Field Trip

The piece I chose to blog about is titled " Ceaseless Boundless Endless Joy." It was made with oil paints on canvas by an artist named Todd Norsten in 2008. Todd Norston is an American artist who was born in 1967. I found this piece to capture my emotions for some reason.

At first glance, this piece looked to me like masking tape on a white-painted surface. I disliked the idea that this piece is considered art. It seemed weird because it appears that the artist simply cut strips of tape and laid them down to form letters and words. My first opinion was that anyone could do this ... even a four-year-old could. Anyone could produce the same, or similar, results.

However, after looking at the work for some time in great detail, I had a greater appreciation for it. The craftsmanship of it was far greater than I had anticipated. Making such clean lines and making oil paint look so much like real masking tape is really, very impressive to me.

This week in review

This week, I feel like I made some progress in gesture drawing. I have become more comfortable with not resting my hand on the paper as I draw. Also, I am getting better at moving my whole arm when I am making a mark. It is easier to make light marks and darken them when I am satisfied with the result. I am looking forward to the upcoming field trip on Wednesday. I believe that it will be a nice break from school.

Shell Research

After some research guided by enature.com, I learned that my shell is an example of a Kellet's Whelk shell. Kellet's Whelk, or Kelletia kelletii, are from the family Buccinidae, Whelks. This type of shell grows to anywhere from 3-6.5 inches long and is usually a yellow or gray color. It has a spiral shape and rounded knobs that only protrude from one end of its form.

This type of snail shell is usually found in salt water that ranges from 10 to 400 feet deep where it is a scavenger. They can be found where rocks or gravel are present, and sometimes where there are beds of kelp. They have been known to be found along the Californian coast as far down as the Baja region. The Kellet's Whelk was named after Captain Sir Henry Kellett, a British commander.

Week 2

This week, we have been focusing very heavily on contour lines. I found blind contour lines to be very difficult. I am used to being able to see what I am drawing and correcting it as needed. This teaches me to take a closer look at what I am drawing. My biggest problem with this type of drawing is that I am impatient and can never draw slow enough. I have to work on this so I don't miss anything.

Blind Contour Drawing

1. Value: Medium/ Dark
2. Speed: Fast
3. Character: Unsure
4. Pressure: variety light to hard
5. Word: Sketchy