Here are a few of my favorites:
The images below are not self portraits, exactly. They are scans of my insecurities. For example, I truly hate my ankles. They are not thin as ankles should be, they are big like tree stumps.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Scanograms
So, I was thinking about my general distaste for doing self portraits and thought that I should probably start at least attempting to get comfortable with the process. I thought a fun place to start would be with a scanner.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Here are a few of my favorites:
Monday, September 26, 2011
Progress- lollipop installtion
I have estimated that I need 3,000 lollipops (based off of the pixelated image below which I did a series of effects on to get to be pixelated in that specific way)
Potential issues: To recreate the image below I would need more than the amount of colors I will have.
Potential solution: I can paint on the lollipops where I need additional colors.
How I would go about painting: 1) remove the pop from the plastic cover carefully. 2) paint with a acrylic wash. 3) let dry. 4) replace in plastic cover. 5) reseal cover with mild heat.
Another solution is that of layering to give the illusion of more colors. This would require additional pops, however still not to exceed my original estimated amount of 5,000.
I'm not sure if either of these solutions are ideal options but seeing as to how I can not afford to order customized colored pops I will have to make due. Based on these findings I will start by ordering 3 boxes of lollipops (approximately 3,600 lollipops).
I have also estimated the size to be: 50" x 60" or about 4 by 5 ft (assuming each lollipop has a 1 inch circumference).
Two variations. It is likely that the installation would be more saturated like the image to the right.
Potential issues: To recreate the image below I would need more than the amount of colors I will have.
Potential solution: I can paint on the lollipops where I need additional colors.
How I would go about painting: 1) remove the pop from the plastic cover carefully. 2) paint with a acrylic wash. 3) let dry. 4) replace in plastic cover. 5) reseal cover with mild heat.
Another solution is that of layering to give the illusion of more colors. This would require additional pops, however still not to exceed my original estimated amount of 5,000.
I'm not sure if either of these solutions are ideal options but seeing as to how I can not afford to order customized colored pops I will have to make due. Based on these findings I will start by ordering 3 boxes of lollipops (approximately 3,600 lollipops).
I have also estimated the size to be: 50" x 60" or about 4 by 5 ft (assuming each lollipop has a 1 inch circumference).
Two variations. It is likely that the installation would be more saturated like the image to the right.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Progress- photography
Spent a little bit of time in Photoshop playing with the curves and exposure to come up with this illuminated effect. I think I like it!
Monday, September 19, 2011
The photo shoot with Zoey
The photo shoot was a success! I took a total of over 250 photos.
Here are a few of my favorites!
I'm going to pick 2-3 and create large paintings based off of them. If anyone has an opinion on which 2-3 I should use, please tell me! Thanks!
Here are a few of my favorites!
I'm going to pick 2-3 and create large paintings based off of them. If anyone has an opinion on which 2-3 I should use, please tell me! Thanks!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
My progress 9/5-9/17
I spent a great deal of time trying to find the most cost effective way to buy lollipops in a variety of colors. This included trying to locate them locally and online. With the local pursuit I went to Wal Mart, Publix, two different dollar stores, and a party store. The only place to even carry any form of individually wrapped suckers was the dollar stores but they were not the kind that you frequently find at banks, which is part of where I got my inspiration from so that is important to me.
The next step was to try and locate an online store. I started with a Google search.
After some time and clicking on a great deal many links I found the first two promising stores (screen shot images: below-left, and below-center), however I quickly realized how much I would end up spending on shipping ($27 per 25lbs). Then I eventually found the store Candy Creek Lollipops (screen shot image below-right) which has free shipping and also has more flavors than the previous online store I found(10 flavors vs 4-6 flavors at the other stores). They also carry a peppermint flavor which is almost completely white and a butterscotch flavor which is a light brown.
I also picked up some more painting supplies since I was running low on various paint colors and a variety of my brushes, and my art palette, didn't survive the painting class I took in the spring. I am really excited about trying out the new brushes and a couple of the colors I bought for fun.
I also have 16 8 by 8 inch canvases that I plan on experimenting with various painting techniques in order to find my own style. One thing that I realized in the spring is that I paint best when the surface I am painting on is not white, so I started by taping off the sides and painting the canvases a neutral gray.
Below are some of the photos I am going to use when experimenting with painting techniques. I am also going to be taking new photos of Zoey as part of next weeks progress and will post them by 9/27.
I may also play with the themes of the images creating sets of paintings of images from the same photo shoot. The images with the bubble wand and the images with the over-sized lollipop are both older images that I took of Zoey last year.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Artworlds and Definitions
Questions for Further Reflection
My personal philosophy of art is that it examine and bring to light truths and lies about life. Whether it is personal experiences of the artist, social and economic issues of the world, emotions that are universal among everyone, or whatever have you. Art in many ways is like science but less about the discovery and pursuit of the understanding the universe and more about the discovery and pursuit of the self, the self typically being the artist or things that directly relate to the human position.
2. Regarding works of art in general, of what are you most certain?
I'm not sure if I understand what exactly this question is directed at. I guess what I am most certain of in regards to the entirety of art is that I recognize art as being something so apart of mankind as a whole as well as the need to create art that it goes back as far as the evidence of our existence. Man made tools for catching food and man made art.
I suppose when discussing vulgarity in art I tend to feel uncomfortable. I'm not sure if that answers the question exactly but it is the best answer I can come up with. Being home schooled and coming from a "good Christian home" there are certain types of art that make me feel uncomfortable simply because of it being a taboo according to how I was raised. I don't have an issue with nudity in and of itself but if the nudity crosses a line of vulgarity I become uncomfortable with it.
4. What would you like to know that would disarm that discomfort?
Maybe if I could understand the reason behind it as not being something corrupt but rather something natural then I would have a better time with it and could no longer be uncomfortable with it.
1. Currently, what is your personal philosophy of art?
My personal philosophy of art is that it examine and bring to light truths and lies about life. Whether it is personal experiences of the artist, social and economic issues of the world, emotions that are universal among everyone, or whatever have you. Art in many ways is like science but less about the discovery and pursuit of the understanding the universe and more about the discovery and pursuit of the self, the self typically being the artist or things that directly relate to the human position.
I'm not sure if I understand what exactly this question is directed at. I guess what I am most certain of in regards to the entirety of art is that I recognize art as being something so apart of mankind as a whole as well as the need to create art that it goes back as far as the evidence of our existence. Man made tools for catching food and man made art.
3. Where in discussions of art and aesthetics do you feel most uncomfortable?
I suppose when discussing vulgarity in art I tend to feel uncomfortable. I'm not sure if that answers the question exactly but it is the best answer I can come up with. Being home schooled and coming from a "good Christian home" there are certain types of art that make me feel uncomfortable simply because of it being a taboo according to how I was raised. I don't have an issue with nudity in and of itself but if the nudity crosses a line of vulgarity I become uncomfortable with it.
Maybe if I could understand the reason behind it as not being something corrupt but rather something natural then I would have a better time with it and could no longer be uncomfortable with it.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
What inspires me: artists, other influences, and how they connect to my work.
1. My daughter Zoey:
She is truly the source for much of my inspiration and the source for nearly all of my motivation and influences what I do to great lengths. It is easy to remember why you are working so hard when the reason why you work so hard follows you around offering to help with your latest assignment by drawing a picture for you. =) Not to mention her constant positive energy helps me to stay positive. Plus, she is really, really adorable.
The way in which she connects to my work is in the subject of childhood. Childhood with all it's happiness, excitement, learning, innocence, solitude, discovery, energy, boredom, fear, loneliness, and imagination. I find the nostalgia of it all intriguing, and the way some memories just fade over the years until the only things you remember from your childhood are seemingly unimportant, small details; such as colors, smells, a place, a toy, a single moment, an object you wanted and never received, and so on and so forth. Childhood is so simple and complex at the same time and it is a favorite topic of mine.
2. Stefan Sagmeister:
a truly talented and creative graphic designer and typographer. It is sorta my dream to be able to do installation pieces as elaborate as the ones he orchestrates. How this relates to me and my work is in the sense that I most enjoy making installations out of smaller pieces to create a the larger whole.
3. Salvidor Dali:
He was most definitely crazy but also extremely brilliant and talented. In a different why his work is made up of smaller parts to create a larger whole as well. For me this demonstrates an abundance of ways to potentially execute my interests.
4. Chuck Close:
I really love how his more recent work has an amazing level of realism but is also distorted and somewhat abstracted. I love art along these lines. This is similar to the kind of work I would like to create. An altered realism where the painting looks much more realistic from afar than it does close up.
5. Joseph Cornell:
I love his shadow box pieces. Something about the strangeness of the contends makes me think I'm looking into a kind of cabinet of curiosities or someone's box/drawer of special oddities that they find endearing because of their special meaning. Like a memory box. Like you are looking into a memory of someone else. I think this may be a great medium for executing my interests. It is not something I have experience with but I would like to experiment with it for sure.
6. Anthropologie:
Okay, so this isn't a person, it's a place. Nevertheless it is a very inspirational store that I have taken inspiration from since I was 13. I figured 11 years of inspiration earned it a spot in my inspiring people list because what makes the Anthropologie store so inspirational is the creative people who design the interior of each store individually. So whoever they are, I find them inspiring and they influence what I want to create. I would really love to have that job. It would allot me the opportunity to do awesome large installations like Sagmeister.
She is truly the source for much of my inspiration and the source for nearly all of my motivation and influences what I do to great lengths. It is easy to remember why you are working so hard when the reason why you work so hard follows you around offering to help with your latest assignment by drawing a picture for you. =) Not to mention her constant positive energy helps me to stay positive. Plus, she is really, really adorable.
The way in which she connects to my work is in the subject of childhood. Childhood with all it's happiness, excitement, learning, innocence, solitude, discovery, energy, boredom, fear, loneliness, and imagination. I find the nostalgia of it all intriguing, and the way some memories just fade over the years until the only things you remember from your childhood are seemingly unimportant, small details; such as colors, smells, a place, a toy, a single moment, an object you wanted and never received, and so on and so forth. Childhood is so simple and complex at the same time and it is a favorite topic of mine.
 |
| my adorable Zoey |
2. Stefan Sagmeister:
a truly talented and creative graphic designer and typographer. It is sorta my dream to be able to do installation pieces as elaborate as the ones he orchestrates. How this relates to me and my work is in the sense that I most enjoy making installations out of smaller pieces to create a the larger whole.
 |
| self-confidence produces fine results |
 |
| obsessions make my life worse and my work better |
3. Salvidor Dali:
He was most definitely crazy but also extremely brilliant and talented. In a different why his work is made up of smaller parts to create a larger whole as well. For me this demonstrates an abundance of ways to potentially execute my interests.
4. Chuck Close:
I really love how his more recent work has an amazing level of realism but is also distorted and somewhat abstracted. I love art along these lines. This is similar to the kind of work I would like to create. An altered realism where the painting looks much more realistic from afar than it does close up.
5. Joseph Cornell:
I love his shadow box pieces. Something about the strangeness of the contends makes me think I'm looking into a kind of cabinet of curiosities or someone's box/drawer of special oddities that they find endearing because of their special meaning. Like a memory box. Like you are looking into a memory of someone else. I think this may be a great medium for executing my interests. It is not something I have experience with but I would like to experiment with it for sure.
6. Anthropologie:
Okay, so this isn't a person, it's a place. Nevertheless it is a very inspirational store that I have taken inspiration from since I was 13. I figured 11 years of inspiration earned it a spot in my inspiring people list because what makes the Anthropologie store so inspirational is the creative people who design the interior of each store individually. So whoever they are, I find them inspiring and they influence what I want to create. I would really love to have that job. It would allot me the opportunity to do awesome large installations like Sagmeister.
 |
| "disposable" plastic cups |
 |
| handing lollipops |
 |
| books |
 |
| looks like something Joseph Cornell would do |
How any of these things connect to my work I can not completely say because in many ways I don't have work yet. I mostly have assignments where I liked the outcome more. This semester is when I will hopefully find out what my work really is. With that said, these are the things that most interest/inspire/influence me so it if most likely that "my work" will have a connection at all of the above, whether it be great or small only time will tell.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)