MFA visit

These are pictures of some of the works of art that I saw and liked.

Seinfeld/Brady Videos

Elements of the creative process you see and hear about.

Symphony and Scrimmage:

• Tempo, finesse, rhythm
• pace, tempo,
• big guys provide the foundation, the base
• middle guys bring the lumber, the cellos and french horns
• the little guys bring the lighting, the violins and trumpets- soloists
• deployed in the delicate balances under the leadership of just one, the conductor
• reacting to what others offer
• bring energy and enthusiasm but also the level of excellence out there
• learn the function of every role
• synchronized
• one step ahead of everyone else
• communicate without words
• symphony of symbols needed
• emotion
• when all of those things come together, result denies belief and excites imagination
• beautiful game --> finesse, strength, anticipation, confidence,
• adds up to something much bigger than anything else
• a sight to see
• unexpected is always there

Jerry Seinfeld 

• think of something you think is funny and go from their
• uses yellow pad of paper and specific blue pen
• connective tissue that gives tight smooth link - pull together to be just right

Make a special note when you see a parallel to something you do in your own wok or that you feel relates to the process of making visual art.

• Similar to when Jerry thinks of something funny and goes from there, when I am doing some piece of art, I start by doing one thing and then let it influence me and continue on from there. Also, like they talked about in the Tom Brady video, there must be a conductor. I am the conductor of my own art, and I communicate without words through my work.

The Creative Habit, by Twyla Tharp

Ms. Tharp suggest several methods for "scratching". Describe what Tharp means by "scratching" and select three of her methods you think would work for you and describe how you could use them to get going this term.

• Ms. Tharp describes many different kinds of people's methods for "scratching." By this she means there are many ways for getting inspiration and ideas. These ideas range from traveling to another country to observing falling rocks to going into vintage clothing stores. The main way of "scratching" that I can relate to is changing my environment. I do this when I am traveling or just driving to school. I often get my inspiration from things or places I see. I use nature in most of my work. I also use reading once in a while to get inspiration for my work. 

Ms. Tharp also gives several warnings. Which of these warnings do you think could apply to you and how you can you see using her advice to combat them?

• Don't start with perfection. Just start, and as you go along, add more detail.
• Don't always rely on others. You need to plan ahead of time if something happens, because if you don't, your piece might fall apart.
• Plan your idea but not too much. You need to make sure there is some wiggle room.

208 Squares #1

This is my first piece of the 13 piece series. My theme is playing cards. Cards represent games and having fun, so I drew a few cards, glued down a piece of clear paper, and then used string and paint markers to make a tic-tac-toe board on top.

First thoughts, future thoughts

Background information:
I have been making some kind of art for most of my life. I really began to love art during a middle school art class at my old school. It all started with a painting of a bowl of fruit. My experience of art and this class is what I wrote my college essay about.

Interests:
My favorite material to use is acrylic paint. I hope to use it a lot over the next two terms along with some new materials I have never used before. I also enjoy photography. Maybe for the final project I can combine both paint and photo to make something really cool. Usually I make 2D pieces, and that's what I intend to do for the most part in this class. One theme I love making my art about is nature. I like painting from either observation or from a photo I have taken. Usually, I include lots of color in my paintings.

Ideas:
I want to make a series of paintings based on a photo. I have yet to take a photo that I will use, but I have taken some example photos as ideas.

Last 2 Weeks

M 11/11:
- Yesterday I chose the plane that I wanted to use in my sewing project
- I outlined the plane on my fabric
T 11/12
- Today I began sewing along my outline of the plane
W 11/13- X-block
- Continue sewing if I am at X-block
T 11/14
- Continue/finish sewing the outline of the plane
- Possibly begin turing it into a pillow
F 11/15
- Continue on the pillow
M 11/18
T 11/19
W 11/20 - X-block
T 11/21
F 11/22

Reflection #5

Looking Back:

• I am almost done with my Patterns and Repetition Project
• I made a big spiral type stencil and and spray painted it a few times on my canvas. That is the background. The shape represents human development and change over time.
• Then I added 5 pieces of string and glued them in lines and stamped on musical notes. That represents the change of music over time.
• Today I made a stencil of 2 mini people. I started spray painting them on. They represent people moving through time. 
• I also began thinking of an idea for my next project.
• I practiced different sewing techniques.

Looking Ahead:

• I have to finish my Patterns and Repetition Project. All I have to do on it is spray paint on a few more mini people.
• For my next project,  I want to sew an outline of a baby and an old person to represent people changing and growing over time.

Takeaways:

• For this project, I did something I haven't really done much before, and that is making art with symbols rather than literal images. This makes the work look more abstract. I really like the way it's turning out. Also, I incorporated many different shapes and sizes for the objects in my piece, which helps make it look much better. I hope to use the techniques I learned in this project for my future projects.