Drawing on Canvas
Weekly Report 29 I decided to do something different for my last art piece for AP Drawing this year. My hope was that it would stand out amongst my other pieces. However, I did not want to create something with materials I am not used to using; my goal was to work with something I can competently use. Originally I thought oil would be interesting, but I decided against it. I do enjoy oil; it feels incredibly smooth and I adore the thickness of the paint. The issue lied in that it has been a long time since I last used oil paint. With more practice, I would feel more comfortable. For this piece, though, I did not have enough time to do so, and it because it was my last piece, I felt I should avoid doing something I lack practice in. For these reasons, I decided to try acrylic. Acrylic is what I have used for over half my painting. I feel incredibly confident using it, but I felt I might be overdoing it. I thought maybe I should not use it again. That thought quickly faded though. I much rather create a good, yet repetitive piece for my last painting than something else. Nevertheless, I ended up not using acrylic. One of my teachers was looking at the charcoal sketch I made in the canvas before painting the actual piece and really liked it. He suggested I just draw on the canvas. I am used to drawing, so I was confident in my ability. Moreover, I have not drawn on canvas yet, so I was still able to do something different. Now that I finished the piece, I believe it was the right way to go; it looks a bit odd, but I like it.
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Unconventional
Weekly Report 28 I had an assignment in my art class to create an art piece in an unconventional surface. My plan was perfect. There was this deflated basketball in the garage; it looked as if someone punched it. For some reason, when I saw it I had this amazing realization, like an epiphany. I will draw a face on the ball; it will squirm and look towards the dent caused by the imaginary punch. Oh! I should draw two faces. Both with different reactions. Honestly, I do not know why I had this thought, but I loved it! I thought this idea was absolutely amazing. All I had to do was paint the ball with some random skin-like colors and then draw on it with a sharpie. The piece looked like garbage; calling it a piece gives it too much credit. I had not even thought about how the sharpie would look and how the ball’s texture would affect the drawing, and that proved fatal. The drawing just looked horribly made. The faces looked like they were made by a child, and the distortion looked accidental. I was a bit upset my flawless plan brought about by a glorious epiphany fell to pieces, but I did have a backup plan. There were a few stones in my garage that would serve as a great surface for a pen-drawing. The texture created an outdoorsy atmosphere, so I drew a rural estate with permanent markers. It actually turned out well; it’s probably one of my best pieces. That is not what I want to focus on, though. I actually learned from this experience. This is the first horrible work I made since I began diving into art. That, I feel, is good. The experience has taught me to accept my bad work and learn from it. It’s made me feel human. Regardless of how much I may try or dedicate myself to art, I will still make mistakes and need to grow and improve. Remembering that is vital to keeping me from stagnation. Action
Weekly Report 27 In AP Literature we have been reading Hamlet. A major theme in the play is that of thinking versus acting; the play focuses on the need to act upon one’s thinking. I feel as though that my mentor visits are all emblematic of thinking. In all honesty, Mr. Speice pointed this out, and he is right. Really, all we do is talk. Last year where I painted every time I was there, and learned while doing so too. When compared to that this year seems lackluster. I blame this on myself; I have not asked for anything more. My pride, I think, got in the way. I just assumed I was done with that area of art, and I wanted to focus on organization. That, however, neglects the fundamentals of art and prevents me from fully grasping what I need to learn. Despite the fact that I have been painting on my won more often than before, this still inhibits me. I mean, my whole goal for the year is to paint more; what I am doing with my mentor visit goes against that. What I need to do is begin acting; instead of just talking and reflecting about art during my visits, I need to act. In doing so I will gain actual experience, and I will be able to learn more. That is what artists do. Even Ms. Vernon told me to, “Paint. Paint. Paint”. With practice I truly grow, develop and improve. Since that is my goal, I should act on it. I will start doing so this week by going to an event Mrs. Jahanyfard setup for her students to paint. Jake and I will go there to film and, I specifically, will be able to actually do something with my mentor other than thinking. Modern Art
Weekly Report 26 I went on an art field trip today. We visited a gallery showcasing some more modern art. It was interesting and different from what I usually see. Honestly, I felt as though I forgot what art looked like because what I saw was jaw-dropping. These goal for these artists was much more narrow than I expected. They would pick one aspect of art and attempt to push it to its limit. For example, one artist created what he called a portrait by putting his favorite books into two cardboard boxes. At first it seems rather foolish; a portrait is a face, right? Well, when one considers the purpose of a portrait things become clearer. A portrait is supposed to show a person; it is supposed to reveal who they are. Maybe not all of them, but something of them. The ones we tend to see are literal. This one, on the other hand, went the opposite route. Instead of showing one’s face it revealed the artist’s own personality. The books he read and the boxes he put them in convey who he was and what he did. By creating an art piece that examines a word and its definition and pushes that mode of expression to its limit, the artist was able to show something new and unique. The creativity shown when someone pushes art to its limit is rather amazing in my eyes. The actual creation may not amount to much, but the concept provokes thought. It made me think, how do I push art to its limit? I do not. So, how do I do so? I do not know the answer to this, yet, but I hope that by reflection on it I may come closer to growing as an artist and creative individual. |