First thoughts, future thoughts

       Imagine a mental cauldron: most of my art becomes ripe in my brain before I ever bring pencil to paper. When there is an idea I feel strongly about, I consider the images that immediately come to mind and shuffle them around in my head. When I think I have a brew of images which would convey my idea well, I begin to sketch. Not all the pieces I create are gauntlets of expression and philosophy; many are simply attempts at depicting something from reality which I think would look interesting or rich drawn–rich in substance and rich in charm. I believe that when something is drawn or painted, the imperfection of the pencil, paint or charcoal on the paper conveys a whole new layer of emotion which photography lacks. The texture of the medium and the direction of the stroke all beg the viewer to analyze and consider the makings of a piece. I would however like to experiment with clay or other 3D mediums because I have enjoyed sculpture in the past. In general, I find imperfection calls more attention than perfection and is more intriguing. And so, I do art to hone the beauty of imperfection. At the same time I do it to polish my ability to create beauty and to recognize it. Ultimately I want my art to move people and to make them feel. I want them to be shocked, baffled, and pleased all at the same time. I see famous art in museums and yearn for my art to inspire the same wonder. I know I am capable. I believe it is just a matter of experimentation with techniques, creative thought and practice.  

Midterm reflection

At this point in the term I am pretty satisfied with my Projects. Although I have only finished one out of three of the main projects, I am happy with the progress I make on them every class. My favorite of the projects right now is the What if project, because I like my idea for it the most. For me, our class is a very easy environment to focus and work hard in; probably because of the small size. When I am focused I'm probably not talking a lot and I'm probably listening to music. When beginning most my work I have just been brainstorming ideas and drawing in my sketchbook. When it comes to actually drawing or painting the idea I prefer to draw from observation so I look on the internet for a picture that could help me with my idea. When working on the projects i have not used much feedback form my classmates, perhaps because I haven't gotten a lot or just because I haven't valued any. Right now I enjoy very much the class and the projects we're working on, although I still like the drawing we do more than the painting.

POND

For my text piece I decided to use the word pond. I used pond to describe my relationship with nature because I have a cottage on a pond in plymouth, and when I go there is when I feel closest to nature and one of the only times I'm fully in nature. In the painting I drew the word "Pond" on the edge of a pond with trees behind it and the reflection of the word in the water. I used mostly water color because I thought it would be the best medium to make a reflection. The feedback that I got was mostly just to continue drawing in the background.

Hurricane Earl Drawing

Pond

The drawing over all came out how i thought it would. With the blindfold it is almost impossible to draw details or shading but if you focus general shapes are very possible to draw. I began with the biggest shape and then worked down even though it didn't come out the best. As i continued drawing i began to feel more comfortable with my lack of control over how the drawing came out. the final product resembles a very very rough sketch that I could have drawn.

observation vs imagination

I enjoy drawing from observation more than from the imagination because the drawing is more likely to be realistic and that is what i generally strive for. It is not necessarily easier because it requires a lot of attention and focus. Drawing form imagination requires me usually to try to remember and visualize what something looks like. I do not think one approach is easier than the other, but that they both require different forms of effort and are equally difficult. However, I am definitely better at focusing and paying attention than i am at remembering and visualizing details.