Making My Logo

1. Discuss what you thought about creating your logo.

I did not really enjoy this to much, to be honest. I own a business that I had to create a logo for and also have taken classes that this was assigned. So it was pretty hard to think of another logo that I have not already done.

2. Describe the process: creative thinking skills and ideas you used in the logo creation.

The recommendation was to think of something that represents myself, so I immediately thought of my name and a few of my favorite things. Flowers, cats, and food. So I tried working on combining a couple of those together.

3. What was the most important discovery you made in the creation of your logo?

That I need more direction. I pride myself on being creative and spur of the moment. But I needed a bit more specific direction on what I should have been aiming for.

Art Gallery Visit #1

I love this museum and am so glad that for this class I'll have an excuse to go there three times!

Two pieces of art that made an impact or impression on me was first Etude pour Le Pont de l'Europe by Gustave Calliebotte. In is an oil on canvas from 1876. It jumped out at me because it reminded me of times where I was in family situations without a family, or romantic moments where I was surrounded by couples and I was all alone. The man standing on a bridge all alone while couples surround him.

The next piece of art that caught my attention was a Mixed Media called Nana from 1965 by Niki de Saint Phalle. I loved the way the museum put this piece on display, hanging from the ceiling. I also loved that each piece on the structure was in the shape of a heart.

The works of art that I felt a connection with is to start the oil on canvas called Niagara from 1995 by Frank M. Moore. My mother is a scientist and I grew up knowing element names and formulas. When you stand back all you can see is a beautiful realistic image of the falls but as you get closer you see the formulas of the elements make up the image. That is smart unique and super talented I loved it.

My favorite in the entire museum would be The Marvelous Sauce from 1890 which is a oil on wood panel by Jehan Georges Vibert. I don't even know where to begin with explaining when this painting is the best thing you will ever stare at. From the reflection of light on the chefs shinning black shoes to the dents in the copper pots hanging on hooks on the wall of the kitchen to the rings of fat in the slab of meat sitting on the counter THE DETAIL IS INSANE! I love this painting and purposely look for this painting every time I am in the museum, and you should to.

The artworks that I would like to know more about would be the artist and the display that is still being worked on currently. What is it all supposed to mean? And is she using paint or a big sharpie marker?

The other piece of art that I stared at for I don't even know how long is Bois-tiges de fer from 1964 by Jesus Rafael Soto. It was a exhibit made with painted masonite and wire. I could not quite tell if it was supposed to spell out a word? If so I do not think it is in English, so what does it say?

Value Scale and Color Wheel

I really enjoyed creating the Value Scale and Color Wheel. I thought that using charcoal for the Scale would be fun because I have not used that medium since middle school. However, maybe I am out of practice or something because it did not blend smoothly as much as I would have liked.

I love working with acrylic so I enjoyed the Wheel as a media better than the Scale. I also enjoy mixing colors because you can never be certain which shade will come from it. Not to mention I just have more joy from colors than from black.

What I think is the most important discovery is as i just mentioned above the effect that colors have on our emotions.

The videos for me are a bit dry and are hard to keep my interest. They seem to focus too much on trying to tell the story than just that itself. Telling the story and getting on with the lesson. I did feel a bit jealous of her that she was able to travel to Italy just to find something to motivate her art. I hope that one day I will be able to do the same.

Photobucket Slideshow

http://s61.photobucket.com/user/shoatsca01/library/Elements%20and%20Principles

Examples of Elements and Principles

When looking for items as examples of Elements and Principles, some were easy to find and others were not. Right now I am unable to leave my house (doctors orders) so it limited the items I was able to get a hold of.

I found finding something that fit the definition of LINES the hardest. Although the book gives a great example and explained it well, I just do not think there are that many things in life that fit the description.

For SHAPE I used the example of a canvas of an ampersand. The contract of going from white to gold. Where as the MASS I used an actual three dimension of an ampersand.

For light I took a photo of my roommate's cat Izzy with the light shining to the side of her.

For COLOR I used a painted I did which is a mixture of colors on canvas in acrylic paint.

For TEXTURE I used a photo of our fireplace which shows texture on the brick along with the up and down and in and out of the cement in between.

I took a photo of a tray in as PATTERN.

The photo of the two cats I thought was a good example of SPACE because it is the space between the two of them that gives you the viewpoint that one is closer than the other to me and the camera.

I used a shelf in my room as the example of UNITY AND VARIETY because it is a mixture of the same colors but completely different photos and things.

On canvas I painted two faces facing and mirroring each other which is a good example for BALANCE.

The canvas hanging in our living room of Paris I used as an example for EMPHASIS AND SUBORDINATION. The lighting and colors used make emphasis on the main focal point of the photo which is the Eiffel Tower.

Recently I ordered a photo that shows the different depths of Finger Lakes this I used as an example of PROPORTION AND SCALE.

For the example of RHYTHM I used another canvas that I painted because of the motion and repetitive strokes of color and brush.

Colors and Feelings

Color effects each of our emotions differently. A great example of that is the "winter blues", the depression, that most people feel during the winter months when we are surrounded by white, blue and gray. Compared to how you feel in the summer with the bright warm yellows and oranges and reds. It effects our emotions in that it sets a mood for our day before anything may have happened yet.

Warm colors make us feel warm and awake, where cold and cool colors make us feel just that.

What I find most interesting about the theory of color is the same as what Titian did in the Assumption using oil. Light does not just stay in one spot or stay within specific lines. Just as he made sure to mimic real life in the way he painted the light of the red off of her robe reflecting on to her hand. I love that light makes colors lively.

The biggest impact that the video Colors had on me in regards to color and it's effects on emotions is that it is ok to get "distance from your painting." There are a lot of times where I get so very frustrated by the colors not looking how I imagine in my head, that I will throw the whole canvas out and start over. Or I get upset when I love a painting in one room but when I take it to another room I hate it because the light has changed my painting and the shades. I appreciate the struggles and the errors that others have made in order to make making art better for people now.

In the Feelings video, the biggest impact it had on me in regards to color and it's effects on emotions was that the details and the passion that an artist puts into a painting can make someone have every feeling known to man. Looking at a painting just like a photo and just like watching something happen in real life, all can make us feel happy, sad, proud, powerful, scared, or whatever the artist wants.

Watching Videos About Aesthetics

Watching the Aesthetics Videos for Module 2 was pretty tough for me. Not only am I fighting a bad cold I also get lost when learning about the times and eras and times in history. I loved hearing quotes from different philosophers and seeing how they have impacted our current styles.

It made me think, "Have we always thought this way? Or have we thought this way because of these philosophers?" They spoke about art in the same ways that we do today.

Everyone coming from different perspectives and with different opinions on which methods were best and how to interpret a work of art.