Texture Relief Sculpture

I really like the contrasting textures in this collage. There's so many different types of textures and shapes, that surprisingly work well together. They create a different perspective for the viewer because the viewer has to create their own unique interpretation of the collage. The rubbing to the left is from a car tire. I really liked the photographs I took of the textures, so I wanted to make sure that I incorporate them into my collage somehow. The upper left photograph is really interesting because the shadow creates a light and dark aspect to the collage, which makes the collage more different and unique. I thought the circles would be an interesting addition, since most of the collage is made up of lines and squares and rectangles. It makes the collage contradictory, which is very appealing to the eye.

In our group discussion, we talked about how my composition has many different textures, such as rope, burlap, nails, and toothpicks, and how that makes it interesting. There are so many contradictions such as the circles and the lines, the black and the white, and the textures, which adds so many different perspectives for the viewer. I tried to make it very simple and clean, without going outside the lines, but using the hot glue to glue to toothpicks down, was very challenging. In the end, the glue was visible and the burlap exceeded the actual square. But, I tried my best and pushed myself to make it as neat as possible, but sometimes art is not always perfect. That's what makes it unique. The whole composition is interesting, in my opinion, because the contradictions make it unique and also make it appealing for the viewer. Reflecting back on my process was very helpful because for the next project, I can take my strengths with me and work on my weaknesses. Overall, I am happy with my sculpture and excited to see what the final composition will look like!

Color Pop Art Painting

Pop Art: Paint Brush and Spray Paint Can

       
        My goal for this project was to experiment with brush strokes and make all four of my paintings interesting and take risks within my painting style. I wanted to expand my normal routine of painting and try being expressive and energetic. I also wanted to define "pop art" by making my painting bright, colorful, and fun. I didn't want a boring, plain, or simple one. My visions changed often, but I really wanted colorful paintings. My favorite painting is my triadic one (red, blue, and yellow.) With this one, I feel I used a variety of shades and ended up with something bright, happy, and colorful. But, with every success comes dilemmas and problems. One of my biggest problems was on my complementary painting (purple and yellow.) I had trouble painting over the dark background, and I wanted to make this one very different from my others. I stumbled upon making different shades of yellow. So I decided to let the background come through, and ended up making a really interesting painting. I learned that letting go and being expressive can be rewarding in the end. The group feedback was really helpful because they told me they liked my energetic side of the paintings, and really just helped me with the technical side, like painting within the lines and matching the colors to one another.
         I really enjoyed this color unit. It was a different way of approaching painting. I have never done anything like this before, so it was interesting to see where it would turn out. I loved experimenting with all the colors and my joy for painting definitely increased. I learned that having a creative and expressive routine of painting is more interesting than striving for a perfect result. At the beginning of this project, I thought I wanted a perfect, smooth, within the lines painting, but that definitely changed by the end. This project showed me the value of colors and it allowed me to express myself through a set of four paintings.

Color Photo Project

Triadic

Monochromatic 

Complementary

Accented Analogous

          This project was definitely the best one out of all the previous ones we have done. Combining photography and color was a very new, but unique idea and I enjoyed every part of it. I like exploring my photography skills and then later, experimenting with color and shape. 

          Out of all four of my pieces, my favorite is triadic or accented analogous. For the accented analogous picture, the photograph to begin with is interesting and the color and shape is so simple it works. For the triadic one, I love all the different sizes of squares and rectangles. For my complementary photograph, I think the original photo is very interesting. I love all the detail within it. Lastly, my monochromatic photograph was very cool because I love how you can see the water on the Maple Leaf. I tried to recreate the shapes within the leaf and make them appear in the background, especially the circles. 

          Working with a camera was so exciting for me! I loved going outside and taking pictures and exploring everyday objects and making them look unique. As I walked around campus with my camera, I definitely observed more than I would have normally. I noticed every little bit of color and realized how much color is in the world around us. This project has taught me that color is important and that it is an essential part to our lives. It not only gives us expression, but also it expands the way we look at the world. 

          I have had a minimal experience using PhotoShop in the past, but this project definitely expanded my knowledge of it. Some tools that helped me along the way were the contrast and fill light buttons on PhotoShop. These tools definitely improved my photos. 

         My goal for this project was to step outside my comfort zone and really strive for something out of the box. I do love photography and hope to take it next year, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity for me to expand my knowledge and create something I can be proud of. I enjoyed experimenting with different color, as well as learning how to use PhotoShop. This project helped me see that different shapes within each photograph are each individually unique and different. 

         

Final Dark Room/Collage Composition

        The shapes I used for this project were really interesting, especially for the dark room composition. They had unique textures and formed very cool silhouettes. My method for exploring the shapes were to look for unique objects and draw them in a way that portrays them abnormally. Personally, I feel like I explored them very thoroughly and took the necessary time to make my compositions the way I wanted them to look. I was aiming for a final composition that was unique and interesting to the eye.
        I am the first person to admit art is not my strongest subject, but for this project I definitely took risks and stepped outside my comfort zone to create something I could be proud of. I worked with Mr. O and he helped me connect the two pieces together. I feel like my final composition is contrasting each other. On one hand, there are the silhouettes of shapes and on the other there are more geometric and classic shapes. I feel more confident when using the different tools, such as the enlarger, in the dark room. I feel like I did all the technical things right and produced the a really good photogram.
        Getting help and critiques from my classmates was very helpful. It was nice getting a different perspective on my work. Also, the feedback I got from Mr. O was helpful because he showed me different way to look at my compositions. I tried many different ways of hanging it up on the wall before I got my final one. It was hard to present it the best way possible, but after I tried it many times, I knew that this way was the best.
       This project helped me explore different shapes and portray them in a different way, a way that people don't normally see. I liked learning about the dark room and all the tools that go with it. This project has been my favorite so far, as I feel as though I have grown through the process.

Dark Room/Collage

Partner Interpretation

Dark Room Photograph

We agreed that my composition was both harmony and unity. We thought that my shapes and other objects that I used were unique and interesting, but my composition was not balanced and too exposed. We also agreed that I needed more negative space, as it was mostly white space. Personally, I thought it would be interesting if I experimented and used more light next time so the objects would appear darker. The butterfly and the grass added interesting silhouettes to the composition. I also really like the beads around the edges.

Sketches From Line Unit

I tried to go for a new way of approaching this project. I tried making it simpler and then I wanted to just do one line for the whole body.

Olympic Basketball Player Wire Project

Olympic Basketball Player 

My goal for this wire project is portray her power and strength (muscles), 

capture the essence of her gesture, and work on the detail and proportions.

Final Product

My wire sculpture uses line to articulate motion because it has volume and three dimensional features to make it look forceful and realistic. I tried to add volume by wrapping the skinnier wire around the fatter wire, but I soon realized it wasn't working that way. Then, I tried using the skinnier wire to add volume. This was one of the most challenging parts of the project. I had a really hard time making my sketches look 3D. My sculpture had more volume and three dimensional features than my sketches did. With both, I wanted to execute power and strength, which I feel I eventually did with my sculpture. Shaping and bending the wire was hard, but once I got the hang of it, I felt more comfortable and confident to experiment and take risks.      

Throughout the line unit, I tried to experiment with different types of line within the drawing. I felt like I have matured as an artist and have learned more about lines and how important they are to a drawing.