Week Sixteen - Blog: Reflections of AED 200

1. What were you expectations for this course and where they met?

I had many expectations for this course. I think that most of them were met. This course made me appreciate art more than I used to in the past. I found this course to be very enjoyable. I learned that art is another form of communication because the artist can express their feelings through drawing. I learn how to look at art and analyze it to find out what message the artist may be trying to deliver. Only expectation which I had that was not met by this course was learning how to paint. Maybe it would have been different if it wasn't an online class but I still have not developed the skills to use my creativity and present it in the form of art.

2. Now that you've been through this course, What is art? How would you define it now compared to your intial posting?

I think art is everything. Everything around us has artistic qualities to it. Art is not just painting and drawing, it can be sculpting, writing, building, photography...I learned that there is no such thing as "bad art" because everyone has their of transforming an idea into art. 

3. Who was your favorite artist in your original posting and who is your favorite visual artist now? If there is a difference, why do you think so? If you have the same favorite artist, why do you think so?

My favorite visual artist at the beginning of the course was Leonardo Da Vinci. Even though we did not look into his work as much as I would like in this course, he is still my favorite virtual artist. I think Picasso made a huge influence in the art world with his cubism movement but Da Vinci's work is still famous today. Da Vinci also dedicated his life to many other projects in life and that makes him the most recognized artist today.

4. Now that you've completed this course, how do you feel about taking an online course? Is your answer the same as it was in your first posting? How is it the same or different?

If I could take another art class, I would prefer to do it in person rather than online. I learned a lot in this course, but it's easier to learn in a classroom and get immediate feedback from the professor. I took this course online because I thought it would be easier and I would be able to set my own schedule. Taking an online course was less stressful and I enjoyed it. I still believe taking the class in-person would be even more enjoyable and would allow me to learn more about the subject because you don't have to do the work by yourself.

Week 15 - Project #5

Guernica, by Pablo Picasso

Guernica by Pablo Picasso was created as a mural-size canvas painted in oil during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930's. This work was contrived by Picasso to portray the tragedies and suffering experienced by the Spanish people during the time period. It serves as a political statement that promotes peace. This painting was seen by millions of people all over the world which helped educate foreigners about the situation in Spain and eventually put an end to the war. This painting would be considered a representational abstract painting because it depicts figures and shapes which are deformed and illogical to symbolically represent an real world event.

To the left, we can see animals such as a horse and a bull. The bull has been a historical animal in Spain for years. To the right of the painting, we can see a person screaming. This brings emotions of despair, pain and suffering. We also see a dead person on the lower left side of the painting. We can see a broken knife and a flower at the bottom of the image. I think he is symbolically showing his discontent with war and soldiers. The light bulb and candle at the top of the image might representing the sun. You can see human with hands and legs of animals (lower right and to the far left) which might be a symbolic way to present how humans have lost their humanity. Overall the image is portraying the suffering and pain brought by war. 

The emotions he was trying to bring to the viewer is also reflection in the colors which he used. The painting is black and white and uses a low degree of value creating balance throughout the whole piece. The lack of colors allows the painting to maintain it's serious and dramatic message.

The greatest strength of the artwork is how it's able to present an anti-war message by using techniques from the expressionism movement to convey an emotional effect on the viewer. The biggest weakness of the work is how Picasso failed to incorporate cubism into his artwork. Picasso helped influence the cubism artistic movement but in his Guernica artwork, he didn't utilize the techniques which were used by him in many of his previous works.

EXTRA CREDIT (FINAL CHANCE!) - Questions about the course.

1. Which assignment did you ENJOY working on the best? Why?

I enjoyed the art-making assignments. The best way to learn is by trying. I enjoyed my hands to bring to life what I have in mind. Making my own logo and Mandela was very entertaining and I was able to learn about other cultures.

2. Which assignment did you ENJOY working on the least? Why?

My least favorite assignments were the ones in which I was required to watch videos and answer questions related to the video. It would take a long time for the videos to load and play. I enjoyed many of the videos but I believe that the best way to learn is by practicing and looking for information in books. When you read, it is much easier to retain the information afterwards. When you watch a video on the internet about an artist or a certain topic, without doing any actual work/research on your own, you usually dump the details of what you just saw down the memory hole right after the assignment or test is finished.

3. How did you like using BLACKBOARD?

I prefer BLACKBOARD as a tool for online courses rather than ANGEL. Being a transfer student from CUNY, we had to use BLACKBOARD for most of our courses so I was already used to blackboard. I didn't like ANGEL because it seemed amateurish and less organized. 

4. What is your opinion of the Discussion Groups in this course?

I think the discussion groups are great. It's not the same as a face-to-face classroom discussion but it's still a good way for students to give read the opinions of other students and receive feedback.

5. Did you participate in any of the extra credit projects in previous modules? If so, what was your opinion of them? (mandala, elgin marbles, culture, art critics)

I am very confident that I will receive at least a B+ for this course but I still participated in ALL the extra credit work in the classroom. My favorite extra credit work was building the Mandela. I learned a lot about the culture and researching why they create it.

6. If you had the opportunity to change this course:

What would you keep?

I would keep the art gallery visits. You can't have an art class without visiting an art gallery at least once and getting to see different artworks from different artists.

What would you remove?

I would remove or do fewer video review assignments. It's easy to write a review of the video by just reading the description and watching the first and last few minutes of the videos. Most people might disagree, but watching documentaries doesn't increase your knowledge on a topic compared to reading and doing research about the artist and his works.

What would you add?

I would add more art-making assignments to this course.

7. Would you recommend this course to your peers?

Yes. I still think an art class is better if taken inside a classroom rather than online. Art classes are better in person because you get more practice and have the professor in the room to give you feedback.

8. Please list any other comments you would like to share.

Stay safe and have a nice summer break!

Project #4: Art Curator Exhibition Reflection

This project was quite simple to work with. It was so simple that I was thinking about changing the theme of the exhibition but decided to stick with my "nature" theme since I was close to the deadline. If I had more time, I would have liked to work with a more complex and original theme. I tried using Google's art tool to search for pieces with "nature" as its main theme. I had to look at each painting presented and select the ones which I thought best fitted the theme I was working on and what artistic elements and principles they portray. I then worked on my presentation and tried to make it as clean and professional as possible. I went over each of my paintings and gave a quick description of what I see, which emotions the art reflects and what message I believe the artwork is trying to transmit. It took a lot of time to organize my work. In the end, none of the paintings I chose for the discussion forum made it into this final project because many of them did not give required details such as year, medium and scale. Overall this was a fun project that helped me see art in a deeper way and study how many artists paint in a symbolic way in order to express their beliefs or interests in a more occult way.

Week Thirteen and Fourteen - Blog: Video Review

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.
 
The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art: This video art influenced from comic books, B-movies, rock n’ roll, surfing, hot rods, and Cold War imagery. Art historians call it Pop Surrealism and practitioners call it Lowbrow

Displaying Modern Art: The Tate Approach: This video talks about the intellectual and aesthetic issues associated with the display of art. The video looks at the exhibition style Alfred Barr established during his transformation of MoMA in the 1930s. It also shows how Tate curators developed a new method utilizing theme-based museum sections.

 

An Acquiring Mind: Philippe de Montebello and The Metropolitan: This video talks about Philippe de Montebello. He served as Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art for 31 years. It goes through many of his drawings and paintings using watercolors and other painting techniques. It also shows how museum staff are able to keep old paintings looking like new by putting them in water to remove the acidic component in the paper.

2. Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Exhibition project? If yes, explain how. If no, explain why not.

The videos does relate to the creation of the Art Exhibition project. It gives me ideas which I can utilize when working on the project.

3. What is your opinion of the films? Do they add depth to understanding of the art concepts you practiced while creating your curation project?

 I think the first video added a lot of depth to my understanding. They have added more understanding to the art concepts which I practiced while creating your art exhibition project.

Module Twelve - Blog: Video Review

1. Explain why you selected each of the TWO videos you choose from the selection listed above.

Uncertainty: Modernity and Art: I selected this video because I wanted to learn more about modern art, how it's done and how it has changed the way we make and perceive art.

Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the '50s and '60s: I chose this video because I wanted to learn more about "Pop art" and how it came to be.

2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

Uncertainty: Modernity and Art: This video shows how art has changed from the past to our modern time. It shows how artists in the past tried to show what they believed humans should look like and today artists try to obtain an emotional feeling from the viewer of the art. I also learned how Nazi, national socialist, Germany tried to eradicate modern art's uncertainties.

Abstract Expressionism and Pop: Art of the '50s and '60s: The documentary talks about how this style of art was created by the joining of attitudes in American art and European avant-garde art but was rejected and replaced by Pop art. The film went through some artist such as Franz Kline, who focused on color in some of his abstract paintings.

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

I believe the text are a simple summary of what the 2 videos talked about. The text and video talks about modern art and some of the famous artists which represent the pop style of art.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

They both increased my knowledge on the topics. I believe the text gave a better understanding because it gave a quick general summary of what both of the videos talk about. I liked Franz Kline work a lot because of how he's work does not make much logical sense but it will make different people see different things depending on how they view it.

Art Gallery Visit #2

 Art Gallery Website:

http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/artgallery/default2.asp

Step 1: The Exhibition

Questions about the exhibit:

1. What is the title of the exhibit?

The Emotionalists

2. What is the theme of the exhibition?

20 Years of Making Art

Step 2: The Gallery

Questions about the physical space:

1. What type of lighting is used?

 It uses artificial overhead lighting that is not too light or bright.

2. What colors are used on the walls?

The walls in the art gallery are white

3. What materials are used in the interior architecture of the space?

The floor of most of the gallery is made from wood. Glass is used to cover some of the exhibits in the gallery. The gallery also uses arches instead of doors which makes the atmosphere more open.  

4. How is the movement of the viewer through the gallery space?

The gallery is divided into different sections. It is very easy to find what you want by just walking into the section that's related to the theme of what you want to find. The gallery is small but it still presents a great pieces with different backgrounds.

 

Step 3: The Artwork

Questions about the artwork:

1. How are the artworks organized?

The artwork is organized by exhibit and artist.

2. How are the artworks similar?

 The artworks are similar with the others in their section. There is an exhibit which is just African influenced art and another which is more Asian themed. The ones in the African section are mostly sculptures made of out ceramic.

3. How are the artworks different?

The gallery presents different artworks with different history and culture. Each artwork has a different meaning and increases your knowledge of that specific culture or artist.

4. How are the artworks framed?

 The artwork is framed differently depending on which area of the gallery you are in. In some areas of the gallery the paintings are framed one next to the other on the same height. Most of the sculptures in the art gallery is placed behind glass in the middle of the hall.

5. How are the artworks identified and labeled?

 Next to most of the artworks, there's a rectangular plaque which gives you the artist, date and other relevant information about the artwork.

6. What is the proximity of the artwork to each other?

 I noticed that larger paintings are placed farther away from each other than the smaller ones. The art gallery does not look crowded with paintings placed on the wall. There is enough space between each piece.

Step 4: Art Criticism Exercise





Artist: Piotr Betlej
Title: Conversation
Media: Oil on canvas
Date: Unknown
Size: 19.5 x 24 inch

 This painting displays a man with long hair smoking (to the right), another white male with a mustache (to the left) and a red-haired woman talking on the phone. The emphasis of the painting is solely placed on the woman because of her facial expression and demeanor.  By looking at the shape of her mouth and the lines in her forehead we can argue that she is not in a good situation or something bad has happened. The dominant color in the painting is red, from the woman's shirt and cheeks, which helps portray the feelings the artist is trying to present. Proportion and scale are also used in this painting. The people in the back of the painting don't look in a positive mood, which tells me the artist is probably trying to tell the story that the woman is in some kind of danger.





Artist: Marcin Bondarowicz
Title: Illustration 2
Media: Pastel on paper
Date: 2013
Size: 17 x 12 inch

This painting is seems very symbolic. It is the image of a bird but it's wings seem to show the outside of a building. On upper right wing, we can see a fire. The bottom of the painting is a city or town. The artist uses patterns in the creation of the bird's wings. There is also proportion and harmony in the way the picture is divided between the ground and the sky. I believe the emphasis in the painting is placed on the fire of the bird's wing. The image overall is very dark in color but the red fire immediately attracts your eye in that direction. The work reminds me of nature and I believe the artist is trying to send a message about how cities and modern civilization are destroying nature.

Artist: Marcin Bondarowicz
Title: Illustration 1
Media: Pastel on paper
Date: 2013
Size: 20 x 28 inch


This painting shows proportion and harmony between the sea and the blue sky. The sailboat has many different faces. The brown ship seems to be traveling in the direction the faces are looking. The facial expressions in the artwork display a negative mood. The artist is probably trying to portray his feelings when he left his country or a place which he loved. 



What did you think of visiting the Gallery and purposefully looking at the exhibition from a different perspective - the physical space, the architecture, theme, etc.?

I thought that visiting the art gallery was fun.  It's not my first visit to the gallery but every time I go there, there is something new to see. The decorations and architecture in each exhibit room really reflects the surrounding pieces of art. There are also many activities in the art gallery that you can take part in but I was not able to at this time. It is easy to figure out which culture each artwork is trying to display. Even though the art gallery is small, it still felt like you were visiting different museums in different parts of the world each time you went inside an exhibit.

Module Eleven - Blog: Video Review

1. Explain why you selected each of the TWO videos you choose from the selection listed above.

Expressionism: I chose this video because I wanted to learn more about the movement and learn of the new techniques used by artists to bring more life/realism into their artwork.

Dada and Surrealism: I wanted to learn more about this movement in art and what effects WW1 had on art.

2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

Expressionism: In this video I learned how the expressionism era emphasized color's emotional properties while demonstrating less concern with the formal and structural composition of color. Expressionism distorted reality in order to add emotion and meaning to their artwork.

Dada and Surrealism: In this video I learned how World War 1 brought a new era in art. This era concentrated on art displaying "anti-war" themes. Many of the artworks during this time tried to convey a political message.

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


Both of the videos gave us a deeper view of some of the artwork during these time period and the ideas which defined each era. The book goes into the eras talked about in the videos and their contributions to art.

4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

 Both of the videos add depth to the topics because they give a virtual explanation into different artworks of that time and their significance. Watching a documentary gives you better understanding than reading about it by listening to different experts and historians about the time period and how politics was having an effect on works of art.

Module Ten - Blog: Video Review

1. Explain why you selected each of the TWO videos you choose from the selection listed above.

 I chose the video "Buddhism" because I'm very critical of the religion but I am also open-minded and would like to learn more about it. I wanted to learn more about their symbolism in art and its meaning and history. I chose the video "African Art: Legacy of Oppression" because I am interested in african art and their history. I wanted to see how their art has evolved from the time of slavery to today.

2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

 In "African Art: Legacy of Oppression" I learned why African art seems to be unnatural and would exaggerate a few parts of the body. They would glorify parts of the body in sculptures in order to symbolically insert parts of their believes and culture in the art. In the video "Buddhism" one of the key concepts that I learned was that Buddha was a real person. I learned that his real name was Gautama Buddha.

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

 Both of the videos relate to the readings in the text since they explain the concepts very clearly. Both, the reading and videos, taught me things that I did not know about the different cultures.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

 Both of the videos added depth to my understand of both cultures and their history. I was able to understand and appreciate their art more than I used to in the past and understand some of the symbolism behind their art.

Module Nine - Art Making/Material Exploration Drawings - Exploring Line

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

 It's not weird or awkward at all since I have done it in the past. It was obviously harder to draw with my left hand compared to my right hand. The difference can be seen in the quality of each hand drawing and how they differ.

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

 I used pencil because charcoal is usually very messy on paper. Pencil is a much simple tool to use even though I don't remember using charcoal before.

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

 The difference between my dominant and non-dominant hand can be seen in my sketches. The hand on the left looks more linear and neat compared to the hand on the right. It was very difficult trying to keep my hand steady to draw a straight line when using my non-dominant hand.

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

 Yes. When using my dominant hand, the lines were drawn with more detailed and everything looked more proportional. When using my non-dominant hand to draw, it was difficult to move the pencil. This work made me think that a person can have 2 different styles of drawing just by using different hands. I think of people that are missing their dominant hand and they are still able to adapt to using their non-dominant hand.

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

 I would prefer to use my dominate hand since it's easier to create exactly what I want to create. If the artwork that I am trying to create is not linear than it would be easier to paint with my non-dominant hand. The problem with the non-dominant hand is trying to keep the pencil steady to create the image.

Module Nine - Blog: Video Reviews

1. Explain why you selected each of the TWO videos you choose from the selection listed above.

 As the title of my blog suggests, I am interested in the work of Leonardo Da Vinci and that is the reason why I chose this video. Hundreds of years later, he is still the most well-known artist of all time. I chose the Velazquez video because I looked over some of his paintings and they portraits of Spanish royalty at the time. His painting use many of the techniques we learned in ch 16, 17.

2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

 A key point of the video, Leonardo Da Vinci, that I learned was how smart he was. He was not just a painter, he was an architect, scientistist, inventor, writer... He is one of the best examples of the renaissance and how society and humans were evolving during this time period. Velazquez was born in Spain. Most of his artwork are portraits of royalty and influential people during his time. His paintings are a perfect example of the Baroque movement. The lighting and vivid colors of his painting, and the use of three dimension in his artwork make it seem as if the painting is actually a still-picture.

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

 The text goes into Da Vinci work and how he introduced changes during the renaissance. The video goes into further details on the life of Da Vinci and his works. The Baroque style of art can be found in the artworks of Velazquez and how he uses all of the techniques which were popular during the Renaissance.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

 Both films were interesting to watch. The different techniques talked about in the book can be found in the work of both artists, specially Velazquez, when they use the Baroque style of art. I found the video on Leonardo Da Vinci to be more educational even though I already knew about his artwork and his life. Many of Da Vinci artwork seems to be influenced by religion and the artwork of Velazquez portrays the royal family of Spain at the time.

Module Eight - Blog: Video Reviews

1. Explain why you selected the video you choose from the selection listed above.

 I chose the video "Cairo Museum" because I have always been extremely interested in Egypt and their rich history. Egypt is one of the oldest civilizations in human history and I am amazed of how they were able to create structures and artifacts which are still in great condition today. Many of their structural designs have been very influential. There are many structures which originated from Egypt and are now used all over the world such as the pyramids and obelisks.

2. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

 In the video "More Human than Human" I learned why artists will usually depict humans unrealistically compared with how humans look like at the current time. We are obsessed with certain parts of the body so we often change it to make it appear like our culture tells us it should be even if it may be unattainable or unrealistic. This is very true with today's society and during the Greece empire which would usually depict people in a "perfect" form instead of how most of the people actually looked like during the time period.

"Cairo Museum" is about a museum in the city of Cairo and they go over some of their Egyptian artifacts. Egypt truly has the greatest history in the world and they have made so many contributions to our society. I learned about how Egyptians made the first plastic surgery in history on a man who lost his toe. I also learned how people have always tried to steal artifacts from the Egyptian museums. It shows how valuable this sculptures are. It's great to see art from a simpler time and see how it has evolved into the art we have today.

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

 "Cairo Museum" doesn't really relate to anything in the text. The Egyptians depicted farrows in their art differently from what they actually looked like in real life. The video "More Human than Human" reinforced the idea of how Romans used to portray people in their works of art the same way the person looked in reality. They were not obsess with the human body and how they believed it should look like.

4. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of the readings and art concepts?

The video "More human than human" gave me a deeper look into why humans are attracted to the human body and why most of the artworks we see will usually portray a human form."Cairo Museum" backed up what I already knew about Egypt. It has a tremendous history that can be traced back for hundreds of thousands of years. It is extremely important to learn from history and see how people and the culture was like in the past and be able to make an honest comparison to what we have today.

Module 7: Video Review

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

"The Science of Design" is about the construction of high rise buildings. They go into how high rises are built and some of the factors architects have to look at, such as wind and the weight of the building. They also go what houses will look like in the future and how everything will be interconnected and electronic. "Sustainable Development and Architecture" is mainly about the way we construct structures and how it's changing into more environmentally friendly. Buildings are being constructed from Eco-friendly materials and more home are getting their energy from solar and wind power instead of using electricity.

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

 "Sustainable Development and Architecture" is related more to the text than my other video. It goes into how architects are utilizing Eco-friendly materials and "green energy" in order to protect the environment. The book also talks about this evolution in Architecture and how humans are becoming more educated about protecting our planet. "The Science of Design" also relates to the topic because it still shows how techniques which were used in the past for construction, are still in used today. The strategy to construction has not really changed over the past few centuries. The same techniques and planning that the Roman and Greeks used to construct their structures are still being used today. The only difference is that today we have machines which reduces the time it takes to finish the structure.

3. What is your opinion of the films? How do they add depth to understanding of Architecture?

Both of the films definitely add depth to my understanding of Architecture. They go into the complexity of creating high rise buildings. It's very interesting watching all the factors and planning that has to be taken into consideration before creating any type of building. People usually think that creating a house or a building is just about gluing pieces together. When in fact, you have to consider math, science, environment, geography and many other factors before starting the project. The films really helped my understanding of everything I read in the book and what I already knew about architecture.

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

I chose these films because I am really interested on the architecture of buildings and about the environment. I wanted to learn more about the work that goes into creating any type of building project. It's amazing how they even have to consider the wind before trying to build the skyscrapers. It's also amazing to see how they predict the house of the future will be like. I would never think about buying a "smart" house but it's still cool to watch. I also watched "Sustainable Development and Architecture" to learn more about the environment and its affect on architecture. I am extremely interested in science and the environment and how it is being fused with architecture. Part of my interest is because I don't think architecture and the materials which are used are the biggest threat to our environment and climate. The impact of turning on a light-bulb or building new homes is very small to the planet

Reviewing Peer Responses to Artwork

http://burgesslabria.blogspot.com/
http://kontaminatedkreative.blogspot.com/

2. When looking at Project #1: (Elements and Principles), did you agree with the element or principle the artist listed with the images? Did you see other elements and principles in the images?

I agreed with almost all of the elements and principles demonstrated in both blogs. The only element which I didn't quite understand was the one from "Kontaminated Kreative." Her picture portraying "movement" doesn't seem to correlate with my definition of the word. I thought the picture was suppose to show some kind of action/movement, but instead it is a still picture. Many of the pictures in "Beautiful Art" blog shows many different elements and principles. For examples, the picture of the flower presents color, pattern, unity....

3. When looking at Project #2: Where there any images in the Peer Blogs the same as your own? If yes, what were they? Where the reasons the image was selected the same or different as your own?

There were not many pictures from Project #2 which were similar to the ones I experienced. One of the few was from "Beautiful Art" blog. Her last picture of the painting gives off the same feelings that I get when I view my first picture in my Project #2. Even though you can't really see the person's face in the painting, the surrounding still gives you the feeling of seriousness and anger. My art work used more colors and was still able to give me this reaction but when you look at "Beautiful Art" picture, it is very dark and vague.

4. Where there any images that your Peers selected that pique your interest now? If yes, what are they and what is your connection with them? What would you want to know about them?

I think the 3rd picture from "Beautiful Art" project #2 blog is very connected to me. The feeling that I get when looking at this picture is relaxation and peacefulness. I am connected to this picture because I can sometimes be described as a very relaxed and calm person. I like to take life slowly and smell the air and not rush, which is the feeling that I get when looking at this picture of the mountains and sun reflecting in the ocean. I would like to know where the artist got his inspiration to create this image.

5. What do you think about  the process of reading your peers reflection? Do you find this to be a valuable in your learning?

My classmates reflections are important because it shows me what they had to go through to create their pictures and blogs. I can see what they learned from this project. It also tells me something about who they are as a person by looking at what they write and how they explain some of their works.

6. Check your Blog and read comments posted by your Peers. Do you find their comments helpful?

All of my comments, so far, have been very positive and helpful. I really appreciate all of their comments and taking their time to look at what I have done and see that they liked my work. I would have also enjoyed it if I would have gotten criticized or negative responses. I wanted to see if someone didn't agree with at least one part of my work. This would push me to do a better job next time. All the comments were still very helpful!

Module Six - Blog: Video Review

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

In the video "Through the Eyes of a Sculptor" I learned the steps that sculptors follow to create their sculptures. I also learned that you can make sculptures from materials such as marble, clay, ice, stone. I learned that sculptors have to create "bridges" in their sculpture when transporting it so that the artwork does not break apart. In the video "Glass and Ceramics" I learned how glass and ceramics are created. I learned that glass is created when sand is heated at high temperatures.

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

 The videos gave me more detailed information on each topic. The textbook talks about some of the different materials which can be used to create a sculpture but the video reinforces that information by showing me how each material is used to created another material or a sculpture.

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

I thought both of the films were very helpful. Sometimes it is easier to understand a topic when you are watching how it's done rather than reading it. I got to see all the hard work that it takes in order to create a simple sculpture and how complicated some of them can be. You need to have tremendous imagination and patience to create any sculpture since they usually take weeks or months to build.

Logo Design

1. Discuss what you thought about creating your logo.

When making my logo, I was thinking about how I can use some of the elements of art in my logo. I wanted to create something simple but modern. I knew right away I wanted to use the first 3 letters of my name and last names "RHG" because I feel it sounds cool.

2. Describe the process: creative thinking skills and ideas you used in the logo creation.

The logo doesn't really present to much about who I am. It's just something that I had on my mind and thought it would look good. The only thing in the logo which has meaning to me are the two "x" I tried to draw on top and on the bottom of the logo and the star to the right. I used a few corporations logo as my inspiration but all of them have a small touch which makes them my own.  I had to do more creative thinking on the sketches where I tried to use symbols to represent who I am and important events in my life. Most people in my family and friends wouldn't understand why I used some of the symbols in my logo and sketches but... that's the point!

3. What was the most important discovery you made in the creation of your logo?

The most important discovery I made while creating my logo is how creative I can be when I am motivated and I want to do it. Time passes really fast when you are being creative and using your imagination.

4. What is the most important information you learned from watching the videos, powerpoint, and reading material for this project? What is your opinion of the videos?

 The videos were very informative. I learned that you always need to incorporate a message in your logo to leave people wondering what it means or inform them. The more simplistic your logo is, the more people it will attract. I learned that hard work and dedication to something will pay off in the end.

For my inspiration, I utilized the "Rudkin Hichcock Grant Lawyers" logo and made a few changes to make it my own.

Art Gallery Visit #1

A.) Which artworks make an impact or impression on me? Why?

Untitled (self-portrait) by Marcel Salinas
Oil on canvas on board, 42 x 33 cm, 1941

 

This work made a big impact on me. When I see it, the art work generates emotions like anger and frustration. The way the eyes are looking at you from the side, the wrinkles between the eyebrows and the shape of the mouth, makes the artwork reflect a negative mood. I was amazed that the artist was able to deliver these emotions without having to use dark colors often.

Re-Echo by David Henderson

Aqua Resin, Orange Pigment, , 2010

This artwork is a good example of how color has an effect on our emotions. In our culture, the red color is often used to represent love and beauty. I believe this is the main reason why I fell in love with this artwork the second that I saw it. It gives off every positive emotion when you look at it in person. I also love the complicated wave patterns. It would make for a really good decoration in any home.

B.) Which artworks do I feel a connection with? Why?

L'estuaire de la SeineOil by Marcel Salinas
Paper on canvas, 53.34 x 72.39 cm, 1975















I felt a deep connection to this work of art. It is a very simple painting presenting nature. I can connect to this painting because I never enjoyed living in a high populated city. I always liked to spend time with nature and breath clean air. When looking at the painting, I get the feeling of life and peace.

The Baby Tree by Brigid Marlin

Egg Tempera and oil glazes, 33 x 26 inches, no year given

In my opinion this is the best, most emotional, most beautiful artwork that I have seen in a very long time. The way the artist draws a tree coming out of the woman's womb is beautiful. I feel an extreme connection to this work of art because I always felt that the biggest gift in this world is having the ability to recreate life. Having a child and becoming a parent should be the greatest accomplishment in anyone's life. When we die, it doesn't matter what kind of career we have or how high up the corporate ladder we think we have reached. In the end, we are all dispensable, replaced and forgotten. The only thing that won't replace or forget you, are your children and the people you leave behind. That spot will always be missing in their lives and will never be refilled. That is where the real value of life is.

C.) Which artworks would I like to know more about? Why?

Bound to Succeed by Paul Farinacci
Mixed media on paper with fabric, NYS standardized exams, wood, 27 x 23 x 13 inches, 2013



When I first saw this artwork, the first thought that went through my head was "WTF?" This was one of my favorite and most shocking sculpture. I love how the title makes reference to the sculpture. The artist was very creative with the title and the artwork. I am very curious to see what he thinks of our current educational system and whether we should make a change or not.

Nu couché by Marcel Salinas

Oil on canvas, 12.7 x 23 cm, 1977

This work is related with my previous discussion on blackboard about nudity, political correctness, freedom of speech and whether it is appropriate or not to display such artworks on a public building. The best artwork in my opinion is the art that is made to represent something in society. For this reason, I would like to know why the artist painted this and what is the message behind it.

Value Scale and Color Wheel

Creating the Value Scale and Color Wheel was simple and fun. It was a good way of releasing the stress of everyday life and trying to exercise your creativity again. Being able to create something with your own hands is very satisfying. The Value Scale shows me how to create different degrees of the same color and how it would affect an image. To make the color wheel, it was interesting how I sometimes had to mix different colors to create a completely new color. I really enjoyed working with Value Scale the most. It's nice to see how the different values of a color can change the meaning of a painting and bring different emotions from the people viewing it. For me, one of the most important discoveries from these projects is that it is possible to have fun and release stress without having to turn on any electronic device. I was able to step away from all my electronic devices (phones, tv, computer...) while trying to complete this project. I see this as an important discovery because today we depend so much on electronics to be able to entertain ourselves and these electronics have the 'fun' laid out for us instead of us creating our own fun and distraction by using our imagination. The videos were very instrumental in helping me understand what I was suppose to do for the project and how it was suppose to look like when it is finished. I was having a bit of trouble understand some of the instructions on blackboard but the video definitely cleared some of it for me. The most important information I learned from the video was that you can use different colors and mix them together to create a new, totally different color. I already new this in some way, but it was amazing seeing how the person used yellow and blue to create a green color, for example.

Project #1: Elements and Principles Slideshow and Reflections

Hi everyone. This is my slideshow presentation. At the bottom of this post is my quick reflection on this project. Enjoy! Reflections All of the pictures in this project were taken by me. Some of the photos were taken recently but most of them are photos that I had stored in my digital camera from past vacations and trips. The picture titled "Lines" was painted by me for this project. The oldest picture that I used for this project is "emphasis." It depicts the space shuttle being taken to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in NYC. I used tools like Windows Live Photo Gallery in some images to edit their lighting and effects. One of the photos which I edited to make it fit its element was "Value." I made the picture a bit darker to add more shadows and contrast. Overall the project was very simple and fun. It only took me about 2 hours to go through all my photos, create a photobucket account and post this blog.

Color Theory and Emotional Effects

The element of color is created when light passes through an object and it's reflected back to the eye. This means that we do not see objects, we only see light. Three property of color are the hue, which is the name we give to the color. The second one is the value, which tells us how dark or light the color is. The third property is intensity, which means the strength of the color. An image would not be able to portray the same amount of emotion if the image does not use colors. Different colors have individual and cultural associations. In our culture, we often see the color pink as feminine and blue as being masculine. Colors in themselves do not have a meaning or representation since they are just light. Our culture created the idea that pink and blue should represent each gender. It has been proven that men will usually find women more attractive if they wear red or pink. This is because our culture has attached into our brains that emotional response into that given color.

The most theoretical aspect of color that most fascinates me is the fact that we can only see color because of the light hitting an object and being reflected into our eyes. This would mean that in reality, color does not exist and it is just an effect created by our eyes. It really changed the way you look at the world around you and makes you see life and the human body as the amazing creation that it is.

The video "color" is very interesting. It shows how color is the most powerful artistic element. It is difficult to get an emotion out of your painting if it does not include colors. Colors can also make it easier for people to understand the message that the artist is trying to present.

In the "feelings" video, it impacted me how works of art can change a person's feelings towards an event or the person that is being depicted. Works of art has always been used to send a message to the viewer. In the past, many art works tried to depict religious figures which created an idea inside the person's brain of how that person from the past looked like and behaved. It also gives you the feeling of being there at the moment of the important event shown in the image.

Videos and CNN Articles review

The CNN article "What the brain draws from: Art and neuroscience"  talks about different techniques used by artist in their paintings. Artist try to trick the brain into thinking the image is three-dimensional by adding shadows and using different tones of colors. Works of art like the "Mona Lisa" have a dynamic quality which makes the painting change its expression depending on which area of her face you are focusing. I don't agree with how the article tries to persuade us into believing that we are somehow born with an idea wired into our brain of what beauty means. People build their own definition of beauty by persuasion and experiences. 

The "Neurobiology Neurology and Art and Aesthetics" video is about how art has evolved throughout the years and the effects which art has on human beings. The key concept that I have learned from this presentation is that art is not suppose to be realistic. It is suppose to be distorted and exaggerated to bring an emotion from the people. The CNN article seems to believe that art is suppose to be symmetrical and beautiful but the professors in this video seem to disagree with this idea.

Plato's theory on aesthetics seems to be the most important. Plato grew up during the Peloponnese War around 428 BCE in Greece. He was born during the classical age of Athens. He defines art as a skill used to make and do things. Plato seems to believe that the highest level of beauty, which he called "absolute beauty" is having a beautiful mind as well as a beautiful body. He believed that all beautiful objects needed to present unity and proportion within their parts. He gave us the definition of beauty which we use in today's society.
 
Changeux and Ramachandran scientific view of aesthetics and art are both very interesting. Ramachandran most interesting fact were his 8 laws of art. The most interesting fact in Changeux lecture was his discovery of composition.

Both the text and video talk about the history of art and its effect on humans. The text and the video helped me get a better understand of what aesthetics and art means. The video and CNN article seem to use science in order to explain art.

The films gave me a different view of what art is and how it should be done. The video has taught me that the word art does not have one specific meaning, but instead it can have different definitions for different people.

My first blog!!!

Hi everyone. This is my first blog!

To be honest, creating the gmail account was not as easy as it would be for most people. I don't use google for my e-mails. They require too much to create a simple account on their website. Though I never created a blog before, this was easier than what I thought if you follow the instructions.

In this course I expect to learn how to draw a picture. I was not born with this talent but I'm sure that with practice I will get better. I also want to learn how to better understand paintings from other artists. I want to be able to analyze their paintings and see the message and story behind them.

I really wanted to take an online course. I think classes like this would have been better in a classroom. You learn faster by watching the professor demonstrate first. Online classes are still good since it allows you to manage your time better and balance work and school with your needs. As the internet keeps becoming a part of our everyday life, online courses will be the future of schooling.