Color & Value Research

Paintings:

Edward Hopper, “Cape Cod Afternoon,” 1978

 

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/hopper/landscapes/hopper.cape-cod-afternoon.jpg

Edward Hopper, “Cape Cod Morning” 1978

http://www.americansuburbx.com/wp-content/gallery/edward-hopper/cape-cod-morning.jpg

Philip Guston, “Painting on Floor,” 1978

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDq3XX3u2_4J2OXccbFy9kgOiIudzE9ePMOdyXaE3zsV2HaxGwwEG4b3D93MFe3fxSGqKVj_YnOSWKzC4PK1GmVnaXAdQ6JTl8Njh-bklDBoYKHFLf5tovIqqwmecSNnYEizkKd1X0HVU/s400/untitleder.JPG

The first and second picture seems to have an emphasis on green and landscape and has an almost older feel to them (time period). The last picture seems almost creepy with the red and the crooked flore boards.

Drawings:

Georges Seurat, “Puffers Pond”

http://evolvematter.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/img_38941.jpg

Vincent Van Gogh, “Wheat Field with Cypresses at the Haude Galline near Eygalieres”

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoI1wtjPfEJuYUpJ4u-QPfUHoDto7BrLw_3hnVwufDqGo0Pwz3rDmSbeRFzR2_OoMFQZLr6oHIWEusth3yX5DW8sMwQlWeV-iaTG8lbmfHdArxu7GqC-WYtScUXuTAzUuWr5cLeOpYZLc/s400/Wheat-Field-with-Cypresses-.jpg

The first picture looks more gloomy because overall it's darker. The second picture looks more positive because there are more ligher colors than darker ones.

Essential Questions

We can access images of anything via the internet and snap photos with our phones, so why are drawing and painting still viable methods for making images? What can drawing and painting do that digital and photographic media can’t?
Drawing and painting are viable methods for making images because people use it to express themselves and show the world how they see and view a particular thing. Whereas photography is a snapshot of a particular thing through a lens. Though photography is open to different interpretations, this is the case for any type of art, literature, and even everyday situations. Drawing is more open to creative decisions and thoughts though because the artist can put in or take out whatever they want. Drawing and painting is open to interpretation just as photography but some may argue that it can convey deeper meanings by the things that are added or taken away from a photograph.

How can we use the methods, materials, and techniques used by two-dimensional artists today to tell the story of our lives and to address contemporary issues?

Two-dimensional artists today can tell stories about their lives and try to address current issues within society and the world by using different methods, materials, and techniques. One could simply try and draw out their lives but that would be nearly impossible. Instead, if someone is asked to draw out their lives, they would probably try and pick out important things that have effected them. They could then transfer their thoughts onto paper figurally or symbolically. This would be the same case for issues; one could use dark colors or people showing distress on their faces and maybe provide hope or a solution somewhere within the drawing or painting

Found Marks

1.  Dew on the cars from the rain. 11/29/11 at 5:15 a.m.

2. Steam from my shower at school after hockey. 11/29/11 at 7:25

3. Sunset on my way home with lots of pinks and reds, it was really incredible. 11/29/11 4:15

4. Reflection of colorful trees on the Charles River. It was like a colorful picture but not made by humans and it was really beautiful. 11/29/11 at 4:15 p.m.

5. Leaf print in cement outside of my house made by a leaf when they re-paved during the fall a few years ago. 11/29/11 at 4:30 p.m.

6. Trail of pumpkin seeds made from squirrels. 11/30/11 at 7:00 a.m.

7. Toady in art when I looked outside at the roof and there were puddles of water that looked like little ponds made from the rain. 11/30/11 at 8:50 a.m.

8. Footprints made by my dog when I was walking her on Mystic Valley Parkway. 11/30/11 at 7:00 p.m.

9. Canadian Geese poop when I was on a walk with my dog. 11/30/11 at 7:00

10. Stars and moon in the sky. 11/30/11 at 7:55 p.m.

Artist Statement

You know when you're little and nothing phases you at all? For all you know, you could be the next president of the United States and anything before you is yours. Including that blank piece of paper that within seconds turns into a drawing of a girl with a triangle skirt or a boy with one eye bigger then the other (non-intentional of course.) Back then I didn't need to think about what to draw, I just drew like every other kid. However, the difference between then and now is the importance of the drawing. I'm not sure what it is, but I've come to realize I have a slight obsession with trees and drawing them. They don't directly hold a huge amount of importance to me, but yet when I see them, I'm overcome with emotions. My guess is that trees go through transformations every year just as people do but they also grow and depending on their environment grow differently which is also similar to people.

A lot can change in a short amount of time, so why not keep the memories on paper in a single shot? That's why the easiest way for me to create art is though photography. I love feeling the buttons beneath my fingers and capturing a certain second but remembering a thousand memories before and after the caption that elicits strong emotions from that time in my life. Blurred backgrounds, the smell of chemicals, timeless, and black and white are the first things that come to mind when I think of that one word.

A lot of times, people might not fully understand the art that I make. Sometimes I think I make it to please my audience and to look nice, but I've learned that this isn't the type of art that's special to me. The type of art that's special to me holds significance to me and is something that will make me smile when I look at it because I remember a time or a certain event or even person behind it. Yeah, my work might look nice too, but it isn't about that. I want my art to please, but I mostly want it to please myself and I want people to appreciate it for what it is, not for what it isn't. People can interpret what they want from it weather good or bad and they don't need to necessarily understand the piece, that part is for me to know and others to guess upon.

Process Reflection #2

 Though this week was rather short (having a total of three days which can also be translated into roughly four hours of work). Dispite it being short I felt as if I got a lot of work done. I was able to start and finish the actual painting on my first of three paintings. (Purple below)

In addition to, I also was able to almost finish another of the tree paintings. I had to cut out newsprint which took a while and so did pasting 

it onto the board, but I was able to basically finish that part of the process. My biggest problem this week was trying to figure out what to put on the last two paintings.

 

Lastly, for our last week together, I am planning on finishing the last of the paintings.

Art 21 Reflection #3

Vija Celmins: time
'Builds a painting' rather then 'paints a painting.' She makes a structure. Her paints have these allusions as if you're right there. For a while she painted things that could be turned on like hotplates and lights (things that were around her studio.) Always thought that it was impossible to go right from nature. She tests herself and pushes herself to make things. She doesn't only draw, she's used lithographs as well. The images that she picks are already surfaces and later inspire her. I think she said that she tries to neutralize emotion...Celmins work is incredible. She knows what she wants her work to do from the beginning (an image of how she wants it) I relate because what she does is so perfect and seems like a perfectionist just like me. However, I know that I would never be able to have the patience to do what she does.


Elizabeth Murry: humor

Makes something happen with a fluid material (paint). Primary thing that paint is about is harnessing it. Shapes are carton-y, lumpy, rounded, inflated, wacky and connected. It never directly said it, but from what I saw, she didn't paint on canvas, it was on like wood with maybe canvas over it? But it each painting had holes and wasn't just a solid. She said that she lets the cards fall and see what they make in the end. She likes to used intense color and tries to make it work with everything else in her paintings. Conflict and tension, she wants them to 'live together.' Just like us, she has an art book type thing to have a place for her to start from. As much as she always wanted to be an artist, she also wanted to be different. I think that that's what makes me relate to her the most. Had trouble finding herself, but this one painting called 'Excavation' really started to make her 'feel her body and her mind.' Once her hand is in control, she lets her feeling come through. She loves quiet, and sometimes, I need to be by myself too. Not because I don't love talking, but because sometimes it's nice to just think. 

Art 21 Reflection #2

On your blog name the artists you learned about and describe what their work is about. What is the artist trying to do with their work? What do you think of their work? How do you relate to it or not?


Andrea Zittel: Consumption: makes homes and clothes that challenge the viewer.

Zittel created furniture that would function as everything that she needed because she didn't have much room in her first house. Her sink functioned not only as a sink, but also as a bath. She had a revalation that no one really wants perfection but that people really want hope for a 'new or improved better tomorrow.' Her work is influenced by where she's lived. She believes that her main issues of art work are human values and perceptions. A lot of her work is about creating intimate personal controllable situations. She says that a lot of her work is humorous and dark at the same time. Zittel creates clothing as well that she wears. She crochets dresses and wears them for a 'season' of four months. I'm not completely sure if she only wears that garment or if she used to only wear it. That part was a bit tricky to understand. Zittel seems like a very personal yet complicated woman who I feel sort of an emotional connection to in addition to really enjoying her art and creative way of thinking.


Michael Ray Charles: Consumption: paintings with pop culture references.

Likes to question.  


Mel Chin: Consumption:


Loves making things with his hands. Stops and listens to learn. SPAWN=special, projects, agriculture, worms, neighborhoods. Conceptual art. Believes that "making art is not about one track, one method but the reversibility of mediums and techniques is minor, but the versity of ideas and how they survive and the methods they are transmitted is very important."

Process Reflection #1

In the beginning of this week I worked on my symbolic portrait and tried to figure out what I needed to do or order to be able to finish it. I struggled trying to think of a way that I could get my portrait to come though and to fill a lot of empty space. I decided that I would make it smaller and basically cut the two main parts that I had and glue them together while adding a background of a sunset/rise in pastel. 

 

This week I also started to think about what I was going to do for my independent project. I knew that I wanted to possibly paint a picture that was abstract for my room. Online I found a picture that was similar to something that I would like to create. I decided on a series of three paintings being the same thing only in various colors. So far I was able to put the frames together, stretch the material over them, and paint them. My biggest challenge might have been trying to find three frames that were the same sizes. I wasn't able to find any so I compromised on one that was a bit bigger to go in the middle of the other two.

My next steps are finishing both my symbolic (which isn't going to take that long) and also start the actual painting on my paintings for my independent project.

Final project planning

For the final project, I'm still not sure what I want to do. I think I want to play around with wax and new materials and try to incorporate a story into my final project after I figure out what materials I want to use. I think I want the story to represent summer and things that I really love the most. Another idea that I've had is to do something like splatter paint or something very abstract. I think as the week progresses I'll be more able to realize what I want to do for my final project exactly...I may even do a few different projects instead of spending my whole time on one specific thing. I think it would be kind of cool if I do something completely different that who I was in the beginning meaning that what I do isn't so precise and shows how far I've come as an artist these past two semesters. Possibly a before and after thing?

Sketchbook Archaeology

This year the sketchbook has been an amazing way for me to experiment and create things that I will want to hold on to and look back on. In the beginning I had detailed drawings and as I progress through my sketchbook I realize that there is a significant amount of more color and just using new materials like wax.

Pencil drawings
Paint pens
Collage

INITIAL REFLECTION

It was funny looking through my blog. I forgot about some of the projects like the Pour Paintings, Found Image Collage, and just some of the D.E.A.Ds that we did. It was strange when I remembered everything because some of it seemed like it happened forever ago, but I feel like the year itself has flown by. I think that my artistic strengths may have been drawing even though it frustrated me at times and the biggest challenge for me I think was the time constraints. Art this year was a lot more fast pace that I would have thought and it was challenging because for me I like to take my time and thoroughly finish something before I move on to another project and so I found that really frustrating even though I was told that I would be able to finish them at later times I don't think that I ever got to finishing projects that I started beforehand. I'm really sad that I'm leaving art class because I found it relaxing though difficult times and I learned a lot of techniques that I found helpful and that I'm sure I'll use during art classes that I'm sure are to come in my future.

Art 21 Reflection #1

Florian Maier-Aichen, 
 Florian Maier-Aichen is a photographer who uses a computer to combine images and also to draw and add images. He says that he likes to take an end product and take it to an unfinished photo again. In one photo he used the tri color method by taking three black and white photos with different color filters and sandwiches  three photos together to make a colorful image of clouds. He doesn't like  photos that are too precise and he also believes that each photo needs to have it's own scale. I enjoyed watching this video because I enjoyed just seeing his and other photos because photography amazes me and has always interested me. The only thing that I didn't relate to was adding background that a viewer might not realize was painted or added in because I think it's kinda like cheating the viewer in a way?

Jeff Koons.
Jeff Koons art is all about themes with flowers and central images. He works with  information with different views of life and aspects. He usually creates his images on the computer with a bunch of different sources/pictures. He himself mostly works on the computer working on perfecting the image while others mix/actually paint the picture for him. Sometimes he works with wood. Wants to communicate strongly though art with power, and veral quality. Believes that others people's rights are the same as yours and that there is a moral responcibility with art and that part was meant for public interaction. I really enjoy his paints and the detail that he puts into his work. I noticed that a lot of his work reminds me of childhood memorys like animal baloons and broken easter egg shells which relates to me because in reality, I'm still a kid.


Mary Heilmann
Mary Heilmann started out doing ceramics in collage. A while after, she started to do abstract expressionest ceramic sculptures in large scales. In the beginning she did  art beautifully by herself then realized the most important thing was communication though the art. She wanted responces of antagonism causing trouble. Wanted to be on the edge and original. Later on, she decided to become a painter. Objects became pictures for her. Every piece of art has background stories and the titles are like, "three word poems" she says. Scale, relation of parts to whole pice give feels to the painting according to her. She likes different spaces which she got out of Asian artwork and has different shaped camvas. She says her "simple ideas become her addiction." I think I enjoyed watching this episode most because Heilmann was soothing in a way and when she told stores of her youthful day it sounds kind of similar to me. She likes to be be edgy and original like I do. Abstract paintings are my favorite because they hold significance for the artist though the viewer might not fully understand the image. Though I love abstract art and think it looks amazing, I don't know if I would be able to create a simple piece of art that holds a ton of significance like some arts do.

Clay Sculpture Planning

I've decided to do my clay sculpture on my friend Signe. If I had to choose an animal for Signe, it would have to be a cat. I choose to do a cat to represent Signe because she likes attention, is crazy and likes to do what ever she wants, sleeps a lot, likes to play games, and is always late to things. Signe would never be caught in a library because she does not enjoy reading despite being very creative and she also has HDHD and can't sit still enough to read for more then 20 minutes.

Brainstorming-Maya Angelou

I think I want to do Maya Angelou. At first I was considering myself, but had second thoughts on that idea. I'm not sure how I thought of Maya Angelou but she popped into my brain. Not only is she a poet but also a powerful speaker and an amazing woman who has gone though  rough times. She was born on April 4th, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri but also was raised in Stamps, Arkansas where she faced discrimination due to her skin tone. Things that I can integrate into my symbolic portrait are dance and music. She worked as a waitress and cook to support her and her son after she finished high school. She toured Europe with a production of the opera Porgy and Bess so I could possibly look that up and find something to represent it. Worked with Malcome X. Martin Luther King was assassinated on her birthday.

Visiting artist: Hamlett Dobbins.

There are too many great works of art that Hamlett has created to choose just one. But one painting that stuck out to me is the, "untitled (the split)"I like this painting because I enjoy the choice of color that Hamlett chose to work with and it reminds me of somewhere warm and tropical. It seems as if there is a sandy beach and water and there seems to be a flower of some sort. Wheather or not this was to be intended, that is how I interpreted it.


My question is why he chose to work with the mamterials that he uses and what gives him inspiration the most (is he just inspired when he is moved or does inspiration hit him from nowhere and he crates for the pure joy of it?)...and what the meanings are behind the paintings...and why I can't click on all of the pictures...didn't understand Hamlett Dobbins' chronology...do you sketch, put it on the computer, then onto canvas?