END OF THE YEAR THOUGHTS

Through this year, in Art Principles, I have changed the way I plan, create, and look at art. My greatest accomplishment this year was discovering and realizing how I create art best and my tendencies (in making art). I have really recognized that I am a perfectionist and that I like to work in small detail. This was evident in both my projects and in the low ful completion of many of the projects. One project that really exemplifies this is my collage. I spent many hours focusing on the waves and even putting extremely small details on the people and on the waves; thus not fully completing the entire project, but having one part of it (what I think of as) amazing and spectacular. Although I did not incorporate this observation into my projects until near the end of the year, it really helped when I started to, because I could make sure that I made smaller projects and was able to be scrupulous, while being able to complete them as well (for example my block print).

Although  learning how to make the best of my tendency to become "obsessed" with details and making the art "perfect" to how I wanted it (which rarely happened), this was also my biggest struggle throughout the year. I have only finished a few works of art this year, due to my attention to small details (for example the self portrait, the collage, and many of the drawing from observations). This kept me behind and made me have to spend extra time on many of the projects. It also kept me back from looking at the bigger picture of the projects and sometimes made me frustrated.

The area that I progressed the most in this year was in was improving on basic skills. I really improved on perspective, figures, and the way that I am able to actualize my ideas. Sometimes, with perspective, I would, without knowing it, draw something and the perspective would be just right, and other times I got tremendous help from Ms. Roberts. In addition, I improved on my knowledge of using shading and color to show perspective and distinct features. Figure-wise, I was able to make the people look like actual people, and I learned how to use scale and how to make distinct features on faces. Lastly, I really improved in the way I start an art project. Before this year, I would start a project and have not plan at all, and usually have to make many changes because of no technical planning. This year, I really progressed. I would make plans, sketches, etc. before starting a project, and all of the techniques I acquired this year really helped me convert my ideas into art the way I imagine.

Thank you so much for a great year Ms. Roberts!

Block Print

After  many, many layers of printing, the wave block print was complete. Eight layers of paint make up this print. I feel that this print was a success because I managed to make it look (relatively/kind of) like the picture (first image). I am very please with the hard work ,time and commitment that I put into making this print come out. Although at times I wanted to stop (because of having to do so many layers and its complexity), I was extremely happy that I did not quit. It was a successful project for me.

Clay Sculpture

The most successful aspect of my sculpture was the process in which I created it and having it stand up (and actually finishing it!:-)). I was also very happy with my ability to adapt during this project. Throughout the project, I had to make many changes to the sculpture. I had to take it apart and make the torso hollow, the arm kept falling off (before being fired), and the base got hard and broke (before being fired). It took a while to fix these, but in the end, it came out even better than I expected! All I can say is: Pierre Edouard Planche, you better watch out for this champ!

Family Portrait

Although my Family portrait was never finished (it was going to be painted and the circle is supposed to be the Earth (with continents)), I feel as it I really built upon my concept of how to make "simple" figure" look like an actual person! My thought behind this portrait was that I wanted to have my family (My Dad, My Mom, My Brother, and Me) emphasized in the front, to show that this is my real family. Then sprouting from above my parents would be their parents, and others in their "lineage" that have passed away since I was born and that I knew well. Then, I wanted to show my close friends and family friends, who are like family to me and special in my life; implying that these people were like family to me and I consider them as family. Then I wanted in the background, the Earth and people holding hands, because I wanted to make the point and express that we are all one big family. In creating this I wanted to go from "close" family to a broader sense of family. I was very happy one how I was able to put perspective, emphasis, and I was able to show the distinct features/actions of the people I was putting in the portait (except the big face!).

Reflecting on my Work

Self Portrait:

Using cool, water blue and red, hot fiery orange, I wanted this painting to be the paradox of two of my personalities, which balance each other out. I can be very mellow sometimes, and go with the flow, but other times my fire and passion can become dominant inside. For example, on the tennis court, I may look calm and relaxed, but on the inside I can be full of fire, passion, and energy. Some of the challenges that I experienced while making this painting was how to use the color to show perspective, rather than using the drawing. I finally was able to recognize that the shades and emphasises of color was the key, which led to some "success." Another challenge was making the colors "blend"/"fade" when I was trying to make things stand out and/or show depth (for example under the eye). Oppositely, I think that I was successful in creating/mixing the colors that I wanted to get for this portrait. In addition, I really like how the "fiery"-side of the portrait "fades"/transitions from a more yellow orange to a more red-orange, touching on the spectrum of the continuum of red and yellow (going from yellow to red on the color wheel). Overall, I was extremely happy with what I got for the right-side of the portrait, and I definitely want to come back and finish up the right and finish the left-side of this painting. If I were to do this portrait another time, I would, without second thought, get the drawing portion of the assignment over with as quickly as possible (not pay so much attention to it), so I could focus on having a finished portrait, and I could put more effort into the painting (main part) of the project.

Hiawatha

Hiawatha

Augustus Saint-Guadens (American)

1874

Agustus Saint-Guadens is a sculptor who has sculpted many great works of art, manyof  which are displayed in famous locations such as: Madison Square, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, and The Boston Commons.He also is the designer of the twenty-dollar "double eagle" gold coin/piece (considered the most beautiful America coin ever issued, as well as designing the Ten Dollar "Indian Head" gold eagle (coin).  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus_Saint-Gaudens)

This Sculpture, Hiawatha was inspired from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Poem: The Song of Hiawatha, and depicts a Chippewa chief, pondering while sitting on a rock, leaning up against a tree, with his bow and quivers nearby. (http://www.metmuseum.org /toah/hd/astg/ho_2001.641.htm). 

Saint-Gaudens uses Marble to create this spectacular sculpture. He uses many textures, but the most prominent are visible on Hiawatha's hair and feathers, the rock and plants beneath him, and the tree that he is leaning on.

To distinguish Hiawatha's hair from his face, Saint-Guadens makes a hair texture by "scraping." This similar technique is also visible on the feathers in his hair and the fletching (feathers) on his arrows. 

For the rock underneath Hiawatha, it looks like Saint-Guadens used a small chipping tool, or a pointed tool to make small indents in the marble, to give it a "rocky" (looks like coral) appearance.

For the tree, Saint Guadens not only makes the tree look like a tree, but because of his technique, he is able to illustrate the exact type of tree. The Birch Tree that Hiawatha is leaning on, is textured so well that the view is able to depict the loose bark and "ringy" texture of the Birch tree.

It is evident that Augustus Saint-Guadens is an incredible sculptor and uses textures extremely well to make his carvings "animated" and have the impression of reality.

Note: Awesome Zoom Feature  (Click for link)

Step on Board

"Step On Board"

Fern Cunningham (American)

1999

Fern Cunningham is an Art teacher at the Park School in Brookline, Ma, and also is a sculptor.  Focusing on African-American history in her sculptures, "Step on Board" is an inspirational sculpture of Harriet Tubman marching forward, "gaze set firmly forward toward the goal of freedom for herself and the group of slaves who follow her." (www.salemstate.edu). It symbolizes the power of the goal of freedom and leadership. This is shown through the placement and hand positioning of Tubman and her foot "in front of"/"leading" the sculpture (leadership), and the sense of unity of characters in the back (all have the goal of freedom). In addition, the facial expressions and "body language" of the characters portrays perseverance, hardship, and also leadership, all of which the slaves and Tubman had to "endure." The artist does an amazing job of illustrating the story of Harriet Tubman and the slaves and makes the viewer inspired to be a leader like Harriet Tubman.

Similar Paintings (Present and Past)

Andy Roddick

Quwatha Valentine (American)

2006-2007

Lawn Tennis

Constant Mayer (French)

1883

Similarities:

These two paintings are over 100 years apart, yet they have the same theme/topic; tennis. In both, we see people in the action of playing tennis. We see part (or all) of the tennis court, and we see players hitting in the action of hitting the tennis ball. Something very interesting is that both Andy Roddick and the woman who is hitting the ball in Lawn Tenns both have their knees in the same position. Their knees are bent at almost the same degree. Additionally, many of the people in Lawn Tennis have white hats similar to Andy Roddick's. Both authors use darks and lights to show perspective and dimension.

Differences:

In Andy Roddick (the first) the focus is on one player (Andy), while in Lawn Tennis (the second) the emphasis is mainly on the game of tennis itself. The mood is also different. In the first, there is a strong sense of concentration, focus, and intensity; while in the second, there is a "lighter" feeling, where tennis is like a get together, and a social event. There are many people just chatting, eating and drinking, watching, and relaxing.

Artists' Visions Similarities:

I believe that both of the artists are trying to make a statement about tennis, and are trying to depict certain aspects of the game. For example, Quwatha Valentine, illustrates the competitive game of tennis by illustrating one of the best players. However, in Lawn Tennis, Constant Mayer is depicting the game of tennis as a social, and fun even, where everyone can participate. 

The main aspect of these paintings that connects them is there theme of tennis.

Family

The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit

John Singer Sargent (American/Italian)

1882

This painting by John Singer sargent is not of an entire family, but of the four daughters of the family. This painting's depicts family in a strange way. All of the daughters are "isolated"; aloof from each other. However, at the same time, we (the viewer) have a strong sense of connection. Mr. Sargent may be trying to show that even if a family is not "together," they are still a family. In addition, it may be showing that each member of the family is not the "same," but  there is still a sense of unity.

John Singer Sargent uses many of the principles of design to communicate these points. He utilizes the principle of emphasis by using placement and grouping. The placement of the daughters makes each daughter stand-out "individually." Also by grouping the two daughters in the back does show some unity. Singer also uses contrast to make the daughters stand-out. In the back, the darkness makes the two girls stand out, and the darkness of the girl on the left makes the "difference" between the two girls. In addition, the contrasts of colors of the daughters' shirts shows their "differences" (in preferences).  There is also the principle of balance in this painting (asymmetry). The two daughters together are in the middle, and on each side of them, there is one other daughter. This balance creates the sense of family and unity because balance is a symbol that can represent family.

Although this painting does not depict a mother and father, there is a family within a family when the children are pictured, and they in fact may be a microcosm or representation of the "complete" family.

Nighthawks

Nighthawks

Edward Hopper (American)

1942

First Impressions:

When first observed this spectacular painting by Edward Hopper, what first caught my attention were the three customers inside the diner, especially the man seated alone. Then, I took notice of the empty street and the glass window that "surrounds" the diner. The window is very interesting because the glass is so expansive, it made me look through it and at the same time, try to find an end. Trying to find an end was "hard" because the glass "cleverly" curves "away." It is not the only thing that curves around that corner; the table, the benches (the light/bright green) the olive green outlining, the shadow and the sidewalk. I believe that this makes you "start over," or looking at a different part of the painting, because this aspect is "annoying" to the (or at least) my human brain. I want something to end but nothing does. Additionally, the table is a triangle and will also "never end." When I look at this picture, I feel as if there is an off balance of "stuff" in this painting. The right side is emphasized, because this part of the painting is "weighted" and also it is different than the peaceful, empty side of the left side of the painting. Because the right of the painting seems as if it is "cut off," I often find myself looking to the far right and wanting there to be "more" of this painting, maybe because I want it to balance it out, and have the center of the painting as the emphasis. Nighthawks was definitely made the way it was for a reason, and it is certainly a magnificent painting to explore.

What I Learned:

Nighthawks is inspired by a diner that was in Hopper's home neighborhood, in Greenwhich Village, Manhattan, New York. This painting is in many aspects related to the attack on Pearl Harbor, which occurred right before Edward Hopper created this painting. As noted by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nighthawks , there is the same feeling of gloominess in this painting as there was across America. As said by http://www.artic.edu/artaccess/AA_Modern/pages/MOD_7.shtml,"painting reveals three customers lost in their own private thoughts." Hopper states: "unconsciously, probably, I was painting the loneliness of a large city." In this painting there is no door (visable) and it seems as if: "The viewer, drawn to the light shining from the interior, is shut out from the scene by a seamless wedge of glass." (http://www.artic.edu/artaccess/AA_Modern/pages/MOD_7.shtml) As said by http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/patc/nighthawks/index.html, "no matter what the setting, Hopper painted from the outside looking in." When looking at this painting, you feel almost excluded, and everyone inside of the diner seems to be "in their own world," excluding the others around them. Better put is what is written by http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/patc/nighthawks/index.html: "Behind the windows, a busboy stoops behind the counter, while three patrons, a man with his back to the window, and a couple facing out, sit in apparent silence. No door is visible, so even if a passerby wanted to interrupt their solitude, it would be impossible. There's just enough detail -- and just enough hidden -- to give viewers the opportunity to create back-stories for the nighthawks on their own." This painting truly does reflect solitude, and it does make us want to know the true story behind and about this painting.

This painting is Oil on Canvas, and is 84.1 x 152.4 cm.

Add-on:

Hopper creates a sense of unity by having everything in the painting either complement something else in the painting, by having the "lines" in come back, and by giving us a focal point. In this painting, the compliments are contrasts. We have a diner with a few people in it (some movement) on the right side, and on the left side, there is no sign of human life or any movement (three-quarters of the painting is "empty"1). This contrastive unbalance, in a sense creates balance. The leading lines of this painting does not necessarily lead to any place particularly, but because they do not "end," they bring the viewer back and forth among them, therefor settling the eyes in the middle of them. The focal point in this painting is the cafe, and by using all of the ideas presented above, Hopper makes this the focal point. The contrast of life, the contrast and the bright light from inside the diner to the darkness outside. I personally think that the man with his back turned to the viewer is the main emphasis of this painting because he is the only one wearing completely dark clothes, and he is "singled-out" (grouping). Hopper intelligently pulls this painting together with these attributes of unity.

1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nighthawks

Reflection

The first term of art has been really incredible for me. I feel like I have been evolving in not only the way I think about art and create art, but also in my mind set about art. Gradually, I have been getting better and "letting go" and just "arting" (new word!). I have become less focused getting everything "perfect," and more on just focusing on the main task and I have become more focused when I do my art work. In better words, I have become more free with my art, and more "experimental" and trying new techniques and thinking in different ways. One of the main inspirations are Monday "Drop everything and Draw Days." When I first started, I was so intent on getting everything "exact,"that I was always behind and "disappointed." Gradually, I have started to be more "free" and even though the art work may not be as great, I feel better when I am creating it and I feel more relaxed and optimistically. Even though these final products are not Picasso's masterpieces or maybe not as great as before, they are really helping me in the other projects that we are doing. From being open, I have learned new techniques and also what not to do, which are all contributing to my better art work. I feel like this was a step back, and then two steps forward. Thomas Edison when inventing the lightbulb failed multitudinous times until he finally got it said, "I did not fail, I have just found two-thousand ways to not create a lightbulb." He also said, "I never failed once. It just happened to be a 2000-step process." That is how I feel about this first term of art. I feel that everything that I have done in art class so far, both "good" and "bad," are just a process of making me better. In tennis, one very important lesson is learning not to judge something as "good" or "bad," but what is important is observing, and learning from the "positives" and the "negatives." I believe that I am gradually starting to do this in art class, each time that I pick up a paintbrush, a pensil, charcoal, or any object in the class room. I really feel like if I keep this up, I can really accelerate in the next term, maybe a step a step forward each time, or maybe  by taking one step back, and then two steps forward.

If I could do any of the projects again, I would do the either the value drawing or the painting portrait another time. Even though the value drawing was not my favorite project to do, I really think that my drawing skills need a lot of improving. I would really like to continue learning (about) and working with value to show perspective, time, mood, temperature, etc. I find it fascinating that value can create and add so much to a drawing, painting, or any form of art. I believe that by working on this topic more, I can really improve other aspects of my art. My two favorite projects were the Collage and the Portrait. I would want to do the Portrait painting and color over again because I really like how color can symbolize so much and can add so much to any work of art. Carianne Mack taught me something very intreguing about color. I learned that there are 100 red somethings in your Iris, to about 36 yellow, to 5-10 blue pigments (or something) that makes you percieve the way that you perceive the colors the way you do. Red is strong and "stands out" and is bold (because you have so many red "things" in your eyes."  Yellow is the "medium color" that is bright, but not intense and that attract your eye in a "medium"sense. Blue, the lowest, calms you eye and your body, and is cool, peaceful, and commonly used as a background (sky) for this reason. It is not he color that is going to attract your eye strait away. I find this fascinating, because I can also apply color to my everyday life. From books, to paper, to cooking, to designing, and to almost any thing that has color you can apply what color "means."

During this term, I/we have definitely researched and investigated many artists and their works. They are all "different" and so is their art work. My favorite is Andy Goldsworthy. I really like how he uses simple objects from nature to create such enchanting works of art. He also really uses everything to his advantage, and "thinks outside the box." For example, his work Knotweed Stalks (see previous post) uses the reflection of the stalks in the water to create the rest of the sculpture with incredible precision. Another one of his works, Rowan Leaves and Hole (click here for this painting and many of his others) is an extremely enticing, colorful, alluring,  and beautiful masterpiece of art by just using leaves from a Rowan Tree. I am captivated by how he uses the colors of nature to create such spectacular works.

Thanks so much for a great first term!

Kristopher.

Knotweed Stalks

Knotweed Stalks
Andy Goldsworthy (British)
1988

First Impressions:
This is a really cool sculpture. To me it reminds me of a window or a hole. The scene looks really spectacular and the background compliments the sculpture. This sculpure looks like it is sticking into the ground out of the water. When I first looked at it, I thought it was an "impossible" sculpure. I could not seem to figure out hiw Goldsworthy had made it. Then after looking at the discription (my bad) I found out that the bottom part was really the reflection of the stalks above the water. This three-dimensional object truly amazes me as the thought of using the reflection of the water to create symetry was truly brilliant and inspirational. It is also really cool how the whole makes the sculpture look as if it concaves in, towards the hole. The hole draws an incredible amount of attraction (to the eye). I am inspired by this sculpture and the way the Andy Goldsworthy used nature to create such a magnificent masterpiece.

What I Have Learned:
As mentioned above, it is really neat how Andy Goldsworthy used the reflection of the water to "complete" the sculpture. Andy is an artist that uses and "collaborates" with nature to create his creations. He features his art work as "momentary" or "ephemeral"1. He photographs his creations as soon as they are finished. As said by morning-earth.com, "His goal is to understand nature by directly participating in nature as intimately as he can." Andy will use whatever he has (nature wise) to create his amazing and beautiful works of art.

Here are some of his words about his art work:
"I enjoy the freedom of just using my hands and "found" tools--a sharp stone, the quill of a feather, thorns. I take the opportunities each day offers: if it is snowing, I work with snow, at leaf-fall it will be with leaves; a blown-over tree becomes a source of twigs and branches. I stop at a place or pick up a material because I feel that there is something to be discovered. Here is where I can learn. "

"Looking, touching, material, place and form are all inseparable from the resulting work. It is difficult to say where one stops and another begins. The energy and space around a material are as important as the energy and space within. The weather--rain, sun, snow, hail, mist, calm--is that external space made visible. When I touch a rock, I am touching and working the space around it. It is not independent of its surroundings, and the way it sits tells how it came to be there."

"I want to get under the surface. When I work with a leaf, rock, stick, it is not just that material in itself, it is an opening into the processes of life within and around it. When I leave it, these processes continue."


"I enjoy the freedom of just using my hands and "found" tools--a sharp stone, the quill of a feather, thorns. I take the opportunities each day offers: if it is snowing, I work with snow, at leaf-fall it will be with leaves; a blown-over tree becomes a source of twigs and branches. I stop at a place or pick up a material because I feel that there is something to be discovered. Here is where I can learn. "

"Looking, touching, material, place and form are all inseparable from the resulting work. It is difficult to say where one stops and another begins. The energy and space around a material are as important as the energy and space within. The weather--rain, sun, snow, hail, mist, calm--is that external space made visible. When I touch a rock, I am touching and working the space around it. It is not independent of its surroundings, and the way it sits tells how it came to be there."

"I want to get under the surface. When I work with a leaf, rock, stick, it is not just that material in itself, it is an opening into the processes of life within and around it. When I leave it, these processes continue."

"Movement, change, light, growth and decay are the lifeblood of nature, the energies that I try to tap through my work. I need the shock of touch, the resistance of place, materials and weather, the earth as my source. Nature is in a state of change and that change is the key to understanding. I want my art to be sensitive and alert to changes in material, season and weather. Each work grows, stays, decays. Process and decay are implicit. Transience in my work reflects what I find in nature."

"The underlying tension of a lot of my art is to try and look through the surface appearance of things. Inevitably, one way of getting beneath the surface is to introduce a hole, a window into what lies below."

Sources: http://www.morning-earth.org/ARTISTNATURALISTS/AN_Goldsworthy.html
Picture: http://prettisculpture.typepad.com/photos/other_artists_3/goldsworthy2.html

Portrait of Chess Players

Portrait of Chess Players

Marcel Duchamp (American, Born in France)

1911.

First Impressions:

At first glance this painting looks very confusing with many shapes all crowded together. After studying it for a little while, I started to see outlines of familiar shapes and figures. These were "subtle" in a way because they are not obviously shown. This reminds me of cubism. In this painting, I believe that there are a few optical illusions. The head of the guy on the left seems to be either facing his opponent (the other person), but it can alo appears to be facing the viewer (you). It is also very cool that the further you move back, the painting changes in a way. In the background, there seems to be various chess pieces. I can perceive the figures of a pawn, a bishop and a kind. To me the darker pieces appear to be playing out the role of a chess game. (zoom feature). There seems to be hidden objects in this painting and shapes that make up many figures. This painting is very interesting because of the way that it is made. Every time that I look at this painting, I can perceive a new, hidden object.

What I Have Learned (About the Author):

Chess was a great passion of Marcel Duchamp. He incorporated it into many of his works of art. He even said: "I have come to the personal conclusion that while all artists are not chess players, all chess players are artists."1  In this painting, "each head is made up of many overlapping successive planes, with chess pieces floating in the indefinite spaces that surround them. This painting is in fact influenced by Duchamp's interest in cubism. Marcel Duchamp was born in 1887 in Northwest France.  He was a painter and a mixed media artist.2 He was associated and influenced with Cubism, Dadaism, and Surrealism.3 "Duchamp's work is characterized by its humor, the variety and unconventionality of its media, and its incessant probing of the boundaries of art."4 All of the four oldest brothers in his family became artists. A short synopsis of The Chess Players is given to us by www.understandingduchamp.com. "In The Chess Players Duchamp explored the possibilities of Cubism. It shows two chess players at a table, in multiple views. In the center of the painting are a few shapes like chess pieces.

The players are shown in different positions, suggesting the passage of time. Duchamp gave Cubism an idiosyncratic twist by introducing duration.

The players are weighing their options. One potential outcome results in the capture, by the player on the left, of an opposing piece, held in his hand near the bottom of the painting. A picture of minds engaged in the calculus of chess, this is an early exercise in another continuing interest in Duchamp’s art: depicting the intangible."www.understandingduchamp.com

In the 1968, Marcel Duchamp unfortunately died. Understandingduchamp.com did an excelent "summarization" of Marcel Duchamps' life. 

Marcel Duchamp showed the way to a new kind of art. Compared with the varieties of visual expression that came before, this new art seeks to to engage the imagination and the intellect instead of just the eyes, embraces humor as a valid aesthetic component, and strives to portray invisible worlds instead of just visible ones.

Some of the most fruitful influences in modern art, from Surrealism to Abstraction to Pop to pure Conceptualism, have a common forefather in Marcel Duchamp.

---

Duchamp died peacefully in 1968. His ashes were interred with other family members in the Cimetière Monumental in Rouen. He wrote his own epitaph:

D’ailleurs, c'est toujours les autres qui meurent

Anyway, it’s always the other guy who dies.

Sources: http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/51446.html

Quotes: 1. http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/51446.html

2-4. http://www.understandingduchamp.com/text.html

Zoom Painting: http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/51446.html

Lady Agnew of Lochnaw

Lady Agnew of Lochnaw

John Singer Sargent (American)

1892-1893

First Impressions:

To me, this girl looks like she is from a prominent family. The cloths that she is wearing are very fashionable and expensive. Her facial expressions are happy and jovial. She seems to be a happy person and a delicate girl. She looks  focused and maybe in her twenties, she is definitely young. Her skin is smooth meaning that she takes care of herself. The painting is done in great detail and very carefully done, symbolizing that the family paid a lot of money for the painting.

What I Have Learned:

Lady Agnew is a vert prominent lady and "The painting was done in a "high key" and carefully finished. "It is a careful portrait, free of any fine frenzy, sedately handled, and rather lacking in the force and fire  of his daring technique" ((Charteris, P136),http://jssgallery.org/Paintings/Lady_Agnew.htm) It was considered a masterpiece by everyone. The times said "A masterpiece... not only a triumph of technique but the finest example of portraiture in the literal sense of the word, that has been seen here in a long while. (The Times, 1893). "Carter Ratcliff described it this way in his book on Sargent: 

Lady Agnew's personality engages in endless elusive play against her social type. Sargent has made her face almost schematic, yet within the regularity there is slight departures, nuances whose faintness blends nicely with the sitters languid pose. Lady Agnew's face seems all possibility, and consciously so. The moment of the right side of her lips look slightly drawn back, as if in doubt or weariness, the left side seems almost to smile. And, as if to insist on her control of this ambivalence, her eyes are oddly calm."
(Ratcliff)

This Portrait gives the viewer a clear look at Lady Agnew.

Sources: http://jssgallery.org/Paintings/Lady_Agnew.htm

Landscape in Southern France

Landscape in Southern France

André Derain (French)

C.A. 1917-1927

First Impressions:

This is a very beautiful painting by André Derain. There are many "earthy/neutral" and natural" and "cool" colors. For example, there are many "olive" greens, and light and dark browns. The sky is a very "cool," light blue. This painting is very serene and tranquille, and André does a magnificent job of using color tones to express the scene of his drawing. In the background, there seems to be a road (or a wall) that leads up to a building. This picture reminds me of a vineyard (for growing grapes and eventually for making the grapes into wine). The building is probably (may be) a wine cellar. This also could be a olive grove (for making olive oil). Fortunately, I have been to Southern France, and have seen the beautiful vineyards and groves, so I could relate to this drawing, and really feel like I am back in Southern France.   All of the earth tones really make this beautiful painting very realistic and brings the sense of nature, beauty, and to me, extravagance (wine or olive oil), because these two products are to me such precious and upscale products.

What I Have Learned:

This painting is oil on canvas and 50.5 cm by 60.6 cm. André did smartly choose the colors and their profiles to show and set the mood of exactly what he wanted to illustrate in this painting. 

There is an inscription of is name in the bottom left corner, "A derain" and currently it is at the MFA in Boston, Massachusetts. I have also learned and understood how much the type of color effects and shows the mood of the painting.

Sources: Museum of Fine Arts (Boston): http://www.mfa.org/collections/search_art.asp?recview=true&id=33264&coll_keywords=&coll_accession=&coll_name=&coll_artist=Derain&coll_place=&coll_medium=&coll_culture=&coll_classification=Paintings&coll_credit=&coll_provenance=&coll_location=&coll_has_images=1&coll_on_view=&coll_sort=0&coll_sort_order=0&coll_view=0&coll_package=0&coll_start=1

Story Collage

(Collage coming soon!)

Surfing Santa Teresa, Mal País, Costa Rica

Kris B

The Story that I am telling in this collage is me surfing for the first time in Costa Rica. I got up the first attempt, and I had a lot of fun riding the big waves. The view from the water, looking at the beach, and then "the land" was spectacular.

The most challenging aspect of this collage was getting everything how I imagined it to be in my head.

The most successful aspect of my collage is... not finished yet.

I See the Light Drawing

(Picture to be added soon)

Tennis With My Family With A Magical Evening Sky. (On Cape Cod)

Kris B

The story that I am trying to tell this drawing is me and my family playing tennis on Cape Cod. Playing tennis as a whole family is always memorable to me and this evening was especially special because of the beautiful sky and the vibrant and incredible colors in the sky.

I used value in this drawing to illustrate the many shades of the evening sky, to make the ocean look more realistic, to show the magnificent sun reflecting in the water, to show the incredible light from the descending sun, and to make depth and perspective.

The most challenging aspect of this drawing for me was showing the perspective and getting the right color. I am a "perfectionist" and it was hard to do everything exactly how I wanted it to be; in other words, I reached too high, and did not have all of the skill to really get the "exactness" that I wanted.

The most successful aspect of my drawing is that I was able to show perspective very well, and I was able to get and happy with the light aspect.

The Persistence of Memory (La persistencia de la memoria)

The Persistence of Memory (La persistencia de la memoria)

Salvador Dalí (Spanish)

1931

First Impressions

When I look at this drawing, I first notice three clocks drooping or in away, melting. As I look more closely, I notice that there are actually four pocket watches (one upside down). There may also be references to sundials or other forms of telling time, for example the tree's shadow. It is difficult to tell whether it is dawn/sunrise or the evening/sunset. In the background, there are mountains/cliffs, and a either a lake, a pond, or the ocean. There are two species of animals in this painting, one is ants, and the other is a fly. Ants in Dalí's life symbolize death, because when he was a child, he found a bat with a broken wing, and cared for it. Unfortunately, the bat was eaten by ants, and that is why the ants symbolize death. There seems to be an "odd" balance between life and death in the tree. Normally, a tree would symbolize life, but the tree is dead in this painting. On the ground in the foreground, there seems to be a weird animal or something. I also know that Dalí is a Surrealist, and many of his paintings are very "dream-like." Lastly, I know that he painted this painting while waiting for Gala, his wife and muse to come home. All in all, I think that this is a beautiful painting, and I really like how the light and shadows really give the viewer a great sense of perspective and time.

What I have Learned

This painting"epitomizes Dalí's theory of 'softness' and 'hardness,' which was central to his thinking time." The figure in the center of this painting is indeed a human, and not only a human, it Dalí, represented as a strange "moster," "that Dalí used in several period pieces to represent himself." The ants in fact are a symbol for death. Like all of the elements in this painting, the tree has "the same function as the rest if the elements in the picture: to impress anxiety and , in a certain way, terror, although it is likely that it was conceived as a functional element on which to drape one of the watches." The "golden" cliffs in the background actually represent Catalonia, Dalí's homeland. These are "derived from the rocks and cliffs at Cape Creus, where the Pyrenees meet the sea" (moma.org). A very interesting observation noticed by The Museum of Modern Art, is that, "Hard objects become inexplicably limp in this bleak and infinite dreamscape, while metal attracts ants." Dalí used (and mastered) in this painting something that he called "the usual paralyzing trick fo the eye fooling, the most imperialist fury of precision, to systemize confusion and thus to help discredit the world completely" (Dalí). As said by The Museum of Modern Art, "Here time must loose all meaning." A great way to also put this is: "time bends" (MoMA). The story behind this painting is that the original idea came to Dalí on a hot, summer day. Gala was out shopping and Dalí had a great headache. After his meal, he noticed some half eaten Camembert cheese that had become runny and melted because of the heat of the sunny day. That night, while he was "searching his soul for something to paint" (Wikipedia, the Persistence of Memory), he had a dream of clocks melting on a landscape. So far, he had a plain landscape with rocky cliffs, and a tree on a platform. In a period of two to three hours, he added the melting pocket watches, "make this the iconic image it is today." (Same as before).

Materials: Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 9 1/2 by 13'' (24.1 by 33 cm).

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Persistence_of_Memory#External_links

(Also many of the quotes are from there)

      : http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=79018 

Great Zoom Feature: http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=79018 

Harvest Talk

Harvest Talk

By Charles Wilbert White. (American)

1954.

First Impressions

When I look at this drawing/charcoal drawing, I see two incredibly muscular African Americans working in the fields either holding or fixing a scythe. I notice that the land behind them is very hilly, but also "free." This might be a symbolism for the history of slavery in the United States. Here are two impressively strong African Americans strong from their past and free. It shows that they are hard working and happy and free. The sky is darkish, maybe stormy, to show the strength of the African Americans through their history, and also to make the two men stand out. The two men look fairly happy and they seem to be taking a break.

What I Have Learned

Charles White had a "deep respect for labor" because his father was a railroad and steel worker and his mother was a domestic worker. Harvest Talk is a charcoal and carbon pencil drawing, and it "exemplifies [White's] mature drawing style." In this painting, depicted are "strong, assured manner" figures with "heroic proportions." In addition there is a great emphasis on the large scythe, which "evokes that indomitability of his subjects in the face of hard work." A very interesting symbol and fact is that the presence of the scythe is symbolic, because it is an "emblem often associated with the Soviet union [and] the social realist sensibilities that prevail throughout White's oeuvre." This was probably influenced by White's travels to the U.S.S.R. This also implies that Harvest Talk was effected and inspired by socialist ideas. Light plays a role in this "mural" by emphasizing principle objects and by adding perspective.

The materials that were used to create this work of art are "Charcoal, Wholff's carbon drawing pencil and graphite, with stumping and erasing on ivory illustration board.

Information From: http://www.artic.edu/webspaces/museumstudies/ms242/portfolio17.shtml