Learning to see Final Reflection

1. I feel like my intentions at the moment, and of course this will change, are to study an object and be able to portray it, to find a connection with it. In all three of my pieces I focused a lot on formal elements, using topography to convey form on the horse skull; shading to define value for my landscape, and on my most-time consuming picture - the pinecone - I feel I used many formal elements to create a realistic piece.

2. I learned that my artist voice focuses on the emotion and formal elements of the subject, but not of me as the artist. I think that when I draw the pinecone or the landscape or the skull, I try and assess the feeling the subject has or conveys - the landscape was moody, so I expressed it moodily, but I was not feeling moody that day. The use of formal elements are only tools to portray the reality of the subject. I used harsher outlines for what I thought was a menacing skull, softer shading for the fantasy-esque landscape, and a multitude of lines to convey the realism of the pinecone. I think my process is great at what it intends to do - express things for how they are. But there is a flip side, where I am sometimes just the observer taking artistic notes. I would like to experiment with taking a similar subject and make different emotional representations, and also with mediums not focused on realism, but the extremes of line and value that make them more expressive.

3. My group was very kind, giving me lots of praise similar to what I said earlier for what works well about my process. They emphasized the realism and formal elements - value, form, line, etc. They did say, which I also said earlier, that I should inject some more emotion into my pieces in the form of color and different mediums rather than pencil. I 100% agree - hopefully during the play set project I will be able to let go of detail and focus on the larger piece and be more expressive, and further refine my process.

Art Class Feelings

How does coming to this visual arts class help you as a student?

For me, although art itself is a crucial part of being a student, the habits of mind that have helped me immensely include concentration/focus, as well as expression and creativity. When I concentrate on a piece of art, I have grown to be able to focus solely on the task at hand, with no regard for distractions. I feel I use this during tests or while doing homework. The creative expression that I have cultivated has allowed for me to put my unique touch on essays and other projects.

What are you excited about?

Over the summer, it was fun for me to mess around with the applications of drawing beyond creative expression, which of course is still an important part of art. I am excited to improve as an artist but also take my drawing skills in directions that I did not know about before.

What do I need to know about you to support you this year?

That I have trouble negatively critiquing the work of others, but am often really constructively-critical on myself - I keep my own work to a high standard. It would be great if you could help me realize how to fix the things that just 'seem wrong' or that 'I don't like'. Often I realize I don't like my art but cannot specifically pinpoint how to improve.

Learning to See

I think that in the future, I need to add more color to my drawings to bring them more fully to life. I think I also need to keep doing what works, which is one of two things; expressive and elegance for ink, and use of texture and value in drawings. I feel like this approach utilizes the strengths of both mediums. I plan to add more color as well as stick with what I think works. 

FINAL REFLECTION

one. looking back over the course of the year, and your blog posts, which project or projects were the most engaging for you? Where did you fully own your process as an artist? where did you get lost in the material or the making of work?

I really liked all of the projects, but if I had to pick one, it would be the charcoal. In the charcoal piece, I feel like I developed the most and had the most fun in the process. Being able to explore value was extremely exciting at that time, and being able to experiment with the value really was able to give unique life to the drawing. During the process of this drawing, it was nice to lose myself in the art, because I had already figured out what I wanted to convey in the piece. In the lantern piece especially, I was able to have my own creative take on the art, which was fun and new, not only drawing what I saw, but experimenting with the light source being inside the object. Overall, I thought it was the piece wherein I was able to have the most fun by develop and explore the most as well. 

two. you have had a year of tremendous artistic growth. where do you see that you have grown the most? think about the studio habits as you answer and explain--observe, stretch and explore, craft, express, understanding the art world, reflect. which of these areas do you feel the most comfortable with? how do you see that comfort showing up in your creative practice?

I feel that I have always been a pretty good observer and crafter, and although I think I did develop these areas, not to the extent of the other areas mentioned. Stretching and exploring was important for me, especially in the area of drawing and painting. For me, the main piece of wisdom I learned was that art is not meant to be perfectly realistic - we have photos for that. Thus, I think I developed the most in the areas of stretch/explore/express. The reason we draw (for me at least) is to express ideas and expand upon that which we see. As mentioned above, I think I did this well in the charcoal piece, and I think my woodblock print was a great way for me to not just copy a photograph, but to imagine something I thought might be cool and see it realized. Also, I have gained some knowledge on the art world, and also engaged in the reflection process for my art, something I have never done. The reflections prompted me to self reflect while doing my artwork, which was a great way to improve my process.

three. think about the things we've studied this year--line, form, shape, color, pattern, texture, positive & negative space. discuss a few of these terms that are the most engaging for you. what have you learned about them? how do you have a better understanding of them?

The most engaging art ideas for me were texture, form, and color. Texture was interesting for me primarily in my clay sculpture. Because of the malleability of the clay, I was able to experiment with different textures, initially going for a smooth texture, then a ridged one. This experimentation cultivated a new arsenal of tools at my disposal, as I had more experience with the concept. Form was explored in both 2d and 3d space through the clay and the charcoal drawings. The main thing I learned from this was that form can be expressed in different ways, but it has an important relationship with value, texture, and color. The deeper understanding of how these things connect is the main thing I learned as a growing artist. The relationship between colors was important for me because it was something I had not previously talked about, and a very intriguing subject.

four. course evaluation. which assignments were the most successful? Which assignments were the most frustrating? What are one or two things that Mr. O/Ms. Seal do really well? What is one important piece of advice that you would offer your teacher so that they could make this class better?

The most successful projects for me were the drawing and painting ones, because I am already decent at this art form, but most successful in terms of growth as an artist would have to be the woodblock prints or the photographs, as these were explored topics to me. For me, the texture blocks and the plaster were really frustrating. Personally, if I have an artistic idea, I want to express it clearly and quickly, and the plaster did not allow for speed or clarity, and neither did the woodblocks. I think one thing that is really cool that you guys do is always make sure we are doing are own art and making our own artistic choices. I know that if I were an art teacher, I would love to just tell the kids how to do it right, even do it for them. But I think that you made us become our own artists, which is really awesome, and I really thank you for letting us grow independently, only helping us on the path we want to go down, but not changing the path.This is my personal opinion, and of course probably this would be more advanced, but I think it would be really cool - maybe as a senior - to have a digital art class for the more practical applications of drawing and painting that are used all the time in comics, special effects, concept design, website/graphic design etc. Just would be a cool thing to consider, as lots of art is going digital (and photoshop is already acquired). This class though, did exactly what I expected of it, quite honestly. It gave me an in-depth view of the different ways art can be created, and I grew in the process. It was really fun for me, and thanks so much for a meaningful and engaging year of art. 

Print block reflection

Document your image/final presentation and any "folio" elements (sketches, proofs, experiments, etc)  you feel are important to exemplifying your growth through this project.     

Post a few images to your blog and Complete a reflective blog post referring to the following prompts:

1.  Explain how you arrived at your image and how that concept exemplifies who you are as an artist.

I actually did not use an image, I chose to sketch out my own idea. I was trying to think of something that would tell a story, and also had high contrast, which works with the print block style. I think I am an artist that tries to tell a story, not just represent a moment in time, and through this image, I think I was able to exemplify that a picture is worth a thousand words. I think the sunrise shows that the guy was presumably up all night, and the fact he is in a state of forlorn waiting maybe suggests he was waiting for the train. 

2.  Discuss the process of printmaking and your connection to it as an art form.  Do you find the process exciting and inspiring?  Is the process too mechanical?  Do you find the idea of printing multiple images in such a traditional manner enticing?  Include your sense of your technical growth, and or opportunities for "discovery" offered by the process.

I like printmaking, sort of ish. I think contrast is a great way to express emotion, and I think it works great for specific types of images. Printmaking encourages emotion and exploration, and also pulls at the idea of negative space. While doing this process, I realized that at the lines needed to serve a purpose. It was difficult for me to curve the negative space and think in this way, but it was a good experience for me to make each part intentional and fully understand the image inside and out. I think the process of being able to replicate images easily is also very enticing, as it allows for the experimentation of emotion through color. 

3.  Explain your choice for final presentation and your group discussion surrounding the idea. 

For my final presentation, I chose to use the red one and the white one. I thought the white and black one was high contrast, and the dark red evokes emotion as well. I chose these two because in addition to being good prints, they displayed different emotions. Rich said "I like your attention to detail. It is intricately carved." Others agreed. I personally think all the details made it more cohesive as a whole. 

Complete the Self Assessment Rubric and turn it in!

FINAL VALUE REFLECTION

Formal Intentions

What did you find meaningful about the process and practice of this project?

What I found meaningful was creating the same type of art using different practices. I felt that I was able to express forms and ideas through charcoal and I think it contributed to my skill in this way. 

What are some techniques you fostered to work with the charcoal? 

I fostered the use of shading and also the use of the white charcoal to contribute to the value of my drawing. I feel that through these techniques I was able to create that which I imagine with a higher level of accuracy, especially using value to my advantage. 

What intrigues you about working with charcoal? 

Charcoal is cool in my opinion because it is a sort of mix between clay and pencil. Like pencil, it is two dimensional and is applied to the paper. But also like clay, it is malleable and is able to be mixed and spread. I think the mixture is very intriguing. 

What frustrates you?

 The charcoal frustrates me in the same way it intrigues me. For the mediums that are not malleable (like pencil and unlike paint, charcoal and clay) there are a high degree of accuracy that is lost in the malleable nature of the clay.

Stretch and Explore

In what ways did your intentions change over the course of your project?  

At the beginning of the project, I intended to draw the subjects with extreme accuracy. But for the second drawing, I think I solely used the object as a guide to form, and then I was able to play with the charcoal values. 

What opportunities or occurrences led to these changes?

Using the lantern as a subject led me to the question "what would it look like if it were producing light?" This question led to my experimentation with value in this way. 

Given what you know now about your work and your materials choices, how might you have changed your approach to working?

I would have let myself experiment with the malleability of the charcoal more. I felt that I didn't do this enough and treated the charcoal more like a pencil then a value-studded sheet of clay

Consider our work with value over the course of the entire project, what did you find meaningful about the process and practice of paying attention to light and contrast?

The way we observe the world visually is using value and color. Paying attention to value is more fully understanding the way we perceive the world. This was extremely important while doing this project. 

Where do you feel you found the most success, in drawing or in photography? 

I feel like I was more successful in drawing, because I was able to spend more time with the subject, whereas in drawing, every part is created individually, so a relationship with the object is more fully developed. It was tricky in photography because every moment was fleeting, and each aspect was not able to be perfected to its full potential

What do you attribute that success to?

I attribute my success to a balance. This balance is between working on individual components and working on these things as a whole. I felt like I was able to pay close attention to each individual component while keeping in mind the relationship between each part as a whole

What does paying attention to value offer you as an artist? How does your understanding of value impact your artwork?

Value is a critical part of how we percieve the world, and thus how we express our ideas relating to it. As an Artist I think I am able to now express ideas with a higher degree of confidence, and with a higher degree of accuracy to my own thoughts on the subject. 

Value photography project pt 1

- Consider our focus on the Element of Value:  How did your practice capturing black and white photographs through our various daily practice routine afford you a deeper understanding of the power of light in art?

Through our daily practice, I feel that I was able to more fully appreciate value and light mostly by experimenting with the lighting environments. I feel that I was able to utilize a white or black background to more fully draw attention to the object. Also, I learned how to use focusing to blur and focus the light in my image. Also, after much experimentation, I was able to more fully utilize direct sunlight and reflected light to increase interesting facets of my photos. 

-  Recall specific moments where you found or saw something that inspired your work in this project.

My photo that I took of the Santa for the drawing unit compelled me to more fully explore this object. In addition, after seeing the interesting texture of the mallet, I made sure to highlight this in my representation of the image. 

-  How much did you expand your ability to observe “value” in your work?

I feel that through utilizing greyscale and contrast, I was able to make my photos more interesting. I experimented with different backgrounds as well as subject matters to play with tees to ideas and more fully develop my understanding. 

- Consider the habit “engage and persist”:  What did you learn technically (both in shooting and editing your photographs) through your engagement in the process of experimentation, analysis, and persistence?

Through this project, I learned that many photos, even if set up meticulously, will not always work. Because of this, I realized that I must take many photos, and edit as much of them as I can, then, with fresh eyes, come back and choose my favorites. 

- What, specifically,  did you “learn” through the process of this project?

In addition to developing my habits of mind, I learned to take more compelling photos using greyscale, contrast, rule of thirds, fibonacci, etc. I learned when to utilize these tools and learned when and when not to use them to more fully complete my photos. 

-Consider our work with composition during this unit.  Were you able to recall the earlier experiences you had experimenting with composition and apply that to your work on this project?  Do you feel like you have a better understanding of how to manipulate and utilize the aspects of composition in your art?

Yes. Using things I learned from the paper cut out project I was able to improve my photos. From that project, I learned compositional styles, for example center of interest, rhythm and repetition. I feel that now that I have new additional tools at my disposal, the interesting qualities of my photos can increase. 

-To what degree do you agree or disagree with the class feedback you received in choosing your “best” image?  What new insights about your imagery did the class discussion about your work provide for you?

I really agreed with the class's feedback for my photos. Many people thought the Santa was very interesting and unexpected. This was good feedback for me because I have come to know the Santa object very well. A set of fresh eyes was useful feedback for me because it showed me how we can become inclined towards photos we have worked on for a long time. The comments I got on the other two photos were helpful, but only reinforced ideas which I already had.