Shoreline Arts Trail Nov. 23-24

This weekend head out to the "trail".  The arts trail!  Amazing shoreline artists open their studios to everyone interested in viewing their work. I love to see where an artist works and to meet the artist in person.  So many wonderful works of artists to see see in such a short time.  By the end of the semester you will have to visit an art gallery and do a formal critique of a work of art that you are looking at in person, this weekend is the perfect opportunity to do so. Follow the link below to find out more information. 

Artists James Riccio and John Falato

 Advanced Drawing and Painting

  James R. Riccio Watercolor Paintings

 After having a conversation with painter James Riccio I am reminded how difficult it is to paint with watercolors. Follow the link above to view his work. Years ago I studied watercolor painting with John Falato at Paier College of Art.  It was shockingly hard to paint with watercolors after having some experience painting with oils.  I found myself putting dark values on the paper and not being able to correct my mistake, once it was on the paper it was there for good.  Unlike oils or acrylics you cannot scrape your paint off or paint over an obvious mistake. As our class continues on the path of learning about watercolors, realize that it does take a lot of patience and planning when creating a watercolor painting. 

  Watercolor Painting tips from John Falato  

  

Intro to Watercolors

Advanced Drawing and Painting

In the next few weeks you should have completed three works of art that utilize watercolor. One representational still-life, one self-portrait or portrait , and one abstract mixed-media.  For details about the requirements review the

Watercolor Projects Document

       

Perspective and Perception

Intro to Drawing and Painting

Your next artistic challenge will be to create an acrylic painting that shows your knowledge of perspective. Create the illusion of space by portraying objects and architecture the correct size and proportion.  Choose an architectural or atmospheric space that is intriguing to you and then make a painting that represents that space in your personal way.  You may simplify the details to create an abstract painting or you can try for a realistic rendering. 

View the following Document for more information on this lesson:

Perspective Lesson

The paintings below make an impact by including perspective as a key component to design. 

Create a Message in Mixed-Media

                                                                                  

                                                                    

You can  decide to make a work of art that is related to a cause you feel passionate about. Or you could make a whimsical piece that reflects an interest or subject. A cause could be related to something close to home, in your own community, or it could be an issue that affects the entire world.  When you create this work of art it should be something you feel personally invested in.

In your sketchbook:

·         Describe why you are interested in this cause or subject.

Make a list of words or symbols that could or do represent your cause or subject.   For instance if you were going to make a work of art about families or people being homeless your list might look like this:  $$, people, children,  empty boxes, broken homes??,  sad, pain, loss, bad economy, mental illness,…etc.   If you were  creating a work of art about birds decide what you want to include in the piece.

·         List some colors you think will help you portray the mood you want to relate to the viewer.

·         After you have your list start drawing thumbnail sketches of ideas of any overall composition.  We will be mixing-media to create this work of art, but it is a good idea to start with some kind of composition.  

Outside of class look for articles or written words about your cause or subject.  You could also type something up yourself and pick and interesting font that supports or reflects your cause or subject.  Maybe there are lyrics to a song that are suitable.  You need to have writing or words somewhere in your work (they do not have to be legible). Contemplate what texture paper you might want to add to your work. Finally, draw an image you want to repeat in your work of art.  This could be a symbol or an actual object, person, animal…etc.   You will repeat this image either by replicating it smaller or larger or cutting it out of paper. 

Putting it all together 

 Now that you gathered all the materials and ideas for your work start composing.   How can repetition of an image have an impact on the movement and interest in your piece?  What are you going to emphasize?  Is there a focal point?   How are you going to place colors, textures, lines, and shapes to create a visually balanced piece? 

Robert Rauschenberg

Advanced Drawing and Painting


Rauschenberg, a relevant Pop-Artist and Abstract Expressionist, gave us some very unique works of art.  You will be creating an Activist Art piece this semester, it would be beneficial to take a closer look at his work. In your sketchbook write about your reaction to one of the pieces below.  What do you think Rauschenberg is trying to say?  Does his work appeal to your aesthetic?  Look carefully at the materials he uses to create his art.  Describe them.  Discover more about the work of art.  When was it created?  Did the artist reveal what the work was about? Please do some additional research to learn as much as you can about the work of art.  We will discuss your findings in class on Friday November 15th. 

Bed

Retroactive 1

Canyon

Factum 11

Rubus

The Art of a Doodle

Intro to Drawing and Painting

What is a doodle?  Is it daydreaming on paper?  Give it a try.  In your sketchbook start drawing whatever comes to mind. Maybe you want to write some words, draw abstract lines-whatever you like.  You can even talk to a friend while doing this.  Have fun with it, express yourself. 

A doodle on a napkin paints a picture...

Jeremy Collins

Artists are fortunate because they are able to express themselves as they create. I really love the way Jeremy Collins shows a feeling of sadness and support in this doodle that has been turned into a print.  He really captures the weight of the grief of the person seated.  The red arms show the connection everyone has to the person seated and how they want to help.  If you would like to find out more about this print and Jeremy Collins check out the following sites. 

Jeremy Collins                                  Sandy Hook Print

Critique

Intro to Drawing and Painting



The last work of art we formally critiqued was much more complicated than the one below by Pablo Picasso (Blue Period).  I would like you to find the name and year this painting was created and then complete a formal critique.
This is due on November 11th.

STEPS:

1. Describe what you see. This is the objective (not subjective or personal) portion of the Art Critique. (Objective information or analysis is fact-based where as Subjective information is based on personal opinions, interpretations, points of view, emotions & judgment)

Objective Information involves a technical description-nothing more. It should include things like:

ü  Artist's name.

ü  Title of work.

ü  Type of artwork.

ü  Subject of the painting (scene).

ü  Objects in the painting.

ü  First impression. Note the characteristics of the artwork that first jump out at you.

ü  Colors used.

ü  Shapes, lines and texture.

ü  Light saturation.

ü  Sensory qualities. Identify the predominant mood and visual effect.

2. Analyze the Artwork. Evolve the art criticism from a technical description to an in-depth examination of how the technical elements were utilized by the artist to create the overall impression conveyed by the Artwork. Technical elements you need to analyze when you critique artwork include:

ü  Lines, Shapes, Color, Space & Texture.

ü  Light and Shadow.

ü  How each technical element contributes to the mood, meaning and aesthetics of the Artwork.

3. Interpret the Artwork. This part of an Art Critique is more subjective (personal-see definition above) than the others, as you are expected to use your analysis of the technical aspects of the piece of Art to apply your own idea to the artist's intended purpose for the Artwork. Try to accomplish the following things when formulating your interpretation:

ü  Describe what you think the artist is trying to say through the work of Art.

ü  Expound on the feeling conveyed by the Artwork. Describe what the Artwork means to you, and why.

ü  Explain what you feel is the artist's intended purpose for creating that particular work of Art. Examine why the artist made the choices in technique, materials and subject matter and how they relate to the intended purpose.

ü  Identify symbols in the artwork and describe how they relate to the artist's technical choices and contribute to the artist's execution of the intended purpose.

4. Evaluate the Artwork. This is a summary of the Art criticism process leading up to this point. Use your analysis and interpretation to draw conclusions and reach judgments about the artwork.

ü  State what you think the Artwork's value is. For example, its value may be to evoke nostalgia, to incite anger or to impart beauty. Explain why you feel this way.

ü  Describe the Artwork's relevance to the Art Community and to people as a whole.

ü  Explain where you feel the Artwork has strong value and where you think it falls short.

Remember, your goal is not to say whether or not the Artwork is “good”, but rather to describe the essence of the work by analyzing the Elements and Principles of Design and the artists intention with the information in front of you.