delormad20

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Part 1: Self-Love

Conceptual Goals:

For my personal keepsake, I expressed my personality and mind all in one. I would consider myself a minimalist person, so I kept the design simple. However, the color contrast exemplifies my boldness. I am not afraid to take risks and I can trust myself to follow through with my own promises and meet my goals.

Aesthetic Goals:

I used tape to create the clean lines. Then, I dipped a plastic straw in white paint and rolled it across the canvas. I flicked white paint off of a paintbrush for the little splatter. I love the idea of small imperfections among largescale perfection. Finally, I placed my thumb in white paint and smudged it on the left, encrusting a piece of myself onto the canvas.

Course Inspiration:

I drew inspiration from the obsidian text in The Secret Lives of Color. Its glassiness gives it a unique type of beauty, making it mirror-like. Because this piece is just for me, the "mirror" aspect of obsidian -- and of wet blank paint -- is a perfect fit.

Part 2: Spreading Love

Conceptual Goals:

This piece is meant to go on the wall at my SBU house, Attic. I looked around and took elements from the house -- old wood, deer antlers, photographs of famous individuals -- as well as those from my roommates -- femininity, mysticness, and intensity. I captured all of these 6 aspects into my final painting.

Aesthetic Goals:

I found an artist on Pinterest who took woodland animals and morphed them into feminine figures or consumerist life. I began my own piece by drawing the fawn, then the girl's face (nonspecific, a mix of all of my roommates and I), then gave a similar glowing aura to each of the characters. This shows their interconnectedness.

Course Inspiration:

The lessons from the Animals assignment truly shaped this piece. Thinking back to the hybrid piece of the woman and the bison, I took inspiration from that and separated the hybrid creature into two. In my perspective, many young women emulate the fawn, but in many ways a woman is her own being (obviously). Both portray gentleness, a piercing gaze, femininity, and beauty. I recommend you to look into Deer Woman from Native American mythology. She is the star of this painting. My roommates are a star like her, too.⭐🌟

#self love #love #painting #canvas

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LOVE

"Hard times are inevitable, so you might as well get stronger". I like this quote because it reminds us that we must choose resilience over withdrawal, value our determination, and acknowledge our capabilities. Indeed, this time of year--with final exams and important projects--overwhelm us and might make us question our strength. I would like everyone to pass on this message; let us create a ripple of encouragement as we finish out strong.

Attendance prompt: "From their venues--often forests at night--to their black-clad participants and the retinue of animals that attended Satan--crows, bats, and cats--sabbats were veritable orgies of blackness. Obsidian, a dark rock spewed forth from the fiery bowels of the earth, was naturally deeply suspect" (p. 270). I remember seeing obsidian for the first time in real life and was awed by its beautiful, glassy perfection. I find that its association with devil worship has changed immensely over the years, as others around me find it quite a spectacular sight. For instance, I see it in knick-knack shops, magic supply stores, and in jewelry pieces. If I were to choose a rock that fit my personality, it would certainly be obsidian. It is shiny, dark, spiritual, and resilient.

#love #obsidian #strength

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Still-life

My table depicts all sort of greed and luxury. Each item is colored green to exaggerate this theme. 1. I went to my Pinterest to find collage images that represented things I love and desire. Next, I colored them green and paired them alongside money and jewelry. This intends to express possession and luxury. 2. The absurdly large size of my objects also express consumerism, because people love to "live large" and they do so by consuming, consuming, consuming.... Additionally, my objects show the oddness of a consumer lifestyle. Why is a large shrimp drinking a huge cup of coffee? Why does the strawberry have a smolder-like face? We can ask these same questions when it comes to luxury items; for instance, why do people purchase a $400 t-shirt from Dior? 3. My morph is a receipt from Dunkin' represented as the exhaust smoke from my Skyline. The luxurious, large strawberry is animated with a cartoony face.

Attendance prompt:

"The Egyptians were uncommon in valuing blue: most Western cultures didn't even possess a separate word for the slice of spectrum between green and violet" (p. 196). I found this interesting because blue is an integral color for all cultures, even in the U.S. For instance, I often see Ford Focus sedans come in the color bright blue. Ford is an American brand! Even the American flag has blue to represent our history. It is unfathomable that this part of the world did not even acknowledge blue at one point. It shows how far we have come in accepting and integrating colors from other cultures into our own.

#still life #greed #luxury #possession #green

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Self Portraits

For this assignment, I drew a portrait of my friend Sanika. The friendly critique last week was to enhance the zoomed-in perspective, which I captured in this portrait. In terms of the Renaissance twist, I really enjoyed repetition, which I included in this piece. I made it very apparent that I wanted to display the heart symbol. Clearly, I made her lips, nose, cheeks, hair -- and especially her eyes -- incorporate hearts. Sanika is a loving person, so the hearts convey her character very well.

Attendance Prompt:

"It was not an immediate success...Thankfully for Perkin and for us...the spoiled, extravagant wife of Napoleon III, Empress Eugenie, decided that the color mauve precisely matched her eyes." (p 170).

Although mauve had a slow rise, Empress Eugenie's endorsement of the color had contributed to its eventual widespread acceptance and popularity. This reinforces the idea that individual tastes from influential people can have a substantial impact on the success of products or trends in various industries. Today, it would be the Kardashians making odd fashion statements popular to the masses.

#self portrait #renaissance

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Community Activity 1

I drew a portrait of my friend Sanika. I admire her unconditional kindness, her drive, and brightness. I met her here at Bonas when we became roommates sophomore year. Our bond has been strong ever since! She has taught me many things and opened my eyes and mind to new ideas. I gave her cat ears because, like a cat, Sanika is cute, curious, yet very calm and mature. I appreciate her letting me draw her portrait for this project!

Community Activity 2

My trail-side art work at Bob's Woods combines pebbles, leaves, and the unexpected star of the show, Bob the caterpillar. In the heart of nature, this circular masterpiece pays homage to Stonehenge's post and lintel construction style. While creating, I experienced a chance encounter with a passerby and her four hyper pups. Although the hounds stampeded over the art piece, this encounter led to Bob's unexpected adoption, adding a delightful twist to the story. This passerby was actually a caterpillar breeder! How cool. Please, do go out and discover my outdoor artwork on the Bob's Woods trail!

Community Activity 3

My roommates and I painted a pong table! What college student doesn’t enjoy a game of pong before a night out this fall semester? It features aspects of each of our hometowns and those of St Bonaventure. We are awkward yes!

#natural art #community #trail #caterpillar #painting #pong

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Animals

Snow monkeys, also called Japanese macaques, are a terrestrial Old World monkey species native to Japan (http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Macaca_fuscata.html.)

They communicate by vocalization. There are six types of vocalizations, including peaceful, defensive, aggressive, and warning vocalizations, which signal their mood (http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Macaca_fuscata.html.)

Snow monkeys often take baths in natural hot springs to keep warm during the winter (https://www.japan.travel/en/itineraries/snow-monkeys-and-hot-springs-in-nagano/.)

They live in social groups and are known for their complex social hierarchies (https://wpsu.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/nat14.sci.lifsci.hierarchy/the-social-hierarchy-of-snow-monkeys/.)

Snow monkeys are omnivores and have a varied diet that includes fruits, leaves, insects, and small vertebrates (https://www.snowmonkeyresorts.com/smr/snowmonkeypark/snow-monkeys-food/.)

Now, let us talk about the technological and consumerist elements to this piece.

The Toshiba laptop. Founded in 1965 in Japan, Toshiba has grown its company worldwide yet employs just 6,600 people today (https://www.toshiba.com/tai/about_us.jsp.)

Electrical outlet and wires. Harvery Hubbell invented the first electrical plug, but it seems unclear as to when our modern-day outlets were normalized in households (https://illumin.usc.edu/a-powerful-history-the-modern-electrical-outlet/.)

Mercedes-Benz. This is the 2002 SL, paired with the slogan "Style. Unlike any other." A fun fact about MB is that the Weeknd paired up with the company to promote their first electric car, the EQC (https://www.carscoops.com/2019/12/mercedes-and-the-weeknd-team-up-for-what-may-be-the-no-1-car-ad-of-the-year/).

The computer. As of today, Lenovo is the largest computer manufacturing company, with ~24% market share of PC vendors (https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-01-11-gartner-says-worldwide-pc-shipments-declined-28-percent-in-fourth-quarter-of-2022-and-16-percent-for-the-year.)

Domo. He became an icon in American media around 2002. The writer in this TIME article likened him to Harrison Ford, "if Harrison Ford were a small, feral Teletubby" (https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,1002529,00.html.)

Attendance Prompt:

The Secret Lives of Color - Rosso Corsa

“In honor of their victory their car's original hue became Italy's national racing color and later the one adopted by Enzo Ferrari for his cars: rosso corsa, racing red" (p. 149).

This passage taught me how Ferrari contributed to "racing red" becoming Italy's national racing color. I am fascinated with racing and cars, but I hadn't known the historical significance and cultural influence that went along with Ferrari. The iconic racing red color that many people associate with fast cars all stemmed from him. The influence of Ferrari and his red car is an interesting piece of automotive and art history.

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Death Midterm Part 2

Before I die, I would like to adventure around Japan. My art piece conveys this in three ways: the background of Mount Fuji, the sakura blossoms, and the nissan skyline doodle. I also included the Japanese script for "life and death" at the top. My love for adventure makes me want to climb Mount Fuji. It is a daring journey that I hope to accomplish while I'm alive. The watercolors in the background capture the enchanting natural landscape. Next, I want to walk through the sakura trees. Everyone sees these gorgeous pink flowers in Japanese media. Certainly, these trees epitomize nature's beauty. I blended them with Mount Fuji because both are the natural aspects of this piece. However, they still pop out as an independent element for my dream experience before I die. Finally, the doodle of the nissan skyline pops out dramatically. The neon color scheme and harsh black lines embody the vibrant energy and car lights of street racing. "The Midnight Club" holds first place as the coolest, most iconic street racing group in the world. I hope that I can ride with these daring drivers during my trip to Japan. From this project, I have learned that life offers us unique, multifaceted experiences. I can grasp them all in one place, as long as I believe that I can!

#art #collage #before i die

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Death Part 1

This project made me think of a striking piece by Takashi Murakami which features a tongued skull with tentacle-like teeth. While searching online for similar artistic inspiration, I came across captivating skull-morph sketches. These served as my inspiration. I chose a black, white, and red color scheme and gave my skull spidery legs to capture the Halloween/gothic theme. Also, I included rhinestones in my artwork because they physically contrast with my 2D drawing and add a tactile element to the piece.

#skull art #art history #rhinestones

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Fertility

I was born April 1st, 2002, and I am an Aries. Aries is associated with the color red and epitomizes the ram. The Aries symbol resembles a ram's long, curly horns. Both the sign and the animal symbolize determination, leadership, and a headstrong nature. My painting draws inspiration from one of my favorite pieces, Aquelarre, by Francisco de Goya. More character traits of the Ram/Aries include energy, passion, and assertiveness. Mars is the planet associated with Aries. Not only is Mars a red planet, but it links with Aries due to its corresponding qualities: action, courage, and again, assertiveness. I included Mars in the upper right of my painting; my characters also appear to be hanging out on Mars's surface. Visuals of Aries that appear in my painting include hearts--for passion--and the Aries symbol, which are the black curly markings behind my characters. Fire (for fiery passion) appears in my image as well.

Attendance Prompt: "We all know that 'nude' is a spectrum and not a shade; it is high time the world around us reflected that too." (p. 111) I selected this prompt because I am living through this revolutionary change--in the context of the makeup / undergarments industry -- and because it made me think back to my childhood with Crayola crayons. Personally, I do not wear makeup, but these past few years, I have noticed the drastic expansion of foundation colors as I stroll around Sephora. It shows how U.S. consumer culture broadens its audience to people of all skin colors. This contrasts to life when I was very young; my innocent classmates weren't aware, and we all termed the peach crayon as "skin color". I don't recall when I stopped calling it that, but I doubt many kids still call it that nowadays due to elementary schools' crucial diversity lessons!

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I chose a bat as my animal. My roommates have described me as bat-like, because bats are traditionally depicted as menacing creatures. They're also associated with Halloween and gothic culture. Upon research, I learned that Native American totems symbolize rebirth, longevity, good listening, long life, illusion, and inner depth with bats.

I love listening to chill music (NAV, Don Toliver, The Weeknd) in fall. I picture fall as a time where I can play "vibey" songs as I drive with the windows down, cozied up in my hoodie, all alongside to my favorite person. My favorite Halloween movie is Coraline, because my partner showed it to me for the first time last fall. I relate to her curious character!

I was born in 2002, the year that "American Idol" premiered. This TV show has made a tremendous cultural impact on the U.S., and I remember watching every season with my family on cable TV. My aunts, uncles, parents and cousins would discuss their favorite contestants during family gatherings. On a deeper level, the show provided people with the hope that they could make their passion (for singing) into a successful career.

"That that don't kill me, can only make me stronger." This lyric is the chorus to Kanye West's "Stronger". To me, it means that we face struggles and make it out the other side, thus making us more resilient individuals. We can withstand obstacles and take closer steps to our goals. I have gone through battles in my childhood and adulthood, and those experiences make me the strong person I am today.

FINDING YOUR ART VOICE

#western civ #art #collage #leaves #autumn #Youtube

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Attendance Prompt 9/19 - 9/25

"Although it was occasionally taken in minute amounts as a purgative in Java, Bali, and China, where it occurs naturally and was popular as a pigment until the nineteenth century, the risks of abusing it were well known." (p. 82) This quote talks about orpiment, a glittery, naturally-occurring gold-like pigment that is ~60% arsenic. I found it neat that orpiment was a multi-faceted mineral pre-nineteenth century. Not only was it an intense yellow that illuminated the Taj Mahal, it also was a phony source of gold, a toxin to humans, reactive with other pigments, and most interestingly, an abused substance. The modern world does not have a widely-known abused substance that is also used for art. That is why I found orpiment so fascinating.

#orpiment #color #art history

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For my attendance prompt, I am reblogging this piece. I really love the dull yellows of the plants and how they complement the bright green leaves. The dark, bold lines of the flowers that she doodled in her sketchbook remind me of my school papers from when I was younger. The whole art piece makes me think of the bliss of childhood. I feel calm when I look at this work, as if there is not a worry in the world--a feeling that many of us experienced when we were innocent children.

Solidago Gigantea- the yellow plant; this plant grows in wet, shaded environments (which makes sense that it was in the woods) It also spreads rapidly due to the seeds in the flower!

Traveller's-joy- this is the hydrangea looking plant; this plant is toxic to people (ops!) it grows in a wet soil environment and is often chosen for greening processes.

Appalachia False Bindweed: the leafs (the flower got gross lol) This plant is ALSO toxic to people, it has arrowhead shaped leaves and only grows 2m tall. They are identified as a weed, but do flower in white, pink and yellow.

*this information was from the app PlantIn*

"Blonde, Lead-tin yellow, Indian yellow, Acid yellow, Naples yellow, Chrome yellow, Gamboge yellow, Orpiment, Imperial yellow, Gold" (62).

I love this quote! My favorite color is yellow, and I have blonde hair which drew mw to it! However to me this quote symbolizes that although under one umbrella they are all different. Just like at Bonas, we are all different but still a Bona!

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Formal Elements

Ageratina altissima is also known as white snakeroot. It is a poisonous herb that grows perennially (for a relatively long time).

The common privet has little green berries. It is the caterpillar foodplant of the privet hawk-moth Sphinx ligustri.

Selfheal is edible and is a weed. It has been used as medicine by 17th century Europeans.

For the background, I used graphite and smudged it. Then I went in with black and grey pens to make the plant life stand out. Grouping of my plants created a dynamic spatial relationship between the larger plants and the small weeds. It gives more weight to the top left of my artpiece.

#formal elements #nature #western civilization

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Attendance Prompt 9/11-9/18

"Artists were so generous with their use of lead white that, today, when paintings are X-rayed, its dense outline can form a kind of skeleton within a painting, allowing technicians to see alterations and later additions." (p. 44)

I was not aware of technical work in the art realm. The benefits of X-raying paintings makes me appreciate technology in art restoration and preservation. X-raying art allows one to examine an artist's creative process and identify alterations or additions over time. The combination of science and art here fascinates me. It enhances my appreciation and understanding of art history.

#western civ #art #the secret lives of color

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Step 1: watercolor paint

Step 2: pen & marker

Steps 3 & 4: magazine cutouts, grass

I would like to keep a dark, alternative, “thriller” theme to my sketchbook. I think I captured it well with this assignment!

#viewing art #western civ

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Attendance Prompt 9/11-9/18

"Many classical writers were dismissive. Color was a distraction from the true glories of art: line and form. It was seen as self- indulgent and, later, sinful: a sign of dissimulation and dishonesty" (In "Politics of Color"). This passage highlights the historical perspective on color and its association with negativity in art and culture. Many classical writers viewed color as a distraction or a deceit, rather than an inherent quality of substances. This viewpoint, known as chromophobia, considered color as self-indulgent, sinful, or even deceptive. I was surprised to discover that color had such a negative connotation. I learned that it was often associated with savagery, lack of intelligence, sin, and more. Although I've studied classical writers, the Protestants, and the Renaissance in history and in Italian courses during high school, they never taught us about their chromophobia. I would have never made that association on my own.

Disclaimer: I only have the e-book, which unfortunately does not provide page numbers!

#politics of color

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Hey, my name is Alexandra and I am a senior biology major from Rochester, NY. My nickname is Lexi. I am glad I am taking an art course because it gives me opportunities to paint, which is something that can help me destress during school. Here is a photo of me from the summer. I went to Florida and the owner of this shop wanted to take a photo of me and his dog. She was a sweetheart. My sketchbook is gothic-inspired, because I really love anything alternative/punk/gothic/grunge.

#western civ #Spotify