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.