Landscape & Social Science Works

 

The results from the questionnaires lead me to thinking about the content and design of my pieces. I received good, positive feedback, but the works I ended up making just do not seem like what I would choose to make if given complete freedom with direction. I liked using the cardboard for the landscape, because it gave a rougher look, especially around the edges. It made it easier to blend the colors as well, but once I completed it I did not like the results as much. For the social sciences project, I used mostly torn up pieces from found magazines as the background. I like the look and texture that it made, although regarding the size of the piece, I am still unsure how I should have cropped it. I made it close to the elements within, because I did not want too much negative, white space from the background. The problem with doing that is it seems too small. In drawing Marilyn’s portrait, I am pleased with how it turned out. If I had more time I would have perfected her jaw line and spent more time on the details of her hair to look more realistic. I may continue on the Marilyn piece and experiment with any possible cropping and sketch details to make it better. Comparing both the landscape and the social science piece, what is most noticeable is my use of color as the dominating elements. The landscape is composed of many bright colors and one dark, and the Marilyn piece is primarily black and white with contrasting red on certain places. I do like using color in works, as is obvious in both. In planning the landscape, I wanted to represent my attitude towards my situation in life at the moment. The ground is dark, as the present can be difficult to view as good. The sky is bright with a sunrise, like looking forward, or up, into an ideal future that is aspired. For the Marilyn piece, my plan was to make a small commentary on female body image as it is influenced by the media. Marilyn Monroe is an iconic beauty image, although the point of the piece is to say that if there is exact and definite beauty, no one would fit the model.

December 5th: Marking Period (Fall 2013, Marking Period 2)

Following the grade of 100% I received for the first marking period, I hope for similar results for this marking period. During class time I was generally using my time wisely on work days, and fulfilled my part of the work in the class composition project. I finished all of my work on time by their due dates, though the quality of some of the pieces was not exactly the best I wanted them to be. This is mostly due to the fact my ideas for some of the work did not come together as I had originally planned.  So far in this school year there have been two gallery showings, and I participated in each visit. The last essay I wrote was pretty thoroughly researched and discussed each suggested topic from that unit. Also, the artist pages in my sketchbook I feel were well detailed and were focused on the importance of the subject. I have learned that I do need to focus more on composition itself rather than just the subject matter, specifically how I will create unity in the pieces I make. Planning and organizing ideas for work seems to lead me to numerous possibilities for what to do, but I notice it would help me more if I also planned a specific composition. For the project we are working on now, I had made numerous pieces from a few different ideas, which helped me decide on one over the others that did not work as well. That decision helped me finalize how I will effectively compose and create unity for the final project.