Extra Credit questions Blog

1) The assignment I most enjoyed was probably the logo design project. It was really fun and very free and open ended which allowed me to be creative on my own terms. 2) There was no real one specific assignment I least enjoyed. The things I always disliked the most were the videos and blogging about them. Not to say they were all bad but many of them were dry and not fun to watch or write about. 3) ANGEL was really good and mostly easy to use. I did dislike that I had some technical issues with loading and things of that sort but I think it may have been due to the Internet connections I was getting. 4) I would definitely keep all of the projects in this course. They all had real reinforcing qualities and were relevant. I would however remove some of the video watching, most of them were very outdated and stuffy. I think adding a lecture or two from the course instructor themselves would really do wonders. It would have been nice to see or hear the professor in action at least one time. 5) I would definitely recommend this class to my peers. The professor was very organized and the coursework, although tedious at times, was not too bad overall. 6) Overall very good course, professor was a fair grader and willing to talk (via email) and barter with students. I would say however that this should be a 300 level as the coursework was heavy mainly and really wasn’t at a 200 level. It felt as if it was more for majors only than just to be taken as a general education requirement.

Final Blog posting AED 200

1) I had very simple expectations for this class in the beginning. I was just expecting to learn all about art and I must say this goal was met very well. 2) Now that I have completed the course I can say that art is any means of expression. Art has many forms such as painting, writing, acting or dancing. But art as in design or drawing has so many subcategories. Bottom line art is expression of emotions or events. When I first started this course I genuinely didn’t have such a lengthy answer, I was much more simple in my thoughts about art and its true meanings. 3) When I first started the class I didn’t have a favorite artist and it was because I didn’t know of any. Now I still don’t have a favorite but it’s because there are far too many good artists that I cant possible choose just one. 4) When I first signed up for the class I wasn’t too thrilled and I was very nervous that I would do poorly. However now that the course is nearly complete I’m very satisfied with the results. I probably would take another online class, as it was really quiet convenient being able to do course work whenever you really wanted. The only thing I wished I had was interaction with my professor, but that’s online classes for you!

Final Art Material Exploration

1) I selected three works from Clyfford Still art gallery because those pieces were true, real and honest. The portraits showed the man as simple and pure as possible. 2) I used a various amount of materials to create my portrait. I used paper, oil pastel, color pencil, pencil and paint. The reason was because variety is more fun to work with. 3) I'm a really poor artist and this was very difficult for me. I just had to take my time to get over my fear of doing a bad job. 4) This piece depicts me in a simple way. Its a close up on my face which I feel makes it more real and simple. 5) In the self portrait I used line in sketching my jaw and skull. I used texture for my hair because that was the best technique for the curly hair I have. 6) This project was complicated as well as time consuming. After a while however I did end up having a little bit of fun with it. 7) My final work doesn't exactly look like me however it does closely resemble me which is good enough. I tried really hard I just hope it isn't too bad!

Art criticism blog

1)   The exhibits I viewed were, ‘Dancers for a Lifetime,’  ‘progression of hope and humility,’ ‘the beauty of Italy,’ and ‘The Story of love.’

2)   The exhibit I chose to critique was ‘The Story of Love’ from Ashley Billittier. The reason I picked this curation was because Ashley seemed to have done a good job on the assignment and I liked her theme.

3)   The one challenge I think I had was probably to find the right way to say something constructive without being harsh. Being too critical or wording something bluntly can really discourage and sound downright mean and I attempted to avoid that.

4)   I felt a little out of my element, almost incompetent because I am not specialized in art. So it was really odd for me to be critiquing others work when I am not a professional.

5)   I think I’m 50/50 on wanting to view the critique on my own work.  I would like to see the critique but I am afraid that I wont like what is said about my work and I may be offended.

6)   I think my article came out to be about a 9. I hit all of the points and I had enough detail in the article.

7)   I did end up slightly enjoying this project. At first I want big on it, I wasn’t keen on this but then I ended up having fun with it. 

Module 15 Video Review

1)   I watched the video “Greenberg on Pollock: An interview by T.J Clark” and learned a couple of things from this. What I learned from this video was that no alone do critics critique artists but at times they get to know artists on a personal level. That being said I learned that Pollock, because of this particular critic would at times have a warped opinion of his very own art, style and works. This is of course one of the consequences that can occur from critics’ words. The second video I watched was “An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance.” In that film I learned about how each step of the Renaissance and each new artist and great painting was actually an add on or improvement of previous artists. The “master” in the video told his young apprentice a lot about the artists of that time and he thoroughly explained why, how and who was important to the newer creations as time proceeded through the Renaissance. The ‘master’ used a critical yet fair eye in contradiction to the young mans initial opinions, which were purely just opinion rather than critiques’.  

2)   The video “Greenberg on Pollock: An interview by T.J. Clark” only slightly relates to the creation of our art criticism project. We got an inside perspective and opinion of an art critic however it doesn’t really narrow down how you critique an artists piece. Really this particular critic spoke all about his glory days when he was affiliated and critiquing Pollock’s work. In the video “An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance” the older gentleman in the video seemed to represent a non-bias critic sort of teaching the younger man how to critique art and artists. The older man made a lot of valid points about styles and re-informed me about techniques, however the video still wasn’t a huge help to my creation of art criticism.  

3)   The video “Greenberg on Pollock: An interview by T.J Clark” was a bit dull and not that fun to watch. It did slightly teach about art criticism but really it was so narrow that it wasn’t very effective. The video “An Introduction to the Italian Renaissance” was very engaging and kept my attention fully the entire time. The music always helps keep attention and the acting wasn’t too bad either. It wasn’t Oscar worthy of course but it definitely reaffirmed my knowledge about the Italian Renaissance. 

Module 13/14 Project 4 reflection blog

For this project I went down a simple format. My first step of course was to read all of the project guidelines and requirements. After that everything was up to me. So I sat and created a list of steps and organized my thoughts out for this project. The first thing I did was think, think for a little about what inspires, draws me in, moves me and what I could bring to this project. That week I was particularly wishing for home, wishing for the warmth of the summertime, my friends gathering for parties, the beach near my house… Suddenly I became saddened by the thought of the beach, Hurricane Sandy has destroyed it. I was a bit overwhelmed at the moment so I took a break. Breaks are often needed in the creative process and without them one cannot expect to accomplish anything other than a rushed piece of work. The next time I went back to the project I knew what I wanted to do. The ocean holds a special place in the fondest of my memories and is secured in my heart everlasting. But as with many things we sometimes can feel overpowered and frightened by something, even if it excites us. So it was blatantly clear to me that the project would focus on oceans, beaches and mainly overwhelming waves and tides. So I got to work, googling and searching through sites to find painting and artistic photographs of overwhelming oceans. Initially the task was complex and agitating and I was becoming increasingly discouraged by the lack of artwork I was finding. Regardless of the first day I kept beating on and lo and behold I finally found a plethora of pieces. Many of the works are similar in that the waves are massive and are caught in the moment just before the crash onto the shore. I unintentionally created this and I am completely satisfied with the outcome. A couple of works are going in at a different angle however; the colors are far more different than the rest. This was completely intentional. I aimed to show the viewers that color does not mean that it is any less of an ocean, color in and of it can in fact overwhelm and it was an effective way (or so I believe) to express this theory. Overall the project was somewhat laboring and a tad tedious. I didn’t expect to get so into it however I am glad that I did.

Module 13 and 14 Video blog

1) From the video “The lowdown on lowbrow: west coast pop art” I learned that this form of art features a lot of nudity and is characterized by eccentric ideas and creations. This style of art has been compared to surrealism yet it seems to really just be an eccentric form of creation. From the video “Displaying Modern Art: The Tate approach” I learned that art is mainly separated in a gallery by rooms which are separated by art movements, such as pop art, realism, etc. From the video “Bones of Contention: Native American Archeology” I learned that there is a controversy over the remains of Native Americans that has been going “An Acquiring Mind: Philippe de Montebello and The Metropolitan” I learned that Philippe de Montebello was the man behind the expansion of the collections of art at the MET. The video went through the process of what goes into the acquisitions of paintings.




 2) All of these videos relate to the creation of our own art curations. They all have different aspects that can relate and help to complete our curation projects. The videos show an example of an art form, what controversy can lie in picking a theme for your curation, how to set up and display our works of art and how art is generally collected in a museum setting.


 3) I would be completely lost without a majority of the information presented by these videos. The videos for the most part were informative and interesting. I enjoyed watching them and I learned everything about curations and curators from these videos. The only one that was a little off topic was the one on Native

Module 12 Video Review

1) I selected the video “Abstract Expressionism and pop: Art of the ‘50’s and 60’s” because pop art was such an odd phase I figured it was worth learning more. I picked the video “Andy Warhol: Images of an Image” because he seemed to be such a huge part of the pop art movement and he’s an icon. So I guessed it would be good to learn all I can about him. 2) In “Abstract expressionism and pop: art of the 50’s and 60’s” I learned about the artist Kline and how he used colors to paint abstract art. This artist not alone used color to convey his points he also used action. Action meaning the technique in which Kline painted. It was very popular among abstract artists of that era as the text and video stated. From “Andy Warhol” Images of Images” some key concepts were that Warhol loved to use the silkscreen method of painting. Warhol had a theme among his works of repetition, not only in the individual pieces themselves but of his collections. For example he used Marylin Monroe in countless works and this ended up forming a collection of one woman after another. 3) “Abstract Expressionism and pop: art of the 50’s and 60’s” gave more information on different pop and abstract artists. This was good as it is always better to learn about eclectic groups rather than stay stuck on one style or artist. “Andy Warhol: Images of Images” goes into depth and actually elaborated on what the silkscreen technique really entails. Being that it was Warhols primary mode of creation I was glad to finally learn what it was. 4) I thought both videos were effective, however I was very bored while watching “Abstract Expressionism and pop: art of the 50’s and 60’s” Also slightly disturbing in that video was that they only featured one female artist. I don’t think the gorilla girls would be too excited to see that! Ha! “Any Warhol: Images of Images” helped me to further understand this artist and the way and reasons behind some of his works.

Module 11 Gallery Visit

Questions about the exhibits 1) The gallery I went to was The Burchfield Penny and the exhibits were all mainly untitled. 2) There were many themes of the exhibits within the gallery. For example one room had all black and white photographs and works of art that all had a common theme of struggle, diversity and being different. Another room I went to had the theme of furniture and plant life. Physical Space 1) There was various lighting throughout this gallery that was used. In one space the light was very bright against the paintings. In another room there was no light, only the artwork illuminated the areas. 2) The colors of the walls in this gallery were all white. 3) There was wood, metal and even tapestry used in the architecture of this gallery space. 4) As soon as you walk into the gallery there is a dip in the ceiling, which is accompanied, by a piece of tapestry, both of which make you look up. As you look up you follow with eyes and feet down and straight into another artistic space. A gallery worker that this was done intentionally by the architect to get the viewer to follow with their eyes and feet down the space. Questions about the artwork 1) The artwork was organized in a different way for each room, yet they were all similar in theme for each room. The art was hung on walls or displayed on a step to be elevated. One room may have a break with a wall, almost like a large doorway with no door that would be even too large for a door. 2) Each section of the gallery would feature similar works of art in their own spaces. Overall however all the works were not similar at all. The works in each section were the entire same theme though. 3) One section featured comic book art; another featured artwork inspired by the struggles and pain caused by slavery and oppression of the African American community. Very unrelated to one another completely. 4) Most of the paintings or oil and canvas works were framed in pretty standard wood frames. Some had no frames as I saw with the comic book artwork. Over all I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Burchfield Penny art gallery. I thought it was very annoying at first to have to visit the gallery and look at it with all of these ideas and concepts in mind, but then I found it to be helpful as I went along. It made me appreciate the art a little more, it made me think more about how the gallery was built and designed and overall I think it was a good mindset to have in viewing art and the gallery.

Module 11 Video Review

1) The first video I watched was “Expressionism.” My reason for picking this video is because the text referred to this form of art and mentions how other styles sprang from it. The second video I decided to view was “Matisse and Picasso.” The reason was because of Picasso really. I have always been taught about Picasso in various phases of my academic career and I have never fully understood him. I had hopes that this video would help me to comprehend him more fully.
 2) For the video “Expressionism” the artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner who was a part of the movement called die Brükch, painted in a way that was different than any other. Kirchner’s work was displayed in this video to characterize what this sect of expressionism embodied. The video said that this particular style was ‘less about sharp form and more about the sensations’ that the painting was trying to convey. The video “Matisse and Picasso” focused a lot on the personal lives of these two painters and how their experiences effected and inspired their art. It was very intriguing to learn that these two actually met up and even exchanged paintings. It was also eye opening to learn that these two inspired one another seeing as to the fact that their approaches to painting and drawing were complete opposite ends of the spectrum.
 3) The video “Expressionism” touches again on color and the unconventional manner in which it was used in expressionist artwork. The painting mentioned in the video “Blue Horse” is an example of color and it’s different use in expressionism. “Matisse and Picasso” mentions many points that were also featured in the textbook. The fact that Matisse’s artistic talents were suppressed as a teen was also mentioned in detail in the textbook.
 4) The video “Expressionism” was terribly dull and nearly made me fall asleep. There is not very much music throughout the video, which is likely why I found it extremely boring to watch. “Expressionism” was a highly factual video and did help to reinforce some key concepts of this art form, especially the form Die Brükch. Other than that however I was very bored with the video. Contrary to that first video I viewed “Matisse and Picasso” was very enjoyable to me. The video shows in depth the processes and thoughts of these two very important artists. I think it is important to get into th heads and learn about the lives and experiences of artists because it gets you to better understand the work they create.

Module 10 Project: Mask Making

Steps1 and 2 The first photo I chose as an inspiration for my mask was called “Mask of Agamemnon.” This work was made of gold and crafted after the face of a Greek leader. It was used as a burial mask and found in the 1800’s by an archeologist. This mask is carved and in low relief and uses form. We see that only one color is uses, gold and it was not a pigment but rather a metal that gave the mask its coloring. The form used is that of a mans face. The second mask I picked was the first mask on the link for African masks. I picked it because it uses pattern. This mask also features form, that of a hawk and rhythm with the pattern. The mask only uses two colors for the pattern which aids in the effect of rhythm. I liked this mask because it was so uniformed and no too overwhelming. The third mask I picked was a Batak mask used for a funeral dance. This mask uses high relief and is carved using form of a human face. The reason I chose this mask was because of how large and almost overbearing it was. It reminded me of a character mask, or even a cartoon character almost. Step 4 My finished mask incorporates color, pattern, texture and relief. I used a lined pattern for the two far left and right sections of the mask; we could call these the ears. Texture comes from the foil on the lips of the mask, as it is crinkled. I used various colors throughout this mask including, yellow, green, two shades of red, black and brown. The relief comes from the eye section of the mask where I have raised the cardboard to protrude out, creating a telescope feel in the mask. Step 5 I had some fun creating this mask although I initially thought it would be difficult and dull to complete. While it did present somewhat of a challenge in going from the papers of my notebook drawing to real live mask it wasn’t that bad. I do not and never will claim to be a world-class artist so I don’t love the way my mask came out. I did try however and I put all I had into it!

Module 10 Video review

1) I picked the videos “Buddhism” and “Hinduism” because I have always been a little confused on the differences between the two. The textbook somewhat clarified it for me but I was still fuzzy. So I chose these two videos in hopes that I can learn a little more and become more informed on these two religions. 2) For the video “Buddhism” I learned about the city of Bodh Gaya in India that is a city that many of the faith pay pilgrimages to. I also got to see very lovely action shots of a stupa in Sanchi India. The Carvings as the video said were likely done by wood or ivory carvers, which was interesting as they were on stone. For the video “Hinduism” I thought the most interesting thing it taught me was that sex actually isn’t taboo in that religion. Many western religions that we have learned about have never had any form or discussion on sex or an importance of sex in the religion. The temple of Khajuraho that was built in the ninth century for the god Shiva shows erotic temple carvings. The carvings are all throughout the temple, which is amazing considering how tall and large it is. 3) The video “Buddhism” gave a better visual picture of a stupa than the textbook did. It helped to reinforce the lessons from the book by essentially reinstating everything the text originally said. The video “Hinduism” also restated a lot of what the text taught me. Many of the works from the video were described in the textbook, which is always good and helpful. 4) I thoroughly enjoyed the “Buddhism” video because the narrator/host really was passionate about the art forms and architecture of the religion. Te video “Hinduism” was very well put together but I did wish it had been longer than only twenty-six minuets. It helped me to further understand the religion as well as the reasoning for some art that came as a result of that religion.

Module 9 Art making/Material Exploration

1)It was quiet difficult having my hand as a subject for drawing. You would think that you have lived with your hand your whole life and it wouldn't be so complex to draw! Yet I found it very laborious and almost impossible.This also may have to do with the fact that I am not a strong artist or drawer. 2) I chose pencil as my media for this project. I picked this because I have no experience in using charcoal to draw so I figured pencil was my best option since I have used it my whole life. 3) It was a huge challenge creating a drawing with my non-dominate hand. I was very frustrated while doing this and felt like I wanted to stop and give up the entire time. 4)The drawing of my left hand that was done by my dominate hand is a semi-succesful drawing. I could have gone into greater details but really didn't know how to. But I don't think I did a bad job with it.The drawing done by my non-dominate hand however was a complete failure. I do not like it at all and it's Frankenstien-like. It would take me dozens of tries at drawing with my non-dominate hand to get a good, decent or presentable work. 5) Most likely I will never again attempt to create a work of art with my non-dominate hand. I just am not a strong artist in the first place and drawing with my non-dominate hand just makes a mockery of art as a whole.

Module 9 Video Review

1)   I picked “The Drawings of Michelangelo” because I have always found his works amazing. The man was a true artistic genius and I wanted to know more about him and his works. I picked the video “Velazquez” because it was a curious name on the list that I don’t remember being mentioned in great details in the textbook.

2)   “The Drawings of Michelangelo” I learned basically the entire process that Michelangelo used in creating art. The video showed that Michelangelo was a serious perfectionist and his techniques were so precious and virtually perfect. Michelangelo’s works are either difficult or impossible to replicate. In “Velazquez” I learned that Velazquez was a portrait artist who mainly did work for King Philip the fourth of France. Velazquez’s contribution to art was his skill for capturing real life and emotions while being able to incorporates an idealist perspective.

3)   “The Drawings of Michelangelo” gave us a behind the scenes look at some of the works we read about and saw photos of in the textbook. The film gave a new perspective of these works of art. Although the text doesn’t say much about or pertaining to the artist Velazquez this video gave me enough information to fill in the blanks.

4)   I really enjoyed “The Drawings of Michelangelo” because of the look into his private process of creation that the video provided. It made me sort of appreciate his artwork more seeing as to the fact that he put so much attention into details and was critical of his own processes. I thought that the video “Velazquez” was very boring just based on the fact that the music made me wants to fall asleep. Although I almost drifted off I managed to listen to the narrator and learned a lot of interesting information on the artist Velazquez. I learned that he was a slow working artist and like Michelangelo Velazquez took his time and was very precise on his paintings. His contributions included being able to hold idealist views while presenting nothing but reality in his works. 

Module 8 Video Blog Post

1)   I picked the video “The Measure of All Things: Greek Art and the Human Figure” because in the first video we were assigned to watch Greek art was briefly mentioned and I was interested in learning more about Greek art. This is the same reason why I watched the video “Beyond the Classical: Byzantine and Later Greek Art”, the Greeks are so important when it comes to art so I just wanted to learn whatever I could.

2)   In the video “More Human than Human” a key concept I learned was that humans create a lot of the images of the human body in an exaggerated or distorted form. I learned that the reason for this is psychological, people like to dramatize features that are aesthetically or socially pleasing so more people will appreciate the artwork. In the video “The Measure of All Things: Greek Art and the Human Figure” I learned that during the period when classical Greek art came about historians discovered that there was this odd mix of idealization and portraits, which shows combinations of ideal and real forms of art. The video “Beyond the Classical: Byzantine and Later Greek Art” pretty much explained this combination. During the take over of Greece and under the Byzantine influence idealize was barred from art and churches even encouraged the destruction of idealistic artworks. They encouraged real looking art that gave us ‘flat’ style art, which is even still taught today.

3)   These three videos related almost collectively to all of the readings in the text that we have done on Greek artwork and sculptor. In the video “More Human than Human” we revisited ‘The Venus’ which was introduced to us in the textbook and we get a psychological explanation as to why this now seemingly bizarre looking sculpture, was considered art and why the artist created it. I was reminded of classical art and what it is, how it came about and what happened in history to change it.

4)   I enjoyed watching these videos very much, especially the one “More Human than Human” because it gave a fun psychological view of ancient art. We often forget that in art psychology is involved, art of any form really. Writing, acting, singing, painting, sculpting and other forms of art are outlets of psychological release that are often not viewed as such by the common man. Often time’s art is merely viewed as a source of entertainment or visual stimulation yet it really is a psychological process.  I enjoyed the two videos pertaining to Greek art because the Greeks did have such an intense impact on modern art. The Greeks had a very large influence on more than just art in the world, but that is better left to history classes to talk about.  I am now better able to understand why art sometimes looks the way it does and I am also now equipped with a better understanding of classical artwork and concepts. 

Video Review Module 7

 1)Classical Architecture: The concept of this video was to express the importance of classic architecture on modern society as well as the effect it has had through history. We are to learn to appreciate how prevalent classical architecture was and continues to be in structures. 

Frank Gehry: Architecture as Art: For this video I learned about how important Frank Gehry is to bringing recognition to architecture as more than just buildings. Gerhy's works and structures are indeed art works and can evoke as many, if not more emotions as paintings can. Architecture can be aesthetically pleasing, practical in form and a work of art.

2) Classical Architecture: This video served to add more depth and reinforce the readings about classical architecture. It gave a history lesson on how in the country of Great Britain classical Roman and Greek architecture was and is still used through time, even when new styles emerged. The text tells us a lot about how classical architecture inspires so the video was relevant to this.

Frank Gehry: Architecture as Art: This video helped to elaborate on how buildings that house art are in fact art within themselves. In the text this was mentioned somewhat briefly and this video goes far into it and its connection to art, architecture and people.

3) Classical Architecture: This video really gave an in depth thought to how classical architecture is so important. It makes you appreciate and understand the importance of the Romans and Greeks.

Frank Gehry: Architecture as Art: This video was very lengthy, but still its length was necessary for the point it was conveying. It helped me to discover an architect that does unintentional innovative things within architecture. Gehry’s style is not meant to be outwardly attention seeking, yet it draws people in which is why it is true art.

4) Classical architecture: I picked this video because it seemed to be so important in the text that I wanted to learn and hear more about the classical style. I made a good choice as it seems classical architecture is the base for most past and present designs.

Frank Gehry: Architecture as Art: I chose this video because it seemed logical to me that architecture is an art form. I was curious as to the exact process of making architecture artistic so I watched and then learned from my viewing. 

Art making #3 Installation

A. What is installation art? Installation art is any art that takes up an entire space or room. It surrounds the viewer and makes them feel as if they are in the middle of the work of art. B. What materials are used installation art? Any materials are used in installation art. It is at the artist discretion. C. Why make installation art? To really develop your message or point you can use installation art or to just impress an audience. D. Which artist/installation did I find most interesting? Susan HIller stood out to me for a few reasons; one she has been doing installation art since the 1970's, two one of her works she literally had the audience surrounded by her installation which I found to be great and three one of her installations features video clips from movies, one of those movies being Matilda which was my favorite movie as a child. A. From the material reviewed, is there a inspiration piece that I feel a connection with? I didn't feel extremely or even partly connected with any of the installations we viewed. B. What theme do I want to explore in my installation? Refer to your textbook if you need to review Themes of Art. (chapter 3 in text) (Nature, Environment, Self, Mass Media, Consumerism, etc.) I want the theme of my work to be me and my personal self. An expression of where I am emotionally right now with confidence, peace and inner harmony. C. What materials will I use? I will be using samples of my writings, party decorations, clothing and even hair of my own. D. Where will this installation be located and why? My installation will be located in my bedroom because my bedroom is my sanctuary therefore it only makes sense that with the theme I put the art in this personal space. 4. Describe your installation. My installation features many elements and materials. the shape of the paper party decoration is no coincidence it is intentional. I meant for it to look as though the form is a smile as teeth are important to me. It holds a double meaning as I am also very happy in myself currently. 5. Analyze your installation. My installation is not overwhelming, it is actually small compared to most. I didn't realize what size I was making it until I actually began to make it and I think I made it that size on purpose because of the theme. I don't like things so big in my life and self in general so it only makes fitting sense that I created a smaller installation. 6. What are your thoughts on the planning and creation of a site specific installation? I thought it was a really fun project although a bit complex and somewhat inconvinent. I don't see myself doing this again of my own accord.

Module six

1) For Through the eyes of the Sculptor I saw how and why sculptors work. I saw that restoration takes not only a lot of time but some man power to make happen especially in dealing with marble stone. In Glass and Ceramics it shows in great detail the step by step process of how glass and ceramic materials are made. The Installation Art video gave a clear definition of what installation art is. Instillation art is art work that takes over a space or room and surrounds you.
2) Through The Eyes of the Sculptor revisited sculptures and restoration. Glass and Ceramics reiterated in steps the exact process of glass and ceramic making. Installation Art really gave a clear definition of what this art form really is and what its about.
3) I thought Through the eyes of the Sculptor got me to understand a little more of what goes into sculpting and how restoration really occures. Glass and ceramics was very droll and lengthy. It had a great deal of detail and was very factual however there was no real story therefore it was difficult to hold my attentions when watching it. Installation Art was the best of all three videos. It gave a clear definition on the art form, it was interesting and very new overall it helped me to understand a lot better about installation art, whereas the other videos sort of just repeated the text books.

Module six Reviewing peer response to artwork

1) http://elias0793.blogspot.com/
http://fai200.blogspot.com/
2)For both of these blogs I agreed mostly with their photos and the elements they picked to correspond with the photos. Although there were maybe two or three on Elias blog I felt didn't match up well, for example emphasis made little sense, but other than that both of these blogs were perfectly fine. Great job guys.
3) For Jason's blog we had one photo in common which was Inhabit. We had different interpretations of the photo yet I can totally see where he was coming from in his view. I really thought about it and appreciated reading a different perspective of a photo.
4) One of the photos on Elias blog called The Marvelous Sauce  was really interesting to me and I connected really well with it. I wish I had seen it myself live in person. I connected because it is obviously depicting an Italian duo tasting sauce and being Sicilian I can completely relate as I have been both chef and taste tester all my life in the kitchens of my family member as well as now my own kitchen.
5) I thought it was really nice to see what my peers have been writing on their own blogs about projects and assignments. I did get a little frustrated when things weren't clearly labeled  and found it annoying as well that some of the spelling on the blogs was very poor. It was a good experience over all though.
6) I thought all of the opinions on my first photo bucket project were valid. I can see how I made some mistakes in the photos, although I didn't intentionally do so! I really appreciated my peers input, especially when they went into details on why they thought a certain thing was wrong, right or interesting. Elias really was helpful in the comments made because they were so lengthy, the other comments were really nice just not exactly helpful, just complementary and agreeable.

Art Gallery Visit 1

A) Janine Antoni’s 2009 work ‘Inhabit’ which was a digital color print was definitely one that left an impression on me. I thought it was really cool how the artist was able to feature herself in the photograph. The message to me was clear yet unclear. It was simple, yet it was so simple it made me think there must have been another hidden meaning I was missing out on. Donald Judds ‘Untitled’ which was a 1969 work done with Iron and Plexiglas, was a really great work of art as well. When I first saw this work I thought the orange light was actually from a light but a closer glance revealed it was actually the way the natural lighting was reflecting off of the Plexiglas. B) Wessily Kandinsky’s 1913 oil on canvas painting ‘Fragment 2 for composition VII’ made me feel some type of way. It screamed out turmoil and chaos and I almost couldn’t handle the connection I felt to this piece. It was so bold in color, so loud in form and it made me feel connected in the emotions that seemed to be present in the work. It was scary in a way and provoked raw terror and anger in me at the moment. While that piece had me emotionally wrecked for a few moments Jennifer Stankamp’s 1993 computer installation ‘Untitled’ had a very calming effect on me. I connected with the colors and the way in which the work was moving made me feel calmed and peaceful which I often look for when I am particularly stressed and or under pressures. I loved it and felt very satisfied with the work. C) ‘The final veteran’ (1960, oil on canvas) by Larry Rivers was a work that left me questioning. I wanted to know why the artist created the work, and who inspired it and what it was created for. The painting was aggravatingly vague that in a way it left me dissatisfied. Another work that left me wondering was Ken Price’s ‘The Sea of Sin’ (1961, Tempera, terra cotta in wood and glass box). It was such a small work of art with such a powerful title that I felt wasn’t emphasized or explained enough. That title along with why the work was so meek has been having me pondering for days.

Logo Project

1) I had a lot of good fun creating my logo. It was a slight challenge at first to come up with what I wanted the logo to look like. After I got it going however it was a blast.
2)I had to take some time to think about my logo. I had to think what I wanted it to say about me as a person. I wanted to convey the right message efficiently. I used colors that have had personal meaning as well as colors that would be aesthetically pleasing to a viewer.
3) I realized during the creation of my logo that it isn't very simple to create a logo. A lot of thought goes into the creation and it isn't just as simple as a quick sketch. I discovered that I have more layers to myself than could possibly fit into one work of art or logo.
4) I didn't think about how when creating  a logo you need to take into consideration the places where the logo is going to be. The material that the logo is going to be printed on is vital. The video 'What is a Logo' was what got me thinking of this aspect of logo creation. In the powerpoint I learned about Emblems and I thought it was interesting that emblems mainly show up on flags and clothing. I enjoyed the slide that said "a good logo is like setting the foundation stone for a good brand career" and i completely agree. After all who could take a company with a logo of for example, a cartoon smoking, as a serious business?

Module 4 art project 1

1) There was something tranquil about creating the Value scale and Color wheel. It gave me a minuet to sit and focus on one project and sort of made me relax in an odd way, regardless that it was an assignment. 2) I enjoyed working with pencil the best. The paint became semi-bothersome after a while but with the pencil you were just shading and it was fairly simple. 3) The most important discovery was how difficult it actually was to create colors of the true primary colors. I had to really get the levels of each primary color right in order to create the proper effect and it became frustrating at one point even. 4) Obviously the most important thing I learned in watching the videos was that the real primary colors are yellow, cyan and magenta. Growing up you are told red, yellow and blue are the primary colors so imagine my surprise as an adult finding out that all of my elementary art teachers were wrong! I liked these videos, they were fun, short and easy to watch and very much helpful as well as informative.

Photo Bucket Assignment

For this project I used an eclectic array of photographs from various recent special occasions and spots. The camera I used was a digital camera that I borrowed from a friend. I used different angels and various amounts of lighting which all depended on the type of photo I was trying to take. For the photo "Texture" I wanted to really show how the hair was curled and wild, I wanted the face to be the secondary focal point with the hair as the main piece and I picked a lighting that would accentuate the hairs texture and take away from the face so as not to distract the viewer. The photo "Lines" was of a butterfly bush which had many different crossing lines that were actually the branches. It so happened as I was taking the shot that a butterfly landed on the plant. However I don't feel the element of the lines was taken away by the appearance of the butterfly, although it was a secondary focus almost.

module 3 blog

1) Color is the pigments used in a work of art. It was said that bold colors can be used to show a stronger emotion. Color effects the way someone views a work of art. Take a painting of the sky for example: using light pinks and yellows this photo can be thought of as beautiful and picturesque, using dark reds and blacks it can become angry and haunting.
2) Using color alone to evoke feeling is very interesting to me. Many psychological studies have been done to decipher how and what colors effect peoples emotions and attitudes. It makes me feel as if an artist has to become psychoanalytical while painting and I quiet like this concept.
3) What impacted me most in the video Color was Van Goah's idea that you can express a strong emotion by using bold colors. this was put into play in Mark Rofco's work of art that used only deep shades of reds and maroons to show a hatred for a restaurant.
4)What impacted me most in the video Feelings: Emotions and Art was Goya's "The Black Paintings". I thought it was so intriguing how he created such grotesque works of art as a protest and the coloring he used was so horrifyingly beautiful that I cannot escape them. It really did make me feel as if I were in one of his very own nightmares.

Video Review Module 2

1) Key concepts:
The concepts I learned from the video Aesthetics: Philosophy of the Arts were that there are many different philosophies about beauty and different definitions and thoughts on beauty in artwork. The video started with the 5th century Plato ("There is beauty by which all things are beautiful") and went as far as discussing the views of Kant (18th century) and Hegel. The main theme of this video was that beauty is a feeling that is brought on by a visual stimulation. The concepts I learned from the video CARTA: Neurobiology Neurology and Art and Aesthetics were all about the technical workings of our brains and visual pathways. It discussed and taught about all of the scientific ways that we perceive artwork and beauty in the arts and uncovered that our urge to create and observe art goes back to primitive man.
2) The philosopher whose theory I feel was most important to the aesthetic theory was 5th century Plato. Just something about what he said "what is beautiful in itself is not this object or that one, but that which conveys their own nature." I interpreted this to mean that beauty does not have a set rule, and you can not compare to things and ask which is more beautiful, rather beauty is something just being itself and not trying to mask it in something it shouldn't be in, not trying to take away its raw form. Plato  brought about the idea that everything can be seen in some light by some person as beautiful, nothing is unappealing. What a magnificent and lovely sentiment, and how elated I was to discover in the video that he inspired Aristotle to think of his very own ideas on beauty and aesthetics.
3) Changeux and Ramachandran
I felt that the views of these two speakers was only somewhat necessary and relevant to our lessons. While it may be interesting to some and it was most definitely relivant, I wasn't too intrigued by the scientific aspect of the videos. The most interesting fact from Changeux was that art is in constant evolution. This was a completely vailid and truthful statement. Art is ever changing and new artist generally bring new ideas, creations and perspectives to the world of art. The most interesting thing from Ramachandran was him saying that "artist create images that hyper stimulate each individual area of vision." I liked that he shed a light on this and it made me think and realize how much sense this makes. When he showed the audience the diagram of the head with the little man and explained that our visual interpretation is not simply that and made us aware of how vision works I was simply impressed.
4)The texts covered the areas of creativity, reasons why art is created, aesthetics, philosophy of these terms among many other things. The videos to me served as back up for the text, to reinforce the lessons of the chapters as well as to delve deeper and explain more thoroughly. The film Aesthetics: Philosophy of the Arts served its purpose by providing us more with the philosophies of what artwork and beauty could be. The film CARTA: Neurobiology, Neurology and Art and Aesthetics  was meant to illustrate to us what goes on in our brains when we experience artwork and beauty. This was a technical explanation of philosophical subject matter.

First post for AED

1) The process of creating a Gmail account was not very difficult as I have had some prior experience with it before. The Blog however is somewhat new to me as I have never been on Blogger.com.
2)I expect to learn all about art from this course and I am very excited to find out whats in store for me!
3) I feel excited and nervous to be taking an online course as it is my first online course at buffalo state. I hope to do well and believe I can achieve my goals so long as I stay in tuned to the class schedule and ANGEL.

Hello

Hello this is my first ever post!