Material Exploration2 Reese

1.      The process of creating my logo was very interesting because I am potentially going to use it for my summer business.  My brothers and I have been running a tent rental business for the past five years, and one thing we lack is an attractive logo that leaves a lasting impression on our customers or future customers.  I enjoyed the process of trying to brainstorm a logo, but feel I sabotaged it a little bit because of my lack of artistic ability.  There were many things that I imagined but failed to transcribe to paper because I am so limited in my artistic skills.

2.      Creatively I was thinking of using a design that was colorful yet simple.  The design needed to be compact enough that it will fit on our truck and business cards.  I really liked the look of block lettering, which is an example in one of my sketches, but it seemed to take up to much room when I used our entire business name.  The idea of incorporating different designs into the logo really made the company name stand out, which is the whole point of having a logo created in the first place. 

3.      The most important thing that I discovered when creating my logo was the logo does not have to be a work of art.  As limited as I am artistically, I feel I was able to produce a design that would work for us.  I am sure that a professional company would be able to develop a design much better than mine was, but at what cost.  In the end, I was very happy with the results. 

4.      The most important thing I learned while watching the video and throughout the readings was no idea is bad.  During the brainstorming portion of the design phase, it is important to consider all options.  The video was very helpful in explaining the process of designing process including the process of selecting a logo. 

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Project2 Art Gallery Visit1 Reese

A.     The artwork that made the biggest impression on me was James Ensor’s Fireworks, created in 1887.  James Ensor used Oil and encaustic on canvas to create the colorful marvel.  I found the picture to be quite simplistic, but what made the biggest impression on me was the artist’s description of a firework.  Fireworks were probably not as accessible in the 1800’s as they are today, so the sight of fireworks must have been inspirational to the artist.  Another painting that made a big impression on me was Pablo Picasso’s Oil on Canvas, La Toilette.  Now I do not know if I liked this one because of who the painting was by, but I have to admit I was a little star struck when I observed this piece of work.  In fact, I found myself wondering if this painting was an original.  That perhaps one of history’s best artistes actually touched the piece of art I was looking at. 

B.     The artwork that I felt a real connection with was Gary Simmons D.C. Pavilion, created in 2007.  Gary Simmons created this piece of art using pigment, oil paint, and cold was on canvas.  I found the technique to be very interesting, but the picture was very interesting to me.  When I look at the picture the first time it appeared to be a building on fire, but I believe the artist was trying to give the picture a sense of life.  Maybe the upward moving flames represent spirits of some type.  Regardless, the picture was a beautiful piece of work that I have never personally experienced before.  The second piece of artwork that I had a connection with was Paul Cezanne’s Oil on canvas, The Pool at Jas de Boufgan, created in 1878 – 1879.  Cezanne was another artist in the same category as Picasso’s, maybe not as notable, but in the conversation.  The painting was very simplistic, but gorgeous, and that is something that I realized after completing this exercise.  I tend to gravitate towards more natural looking landscapes, than a cluttered filled canvas. 

C.     The artwork that I would like to know more about was Salvador Dali’s, The Transparent Simulacrum of the feigned Image, created in 1938.  The painting was completed with Oil on canvas, and the result was magnificent.  I have absolutely no idea what this painting is about, but it is so neat that I could not take my eyes off it.  I did a little research on Salvador Dali, and I was amazed at how many different works of art he had completed; each one more fascinating than the next.  I will definitely spend time in the future investigating works of art by him.  The second piece of artwork that I would like to know more about was Reed Andersons Midnight Peacock Music, created in 2006.  Midnight Peacock Music was an Acrylic on cut paper, containing an unbelievable amount of detail. 

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Color Wheel Value Scale Project Reese

I have to admit, this was a cool exercise!  The color wheel was by fare my favorite of the two.  However, I do understand how important the value scale exercise is to the overall fundamentals of art.  In my high school art class, we worked a lot different shading techniques, and we all had to create a value scale for our first assignment.  

The media that I enjoyed working with the most was acrylic paint.  As I have stated on numerous occasions, I am not a very good artist.  Never is this more evident than when I drawing a picture with a pencil or charcoal.  Nevertheless, when you paint, no matter how poor of an artist you might be, you can show some type of artistic ability in your work. 

The most interesting thing that I discovered at the culmination of this project was how human nature always seems to push the envelope.  Humans are very curious by nature, so to assume the first man had a pallet of his primary colors and began to mix them in-order to come up with different color’s is very intriguing to me. 

The most important information that I will take away from the video was how mix the secondary colors from the primary colors.  I took a couple of art classes in school, but I never really learned to mix colors properly.  After watching the video, I truly began to view artists in a different way.  To have the ability to paint or draw is amazing on its own, but to have the ability to see colors and put them on canvas is truly a gift.    I would definitely recommend this video for anyone that wants to learn more about this subject.

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Elements of Design Project Reese

 
I don’t consider myself a very creative person, but the Bucket photo project was something I really enjoyed doing.  I really enjoyed learning about all the different Elements of Design.  In particular, trying to match the different landscapes to each element was very challenging.  I think the thought of making the class take the pictures was a great idea, because it made me think of  whether the  Element of Design belonged in a certain category or not.  The process of setting up my Bucket account was very easy and something was not aware of before I was introduced to it in this class.  I really enjoyed the project!  I truly believe that I have a much better understanding and appreciation for Elements of Design.      


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Living With Art Week 3 Blog Reese

1. Describe Color and it's effects on emotions. Use the appropriate vocabulary of color in your posting.  When I think of colors, I can’t help but to think of vacation time in April.  Almost every April for the past twenty years, my family has taken a trip to Florida.  As we get into the airport and take off you can’t help but to take notice to the mundane landscape.  From ten thousand feet in the air the earth appears dark and dank as anything I’ve ever seen.  Living in Western New York for the past twenty years this is a time of year I’ve just come to accept.  However, one must dissect the feelings that colors have on our emotions.  Personally, I enjoy the cold dark nights of winter for about a month or two, but once that time has passed I’m ready of the bright vibrant colors of spring and summer.  Most people would probably agree that their spirits are much higher during the spring or summer vs. the winter.  Most humans have overwhelming positive experience when they encounter landscapes of great color.  I have one memory of a trip to Disney a few years ago that lends credit to the belief that colors bring happiness to individuals.  I was walking into Disney and at the front gates that had the most unbelievable display of flowers in the shape of Mickey ears.  Now I have to admit that I am a Disney fanatic, but it wasn’t Mickey that was making me smile it was the color from the flowers.  I had been so used to seeing the dark dank days back home that the colors of the flowers were an assault on my senses in a positive way. 
2. What is a theoretical aspect of color that most intrigues/fascinates you? Why?  The aspect of colors that intrigues me the most is how colors change your mood.  Now beautiful landscapes don’t make everyone happy, because if that were the case no body in Florida would ever commit a crime.  With that said it has been proven that humans respond well to colors.  There are studies as to what colors make individuals more productive at work or in the classroom.  Prisons around the country paint rooms a soothing color to help temper the emotions of inmates. 
3. In the Color video, what made the biggest impact on you in regards to color and it's effects on emotions?  This may seem a little of topic, but the one thing that made the biggest impact on me was when the artist did a rough draft painting of the landscape.  I was so intrigued by this.  I couldn’t help but to think...why didn’t she just take a photograph of the landscape and use that as a guide, but I quickly understood that the camera wouldn’t be able to fully capture all the different shades as well as the draft. 
4. In the Feelings video, what made the biggest impact on you in regards to color and it's effects on emotions?  I particularly appreciated how the narrator explained how the colors of the ancient Roman painting encompassed colors and geometry. 

Art and Aesthetics Reese

The philosopher that I feel is most important is Immanuel Kant (1724 – 1804) Kant is still considered a central figure to modern philosophy.  He viewed everything as beautiful and if it was not beautiful, it could be beautified.  Kant never expanded on what ugly was, but he explained ugly caused pain, so one could determine that ugly was anything that caused another pain.  Kant also believed that nature set the rules to the beauty of art.  That statement alone is very interesting.  If you think of nature, and the most beautiful landscape you have ever seen it depicts the most beautiful piece of art without being put to canvas or paper. 
I found the lecture by Changeux and Ramachandran, and the scientific view of aesthetics to be very interesting.  In particular, I found his explanation of how the human brain interprets art consciously and unconsciously.  In addition, to appreciate art the mind must be stimulated.  An individual cannot be exposed to the same art and remain stimulated. 
I thought the videos we viewed for this week’s class provided great insight into the world of art history and aesthetics.  The video Philosophy of Arts, went into great detail introducing the audience to Philosopher’s who had a significant impact on the history of art.  This video in particular was very informative and shed light on a topic I knew very little about.  The videos relate directly to the reading found in chapters 1 Living with Art, and chapter 2 What Is Art.  The readings in the book were insightful, but the videos seemed to bring it all together through the different visual examples that were used in the Changeux and Ramchandran video.  After viewing this particular video, I had a much better understanding of Visual Aesthetics.