Art 108 Semester

 I figured I should do my last blog about my semester in art 108. First off I would like to say that I have really enjoyed this class and I looked forward to it every week. Having an art class is such a nice break from the other general education classes because it’s a chance to be creative. I have really enjoyed all the projects, mostly because the have pushed me to explore how creative I can really be. I have never done anything in terms of sculpture so it was good to learn more about it and try it for myself. I appreciated the fact that our projects were unconventional because it made me step out of my comfort zone.

Beyond just the projects I learned an immense amount from the lectures. Surprisingly, I have never been in an art class where we explored a wide range artists and I loved that we did. I now have names of artists that I like and enjoy where as before I couldn’t give much of an answer. I learned a lot form the artists blog entries because it forced me to research artists, see their works, and then draw inspiration for that. I will definitely take with me what I learned to my other classes after. What I loved the most was seeing my classmates’ work. I always draw so much inspiration from the creativity around me as well as the talents of my fellow students.

Thanks so much for a great semester!

Photography

Ansel Adams a great photographer
who does a lot of nature shots

A Macro shot of a clothes pin
that I took

Photography is such a creative form of expression. I have always liked photography. I can appreciate some who captures a moment or a scene. Especially, when it comes to photographing people there are great emotions that can be caught. Not only that but photographs of landscape are great too because the capture a time in nature. The thing that is so great about photos and photography is that they are essentially memories that someone can have for a lifetime.

A great moment captured
at the Superbowl

I tend to go towards black and white photos there is just some thing that I am attracted to and they feel classic. I also enjoy macro photography, which is photography that is really up close so the detail can be seen. One thing that is so important in photography is the lighting and the settings on your camera. I learned a little about this from a class at my other university. 

20. Coosje Van Bruggen

Coosje van Bruggen was a sculptor who collaborated a lot with her husband Claes Oldenburg, who is a well-known sculptor from as well. Van Bruggen’s sculptures consist of monumental size objects that are usually every day items and are then placed outside. Some of these objects consist of a bowling ball with flying pins, a birdie (Badmitton), a safty pin, and a necktie; just to name a few. Her sculptors that she creates are mainly there for view pleasure and have a fun quality to them. She does a wonderful job at executing such giant pieces of work. Her works makes the view see this objects in a different light.

"Spoonbridge and Cherry"

 

I think her work is great. I love the playful aspect of it and the how accurately they are done just on a much larger scale. I appreciate the fact that she places them outside because it seems so unexpected that anyone would see these objects at such a large scale on display out if nature. Her work is really amazing and I think she makes people who pass by her works put on a smile. 

19. Sheila Hicks

"Pieces above and below"

Sheila Hicks is internationally known as a textile artist but work could also be considered sculptor. The works that she creates with fabrics and threads is quite amazing, on her website it was explained as; she works with “fibers”. Hicks has done commissioned projects worldwide, one of them in particular was creating a theater curtain for the Kiryu Cultural Center in Japan. Her work is bright and inviting and she obviously knows the materials she is working with because her craftsmanship is amazing. A great deal of her pieces are made to hang from the wall and more often the not the creations cover entire walls. Through reading about her I found that she uses a number of methods when “weaving” her works, which include knitting, knotting, bonding, turfting, and felting.

Theater curtain in Japan

"Silk Rainforest"

I love Hicks’s work because it so beautifully done not only that but her use of color is great. I appreciate the fact that she isn’t afraid to experiment and she really is about learning the materials that she works with. The scale of some of her works is quite amazing and are so detailed that its hard not to appreciate the work that goes into one of her pieces. I really enjoy the texture of her work, which is always changing with the various fibers that she utilizes. Her work kind of reminds me of that of Eliza Frenand because of her work with textiles and different fabrics. 

Ice & Snow Sculptures

In the spirit of the season I thought it would be fun to blog about snow and ice sculptures. Ice/snow sculptures are an art form and can be very detailed. A lot of ice sculptures are made out of things that are popular at the time, such as cartoon or movies characters. A great deal of ice/snow sculptures is done on a very large scale. During this season there are winter carnivals and contests all over the world where artists can show case their talents.

Winter Carnival in McCall

There is one locally that is in McCall. I have gone once and it is just a fun atmosphere and the sculptures really complete the town especially with the snow on the ground. Some sculptures can be quite detailed and its pretty amazing what the artist can do considering ice/snow is the easiest medium to work with. Ice/snow sculptures are a great tradition for the winter months and I hope is one that continues on. 

18. Lin Emery

Lin Emery is an American sculptor. A great deal of her sculptures are done it aluminum. Emery’s sculptures have clean and strong lines both straight and curvy. They have great shape and form. Her sculptures are great because come in all sizes, some are at a very large scale and some are small.  In addition a great deal of he sculpture are on display outside which add in a new light and feel to them. Some are even in water, like ponds, which is so neat because it adds in movement. 

"Twirl"

"Whismy"

I like her work because it is simple and clean. Emery is very talented a creating a strong shape and line as well as taking into consideration negative space. I appreciate the fact that she puts a good portion of her works outside because they fit well in nature and add a whole new meaning. She is good at working with aluminum and her craftsmanship is commendable. 

17. Robert Chunn

Robert Chunn is a contemporary artist who does still life paintings and drawings. His paint of choice is usually oil or water color. Chunn captures the essence of how things are left, its like he is taking a photo but instead paints/draws it.  In an interview he was asked describe his work and he said, “I mostly paint clutter. I like how objects cluster together on tabletops, in kitchen drawers, on my printer, etc. I try to take a documentary approach to the subject by painting things as I find them”. I thought it was easiest to show how he describes his work because it’s different from painting a landscape or a person. Chunn does a great job at showing light a shadow in his paintings and how they reflect off of each object.

 

I really enjoy the Chunn’s paintings. I like that he captures something that seems so simple like “clutter” but makesme realize the great line and shadow in those objects. Chunn has a great eye for color and his paintings feel really rich. His work shows that the things just setting around our houses can look really interesting without us even knowing it. I think his work is wonderful and he is definitely a talented artist.