Art Making/Material Exploration: Exploring Line

1. What was it like using your hand as subject matter for a drawing?

 

I always find drawing hands to be a challenge, and have actually never drawn my own. I definitely think I should practice more!

 

2. What media did you select - pencil or charcoal? Why?

 

I selected charcoal because I prefer to paint with soft pastels, and the soft charcoal pencil I used had a similar consistency.

 

3. How did it feel to create a drawing with your non-dominant hand?

It was so uncomfortable to draw with my non-dominant hand. I imagine the feeling I had must be similar to what small children, learning to write their name for the first time, must experience. I also think that the awkward, frustrating feeling I had must be similar to what someone  going to physical therapy for a stroke must feel; it's the feeling of learning something you know all over again.

 4. Compare and contrast your final drawings. Do you think they are successful studies?

 

My dominant hand drawing is so much better than my non-dominant hand drawing. It is so glaringly obvious which one is done with my right hand (dominant) that the captions I wrote for each one are almost unnecessary.

 

5. Would you consider using your non-dominant hand to create artwork in the future?

 

I don't think I would consider using my non-dominant hand to create artwork in the future unless I had invested many hours of practice. It is just too frustrating, and I feel as though I can better express myself with my dominant right hand.

Dominant Hand Drawing versus Non-Dominant Hand Drawing, charcoal on paper

Video Reviews: Albrecht Dürer: Image of a Master & The Power of Art: Caravaggio

Video One: Albrecht Dürer: Image of a Master

 

Northern Renaissance master, Albrecht Dürer, has always been one of my favorite artists. Although more well-know for his prints, I especially enjoy his oil paintings and drawings. He relied on the income that the prints gave him, for example, because he could make hundreds of images to sell from a single wood block. He created a number of self-portraits, which some consider to be a sign of narcissism. I choose to believe that his self-portraits were more of 'self-refeflection' and that he wanted to capture his image at different stages of his life.

Self-Portrait at Twenty-Eight Years Old Wearing a Coat with Fur Collar, oil on wood panel, 1500

 Dürer was a child prodigy. His father, who was a goldsmith, recognized his artistic talents and apprenticed him to a local painter. It was interesting to learn that Dürer was both a contemporary and friend of Martin Luther, an important figure in the Protestant Reformation of the Catholic Church. Martin Luther sought to reform religion, while Albrecht Dürer "...dragged art out of the Middle Ages". Co-incidentally, I attend a Presbyterian church, and this Sunday we are celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.

Dürer traveled extensively through Europe, and many new ideas were opened up to him from the Italian Renaissance. After one of his trip to Italy he discovered the appeal of landscapes and even noted as the first true landscape artist in Europe. His portraits are unique in that they are truthful and not idealized. His paintings of individuals did not glamorize them or dismiss their flaws, and were often ruthless in their honesty. I especially love to paint portraits, and also prefer not to 'air brush' flaws, I feel that our strengths and weakness are what makes us individuals and shouldn't be overlooked.

While our text indicates that Dürer's arranged marriage was childless and not a happy union, the film indicates that his wife Agnes did a lot behind the scenes to help and promote her husband. The film even showed a sketch he had created of his wife. My feeling is that Dürer was most likely an artist whose craft was all-consuming, and he most likely had little interest in anything else. He traveled extensively for his art, and it is never mentioned whether Agnes accompanied him, but I would assume that she stayed home.

The video was excellent, I learned new things about Dürer that I had never known before, I especially enjoyed learning that he loved to paint hands. I find hands the most difficult thing to draw or paint properly, and this also fits in with our assignment this week to draw two versions of our hands, one using our right hand to draw our left, the other using our left hand to draw our right. I only wish the video had been a little longer because their are so many more questions that I have about Albrecht Dürer!

 Video Two: The Power of Art: Caravaggio

 

Caravaggio is another favorite artist of mine, and I have been fortunate enough to see some of his works in person during my travels as a student in the Siena Program, as well as during a return trip to Italy in 1999. To stand in front of one of his paintings is an unparalleled experience. The intensely lit subject matter, powerful compositions, and beautifully rendered flesh-tones just cannot be properly duplicated in a photograph.

We know quite a lot about Caravaggio’s turbulent life as much through his painting commissions as we do through court papers documenting the many times he was in trouble with the law. Caravaggio became increasingly violent and out of control after the St. Matthew paintings commissioned by Cardinal del Monte. With the rise of his popularity and success as an artist, his personal life spun even more out of control, with many well-documented run-ins with the law. 

 

He chose ordinary people to be the models for his religious paintings, even to the point where he included the flaws of their humanity – soiled feet, dirty fingernails. Some felt this made it easier for the masses to relate to Christianity, while other patrons were deeply offended by the stark reality of Caravaggio’s depictions. Northern Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer also painted portraits that included the flaws of peoples humanity. This is something that I actually prefer, particularly when it comes to religious figures. It reminds us that Christ first lived a human life, and to see Jesus, as well as other religious figures, as everyday people, helps to make the Bible more 'real'.

 

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, oil on canvas. 1601-1602

 

Did his amazing talent thrive not in spite of, but because of his violent, reckless behavior and deviant nature? And were his glorious paintings of Christian Saints his way of atoning for his life as a self-proclaimed sinner? These are questions that I have about Caravaggio. Also, why was no mention made of the term ‘Chiaroscurro’ in this video? Caravaggio was celebrated for the use of dramatic lights and darks in his paintings, and the technique of light/dark (chiara/scurro in Italian) is almost always discussed when looking at Caravaggio’s body of work.

While the film left me with some questions, it is always exciting to see the story of an artist recreated by actors. With the absence of traveling through time, some of the best ways to learn about an artist includes seeing their work, reading treatises or biographies that may have been written during their lifetime, or watching well-researched documentaries such as The Power of Art: Caravaggio.

Video Reviews: More Human Than Human & Cataclysm: The Black Death Visits Tuscany

Video 1: More Human Than Human

Looking as far back as 100,000 years in history, the human form has obsessed artists. What is interesting is that people rarely create realistic images of the body. 

In 1908 in Austria, along the Danube River, an excavator in Willendorf unearthed a 25,000 year old carved, limestone, figurine. The 4" sculpture had grossly exaggerated breasts, hips, and female private parts, yet the arms were just barely indicated, resting on the huge breasts, and instead of facial features there is an elaborate hairstyle. Many similar 'Venus' figurines have been found throughout Europe, leading historians to believe that the small, exaggerated, female figures were deliberately created this way.

Venus of Willendorf

Neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran posits that since our ancestors were hunters/gatherers, their existence and survival was difficult, therefore fatness and fertility, as seen in the Venus of Willendorf, would have been desirable characteristics. Ramachandran also quoted a study done on herring seagulls; the chicks were attracted to their mother's red-striped beak, but when a stick with a red stripe was offered, they had the same response. When a stick with three red stripes was shown to the chicks, they became even more excited. It made sense then to think that perhaps humans were also interested and excited by the exaggerated likenesses of the human body.

Climate changes forced nomadic tribes from far and wide to settle, and they chose to settle along the Nile River in Egypt. By 5,000 B.C. Egypt was a completely settled society; they were able to create a stable agricultural existence, an organized government, and a strict hierarchy among the social classes. The were also the first settled humans to use the human body extensively in art. Unlike the Venus of Willendorf, the figures were not grossly exaggerated, but they were still not realistic. For 3,000 years, Egyptian artists portrayed figures the same way, and they did this using a grid system.

Greek sculptor Polyclitus, was the first artist who wanted to show the physical potential of the body. He did this by dividing the body into different planes, and each plane was slightly tilted, giving the body slight twists and turns, as if ready to spring into action. The ancient Greeks were the first civilization capable of realism, yet they still had the instinct to 'exaggerate.'

This film was excellent, it made me think of art and portrayal of the human body in art in a whole new way. I had always, naively, assumed that the Venus of Willendorf was the clumsy work of an artist trying to create a fertility statuette. The ending of the film was so fascinating; for the Italian man who went spear fishing to stumble upon two amazing bronze statues is almost unbelievable! These two sculptures were also exaggerated, they were completely idealized examples of a mens bodies, they were 'more human than human.'

Video 2: Cataclysm: The Black Death Visits Tuscany

 

I chose to watch the video on the Black Death Visits Tuscany for two reasons. When I was working on my Art History BFA in the early 1990's I spent a semester living and studying in Siena, Italy, as part of Buffalo State College's Siena Program. I also have a morbid fascination with the Bubonic plague and the effects it has had on art and architecture. I have also read Bocaccio's Decameron, as well as Daniel DeFoe's Journal of the Plague Year. 

At the time of the Black Death, both Florence and Siena were richer and safer than they had ever been before. The first decade of the 1300's saw an explosion in the number of cathedrals, hospitals, public squares (such as Siena's Piazza del Campo), houses, as well as an increase in the number of paintings, sculptures, and works of literature. For the first time in centuries there was peace between rival city-states Florence and Siena. In 1260 Siena built it's landmark cathedral, and by 1337 they began an expansion of the cathedral due to the increase in the city's population.

The Plague began in China in the 1330's and was spread by the fleas on rats. By the time the illness reached Tuscany, people were already in a weakened state from bad crops leaving food scarce for the growing population. By the spring and summer of 1348 one third to one half of the populations were dead. To this day the wall that was to be part of the cathedral expansion in Siena still stands, unfinished. I have climbed to the top of that wall, and it is the most amazing view of the city, almost as good as the view from the Torre della Mangia.

The Center of Siena, Piazza del Campo

After the plague had finally subsided, people tried to understand what caused it and how could the cure it and prevent it from returning. I never realized that there was anti-Semitism going on at this time, but the film described how people believed that Jews had poisoned the public wells (the Jews drank from natural springs) in a conspiracy to kill Christians.

The Bubonic plague certainly affected the arts. Ambroggio Lorenzetti, a talented Senese artist, passed away from the plague. Artists who did survive had a new mindset. No longer were they painting a kind and loving Jesus, instead they were portraying a vengeful Old Testament God, angry at his people. Doubting Thomas also become a popular subject and also the depiction of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, Siena

This film was also very well-done, and I learned some interesting facts that I had never heard before. Towards the end of the film they showed the progress of art that was beginning to happen after the plague. Artist Giotto was the first to create actual space for his figures, and they had real bodies and real expressions. I have been to the Scrovegni Chapel and seen his frescoes, they are remarkable. And Masaccio was the first to show one-point perspective in his painting in the Santa Maria Novella in Florence. Both of these artists were paving the way for the coming Renaissance.

Video Reviews

Video 1. Architecture: The Science of Design

1. For this video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

 

The  most popular and most versatile material in architecture is concrete. Concrete was first used in  antiquity and can be seen in structures that are still standing. The ancient Roman aqueduct, the Pont du Gard, in Southern France and was built sometime between 40-60 AD. Another example is the Pantheon in Rome, Italy, which was constructed in concrete between 113–125 AD. The concrete used during the Roman Empire consisted of sand, pebbles, broken stone and cement.

Pont du Gard, Roman aqueduct built in France between 40-60 AD

Pantheon, built between113-125 AD in Rome, Italy

Today, as the world's population continues to increase and living space (particularly in large cities) decreases, architects are starting to build up. When new materials were discovered in the 20th century, such as reinforced concrete and steel, architects began to build upwards in the form of skyscrapers. To design a base for a secure skyscraper, either a deep substructure, some which go almost 200 feet below ground, is created. Or, a big platform base is made. For each skyscraper built, the architect needs to keep both the dead weight (i.e. steel) and living weight (people, furniture) into consideration, and there are strict guidelines for how much 'sway' or movement is allowed to happen to the building.
  

2. How does this video relate to the readings in the text?

 

The video mentions early concrete structures that I've pictured above, the Pont du Gard aqueduct in Southern France and the Pantheon in Italy. The text, however, includes more examples, details, and line diagrams. A diagram pictured next to a photo of the interior or exterior of a building helps one understand how the architects were able to bring their designs to life. It is incredible to see the finished interior and exterior of important architectural spaces. When you see the cross-section of a buildings frame in black and white, you have a deeper understanding of the science and mathematics that were required to make these works that have stood the test of time. Today, architects are able to use computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) to help them create a building that meets all of the structural needs of their clients. And with the development of even more sophisticated building materials, such as reinforced and pre-stressed concrete, buildings are becoming lighter and architects are able to create even more daring forms.

3. What is your opinion of the film? How does it add depth to the understanding of Architecture?

 

The video was a bit dated, for instance the end focused on the advent of 'smart apartments'.  The 'smart apartment' has a computer that controls everything in the house. You are able to either pre-program different sections of your home, or sensors are triggered as you move through your home; for instance a light will turn on when you enter a room, or the vacuum will automatically turn off when the phone rings. The problem, however, according to the video, was how expensive this sort of system would be for the average home-owner. Smart homes are actually becoming more and more affordable. For example, it is possible to set up cameras throughout your home and monitor it from your smartphone or the internet, and you can remotely control your door locks and garage door. I live in an older home, but even I have a programmable thermostat to control the temperature in my living space.

 4. Why did you choose the film that you watched?

 

I chose this film because I assumed, correctly, that it would give me a good, general introduction to architecture and the science behind it. It was interesting to see how architects used models of buildings in wind tunnels to simulate a real-life setting, they were able to test how sturdy their designs would be before they began construction. I found the information about Portland cement interesting. Discovered in 1824, this revolutionary cement formula was made by mixing limestone, silica, aluminate, and iron, which created clinker. The clinker was then ground with gypsum and resulted in an even stronger cement mixture.

Video 2. Frank Gehry: Architecture as Art

1. For this video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

 

I learned that Frank Gehry is a modern architect who interested in designing innovative structures. He states that he doesn't like to repeat himself, and therefore responds differently to each situation. He is "(F)ascinated by the idea of movement in architecture." He studied art and architecture at the University of Southern California, and upon receiving his degree he began residencies with several prominent architects in Southern California. Gehry strives to create buildings that have feeling, he wants people to have an emotional response when they see one of his structures. He also takes advantage of digital technology and fabrication, which helps bring the complex curving shapes he sketches to life. All of his buildings have an artistic aesthetic, the structures are not only work or living spaces, the are also art and sculpture. Frank Gehry has broken with the past, yet his amazing buildings would not be able to stand if the past hadn't developed lighter, stronger, and more flexible materials. The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, in Bilbao, Spain, is one the highlights of his career. His aesthetic is fully realized in Bilbao; there is a lot of natural light, he willingly experimented with new materials, and he created a harmony between the building with the people who visit. Sadly, Gehry claims that in the post 9-11 world, there is no room for the skyscrapers that dominated the skylines of the 20th century.

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Bilbao, Spain. 1997

 
 
2. How does this video relate to the readings in the text?



The text has a number of paragraphs about Frank Gehry under the heading 'Digital Design and Fabrication.' He was one of the first architects to take advantage of digital design and manufacturing. After developing an interest in complex curving forms which he would first sketch out, he had a hard time translating his sketches to something the contractors could understand. While these ideas were in the film, there was no mention of CATIA, the three dimensional modeling program used by the aerospace engineers in France. Gehry was able to use this program to scan his designs and then translate them into a three dimensional model. The text gives Gehry's work even more depth when you read about the architects and buildings that came before him; his work would not exist without the knowledge, materials and designs of architecure from the past.



3. What is your opinion of the film? How does it add depth to the understanding of 
Architecture?


Like the film Architecture: The Science of Design, the Frank Gehry film is dated. His most famous building, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was designed 20 years ago. Yet it was still interesting and informative; there were many interviews from his contemporaries, as well as many interviews with Gehry himself. A great number of the artists or architects we study are no longer living, so it is refreshing to actually hear Gehry, in his own words, describe his aesthetics, ideas, dreams, and inspirations.

 4. Why did you choose the film that you watched?

My brother-in-law is the Medical Director at the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis and Staff Neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. He and my sister traveled with my husband and I to Las Vegas in 2012, and my brother-in-law scheduled a few meetings with doctors there. The Cleveland Clinic, Las Vegas building was like nothing I've ever seen before! Hospitals bring to mind very sterile, plain, utilitarian buildings. The Cleveland Clinic in Las Vegas was a work of art! I couldn't even imagine what the interior space must look like. It reminded me of a Salvador Dali painting, the building appeared to be sliding and melting in the hot dry heat of Nevada. I spoke with my brother-in-law after watching this video and learning more about Frank Gehry, and he promised that on our next trip out west, he will give me private tour of the clinic - I can't wait!

Cleveland Clinic Las Vegas, Nevada. 2010

Video Reviews & How They Relate to the Text: Chapters 11 & 12 - Living With Art by Mark Getlein, 11th Edition

1. For each video, discuss/list the key concepts that you learned.

      Video: Through the Eyes of a Sculptor

This video followed French sculptor Emmanuel Fillion, who grew up in a village in France that is surrounded by a limestone quarry. At the age of 15 he received a scholarship to study carving and eventually worked as a restoration artist for buildings. Restoring the figure sculptures at Notre Dame Cathedral inspired him to make the move from skilled craftsman to fine artist. The video explains that a restorer has specific geometric shapes or plans to follow, a sculptor uses 'feelings'. As a sculptor, Fillion understands that there are many things to be taken into consideration; for instance where will the sculpture be? Outside or inside? I learned that there are many steps to be taken before a sculpture is complete. First the artist visualizes the work, then he (or she) draws it, then it is sculpted in clay and cast in plaster, and finally, the perfect piece of marble is selected, in Fillion's case from the marble quarry in Pietrasanta, Italy. The last step of course is the finished marble sculpture, and there is no room for error. Fillion is the head of a highly specialized team of "artigiano" craftsmen, it is akin to an orchestra and he is the conductor, leading the group until the completion of a project. My third cousin and his family lived in Torino, Italy for a year. He took a two-week marble sculpting workshop in Carrara. Below is the sculpture he created.

Marble Buffalo

 

      Video: Glass and Ceramics

Glass is a versatile medium that can used to create functional objects as well as artistic objects; some glass pieces are both beautiful and functional. Made from sand that is heated to temperatures up to 1500° C., glass is a viscous liquid that hardens when cooled. Traditionally, glass is made from a silicate + flux, which helps with fusion (the flux can be soda, potash, limestone or oyster shells) and then heat is added to create a malleable substance that can be shaped at will. A glass artist often uses a long hollow rod, dips it into the viscous glass, then blows into the rod while turning it at the same time. They would then use wet newspaper or a 'marver' to shape it. I once visited the Corning Glass Museum and was able to blow my own glass ornament. One of the glass artists helped by rotating the rod while I blew air into it, and then they clipped it off the rod and created a glass loop so I could hang it up. It was an amazing experience, and it was not easy to do!

While the art of glass making is ancient, first came ceramics. But unlike clay, which is what ceramics are made from, glass never changes chemically. Clay, which comes from the earth, is the raw material used in ceramics. The sculptor or craftsman shapes the clay with their hands or using a potters wheel. The work created needs to air-dry before it is put into a kiln (which reaches high temperatures). The heating of the dried clay changes it's chemical structure; once it has been fired in the kiln it can no longer be changed back to soft clay. The raw materials, used as well as the temperature used, is what determines the quality of ceramics; the higher the temperature, the finer the finished china.

2. How do the videos relate to the readings in the text?

The videos were both informative. I preferred Through the Eyes of the Sculptor, which took me on a fascinating visual journey of the career of sculptor Emmanuel Fillion. It showed the process, from the beginning when he picked the perfect slab of marble at the quarry, to the finished figure in it's final home in the purchaser's landscaping. Chapters 11 and 12 gave so many examples of different sculpting techniques and mediums, such as wood, marble, ivory, stone, metal, fabric and light. Artists of today can turn almost anything into a sculpture. One thing I've noticed about this book, in general, is that the examples depicted are not exclusively from a Western point of view. There are many examples of Asian, African, Middle Eastern and South American art. Most cultures borrow ideas and techniques from one another, so it's important to see what the entire world has created or is creating, not just what Western Europe is creating. Both videos bring the text we read to life, but give us only a part of the picture. The book explains in depth the variety of techniques that artists have to work from, and offer so many beautiful examples.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to the understanding of the topics: Sculpture, Installation and Craft?

 

I thought both films were excellent, but as I mentioned previously, I preferred Through the Eyes of the Sculptor. I have seen, in person, Michelangelo's David in Florence. It was so interesting to hear in the video that Michelangelo would select the perfect piece of marble, and through his carving he merely 'released' the form that was already trapped within it. Both videos added depth to the understanding of the topics we read; it is one thing to read about techniques and imagine in your mind how they were done, but the videos bring the pages to life. The videos and readings complement each other. I actually watched the videos first, so when I turned to the text and read the two chapters I could see in my minds-eye what the reading described in words. I was, however, disappointed that there was no mention of glass artist Dale Chihuly. I am a big fan of his work, and had the opportunity last winter to visit the Morean Arts Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, which features a collection of Chihuly's work. http://www.moreanartscenter.org/

Below are some of my favorite pictures from this exhibition. Dale Chihuly, in my opinion, takes the art of glass to a whole new level. He is a true innovator, and has a whole team of artisans who help him realize his visions.

 

 

 

 

Reviewing Peer Response to Artwork

Review of Christopher Sanon's Blog

Project #1

http://sanonsart.blogspot.com/2017/09/width480-height360-srchttps32.html

The images in Christopher's Blog posting from Project #1 as a whole, were very well done. I particularly like how he used self-portraits to represent many of the Elements of Art and Principles of Design, for example image 2/14 is a black & white photo of Christopher representing 'Value'. I wish I had thought of incorporating myself or my family members in my photos! Photographing a sign with different colored fonts, emphasizing certain words, to represent 'Emphasis', image 10/14, was another excellent and unique representation. Christopher is obviously a confidant and innovative photographer, and I appreciate seeing how another student approaches the same project that I worked on. The only thing I would have done differently, and it's very minor, for image 7/14 which represents 'Space', I would have slightly adjusted the photo so all of the paintings were level. I would like to read what Christopher's thought process was for Project #1, but I only see a posting with his link to Photobucket, there wasn't a 'reflection journal' connected to this Blog post.

Project #2

Images from the Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling

http://sanonsart.blogspot.com/2017/09/blog-post.html 

I have never been to the Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling, but after seeing Christopher's images on his Blog, I am definitely intrigued and would love to visit with my children when we travel to NYC with them, someday in the future. Christopher is a talented photographer, and I believe all the images were taken by him. My Blog was about my visit to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and although I took my DSLR camera, I found that the images on the gallery's website looked much better than mine, so I used those. It's great to get children (and adults!) to visit an art gallery when they are young. There is a misconception that art galleries are only to be 'quietly' enjoyed by upper middle class educated adults, but this is not true. Art is for EVERYONE of all ages, genders, classes and ethnicity. Seeing the often colorful, conversation-provoking images that Christopher has selected, it is easy to see that this artwork is for all to enjoy.

Response and Reflections on Artwork at the

Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling

http://sanonsart.blogspot.com/2017/09/a.html

Christopher's responses and reflections on the artwork he chose to showcase from the Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling are insightful and well thought-out. He even had a chance to speak with on of the artist's whose work he admired, which added to the insight he gained about the art on display. Christopher is passionate about art for children, the one piece he chose to reflect on has colored chalk available for kids so their drawings and doodles could be part of the installation. I visited the Albright-Knox Art Gallery with my daughter's Kindergarten class several years ago, I was a chaperone. I had to repeat myself over and over tho the kids to back away from the artwork and to keep their hands to themselves. It's nice to see a gallery that embraces a child's natural curiosity to 'get close' and touch something that interests them. There should be more galleries that, if not the entire gallery, but at least a room, is dedicated to children, a room where they can get their hands on the art!

Review of Robin Powers' Blog

Project #1

http://ourbiochemicalperceptionsofart.blogspot.com/2017/09/project-1-elements-and-principles.html

I love that Robin has chosen to use all of her own artwork to showcase the Visual Elements of Art and the Principles of Design. It not only gave her a chance to 'self-analyze', it also gives the rest of us a glimpse of her unique artistic style. I agree that Photobucket has way too many ads, but it is my understanding that if you upgrade to a paid account the ads disappear. There are 21 images in Robin's slide show, we only needed to showcase the 7 Visual Elements of Art and 7 Principles of Design, and some were duplicates. None were labeled with which 'Element' or 'Principle' they are meant to represent. This is confusing because oftentimes an image can represent more than one 'Element' or 'Principle'.  An easy remedy would be to just go back to Photobucket, delete extra image copies, and add titles for clarification. I am confident that Robin understands the different 'Elements' and 'Principles' from what I read in her reflection journal, and it's so nice to see her use her work as examples!

Project #2

Images from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery

https://ourbiochemicalperceptionsofart.blogspot.com/2017/09/project-one-visit-to-albright-knox.html

For Project #2, (Robing mistakenly called this Project #1 on her Blog) one of the works we both chose was Victor Vasarely's painting Vega-Nor, oil on canvas, 78 3/4" x 78 3/4", 1969. I'm sure that many are drawn to that work for the same reasons that Robin and I were; it is extremely large and creates an incredible optical illusion. The installation piece that she chose by Dan Flavon, Untitled (to Donna) 6 , blue pink and yellow fluorescent lights, 1971 is a simple design, but the use of colored lights gives the empty space an illusion of depth - I don't remember seeing this work when I visited the gallery, but I wish I had! Robin seems to have a special interest, like many of us do, in the Shark Girl series of works by Casey Riordan Miller. She relates to these works in her reflections on a deeply personal level. I have to applaud Robin for taking her own pictures; I did also but was unhappy with the results (without my flash) so I chose to use the images from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

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It's been great to read the comments on my Blog so far; Riley Thomas appreciated the time and effort I took in 'staging' the images for Project #1. It actually took me a long time to create the uniform look I was after - I cropped each photo to be the same size, and I carefully labeled everything, and my finished result seems to be appreciated! Lindsay Kotas understands my point of view regarding Mark Rothko's work Orange and Yellow, oil on canvas, 91" x 71", 1956. Despite the simple technique, color palette and composition, it still has merit in that it invokes a feeling or an emotion from the viewer. Since this is an on-line class we don't sit in a room twice a week and 'get to know' one another. In this class our Blog and our discussions are the 'face' we present to our instructor and to our classmates. It is so important to express our ideas and thoughts succinctly, and also to proof-read before we publish. I have a tendency to read what I write over and over and over; I still make mistakes, but I know that I have taken the time to do my best to get things down correctly. It's enjoyable to see how other classmates have set up their Blogs, it gives me ideas on what I can improve upon, and it also makes me see the perspective of someone else's point of view.