The end-RJ

Wow this semester has really flown by, especially the end, i didnt think it could be so close. I thought about all i have learned throughout this semester not just in this class but in all my classes (with the exception of 3d design, i didnt learn anything from that class). I just finished up my final drawing and i think it looks cool just how i pictures it in my head. See you all tomorrow

Sports Logos-RJ

Being the sports nut that i am i want to talk about how simple sports logos can be but they send a direct message to who that particular team. Example one, UNC logo All that logo really is, is the letter n on top of the letter c but those letters are blended together forming the logo in a powder blue like color known exclusively as Carolina Blue. Another example would be our logo. Even though it looks complex it symbolizes a figure in the form of a wheatshocker. There are thousands of logos out there and just looking at then will tell you right then and there who that team is

Forgetful - Emily Ritter

On Monday, my friends are opening a hot dog place near East High. Let's Be Frank is what it is called. I suggest everyone go and check it out. I also have some work up there. About five pieces (all from high school, cause that is all I had ready when they asked). This semester has been great. I have learned A LOT and catch myself thinking about what we have been taught on my free time. Mark making, filling up the page, etc etc. I wish we could have had enough time to finish all the projects and what not. So, Thank you.

Riverfestival

Last night I attended the sundown parade as I have lacked enthusiasm about this event. As I was observing the parade I saw the banners and designs for the river fest over the past 20-30 years. It was kind of cool to see how the styles had changed over time. I found it odd that this years theme was groovy.. I think that a theme could have been more centered about what is going on. Also, one of the guys spoke about celebrating the river.. the river that causes rashes and sickness is only prevented if you have recieved multiple shots to travel to a foreign country. I did, however, see Michael after yelling repeatedly to get his attention. I think it is weird that some of the floats used non-biodegradable or non-recycled supplies when everyone is talking about being green. How often does Wichita have something going on? Enjoy it.

Looking back on the semester I think I have learned to let go. I always stopped drawings at a point where I knew I was completely safe but by not taking a risk I am hurting my work. I have also learned that I work much better in an isolated area because I find it hard to focus.. it just seems highly impossible for me to generate art eight hours straight. I pushed other things aside for the summer and made art my priority especially in 3-D. In 2-D I fought with the computers but managed to crank somethin out. 3-D I didn't really mind any of the supplies because if I had not worked with them I wouldn't have any knowledge about them. And drawing... looking at these three large drawings I realize that the fact that they were SO huge I was forced to use my entire body or else I would have been wearing a wrist band for the rest of the summer. I'm excited for the summer.. and although I will admit I am taking a break from drawing.. but I can also do it at a desired pace and subject.. so perhaps it might come out decent. Our last critique is coming up and many of us are coming to an end for foundations courses.. but I think I have a decent portfolio to show for sophomore review. I'm going to miss people including teachers (did I just say that?) but I definitely am looking forward to the time off.

-Adrean

The End: Looking Back

With the final week of this semester approaching, I find myself looking back on my first year in art school. Having only taken one or two art classes in high school, I didn't know what to expect going into this program. I have always enjoyed making art on my own, but I have never devoted this much time and effort into art. It's been fun, confusing, frustrating, and enjoyable. Looking back at the first drawing I did in the fall compared to the last drawing I'm working on for this semester is astounding. To actually see the progress I've made is rewarding. I know I still have a lot of areas to improve on, but to never have taken a drawing class before, I think I've done a great job.

Looking back, if there was one thing I would have done differently, I would have loved to spend more time on my art. I would love to be able to spend hours working on something I could be proud of, but with various things happening outside of school (family, jobs, personal reasons) it always seems hard to make that happen. Even with the lack of sleep I've received this whole year, I wouldn't change it for anything else. I don't see myself being an accountant, a lawyer, an engineer, or doctor. There is a reason why I chose to go to art school. Despite all the frustration I've felt, I would much rather be up late at night working on a piece of art than trying to memorize math equations or all the bones in the body.

In just one year I've produced more designs, drawings, and 3D works than I have ever done in the past. I've learned the importance of mark making, color theory and other various things that I had never thought of in the past. Even though drawing, in general, has been difficult for me, I plan to take what I have learned in these past two semester and use it to my benefit. Over the summer, I plan on drawing.....a lot. I don't want the things I've learned to go to waste. I realized after coming back from the winter break that "if you don't use it, you lose it."

With all that being said, I've really enjoyed what I have experienced in art school. Not just the lessons I've learned, but also the friendships I have made. After taking some of the Gen Ed classes, the art program is completely different. You become much closer to the people in these art classes than you would in an English or Math class. I've enjoyed my time in the program so far, and I can't wait to see what else there is to look forward to in the future.

-Daniel

How far we've come. . .

I love what everybody wrote about this week. Margaret, thanks for sharing your dream (as well as all your other thoughtful insights)- I think you were reliving your recent Design II computer experiences. Anxiety is funny that way. I really liked Laura's thoughtful insights this week as well. One thing art has taught me is that it's ok to fail sometimes because when something works out, it is more the sweeter and we always learn from the experience. When we started out in Drawing this semester, I never thought I'd ever get the hang of conte crayons or pastels; and now, I find using pencils tedious and not as gratifying as I used to. I notice that all of our work from class now has taken on a depth and richer dimension than those first 10 drawings we brought to our second class this semester. I am glad to be almost done with the fundamentals, but I have really enjoyed everyone in class this semester. It is a pleasure to be around so many talented and interesting people who so willingly share their opinions, supplies and time with each other. Thank you all for helping me become a better artist. Have a great summer and hope everyone makes stuff they like and have fun with in their time off form school! ann

Last Blog of the Semester

I was reading Michael's blog and it made me think of when I took a ceramics class in high school. I got to throw clay on the wheel and it was very exciting and the simple fact that you took something from being a lump and create a pot out of it was very exciting. However, I was never very good at it and never got the hang of it. Still my excitment would always be there and I still liked going to the class even though I never produced anything of substance. I think that that is interesting, how you can fail at something but still enjoy doing what you are failing at.

I'm a big camera person and while my own camera is digital, I wish it wasn't. Digital cameras to me are good for like everday pictures, pictures of family and friends that you don't really consider art. Film cameras are more for art making, in my opinion. Because with film cameras you have to be more hands on. You have to develop the film yourself and whatever effects you want to make happen, you have to basically create them yourself. Plus with a film camera you never know quite what you are getting because you don't get to see the picture until after you develop the reel. Working with a film camera is very exciting but I have nothing against artist who create their work with a digital camera.

This semester in drawing class, I feel like I've learned alot. I feel like I've pushed myself more and have thusly grown as an artist. However, all good things must come to and end. Have a great summer you guys!! Laura

Last blog

For me this doesn't feel like the last blog because well I haven't been blogging. I feel bad but when you are going to school 12 hours a day, moving into an apartment and planning a wedding all around the same month, it kinda gets chaotic but enough of that. I'm glad I have all summer to relax and maybe make some art who knows but I can say I have learned something this semester; I have never worked with plaster, and i got to this semester and I think I will never work with it again, I hate sculpey( I think I can say that for everyone!) and I enjoyed making art because that's just what I do and Its who I am. And I cant wait for next semester to start. Okay maybe I can. lol Hope to see you all again soon!

~ Lyndsey~ Happily married( FINALLY!!!)

Ceramics - Michael Davenport

As it comes to the end of the semester I realized one of my favorite classes has been my ceramics class. I have taken and instructed ceramics painting classes before in summer programs, but I have never actually thrown on a wheel. It is a a task that taught me alot of hand control. Knowing how to move and manipulate the clay instead of it moving you is the first part of it. Becoming better at it I really enjoyed playing with form trying to get height and trimming the foot of pieces. Then glazing your fired work and never knowing what it will end up doing I think is the most intriguing part of the process. Getting really excited to go in the day after and see how it turned out. Usually happy but then sometimes having huge disasters... like broken vessels, but like Nathan always says, "Its just the nature of the beast."

I will most likely take another ceramics class in the future focused more on hand building or to move up in the throwing class take intro again. I would recommend this class to anyone and everyone!

Late Blog, Wanderings With A Camera

As you can see from my dream blog, I feel (as you do) the pressure of having little time to finish much work. So this entry is about creative relaxation. When I wake up in the mornings I immediately look out the window at my back yard to see what looks different/interesting. Often I'm inspired to immediately go out with camera in hand to capture the beauty of light, shade, reflection,shape and color. It is a way for me to save the "air" as it is now for later use. I sometimes go on short walks and drives, for the purpose of collecting found objects and images, that provide a way to relax while using the time productively. I have always been a collector and so have many collections of everything from junk and ephemera to rocks and minerals, miniature objects, and themes. These stashes inspire my creativity, my dreams and my self awareness.
Though the task was time consuming, I enjoyed making the 50 stencils. What a great collectible. They are a pleasure to use. I expect to use some more of the images I capture with my camera to, among other things, produce more stencils to use in artistic endeavors. I believe the combinations of shapes could be endless. Repetition and overlapping are just a start. What might occur while intuitively choosing and assembling these interesting shapes?
For me the process of producing art is as important as the finished pieces. Maybe more so. It is my way of being. I am so thankful for the encouragement to grow and the reminders of and introductions to various ways to keep constantly in production that were offered by my teacher and classmates in drawing this semester. Thankyou for sharing yourselves so generously. I'm inspired to question and explore the WHAT ELSE IS POSSIBLE.
Finally, I suggest that you take a look at some of the artwork of the late great CG Jung. There is a biographical documentary entitled A Matter of Heart. You can see some of his stone carving and other images in it. The book, Man and His Symbols (full color hard bound, not the inferior paperback) is also very worthwhile. A famous psychiatrist, this man was quite talented on many levels and driven to create.
Keep up your journals, Margaret

Anxiety Dream In Time for Final Week

Good morning! I want to share this dream with you because it is classic.
Dream Title: DESIGNING MONEY
Dream: In a computer lab I am working to redesign a $5 bill so that it will become convincing fake foreign currency. This currency is needed to dupe a criminal into believing that his ransom is being paid. It is important for the release of hostages I think. I work feverishly on the computer to place new images over existing ones. I use magnification mode to tweak images carefully into place. Just as I am about to place the final element, I take a breath and release the mouse. Everything disappears! Erased! I stare incredulously at a blank white page on the computer screen. Oh no! How can this happen? Immediately I search stored files hoping to find saved images. Among random images I find and play part of a movie. Realizing it is THE MOVIE ( about the situation I'm working on), I watch for a while hoping to see the image I need to replace. But no. I stop the movie after a few scenes because it is taking too long. I go in search of another $5. A man in a parking lot offers me a $50. No. I need a bill with Lincoln's face. Another man gives me a $5. I take it back to the drawing table in the workroom and begin a redesign. What was it I used earlier? A triangle? A new oval? Image of a camel? Eagles? I remember that placing the image of an eagle was the last thing I was doing just before I lost the whole thing. I take the $5 to the scanner and begin anew. I copy the image of an eagle in profile to work with. My mind wanders to what color(s) to use on the fake money. Not green. I am losing my focus, time, and maybe my mind. -eod-

So I wake up and record all this in my journal. Now here I am telling it to you. I have an apt quote to share with it.

"The creative person is concerned to tap the powers of the subconscious mind, and in doing so, may become aware of forces that are normally inaccessable to consciousness."

- Colin Wilson, author of THE OCCULT (NY: Random House, 1971) page 31.

Good luck with finishing up the semester. - Margaret

Steadman

I was talking to my friend and he had mentioned an artist by the name of Ralph Steadman. He apparently has done a lot of illustrations for novels and I wanted to see what my friends obsession was. http://www.ralphsteadman.com/01books.asp I recognized some of these covers such as Animal Farm. I think people often disregard works of art that are so common such as a book cover, fabric design, table top, billboards.. I also take comfort in the fact that he has been able to make a career out of his passion.

His art seemed to be very smudged and dark. It isn't my style of choice but it does evoke emotion. His ability to layer also impressed me http://www.ralphsteadman.com/images/00art/silks/sarajevo2.jpg. He seems to have no fear of messing up and has strong movement.

"I am an artist and have no right buggering about with verbs and split infinitives, which is what being a writer says to me. "-Steadman.. I find this interesting considering that from what I found he almost uses writers as a partner..

-Adrean

Kiki

I found an artist by the name of Kiki Smith. I had learned of Art 21 through my 3-D class and decided that would be a good place to look up some artist. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNLW4Nubs0c I also recognized the name from a presentation in class done by another student, I believe Emily.. Smith does seem a bit demented but I think I found that kind of fascinating. Her work includes death which I think a lot of people fear even though it is something none of us can avoid. I also thought this would be a good artist considering that my gift drawing is of death but it is not of death being portrayed as evil or life sucking. More info on the artist: http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/smith/index.html

I leave you with this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUDIoN-_Hxs&feature=related
I have always found it interesting and calming.

-Adrean

Styles I love - Emily Ritter

Some of the styles of the things listed below I absolutely love.

Ugly Dolls:

http://www.rocketworld.org/ugly_dolls.htm

Lately I have been into ancient/tribal art as well.

There is a photo I can't find of these traditional facial tattoos, or rather scars. 

They were on this girl's face. They looked to elegant and, well, beautiful. 

Late Night Entry

I must say, as the semester comes to a close, I'm realizing how much work still need to do. After being really sick this past week, I feel even farther behind. I'm trying to find time for everything and it's becoming very overwhelming. As much as I enjoy school, I'm ready for a break. I haven't gone to bed before 3:00 am in at least 3 weeks. This is the last stretch of the semester and I'm starting to feel the burden of everything. I'm just hoping my work won't suffer due to the stress. We can only wait and see.......

-Daniel

Blog Blog Blog

My worst enemy in drawing has always been portraits but for some reason I decided to do three of them for this last assingment. I have always chosen to push myself and put things in my drawings that I have the hardest times of drawing, like people or symetrical bottles. I think it's part of my drive to become better and finaly draw something that I hadn't been able to draw before. I think every artist has that drive. Every artist wants to get better and better at what they do. I think that to get better in art you have to challenge yourself and go back to the basics every once in awhile, even if the basics are boring. I've come along way from where I was in high school and I still have a ways to go, but as of right now I am excited about the journey.

Laura

I still love art but. . .

This is one of those weekends where all I have done and will do will be art homework of some sort. I know everyone else is in the same boat. Anyway, while doing some review for my art history final on Monday, I was looking at a minimal/conceptual piece called Terms most useful in describing creative works of art, 1960, by John Baldessari. Basically, this work is a canvas with words printed in 3 columns across the plane. Words like "Direction, Force, Interest, Beautify, etc." are used. I comment on this because we will be critiquing our drawings on Monday and it will be interesting to see if any of use any of these terms. I was also thinking how this work might include new terms from the Culture Wars to current art practices now. They could include ephemeral, outrageous, humorous, in your face, and multi-faceted. The use of text is used quite a lot by current artits like Barbara Kruger, Jenny Holzer and our very own M. Davenport. It is interesting to see an earlier artist using text where the inspiration was the gird system the letters made and how the viewer had to take a second look to think about the work. Good luck to everyone with the homework this weekend. ann