Module 4

1. Discuss what you thought about creating the Value Scale and Color Wheel.

I found it to be calming and enjoyable when mixing certain colors like greens. The bright yellow green made me think of the first buds of spring on our big weeping willow trees. The value scale got me thinking about the building blocks of lights and darks needed to create art.

2. Which media did you enjoy working with the best and why?

I enjoyed the color scale because I enjoy painting with bright colors.

3. What was the most important discovery in the creation of these studies?

From the text, what struck me as most important was the discovery that light is not controlled by Gods, but is in fact a type of radiant energy. In terms of my personal experience with these two studies, I found the importance of consistency and discipline in creating a 9 step value scale.

4. What is the most important information you learned from watching the videos for this project? What is your opinion of the videos?

I enjoyed watching the printing video and understanding the steps artists go through to carve out their specific design and eventually apply it to paper

Module three photo project

In order of appearance - Line, Value, Emphasis, Texture, Unity, Contrast, Movement, Pattern, Shapes, Proportion, Balance, Color, Forms, Space

If I was to pick a primary theme to my creative and technical process It could be described as exploring the world around me right now. This particular process of examining life right in front of us is reflected in the model depicting the counting of livestock, from the tomb of Meketre, to the Deir El-Bahri Dynasty. Initially when I was thinking about this project, I was thinking much more ornate and detailed photography, but decided it was more important to focus on simple elements. This was reflected in the readings and I found myself thinking about this while I stared out my bedroom window onto my wooded backyard. In thinking about capturing each of these elements I found my eyes darting from the straight line of my deck railing to the contrast between the snow and grass. The mandala tapestry that’s been hanging in my room is now being seen in a little different light, the pattern shows motion. And after this most recent ice storm the large willow in my yard that is half toppled seems to reflect the opposite of unity. Certainly nature is a big part of who I am and it made sense that this was also part of my process to incorporate the natural world. It’s not unusual for artists to incorporate the natural world, for example Thomas Cole’s The Oxbow depicts an American landscape following a violent thunderstorm. This project helped me understand that art composition is all around and sometimes you have to slow down to appreciate it.

Module 3

1.) Most people know about cool and warm colors and how different colors represent different emotions. Blue is associated with sadness, red with anger, yellow with happiness and so on. Using different colors together in artwork can create different emotions as well, like blue and red together can show tension.

2.) I found it extremely interesting about how there aren't many blue foods and how it can affect someones appetite. Looking at the blue spaghetti picture I would definitely not find that appetizing, even though blue is my favorite color.

3.) The most interesting part from the first video was about the affects red has on viewers. In art pieces peoples eyes jump right to the red and I noticed the woman uses a lot of reds and blues in her paintings. Knowing about color and emotions I feel she uses those colors because of the contrast and the excited rush of emotion people will feel while looking at it.

Module 2

1.) first video - Artist's thoughts on their own art as well as art as a whole. How they saw philosophers and their views on art.

second video - human evolutionary processes, thinking and doing, developing. The way different brains see art, what comes to mind first.

2.) I've always enjoyed Plato's (4th century BC) theory of aesthetics the most because of the way he describes beauty; "there is a beauty by which all things are beautiful"

3.) Changeux mainly talks about human brain evolution through time along with how we perceive things differently than someone else might and how it affects our emotions. The most interesting fact to me was that everyone is affected by art differently, someone could look at a piece and feel sad while another feels hope.

Ramachandran talks about how artists have different ways to show different art themes. Cultures see realism differently. He talks about universal laws of art along with cultural differences related to art style.

4.) The article mostly relates to the second video because it discusses the way the brain sees lines and colors differently than others and how it's wired along with how we recognize and see faces in art.

5.) I enjoyed the videos and article because I've always been interested in the workings of the brain and through my high school years I did a lot of research on PTSD and other problems with the brain. It's always cool to read/watch things that aren't about brain "problems."