Final Project

This was my original final project for my 2-D class for the fall of 2006. To be completely honest, it is not my best work and I am not happy with how it turned out. The vision I had in my head did not come out how I wanted it to. Luckily, my professor is giving us 5 more days to revise.

Since I have extra days, I have the chance to regain my dignity. As I was working on this project I became very frustrated. I had an idea but nothing was working. I am going to come up with a whole new idea.

The idea I am playing around with right now deals with photography. I want to take a picture and manipulate different parts of my body to show how I try to change myself and what I am to fit in with everyone else. Then I want to somehow incorporate the rose into that. I want to somehow put the rose over top of my body because ultimately that is what I am trying to be like. In my original idea, the drips were suppose to represent me turning into the rose. It was to show that I was trying to be like the rose, because everyone likes the rose and I want everyone to like me. I just want to fit in my first year of college.

I hope to really push myself with this revision. I know that I became very frustrated with this final project and it nothing was working. I hope in this next few days I can make something that at least I will be happy with and can show that I have improved as an artist.

Image Essay #15

This is a art work done by Andy Warhol. It deals a lot with color. For our final project of the semester we had to do many test color schemes to see which one worked best for our idea. I thought it would be a good idea to do some of my research on here as well.

Andy Warhol has many pieces that deal with color. This piece of work is no different. Warhol uses many bright colors to create this intriguing piece of art work. In each block, he uses different colors to manipulate the color of Marilyn Monroe's face.

By using so many different colors and techniques, it keeps the viewer engaged for just a bit longer because there is so much to look at and it is very intriguing. The artist also does a good job of using the colors wisely. He does not just use one color for each block. He mixes the colors and creates a different composition for each picture.

Warhol takes a risk by making the subject matters face a different color than the typical skin color. By changing the color of her skin, it creates a whole new meaning of the subject matter. In my opinion, the risk taken by the artist pays off and makes the work its own.

Image Essay #14

The last project has been dealing a lot with color and we have the opportunity to pick what color scheme we would like to use. There are many different color schemes that can be used. In this painting by Genice Grace uses a monochromatic color scheme.

Monochromatic is a color scheme limited to variations of one hue, a hue with its tints and/or shades. In this painting, the artist uses different shades and tints of the color purple.

The artist uses blacks and whites to manipulate the color purples. The artist adds just the slightest amount of pure white and/or black to change the color to add many different values of the main color. By adding many variations in color it makes the viewer stare at it longer but they wonder how the artist got so many different variations.

While having to worry about using different values of the color, the color they chose to use is very important. The position of the woman is very sensual and calm. It would not make sense for the artist to use a fiery red or intense yellow. The color that is used in the monochromatic painting needs to relate and make sense towards the subject matters involved in the picture. They have to coincide with one another. Everything has to go hand and hand with the painting to be a success.

Image Essay #13

In the latest lecture we had, we a lot of examples of great use of color. We also were introduced to the different color schemes. This painting is by Eric Fischl. He has many painting and is great example of color.

This piece uses complimentary colors plus one. For the majority of the painting, it consists of yellows and blues/violets. There is also the hint of green in the man's sheet. There is also some shades of dark brown and orange in the floor.

Also in this painting, the artists takes into consideration the light coming through the window. This changes the way the colors are. Now there are streaks of light that make the colors lighter in some areas than others. He also shows this is the skin tones of the two men. The man in the background has a mostly light skin color because he is fully engulfed in the light. However, the man in the foreground is not because he is not close to the window and plus he is covered up with a sheet. This also causes shadows on his body.

Eric Fischl has many other painting that show his great ability to use color and use it correctly. It keeps the viewer intrigued, not only with the subject matter, but with the color choices he uses.

Image Essay #12

In the 12th week of class, we have the chance to work with color. We have been introduced to color theory and need to research it.

This piece is by Van Gogh and is a good example of color. He is bases his colors on the analogous colors. These colors are usually called the "cool" colors. The blues, greens, purples, and many shades of each of those. He does have a few shades of warm reds, yellows, and oranges, but mostly the blues.

While uses color, artists want to use colors that are pleasing to the eye and also make sense in the work of art. This is a picture that takes place at night, so it makes sense that he uses blues and greens. If he used reds and yellows, it would seem to take place during the day. The goal is to use colors that create harmony and make the viewer want to look at the painting. It is also used to keep the viewer intrigued.

In this piece, the dominant color is the shades of blue. They flow nicely together and makes me think of peaceful water. It is very calm and cool. This ultimately is a great use of color and harmony and keeping the viewer interested in the piece.

Image Essay #11

This week we talked about value contrast. Value contrast is the relationship between areas of light and dark. By having a contrast in values it makes the artwork more dynamic and gives the viewer more to look at.

In this work of art, the objects in the foreground have dark backgrounds with highlights and details in shades of white and gray. As the objects go back in space, this changes. The contrast then changes to a white background with shades of black and gray details and highlights.

There is an extreme contrast in value of the foreground and background. The majority of the background is white or a light gray. The foreground has a lot of dark gray and black. The two compared to each other adds a lot of value contrast because they are so far from each other on the color scale.

Value contrast also gives the work of art a sense of time. In this piece, the background gives off a fog feeling. This then makes it seem like it is very early in the morning. Also with the boat in the middleground, it makes it seem like it is somewhere close to the shore, which would also make sense for the fog effect in the background. Overall, this piece shows a good example of value contrast.

Image Essay #10

This piece of work is done by M.C. Escher. It is called Sky and Water I. It shows great figure ground reversal. That is one of the components we have to have in our most recent project.

Figure ground reversal is an arrangement in which positive and negative shapes alternatively command attention. It can also be describe as positive and negative interchange.

M.C. Escher shows a great example of figure ground reversal. At the top of the picture he has birds flying in mostly black, with some shades of gray and white. Also the background is pure white. Now, as the background shifts to black, the form of the fish appears.

Notice how the bird gets darker and darker because it fades into pure black and becomes the background for the fish. The fish start off grayish/black and they fade into pure white. So besides just having the birds change colors, he makes the bird and fish fade into the background instead of the bird transforming into the fish and vice versa.

To also add to the picture, he alternates lines as a border. He has different shades of gray, with also pure black and pure white. This keeps the picture contained which is a principle of Gestalt. This also helps the viewers eye move easily around the page. It is very pleasing and interesting to the eye.

Blog Entry #5

Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman has taken photography to a different level. In her earliest work, she took pictures of herself, but they were not self-portraits. She plays a part, an ideal persona of someone. She gave the field a new way of viewing pictures and a new idea of how to take them.

She stands out in the photography world because in her early work of Untitled photographs, she left little clues as to what the pictures meant and any clue about her personality. In reality, she left the viewer in more confusion and not really any clarity at all. This was a new thing brought to the photography world.


(two pictures from her early series "Untitled")


I am impressed by this artist for how interesting her work is. Then when I read about her early series and that the pictures are of herself, I was really intrigued. I am also impressed because Cindy Sherman made her fame at a very young age, so now her work is being sold for crazy amounts. I am also impressed at her creativity and the things she comes up with to photograph. The way she uses herself in the pictures is something I never would have thought of.

The dominance used in Cindy Sherman pictures is mostly used within the subject. The subject either takes up most of the frame or the negative space does. The placement of the subject deals with the structure of her pictures. In the picture the three clowns are the dominant subject matter and then you can see a little guy in the midst of them to add a dramatic effect.


The human form is addressed in most of the pictures she takes. She takes pictures of mostly people. Cindy Sherman did a series of human body parts and different sexual positions and it was then that the proportions were not exactly correct and they were a little more abstract. For the most part though, the human form is portrayed well and addresses it normally.

I am not influenced after being introduced to this artist. I have a problem will thinking out of the box and taking risk and after looking at Cindy Sherman's work, I want to try to come up with new ideas that no one else has. It just reinforces the fact that there is no limit on art and I can create anything I want and make it my own.

With this artist, she has a lot of black and white photographs. Her early work with the "Untitled" series is mostly black and white, but the latest "Untitled" series is in color and has very vibrant colors for that matter. The picture below is of the latest series and shows the bright colors. Cindy Sherman does have a technique of fading. She will make the subject one color and the background another and then fade the background into a darker color.

Blog Entry #4

Art:21 - Place

1.Do we define a place or does a place define us? I gather from the movie that a place defines us and how we act.

2.How is each of the artists influenced by places and how is it in their work? The artists are influenced by places in their childhood and the environment they live in. Certain things that have happened in their life at a specific place also are greatly influential in their lives.

3.How has the program altered your notion of how art expresses place? It has made me realize how influential one's environment can be. Some artists gain so much inspiration from their environment and different places.

4.Which artist do you feel most connected to and why? I feel most connected to Sally Mann. I feel this way because I find her photographs amazing and so interesting. I also feel connected to her because photography is my major.

5.Compare the media used and how it affects their work.
First artist: Richard sierra: media used was metal or something like that. The scale he used was very large. His pieces were huge! This effects the composition because everything is always on a grand scale.
Sally Mann: the media used was photography. She used the scale of 8 x 10's a lot. It is a point where it is not too big and not too small. This also made her work very accessible because they weren't too big. Everyone can see them in many different places. They can fit anywhere.
Marget Kelligele & Barry Macagee: media used was graffiti. Their scale ranges from all types of sizes, from really big in galleries to little on trains and walls. The accessibility for these artists is easy for them. They have the galleries to show off bigger work, but at the same time both have their street cred for those who do not go to the galleries. It helps having two different worlds look at their work. They are exposed to more people this way.
Pepon Orosio: His media was all kinds of material. It ranged from hub cabs to videos to miniature houses. His work also ranged from many different sizes. He filled galleries but also made a miniature house and took it to different peoples house to bring contemporary art into their homes. To give them a sense of something new and different and something they could experience that they did not think they could before.

6.Places from my childhood.
1) my room=comfort
2)the playground=freedom
3)softball diamond=passion
4)a tree in my yard=relaxing
5)my friends house=fun

7.Pick on of the places and answer these questions... the softball diamond
-what occupy that place? grass, dirt, bases, benches, balls, bats, and a fence
-what are the textures and sizes of those objects? They range in different sizes, from the vast grass in the outfield, to the small balls. The textures all vary too. The fence is sharp and pokey and the ball is smooth and so is the bat. The dirt feels grimey and the benches are splitters that hurt.
-what was the lighting like? We always played during the day and on special occasions under the lights. However it was also a bright happy place. It was fun and it was a place I loved and still do.


Art:21- Stories

1.Important stories told in today's society: the story of the bible and the creation of the earth. That story is told in some form in most religions. Another story could be the story of evolution. Throughout movies and books, the story of love and compassion is always told in one way. Whether it be through passion or heartbreak. If I could promise one story to be continued on it would be the story of love. Love is an incredible feeling and thing that should not be taken lightly. It can make or break someone's life but at the same time it teaches people so much.

2.Why are some stories told and others not and why do some get lost? Stories that are continued to be told over and over again have some dramatic element that keep it interesting. Also certain stories have to be continued to be told because it is tradition and t?he tradition has to be kept up.

3.How do artists in Stories use journals or sketchbooks? They use them to keep good hand/eye coordination and by continuing to draw everyday and keep sketchbooks, you learn to draw better. They also use them to first write out their ideas and it helps the creative process. A journal or sketchbook is consider, because it is someone's ideas and feelings put on to paper. If they like it and it makes them happy, then it should be considered art.

4.Childhood memories:
when i was 5-
I am in kindergarten and Mrs. Deeds was getting ready to take volunteers for the letter people program. Me and my best friend Casey want to be Miss E. We have a lot of fun together. I got picked to pick a letter so I picked letter E. We were waiting for Mrs. Deeds to pick Casey but another girl got the other letter E. We were really sad. Other than the letter people program, I spend time out on the playground and running around. I like to dream about being like my sisters and playing softball. I like to be happy and laugh and do whatever I want. I love to just run and play


When I was younger, I did whatever I wanted. My sisters called me the "chosen one" because I always somehow wiggled my way out of things and got what I wanted. I did love playing on the playground with my best friend Casey. We always played on the flip bars. We did occasionally hit out heads, but we got over it. I did like to watch my sisters play softball, I wanted to play just like them but I had to wait a few years before I was old enough. Being 5 was easy and it's too bad things aren't that easy now. I would love to go and play on the playground and learn my ABS's. Life was a piece of cake back then. I really enjoyed life then and always had a good time. Carefree is what it was.

Image Essay #9

With each project ending, we are introduced to a new one. Also, with each new project we have new vocabulary words. This new project deals with foreground, middleground, and background. This has to be in each of our drawings.

This picture is a great example of foreground, middleground, and background. For the example of the foreground, there are two posts closest to the viewer and the dead grass around them. They are the biggest things in the picture to show distance. The closer the object, the larger it becomes.

For the middle ground, the viewer can see the house and the stone around it. The house is slightly smaller than the posts in the front but bigger than what is in the background. The house shows some detail but now as much as the foreground because it is smaller. It has to be because it is back farther in the picture.

The final part of the picture is the background. In this picture, the background is the horizon of trees in the very back. The line of trees is very small and they are blended together. This is because the farther back it is, the less details the view can see and everything looks like it is one.

Every great picture has these three elements to had drama to the picture and make it more interesting overall.

Image Essay #8

With our latest project in 2-D, we have to come up with a symbol based on a certain word. The trick was that it had to be symmetrical. It made me think harder and come up with something I really liked.

In this painting, everything is symmetrical, and at the same time gives off the feeling of being three dimensional. The ridges going back look like I could stick me finger in between them.

Since the artist made everything symmetrical, they now have the opportunity to change the up the colors to add a more dramatic effect. They stick with a theme of different shades of pink/red and gray. This way the colors can seem like the are symmetrical but the artist uses two different colors.

One way the artist could improve their painting is by creating more variety. The artist could have thrown in a few different colors to enhance the painting. It would give it more of a punch. One way that the artist does give it more punch is in the texture on the left side. In the colors of pink it seems to have more texture than the gray on the right. This shows some differences in the two sides without being so different that makes it not symmetrical.

The artist does a good job but their is always room for improvement.