Semester Update

The first drawing done in class was kind of a flop. I was anxious to get working on my children's book, so my dedication to a different project wasn't there. Though I did find the picture taking and making the mundane into something interesting to other viewers a great start for getting ideas going. And a way to find a meaningful topic to communicate in the work we create.

For most of the semester after that I worked on my children's book. Alot. I toiled on my computer everyday fixing, adjusting, and reformatting. Especially after the critique on it. Some good suggestions were made especially about the page's format and how to make the images more visually interesting. I did end up adjusting the ending so I didn't bring up any of those sensitive issues with painting the skin darker. It ended up being 42 pages long! Much longer than I had expected it to be, though only 26 images had to be made.

I got some great feedback at my senior show, some suggesting I make it into a coloring book instead of having it a childrens book. Others really wanted to see it finished and published. It was great to hear I was heading in the right direction with it. Seeing it in print also helped me pick out what more I could add to the pictures and what I needed to refine more.


After that I did the last project of the semester, which was open ended. I had been thinking about what I wanted to do as my senior show drew to an end and wanted to base the art off the crazy stuff I was learning about women and how God made them from the book Captivating. The book itself to down so many misconceptions I had about myself and the strength I had. It also dealt with my insecurities.

Though I still struggle not pushing my images far enough, I'm glad I was able to practice my line work outside of the computer tablet. And after much resistance I got back into using my watercolor pencils. It's been awhile since I used them and I was unsure of my skill level with them. I really enjoy how the pictures turned out, and I think that if I had brought the color into the image anymore I would have lost the idea of color representing the essence women possess. Particularly if it was coming from the objects that weren't actually helping them gain acceptance.

Overall I am sad I wasn't able to take life drawing instead, when I wasn't working on my childrens book, I would have loved to continue to work on the figure (I just feel like there's still so much to learn about it!) But Drawing three gave me new ideas on how to start different project ideas, AND allowed me to enjoy watercolor again.

Critique

Hmm, the critique went I think as I expected. It was more about how to fix/improve it than anything else. Though I was unaware at the clique-ness of the water drop, (though it was actually caramel in my picture) I just wanted to see my technique in realism vs. abstraction. The piece was more of a break piece for me, allowing me to stop working on something so serious and play with charcol again. It was more about process, shapes and marking. I hated the final piece of course, and was upset with the lameness of my effort level on it, but I'm happy to be back working on my children's book.

Art Lessons

I think the thought of the artist as being someone "who does everything as best they can" is silly. No one can actually measure someone's "best." The definition is so soft and general it doesn't mean anything. But I did enjoy hearing the history of the word vocation and seeing how it was brought out into al walks of life. But she mentioned that if every artists viewed what they do as a vocation art would be "new." I most artists in our world view what they do as a vocation they are passionate about, so I don't think it's something to change, rather encourage.

I agree with feeding our art with cultural research. That's where we can find inspiration and questions to go off of, whether it's cultural theory, tradition, or style. I always need reminding about the material persistence. If I can't use it well right away I don't want to try again, but I can get good at it if I practice, just like almost everything else in life.

Overall I have a difficult time connecting with the author as well. I read a few chapters of this book in Senior Seminar last semester and found it difficult to write a paper on it. Her personal experiences don't connect with me, and I feel she presents herself in an arrogant sort of way. I admire confidence, but find conceit distasteful.

Who I am

The first thing I always want to identify myself with is God. He's my BFF hands down and I find purpose, joy, satisfaction in Him. He's pretty much the best thing ever. As a side note I'm a Dungeon Master, Video Gamer, Singer and Cook. As far as being an "Artist" goes, I believe that title falls under my other descriptors.

What kind of person am I? I am a dreamer not a completer. I love the beginning, dabbling, trying and testing, but hate finishing. For this reason I love drawing. Drawing in itself is a beginning of many things, but the end of very few. And I hate drawing, because by loving it, I turn it into an end.

When it comes to what I do, I like to stay closely related to commissions because I love serving others. But I also enjoy creating clever, quirky, fantastical adventurous things. This is probably the reason I enjoy surreal art so much, I love how clever people can get when it comes to pushing the boundries on objects.

Drawing 3

So this is my last semester here at Stout, I'm a drawing emphasis. I took Drawing 3 because it is the upper level drawing class that fit in my schedule this semester. I'll be working on my senior show this semester as a continuation of my idea from last semester of doing a children's book. I've refined the cover and started on the first page as well. The story is written for two different age groups: Toddler to Kindergarten and Ages 4-8. I believe I'll do the older age group because this will give me more freedom with the composition of the pages. I would like finish all the preliminary drawing of the pages by midterm or sooner, then finishing the color two weeks before my senior show date, which is in Mid April.