"Why I Appreciate Art!"

The most important things I've learned this semester all mostly revolved around putting myself in the artist's shoes. I can imagine many artists do a bit of reflecting before painting, etching, drawing, sculpting, etc....I think it is important to ask the question "Why" when looking at a piece of art. Why did he choose oil paints over water colors? Why did he paint the sky purple and exclude shadowing? Why are their faces void of all emotions? By asking these questions, we allow ourselves to step out of our little non-artsy speculative boxes and into a world full of wondrous opportunity and deep appreciation and admiration for artists and their masterpieces. I have definitley caught myself staring at paintings much longer than I used to, but more importantly I catch myself looking at the world around me with a whole new set of artsy glasses! I catch myself wondering how an artist would paint my emotions, or what shading and where they would use to incorporate the sunset into a picture of my children while they're playing at the park. I definitley plan on enrolling in a studio art class before the next year is over! I can't wait to get my hands dirty!!

What is an Artist?

My goodness, what a deep question-especially after taking a class such as this. To me, an artist is someone who is passionate about something and allows their creativity to take charge in order to exude that passion through some form of art. Artists express who they are through their art. This is how we end up with so many different gorgeous and sometimes quirky styles of art to admire. You must do more than make art, however, to be a real artist. Charles Baudelaire said, "An artist is only an artist on condition that he neglects no aspect of his dual nature. This dualism is the power of being oneself and someone else at one and the same time." He wasn't only a French poet...he was an art critic too. Sometimes, an artist may create an artistic piece without regard for whom may see it. Other times, he or she may create a piece with hopes to share his passion with the rest of the world. It takes much more than skill to be an artist and to be accepted by the community of artists. One must be more concerned with the message and the integrity of the art and less concerned with how much of a profit he or she might be making. (Sorry, Mr. Kinkade) In a capitalist society, this mindset is difficult to maintain. Hence, an artis must have a very high level of commitment and dedication to his work. Artist's character traits can be seen through each piece he or she creates. The originality and style all their own helps interpret the art for normal people like me. In short, talent doesn't make an artist. Passion does.

"Crocker Art Museum Visit"

To fulfill the art visit requirement, I loaded my family into the van and we made our way to Sacramento’s Crocker Art Museum. I hadn’t done my research before arriving so I was excited when I found out Grandma Moses’ collection was going to be the main exhibit. Such good timing. I have been to the art museum before and my all time favorite piece is called the Laughing Woman. It is an oil on canvas painting and was done in 1950 by an artist named Rufino Tamayo. I love the bright red background and the craziness of it all fits my mood at any given time.

My favorite Anna Mary Robertson, aka Grandma Moses, painting is called The Old Checkered House. It is an oil painting on masonite. It’s dimensions are 28 ¼ X 35 ¾ inches.

One of the main reasons I enjoy this painting is all the effort that Anna Mary Robertson must have put into painting that old checkered house. If I remember correctly, one of the main reasons why Grandma Moses began painting was because the knitting she enjoyed made her arthritis act up. This woman wasn’t all that young! How difficult it must have been for her to put so much detail into a painting such as that. I enjoy the majority of her art and find it to be happy, charismatic and just plain perfect for the holidays. When I look at her art, it’s as if I can feel the emotions she felt while painting her pieces. She didn’t start painting until well after 70 years of age and in less than 30 years turned over 1500 paintings. This is quite an accomplishment for anyone, but especially for a woman during that era.
As I mentioned before, I have been to art museums before and find them fascinating. I’m one of those people who will always read a book before going to see a movie made from the same book. In this case, I would much rather go see art up close and personal before reading it in a book! Every time you go to a museum, even if it is the same one everything always seems brand new. Every time I look at a painting, I’m able to find something that I didn’t catch before. It’s like a game almost. Even if I stare at it for minutes. If I come back a week later, I can almost guarantee that I’ll catch something that I didn’t see before. (Yes, I do have a life…really, I do.) In real life, art is so much more vivid and ‘real.’ The colors are so much brighter. (or in some cases, so much darker) I love going to see an exhibit or collection of an artist’s work because it gives you a real look into the artist’s persona. Grandma Moses’ art came from a time in her life when she was stuck right in between the Great Depression and World War II. For me, that really tells me a lot about her. I can imagine it was difficult to find much happiness in life during that time. She must have been a woman of tremendous strength with an incredibly positive outlook on life. She lived to be 101 too! Fascinating for that time period, don’t you think?
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my art visit to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento! It was nice having my family come with me. I love introducing my children to things they have never seen before. Our 11 year old and his friend enjoyed the museum more than I did, I think. They discussed different subjects they could paint all the way home and exhausted my husband and I with questions that quite frankly we didn’t have the answers to. For Christmas, my son has asked for a pottery wheel so he can try to make a sculpture similar to the ones he saw at the museum. As soon as they got home, they begged me to get my oil paints out (no, I’m not an artist…not by a long shot) so they could paint masterpieces for themselves. Even our 2 year old and 1 year old had a good time. They loved seeing their reflections in the mirror “house.”
I wish I would have written down details about that particular piece as I would have liked to incorporate it into the write up of my visit. It was a bit chilly, but we still managed to enjoy a picnic lunch right outside the museum. The children ran off enough steam to get them through the car ride on the way back! What a great location for a museum!
I would strongly encourage anyone who wasn’t able to get to the Crocker Art Museum to go one day. It’s free on Sundays between certain hours, although we could only fit a Saturday into our hectic family schedule. Oh, also there is a student discount price…I think it’s only $3. The building itself is a giant piece of art!

It’s gorgeous. The staircases are elegant and the view (when not during construction) is quite pretty. You can see the leaves changing colors through almost any window you look out of. There is an elevator and entrance on the ground floor if you have a stroller full of babies or if you’re unable to climb stairs for any other reason. I’m anxious to see the new wing they are adding on and what magical pieces of art will occupy it! The staff is quite friendly; although there is one security guard who refuses to speak…he’s quite funny. We killed him with kindness.

"Two Worlds Collide"

At first glance, I thought Azis and Coucher were documenting a skin disorder and the emotional and physical impact it has on others. I think, though, that their Dystopia goes a lot deeper than that. They have swapped our treasured societal views of perfection and conformity to a world engulfed in ugliness, fear and the loss of self that sometimes accompanies falling into society's trap of illusions.

The lecture, "A Collision of Two Worlds" described how much editing and manipulation photographers use to create images more pleasing to the eye. To me, this takes away from the purity of the original photo. It also makes knowing what photos are real or what has fallen victim to manipulation quite difficult if not impossible. For me, the perfections and illusions found in everyday magazines certainly make my photography look Elementary. It's almost impossible to measure up to it.

This is all very similar to the Dove Evolution Video. People (especially teens)compare themselves to the perfect images they see in magazines that have been enhanced in more ways than one. They begin to lose themselves in their hunt for perfection not realizing that they are awesome just the way they already are.

Very similarly, spirit photography tampers with people but sometimes on a much deeper level. People are visually tricked to believing spirits exist in pictures through light manipulation or photographic distortion. Sometimes, they may even be tricked into believing they are seeing family members who have died but are somehow living in the photograph.

I have three children, ages 11, 2 and my daughter will turn one next month. I can only hope that I instill enough strength as well as a high degree of personal sense of self in each of them so they don't fall victim to the illusions life will surely throw their way.

"Hung Liu Reflections"

Hung Liu, Visage IV, oil on canvas, 72 x 72 inches, 2004

Let me begin with Hung Liu's art. When she pulled that huge brush to begin painting the three concubines I was screaming, "NOOOOO!!!" on the inside while watching the screen intently. My husband got a kick out of it. I surely thought she was going to mess it up...and was so amazed to see how much magic she has running through her hands and right onto the canvas. I'm not a huge fan of her artwork, but I am a huge fan of her as an artist. She paints with her heart and with spirit. I admire that greatly.

In reading all the different painting technique from the chapter, I was "wowed" with the whole concept of mixing paint and other substances to create tempera. I was especially intrigued by egg yolk tempera. I may never be able to eat my sunny side up eggs the same way.

I loved the oil on canvas piece by William de Kooning called Door to the River. It screams energy. I can imagine many people could look at a painting and say they could paint one just like that. I'm willing to bet their painting wouldn't be as full of life, though, as this particular one is.


Willem de Kooning
Door to the River, 1960
Oil on canvas

I love paintings that take me back to a place in life. While I recognize the need to have art in the world that expresses sadness, hatred, repression and grief (Amoung many other negative emotions) I am drawn more to the pieces that make me feel happy inside. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate one over the other. I guess I just don't want to hang something in my home that is going to remind me or take me back to a bad place in society or even my life for that matter. I think it is fascinating how two different people can look at the same piece of art and come up with two completely different assumptions as to what the artist meant to capture or convey through his strokes.

Art is so magical. Artists are magicians without all the hocus pocus! Instead of a wand, they have their brushes or stencils, or whatever they choose to use. Pretty cool, I think.

"What Do You Think?"

Here are a couple more examples of printmaking that I thought were pretty cool. The first is an example of a lithograph and the second is a monotype. Hope you enjoy...and don't forget to tell me, "What Do You Think?"

"What's up with Thomas Kinkade?"

Oh, MAN! I can't even put into words how dissapointed I am. Bleh. Thomas Kinkade is like the James Frey of the art world only he didn't use Oprah to boost his fame. He's the Donald Trump of the art community. Honestly, one has to admire him for his entrepeneurship...but as an artist, YIKES! I had no idea. The more research I did, the more demons I found. He pee'd on Winnie the Pooh, for goodness sakes! This was shortly before fondeling a woman's breasts and then claiming she wanted him to. This same man claims Christ to be the brush that guides his hand. As I caught myself being extremely critical (partly because I when I walk into a Thomas Kinkade gallery, it does create a certain happy, yet serene mood...I'll never be able to see his "art" that way again without being critical) I reminded myself that when I go to buy that fabulous sweater I've had my eye on, I don't know the ins and outs of the person who designed my pretty sweater. (nor, do I really care for that matter) Am I shocked? Definitley. I don't think I would have ever purchased one of his (or their) prints anyway. I'm more into whimsical artsy stuff, but there were a few that caught my eye...the castle print was pretty cool. I think Kinkade's target audience is pretty much people who aren't necessarily into art, but rather people who love both God and America. Let's face it, he's not in it for the passion...he's in it for the money. In the end, who am I to judge? Many people love his replicated versions of art, that's their business. I'll stick with those people who really paint for the passion of it all, not just the money, money, Moooooneeeeyyy. Two words for good ole' Mr. Kinkade:

"Analyze That"

This picture titled, "Tree of Utah" was taken from Matthew Kerr's "Wacky World of Art Appreciation." Through the powerful process of reception>extraction>inference we're able to see this magical creation. I love it! I'm stuck between labeling it as abstract or representational. It clearly looks like a tree to me, so I'm going to go with representational as I remember the further away from resembling a real object, the more abstract the piece becomes. The positioning of the "tree" demonstrates a frontal vanishing point near the top just beneath the skyline. I think light and color play brilliantly together in this piece. The crystal blue sky and the bright colors of the "tree tops" set the stage for a gorgeous scene. In fact, the tree tops seem to behave as highlights reflecting the sun. The warm and cool hues of color seem to compliment each other so well. In short, I love this piece of art and would love to have it hanging in my hallway or entry way to our living room! It is simply fantabulous!



I found this wonderful abstract piece from Jenna Cossairt's Blog. I'm not a huge fan of art like this, but found the colors, lines and overall textures brilliant. I thought it would be fun to analyze. To me, it screams linear perspective. I appreciated the artist's incorporation of additional patterns into the already well patterned piece. It makes it more compelling to look at without overcomplicating or causing it to appear crowded. The pyramids on the left cast shadows that play tricks with the orthogonal lines. Again, I wouldn't purchase this piece of art, but it is definitley intriguing to look at!

"Analyze This"

BROCKY, Károly
Mother and Child
1846-50
Oil on canvas, 62 x 54,8 cm
Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest


http://www.wga.hu/index1.html

Watch the Magic

For this weeks blog assignment, I dediced to capture the spirit of Autumn! You'll notice as the lighting conditions change the saturation of the scarecrow's colors turn much more harsh. Of course, I can't imagine a happy scarecrow like this every looking too scary, but the colors definitley turn much cooler the more dark the picture appears. The sun does have a way of making things look so much more happy and appealing to the eye, doesn't it? Also, you'll notice the leaves of the bush and the tree stump. The difference is certainly visible to the naked eye. The highlights in the sunny picture contrast greatly against the shadows of the other picture. You can also see how the quality of light affects the color of the bark, the color of the grass and the colors of the scarecrow's clothes. And, the lighting in the first picture captures shadowing from the tree's leaves and the bush to the left and behind the scarecrow. For me, the lighting of each picture definitley sets off different emotions. The top picture is much more light and happy. The second is a little more dreary and could be considered haunting if the scarecrow didn't have such a happy smile, don't ya think?

What Do You Think?!

Sooo...I ran across this picture and thought it was not only interesting, but also relative to the lesson on lines and space. What do you guys and gals have to say about it? What do you think?!

P.S. I think I see a fish?!

"Line and Space"

Obviously, I didn't take this picture but found it fun and helpful in applying this weeks lessons and terms.

Leonardo da Vinci said, "The most praiseworthy form of painting is one that resembles itself." Week 5's lecture opened my eyes to how much lines really have to do with the way we feel or view an artistic creation. It all began when I was asked to look at a fun squiggly line and a jagged line. I was surprised to see how different I "felt" about each line without thinking twice or knowing why at the time. They truly did have moods of their own! As I marched on through my week, I payed close attention to how lines and space affected how I saw the world around me. I've been pretty sick over the last week and a half, so I haven't really had the chance to get out of the house, but I pictured visions full of linear perspective as possibly seen through the rear view mirror of my soccer mom van. As I've mentioned before, I take a lot of pictures and often play around with the different camera settings and have found that sometimes when I focus on a close up of an object or even one of my kiddos, the background appears to be a little blurry. Now, I can see how this might be a close relative if not indicative of atmospheric perspective. And next time we walk along the beach where the water meets the land, I can tell my husband we're following a contour line. He might think I'm a little loony, but it will be true! :) This class has really opened mhy eyes to a whole new world. The tree lines are no longer simple tree lines...I search for dynamic vertical thrusts as in Paul Cézanne, Chestnut Trees at the Jas de Bouffan, 1885-1886 I look in the distance beyond the trees for some kind of vanishing point. (And that's just one example!) This week has definitley opened my eyes to a new perspective, that's for sure!!

"Defending Controversial Art"

For this week’s controversial piece, I chose Maya Lin's Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. I chose this because as a veteran, it is close to my heart. Obviously I'm only 32 and have probably never seen or dealt with anything as horrific as what the Vietnam Vets were faced with, but I have been to war and my husband is "over there" as I type this. I appreciated Maya Lin's humble and creative artistic vision when it came to just simply thinking about drafting the Memorial for the first time. During an interview she said, "I thought about what death is, what a loss is. A sharp pain that lessens with time, but can never quite heal over. A scar. The idea occurred to me there on the site. Take a knife and cut open the earth, and with time the grass would heal it. As if you cut open the rock and polished it." And her vision was born into a world already full of controversy. During that era, I honestly don’t think any model would have been 100% accepted by all. Much of the controversy of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial circles around politics and the feelings and personal experiences of so many people who both survived and died during that dreadful time in history. Ironically, Maya Lin's vision was far from political. Her vision placed people first above all else. She focused on finding the best way to honor the people first. She focused on the essentiality of closure and acceptance of war, two very difficult yet crucial parts of all that encompasses war and its aftermath. Maya Lin's memorial raised controversy across the world. Like usual, everyone had an opinion. War crusaders, family members of those who died, political figures and everyday people all had something to say about her vision. Much controversy also arose due to the fact she, herself was not only a woman but of Asian descent. Her work challenged others to separate themselves from their emotions in order to connect and understand her vision. Her vision was far from setting a negative political statement as wildly advertised by many. There were many positive outcomes that resulted from both the erection and vision of Maya Lin’s Memorial. Her design, though seen as minimal, speaks volumes to all those who visit it today. Honor, remembrance and acceptance are sometimes found the easiest when distractions are at a minimum. The wall isn’t cluttered by fancy statues or other distracting erections. Its serene environment allows the visitor to do just what he went there to do…to honor, remember and maybe sometimes even forgive. I’ve always loved this memorial, but admittedly until now I did not know its entire past nor had I ever taken time to actually read about its creator. In doing so, it has just become that much more special and meaningful. Next time I visit, I’m sure I will see it even differently than I did the first time. Thanks, Maya Lin. We will always remember.

"My Logo"

I think this logo captures my true self. I am a retro girl at heart and love photography. I take so many pictures that whenever my 2 year old is in trouble and I tell him to look at me he says, "Cheeezzz!" I suppose sometimes I go overboard. I think photographs make memories come alive and memories are all we have sometimes to remember special times and people who fill our lives with joy.

What do you think?

I thought I would adding a "What do you think" post every week. So, what do you think?! I thought this photo might help people brush up on their visual literacy skills.



I look forward to reading your thoughts. P.S. I did NOT take this photo. I ran across it on the web, and wish I knew who took it so I could give credit where credit is due.

"Week 2 Reflections"

I signed up for this class with uncertain expectations. It's only week 2, but I couldn't be more happy that I did.

Week 1 encouraged us to answer a question many of us have at one time or another asked ourselves, "What is art?" We learned that art is different to each individual person depending on our personal expectations, life experiences and perhaps even preferences. We were introduced to a plethora of different exhibitions each representing a different flavor and sometimes even century of art. This encouraged us to explore our personal preferences. We began to realize what our likes and dislikes may be when it comes to artwork. We also learned how important emotion is to both the artist and the appreciator of his/her work of art. Our initial reactions to art were challenged as we set off to discover what art really did mean to us as individuals.

Week 2 continued to challenge us as we leapt into a world filled with objects, wods and images. We were schooled on the world of visual literacy and took opportunities to playfully, yet critically, analyze different images around us. We learned the difference between form, which is most often not arguable and content, which is almost always at the appreciator's discretion. These two definitions together help define an image to us. We also discussed the visual continuum and how non-objective, abstract and representational forms come into play. These are all different applications or terms we can use to help us describe different pieces of art. The overall theme of week 2 was visual literacy and the ease or difficulty of being able to actively interpret images.

I look forward to seeing what week 3 has to offer!

~fawne

Critical Analysis

For my first critical art analysis, I chose The Central Mountain by Wu Chen. After spending several minutes looking at this masterpiece, I found my gaze constantly being drawn to the dark patch of trees on the left and then the calligraphy. The colors were restricted to black and white ink drawn on a handscroll. The trees were mostly comprised of dots shaded to the artists liking. I am always fascinated by the complexity of shading and the way it brings meaning to a picture. Simple dots are transformed to trees, shaded lines are turned intou mountains. Beyond the trees were the a group of mountains in all sizes. Behind the Central Mountains, the artist used creative shading again to define a white sky full of clouds. The entire masterpiece screams simplicity. The mountains are simple mountains without animals grazing, snow tops or definied clouds swarming above. The trees are also just trees, they aren't fruit bearing or full of color. I appreciated the artrist incorporating calligraphy into his work. His calligraphy was the most elaborate part of the entire piece. To me, the combination of the calligraphy and the dotted trees makes the art piece much more desirable. The piece brings a distinct calmness to the onlooker. The mountains bring a sense of peacefullness and serentity to the picture. The trees, being so simple in nature, encouraged me to use my imagination. When I look at art, I always ask myself two questions. First, what does this mean to me and second, what do I think the artist's vision was for creating it. I honestly found this piece to be quite 'blah' but certainly respected the artist's vision and willingness to portray it for others to admire. I did appreciate the simplicity of the piece, but found myself using my imagination to make it more desirable to my taste. While looking at it, I grew calm and inquisitive. I imagine the artist probably felt many more emotions before, during and after completing this artwork. Knowing Wu Chen's handscroll fullfills the second roll of the artist it is meant to "give visible or tangible form to ideas, philosophies, or feelings," I imagine he used many different Chinese philosophies as visionary instruments. It is also obvious that Wu Chen is a nature lover, as am I. Still, for me, I was left wanting more while at the exact time realizng that sometimes less IS more and perhaps this was just the thing that Wu Chen meant to leave us with.

"About Me"

Welcome to Flippy Art! I have an obsession for flip-flops, hence the title.

I'm definitley no where close to becoming a formal appreciator of art, but I can certainly 'appreciate' the dedication, time and heart so many artists put into their majestic (and sometimes dreary) works of art. I thoroughly enjoy gazing at vintage art, though our walls are covered by an eclectic collection of different pieces. We try to purchase art from everywhere we travel. This has served as an excellent memory maker. I treasure each piece dearly.

My husband has an incredibly expensive addiction to Will Rafuse. While I can appreciate his taste, mine is a bit more whimsical. Mackenzie Thorpe and Beth Hendrickson-Logan are two of my favorite artists. Their outlooks on life shine through their pieces. I love looking at art that keeps me intrigued. There is something so significant with regards to being able to take something different away from a work of art each time you look at it. I often try to put myself in the artist's shoes (or paintbrushes, lol) and attempt to find hidden meaning in each piece. I have a soft spot in my heart for artistic children and charitable art projects for kids such as M.D. Anderson's Cancer Center Art Project. http://www.childrensartproject.org/

As much as I appreciate looking at art, unfortunately, I have trouble even drawing a stick figure. My love is through the lens of a camera. Camera art intrigues my soul.

Perhaps one day, I'll be able to touch someone the way so many artists have touched my life on so many different levels.