good too. However, difficulty came out when I tried to draw my right hand using my left hand. I am very righty dominant, I hardly use my left hand in any situations. Drawing a hand was very hard, achieving detail was even harder, but I feel the picture came out okay. 

2. What media did you select - pencil or charcoal? Why?

I chose to use pencil on paper. It is a medium that was available to me, and it is a medium that I am used to it.

3. How did it feel to create a drawing with your non-dominant hand?

Creating a drawing with my non-dominant hand was fun, yet difficult. I am not used to using my left hand as much as my right, especially in drawing, so doing this project made me feel a little out of my comfort zone, but I feel the drawing came out good.

4. Compare and contrast your final drawings. Do you think they are successful studies?

The left hand I drew with my right was not difficult, I did not spend as much time and effort on that drawing as I did with the other. I did this because I felt it was going to be more difficult to use my left hand, so I spent a great deal of time making sure I did the drawing well. I drew slowly, but achieving detail was very difficult.

5. Would you consider using your non-dominant hand to create artwork in the future?

No I would not consider using my left hand to create art. I will not do this because I can create better work with my right hand.

Module 6: Reviewing Peer Responses to Artwork

1. Hyperlink the Blogs you reviewed into your Blog

Allison Cislaraski: 

http://blog1art.blogspot.com/2013/06/elements-and-principles.html  

http://blog1art.blogspot.com/2013/06/art-museum-visitation.html?showComment=1372725985731#c1143204540433561253

Diana Cottone: 

http://artfullyblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/elements-and-principles-of-design.html?showComment=1372726514409#c4457848824902002602

http://artfullyblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-visit-to-albright-knox-art-gallery.html?showComment=1372727136207#c7950530929975230668

2. When looking at Project #1: (Elements and Principles), did you agree with the element or principle the artist listed with the images? Did you see other elements and principles in the images?

Yes, I agreed with both of the artist's elements they chose for their specific photos. However, I also saw other elements and principles in the photos. I saw value in Allison's contrast picture, and I also saw great color in Diana's emphasis picture.

3. When looking at Project #2: Where there any images in the Peer Blogs the same as your own? If yes, what were they? Where the reasons the image was selected the same or different as your own?

No, none of the pieces I chose were repeated. I do not think anyone went to the Metropolitan Museum like I did. I feel that many taking this course are from the Buffalo area, so the Albright-Knox was the primary location to visit. 

4. Where there any images that your Peers selected that pique your interest now? If yes, what are they and what is your connection with them? What would you want to know about them?

I felt an immediate connection to the 1889 Georges Seurat, Study for Le Chahut that Diana chose. I love this piece because I have been learning about Seurat my entire life in art classes, and the painting is not only impressive, but fun as well. I also feel a connection because I did a project on this painting my second year here at Buffalo State. I always wanted to learn more about how Seurat achieves shading throughout his paintings without using conventional techniques.

5. What do you think about the process of reading your peers reflection? Do you find this to be a valuable in your learning?

I find the comments very valuable to my learning. It always nice to hear more feed-back about your work, you never really know how good or bad something is until you have more opinions on it. The comments that were left to me were very nice. Both Diana and Allison had nice things to say about the photos I took for project 1, and they were impressed that I went to a legendary museum in Manhattan for project 2.

6. Check your Blog and read comments posted by your Peers. Do you find their comments helpful?

Yes, they were both helpful, and complemental. I very much appreciate the kind words both Diana and Allison gave me about my two projects.

Module 6

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

Through the Eyes of a Sculptor: This was a very entertaining, and informative video. I never actually knew the process of how a sculpture is made, and how sculptors use their skills to not only make new sculptures, but to restore old sculptures throughout the world; I found it fascinating.

Glass and Ceramics. This video was absolutely fascinating as well. Blowing glass is process you always hear about, but you never actually see. I use glass one way or another everyday, but I never knew how it was made and what it is made out of. I learned that glass is made from about 75% silicon dioxide, or silica, then limestone, soda ash, and other materials are added into a pot that is heated and blown by a professional to create glass objects.

Installation Art. Before this video I did not even know what installation art was. I learned that it is all of our three dimensional art pieces that tend to take up space, yet fill a room. It can be made from nearly anything.

2. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?

The reading in the text were all about sculptures and other various "hands on" type of artistic fields, such as metal, wood and glass works. These videos add to the majority of what the text is talking about. It gives you a chance to see the creation process of the things just being talked about in the text book. 

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the topics: Sculpture, Installation, and Craft?

These films were very informative. I learned a great deal that I never knew before. I learned how sculptures are made, how glass is made and blown, and how art can be made from nearly anything. These videos are great because they show you things you only hear about but you never actually see. Everyone knows how glass is made; it is made by a blower. But not many people know what goes on while the blower is blowing the glass, these videos gives viewers great knowledge. Sculpture, installation, and craft, were all covered, and expanded on in these videos. The textbook can only explain so much. Visual aids are sometimes needed, and in this specific case, I feel they helped a great deal.

Project #2

       I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. I am so glad I went. The place was amazing. It was huge, and there was so much to see. There were so many pieces I loved, but I can only choose 6 for this project.

A.) Which artworks make an impact or impression on me? Why?

Antonio Canova, Perseus with the Head of Medusa, 1806

This marble sculpture of Perseus had an impact of me because this statue was among the largest pieces in the entire museum, it is very intimidating, and powerful.

 
Burgoyne Diller, Second Theme, 1963
This piece had an impact on me because I specifically remember doing an art project in elementary school based on Diller's work. I knew the name of the artist the moment I saw his paintings and I knew I would use this for the project.

B.) Which artworks do I feel a connection with? Why?

Giorgio de Chirico, Self-Portrait, 1911

I feel a connection to this 1911 piece mainly because the man in this painting looks a great deal like my father. This was one of the first paintings I saw in the modern art section, and I knew it would be one of the paintings I used for this project. I love my father very much, this painting could easily be of him.

Charles Sheeler, Americana, 1931

I feel a connection to this painting because it reminds me of my grandpa. We always love playing chess and backgammon together at the kitchen table. The place in this painting looks similar to his house. My grandpa would love this painting just as much as I do.

C.) Which artworks would I like to know more about? Why?

Rene Magritte, The Eternally Obvious, 1948

I would like to learn more about this painting and the women painted in it. She has a look similar to a girl I used to be involved with. I want to know this women's connection to the artist, where she was from, and what she did for a living.

Max Beckmann, Beginning, 1949

I love this painting, there is a great deal going on. The woman looks like she is smoking something, a man is riding a rocking horse, there is a cat hanging from the ceiling, and a sad Native American man. I can not really figure out what the artist was trying to tell his viewers, maybe there is a party going on. Either way, I would love to learn more about this painting and what it truly means.

Module 5

1. Discuss what you thought about creating your logo.

     I wanted a logo that not only represented me, I wanted a logo was simple, yet grabbing, and can could potentially memorable. What I made was my nickname, "Coop", designed in a series of circles.

2. Describe the process: creative thinking skills and ideas you used in the logo creation.

    I made a few logos before I decided on a final one. It is sort of my own spin on the Captain America shield, except I used my high school colors; light blue, dark blue, and white in colored pencil.

3. What was the most important discovery you made in the creation of your logo?

     The most important discovery I made during this creation process was that I am not too good at making circles. I made many mistakes before I settled and used circles around me, such as a candle and a cup. I discovered that tools makes the creative process easier.

4. What is the most important information you learned from watching the videos, powerpoint, and reading material  for this project? What is your opinion of the videos?

    The videos and powerpoint were helpful and informative. It told me to make something memorable and noticeable, and I feel I did just that.

Project #1: Elements and Principles Slideshow

Project #1: Elements and Principles Slideshow Reflection

http://s46.photobucket.com/user/coop12591/slideshow/

I very much enjoyed this project. It gave me a chance to be creative in different ways than I am accustom to. I had a great deal of fun taking photos for this project. I just recently moved to a new house with my dad, and I wanted to get pictures specific to my new surroundings. It was enjoyable to look at my new house very closely, and in an artistic manner. I took pictures specific to the subject matter given with my dad's Nikon digital camera.

1. Line- This was one of the last pictures I took. It was difficult for me to decide what type of shot I was going to use because line can mean so many different things. But eventually I chose to take a picture inside of a bush in my backyard. I feel the vertical branches give a good representation of line.


2. Value- Though I wish I played piano, I do not, luckily my dad does. It is an important part of his life, and I feel it was a perfect opportunity to include that love into my slideshow. Value is the degree of light and dark in a design. It is the contrast between black and white and all the tones in between. What better way to show value than a piano.



3. Shapes- This is one of the more simple shots I chose. I specifically like this picture because of the effect I put on it. I love how the green is popping out of the shapes of the backyard.

4. Forms- In my backyard there is a family of bees. I'm pretty sure they were honey bees and they were not going to sting me, so I was not in any real danger. I tried to get as close up as possible to the bees feeding on the many flowers. This is one of two good shots I got of the bees.

5. Space- The new house my dad and I moved to is on a golf course. This is the hole my house is on; the par 5 7th hole. This picture shows a great deal of space; 537 yards of it.

6. Color- This is the other shot I got of the bees. I feel this is probably the best picture I took for this project. I snapped the picture right as the bee was flying to another flower. There is color everywhere in this picture from the flowers, to the leaves, to the bee.

7. Texture- This is arguable my best picture as well, and it was also my first picture. I took this photo in the morning after it rained all night. I love how we can see the water on the bush. You can distinctly see the moist texture of this picture.

8. Balance- Balance is created in a work of art when textures, colors, forms, or shapes are combined harmoniously. The sky to me is one of the most harmonious things in nature. I took this picture today, it was so beautiful out, harmony was everywhere.

9. Contrast- This picture is my neighbor's backyard. I feel there is a great deal going on in this picture. Different trees, different plants, perfect to show contrast.

10. Movement- I took this picture while I was watering the plants. It was a very hot morning, water was the one thing I wanted to move the most.

11. Emphasis- This is a picture of my childhood friend Lance Corporal Gregory T. Buckley Jr. who was killed in Afghanistan on August 10, 2012, he was 21 years old. He was a great friend of mine. He was my neighbor, I spent most of my childhood hanging out with him at the park near our houses. His death hit my hometown of Oceanside, NY very hard, he was a very popular kid. Everyone loved him and everyone will miss him. Not a day goes by when I don't think about him at some point during the day.

12. Pattern- This is a pattern of my car, my 2001 Nissan Pathfinder, or the "COOP 5". This car is pretty old now, but it still runs great. It has over 125,000 miles on it, and I love driving it.

13. Proportion- This picture is of the glass table in my backyard. This table means a great deal to me because it is one of the few items that survived hurricane sandy. My house got severely damaged during the storm and not many items survived, this table is one of them. I always liked the proportional leaves on this table.

14. Unity- This statue was in the backyard when my dad and I moved in. He wanted to throw it out, but I liked it and I convinced him to keep it. I love unity between these two angels, I love the unity between my dad and I. I loved this project.

Module 3

1. Describe Color and it's effects on emotions. Use the appropriate vocabulary of color in your posting.

Color is a property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way it reflects, absorbs, or emits light. Color can effect human emotions in several different ways. Specific colors may have cultural or individual associations.The way people see colors, and the meanings of different colors can vary by different situations or different individuals.

2. What is a theoretical aspect of color that most intrigues/fascinates you? Why?

       A theoretical aspect of color that is most fascinating to me is the idea that different colors could be interpreted and looked at in a completely different way depending on the person. A person may hate the color blue because it is the color of their most hated sports team, or they are afraid of the ocean. Either way, that persons emotions and feelings are going to be different than person b, who may love the color orange because it reminds him of halloween, and that makes his feelings and emotions positive. 

3. In the Color video, what made the biggest impact on you in regards to color and it's effects on emotions?

       I feel that the part of the video that impacted me most in regards to color and it's effects on emotions came when artist June Redfern talked about her love hate relationship with her art. It was very apparent that she had strong emotions towards the works she did and did not like. You could really tell all of her emotions were bursting through her work with her keen use of color. 

4. In the Feelings video, what made the biggest impact on you in regards to color and it's effects on emotions?
   

          I feel that the part of the video that impacted me most in regards to color and it's effects on emotions came when the narrator began talking about the renaissance. What I found most interesting about this segment was that the new forms art coming out during the renaissance, changed the way people questioned religion, and life. This was so mainly because no one had ever seen art like this before, and it was revolutionary, to say the least.