BSC2D_ALAS

Self Portrait

2005-12-13T10:10:00.000-08:00

Here's my Final Project Pics. No time now for actual post. But I'll keep you posted!!! HAHA, well then, no sleep makes my humor dull and witless...damn

Leave the Leaf Alone

2005-12-13T09:11:00.000-08:00

This assignment involved a little foraging through the wilderness. We went out and collected natural things; bushes, rocks, branches, and such. I found a leaf that had some pretty amazing hues throughout it. From dark brown, to mahogany, to burgundy and even some violets. I tried painting it, but failed miserably. My main point of struggle was mixing the colors. I would mix them on the palette, but as soon as I painted them onto the portrait, they came out differently. In the end, my leaf turned out more like a native american feather. It was a fun time experimenting with the acrylics, but the result left a little to be desired.

My Color Wheel Spiel

2005-12-13T01:40:00.000-08:00

Paint. I am at a loss of words for paint. I can't decide if I love it or hate it. There are so many possibilities with this medium....yet each mixture I get isnt the one I want. Maybe after time and more experience I could love paint, but for now its definitely beyond me. So this is my color wheel. We had to get all these colors from the three primaries; Red, Yellow, and Blue. There are a few kinds of colors here. Primaries, Secondaries, Intermediates, and Tertiaries. The tertiaries are the inner circle, and I struggled with them. Also, this middle color is supposed to be gray....yeah...Not really that grayish. But it was a fun assignment because I got to mix paint and dabble with different colors that I made.

This is Still Life, Not Vacation

2005-12-13T01:31:00.000-08:00

Again, another project that took me days and days. I have drawn these freakin' bottles so many times, that I can see them in my sleep! I had a really hard time with them at first, because its drawing white....Kind of. We set up these bottles, and drew them from different distances. We began with a close up focus, then a far distance pan shot, then the one we focused on was--you guessed it! LifeSized. Ehh, it wasnt the size of the sketch that bothered me, but if you havent really ever drawn, it takes hours and drafts and re-drawing to get a white bottle on a dark background. I really didnt know what to do here, so i just kept redoing small pictures, or one bottle to a picture. Then when I was satisfied that I could b.s. my way through it, I did them all together adn lifesize. Then, 3 or 4 tries later, I finished. This is probably the best I'm ever going to get them, but they're pretty damn good. I cheated a little with the circles though, I can't draw circles freehand. I just can't do it! So yeah, these are my still life WHITE bottles, may they smash into a thousand broken pieces :)

Hands in the Cookie-Char!

2005-12-13T01:25:00.000-08:00

Wow, charcoal makes me feel good about myself again! HAHA, I spent a lot of time doing different drafts of these cookies, but I also had some advice to work from. 1. Make them a little bigger than lifesized. 2. Focus more on the background because it will illuminate the subject. 3. USE A FREAKIN' KNEADABLE ERASER! I wasnt in class for that last little point, and after a weekend of dust and coal, I loved the effects it made easier. The regular eraser worked ok, but once I started blending with the kneaded, it seemed to do all the work for me. I really like using charcoal, and have practiced with it more even after I finished the cookies. These couple of cookies took me hours though. I like the medium, but feel like I'm slower than I should be...

Montebella Montage....a

2005-12-13T01:10:00.000-08:00

Ahh....The photomontage, bane of my very existence. This is the project that singlehandedly put my art career in a downward spiral. I guess I'm too stubborn to admit that I'm not an artist, so each draft that I did of this sucked and in the end I redid the whole thing.
THE ASSIGNMENT-
Cut out pictures from magazines, trace them onto a single sheet of paper while arranging them to form a theme based/harmonious composition. Include the following types of objects, something: Round. Human. Organic. Square. Long.
THE TORTURE-
I just couldnt do this with any worthwhile results. I started in pencil----wrong! We were supposed to use pen. Great start already. So I started with a girl, on a flower, that was somehow attached to a computer mouse(and cord), that rested upon a table. I needed some sort of background, and so put here looking at a jailcell window. I think I was just trying to hard with the central theme message. I wanted it to be some sort of a comment on people trapping themselves in technology, and being right next to nature but not taking notice of it (hence the girl trapped atop the flower, instead of...I dont know, swinging from its petals). Either way, it didnt work and I changed the whole thing. What you see here is my final product. This time I got wrapped up in a cowboy photo that I found in a magazine. Then I found a clock that was also a moon design. That didnt work, but I liked the idea of time passing, the cowboy riding against it. So I found a picture of an hourglass as a little not-so-subtle symbolism of time. Along with a new clock face that I found and used as a background, time is definitely central to this montage. I wanted a kind of antique/retro/genuine look to the montage, so I faded the clock out a little and used roman numerals instead of numbers. I actually like this piece, but I'll be the first to admit there might be sth missing. I dont know if the white space is good or not, but I left it like this for a reason. I dabbled with images to put in there; an indian arrow, a rifle bullet, a rifle, clock hands, etc. But none of them really fit, so I enlarged the hourglass a bit so the dominance isnt clear to the viewer. I guess its my way of showing the fight against time, and the flight of progression. Ehh, I like it anyways!

Calligraphy

2005-12-13T01:04:00.000-08:00

This was probably supposed to be the easiest assignment, though for me it turned into an ordeal. We were supposed to write our names 100 times to experiment with the properties and expressive values that lines have. We each got calligraphic pens, and began from there. That was easy enough, though I felt like all of my signatures were the same overall. But for the final product, we were supposed to choose one name and post it by itself. Well, typical me, I didnt really think about the instructions and went ahead to print out big block letters of my initials and design a sheet of signatures around these 3 letters. It took forever! Mostly because I used a pen that kept bleeding through the paper, which I had to keep thin so I could trace the letters onto it. I made it a huge deal, adn wasted tons of time. When I found out more specifically what Dan wanted, then the whole project took less than an hour. I just started doodling my name and nickname, making sure to give it a flair of my own while keeping the line together. Dont forget that this was the point of the whole thing, the line. So here we have two pictures, one is my name, and the other is a nickname that I had growing up in Vermont.

Drawing(?) On Eggshells

2005-12-13T01:00:00.000-08:00

This assignment was my first dabbling into actual freehand drawing. It incorporated the importance of value through pencil shading. We were supposed to set up a few eggs and sketch them at life size. No, these aren't quaileggs, and they aren't acorns either! Im still saying that these are life sized, but I talked to Dan about them and he said its better to add a little extra size, rather than a little less. It accentuates the subject and more is better! Anyways, so they are a little small, but I am pretty happy with how they came out considering I had never done any kind of drawing or shading. I'll have to remember about the extra big lifesize advice though.

Perspectives

2005-12-13T00:51:00.000-08:00

For this assignment, we had to draw boxes. Sounds simple enough, but once I began I realized there was more to the assignment than just randomly making boxes. There are specific steps you must follow in order to correctly draw shapes from 1-Point Perspective, 2-Point Perspective, and 3-Point perspective. As you can see above, 1-Point perspective is just looking at the face of an object--in this case; boxes. Then 2-Point Perspective is looking at an object's edge and seeing multiple sides of that object. I drew thicker, darker lines to imitate/demonstrate distance. The dotted lines represent edges that should not be seen, were this box not transparent. Then 3-Point Perspective is the view of an object's corner. From this view, the closest point is a corner and you're either looking up or down at an object. This really was tricky to do, and though I'm confident with 1 and 2 Point drawings, the 3 Point drawing is a little wrong. It was an easy assignment altogether, very methodical and structured, but I still had trouble with the 3-Point Perspective

Campbells Soup

2005-12-10T00:59:00.000-08:00

This weekend I visited the Boston Fine Arts Museum. I had never been to an art museum, and visited several galleries focusing on different themes. Among these were; an Ansel Adams Exhibition, Cubism, Impressionism, Realism, and Pop Art. At first the pop art gallery seemed a little extreme to me. I walked into a relatively bare gallery and was visually attacked by a collection of cardboard boxes taped together and hung on the wall. It was a little weird for someone who has no idea about Pop Art.
It is debated whether Pop Art began in New York City or In Britain, but it centers around images of impersonal mass-media as well as commonplace consumer items. Images like cartoon strips, production labels, and celebrity portraits, all comprise the focus of Pop Art. Andy Warhol was one of the artists featured, and I was intrigued by one of his pieces. I noticed the print before I had read anything on Pop Art, and was surprised that my conclusions about the piece were somewhat similar to the Artist’s intent.
I chose the picture seen above after I had read the given description of pop art because I like the message it sends. I’m actually not sure if the theme is anti-mass media or if it is just exploring the connotations involved in the Campbell’s label, but I’m going to write based on the chance of the former. Through repetition of the subject, Warhol was able to drill into the viewer’s eyes a message of Production, Production, Production. Despite the fact that the soup labels have different titles, the subject is still clear through the can’s label.
There are several of the seven principles of design seen in this print. Namely the harmony each of the soup cans lends to the print as a whole. The repetition of the same size cans, with the same words printed on them, and the same color scheme is a bit monotonous but still harmonious. There is no dominant point in the picture because of the way the cans are repeated, but there is proportion. The silk-screen printing method printed dozens of different “Campbell’s Soup Can” prints. Some have many smaller cans, while some prints feature large cans. The variety of this picture can be seen with Warhol labeling different cans as different flavors.

The Revolving Door

2005-10-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

This untitled Scott Mutter print is my favorite piece of artwork. It is a photomontage and as such, was formed using two negatives from different situations and combining them in order to form something complete and independent. This piece achieves wholeness in: the way the content is explicit, yet still mysterious; the form is succinct and focused with some a decent economy (there are extra elements, but not too many. They lend to the overall interpretation); the subject is dominant yet again mysterious and thought-provoking. I like this photo the most because it is so mysterious, and open to interpretation. It asks the audience to question by presenting the door right where it is. There is something on the other side of the door, isn't there? What is it? The Revolving Door is inspiring and exciting while at the same time tranquil and forlorn... I suppose that this tells me that I have my own beliefs in life and thats fine, but each viewer of this photo might take some other message from it, and based on their own beliefs, might come to form a completely different meaning from it. My quest for wholeness in life isnt so affected by this print, as my quest to understand different beliefs is.

Connotative Powers

2005-10-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

We were going through an art exhibition, selecting a particular piece of work, and writing about its relevance to the 7 Principles of Organizations. Here's mine, YAY!!!
The picture I selected was called 'Honey Packer'. Although it appears to be a relatively simple photograph comprised mainly of just two elements the form of this work/piece is expressively symbolic. I will touch upon each of the seven elements but will focus mostly of two: Proportion and Dominance.
The variety of H.P. is clear but powerful in its diversity. In place of a horse, a closed fist is fitted inside a tanned harness. The obvious symbolism of power is displayed brilliantly by using two elements together that are contrasting. The balance is extreme due to the darkness of the solid blue background and an unseen light source brightening the fist even more than the saddle. To me, there is little harmony in this piece, the two main elements--fist and harness--are so contrasting that it is hard to see them together. However, I think the artist used this to draw attention to the symbolic over of the picture. There is a pleasing quality of the fist and harness, but it is not quite harmonious. Although there is no explicit movement, it is implied through the connotative value a closed fist has, and the physical value a harness has/is used for. The direction of the fist leads to a hypothetical movement, which is combined with its significance of 'harnessed' power (no pun intended....at least consciously by me). The economy is bare, in that all unnecessary elements have been removed from the piece. An example being the last pieces of the horse's rigging; the stirrups and the mouth bit. These missing things would potentially detract from subject, and most definitely disrupt some principles of form (harmony, economy, dominance).
The proportion of the fist to the harness is extremely manipulated, but it is a phenomenal way of displaying the power of the equine this is not seen. The sheer size of the fist, barely contained by the tiny--and simultaneously stable/secure--harness is a very effective illustration.
Finally, the dominance in this piece is startling. The fist is obviously the dominant element, due to its size in comparison to the harness. Again, this is just one more point of effectively showing the power and force contained in that fist/(horse) pushing against its straps/(chains), straining to get free. The harness is subordinate to the fist, but just enough so that the leather appears to be secure enough to contain the strength of the fist while perhaps just holding itself together. This reminds me of a trapped animal that is almost, but not quite, able to break out of its cage.
Of course much of this is strictly my own observation/inference, but for me, the overall organic unity that this picture accomplishes is amazing.
TO SEE THIS PICTURE AS WELL AS OTHERS, GO TO WWW.DEBORAHBRIGHT.COM SHE HAS A WELL-ORGANIZED, INFORMATIVE, AND INTERACTIVE WEBSITE. I HOPE TO GET A THUMBNAIL OF 'HONEY PACKER' POSTED, BUT AM UNABLE AS OF YET.

Why is it always a black and white thing?

2005-10-13T07:13:00.000-07:00

Ha, I drew you in with the misleading title! Now that you're reading my post, this is a good time to remind you that my blog is about art not social philosophy. You're already here, so read on:
This was one of our projects involving silhouettes--obviously--and the use of positive v. negative space....I think thats what this is about. Anyways, I chose a statue of Atlas for my focus. The proportion of the world compared to his body drew me in, I suppose because it made me first question how realistic it was, then question how large the original artist believed this Titan to be, he makes our Earth appear as big as a beachball. It's ok if you have trouble seeing Atlas; It almost looks like an obnoxiously large headed man, who coincidentally has a (close to)perfect sphere for a head. I like the white on black version, because my analytic brain associates space (as in outer and inner) with black easier than with white. Space is dark and unknown.

My Favorite Picture

2005-10-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite picture that I've taken. The fact that it silhouttes my favorite person no doubt influenced my choice, but that aside, the color scheme the sunset shows, along with the position of the subject are powerful things to me. I hope you guys like it, let me know what you think.

Defending the Design!

2005-10-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

Well I chose this specific template for a few reasons. Before I go into the explanation though, I guess I should probably state that I had little idea of what I was really doing. Random choices cannot be properly explained, but I will do my best:)
I chose this template (as I said) for a few reasons. Mostly the color struck me. I liked the green base with little white space. The excerpt space where my profile is begun on the left side of the page is also something the appealed to me. I like the fact that it gives an intro to my profile, but doesn't list the entire thing. At the very top of the page I had the option to write a separate little intro to my blog, and that was nice because it was in an isolated block that brought attention to itself. The last thing that I like about my template is the fact that it is parcelled without the use of thick lines that, in my opinion, would reduce the fluidity/flexibility of the blog itself. Either way, I hope you all enjoy...and stuff....