Hwk 3/31: PORTFOLIO CHECK

For Wednesday bring in EVERYTHING (sketches, homework, written critiques, in class drawings, projects, etc) TO DATE. I will be checking this and then hanging your figure drawing work downstairs.

REMEMBER: Your "Stripes" projects are DUE NEXT MONDAY with a written narrative you were INTENDING to tell.

Julia Lambright/ Artist Statement/Work

/ working statement / julialambright.com/

I am of two identities. Having emigrated from Russia to the United States, I recognized new possibilities for myself, while re-envisioning the cultural, social and political climate of present day Russia. The work I am presenting investigates the themes that are nourished by my unrelenting temptation to translate contemporary Russian problems to an American audience.

For Russia, the twentieth century was mostly cruel. I believe the founding principles of communist ideology were destructive, even though revolutionary enthusiasts announced their intention to build a new world. The construction of this new world led to many consequences over the last century, including physical and moral stress on ordinary people. Living in America helped me to look outside the boundary and these issues and further understand my anger about the system in which people have been treated unfairly. At the same time as being dislocated from my native land, I feel a much stronger need to explore sacred art.

For the past few years I looked to Russian Orthodox icon paintings as a main source of inspiration. For me they became a core element of understanding of an outer form with an inner content, as a human vision and human visage. Also an icon’s formal aesthetics, from its static and free-floating figures to its flattened perspective, and chromatic richness of the coloring, strongly impacts my artistic decisions in current studio practices.

 As a result, I am working on a series of paintings that will come together to form a high-rise wall. This painting installation is planned to be assembled in a three-tier structure, one that will resemble an Iconostasis (a wall of icons in Orthodox Church.) The structured wall also stands as a metaphor for a physical border line, with means to expand the limits of our own vision… In its entirety, I hope to ‘build’ a sense of narrative that will explore social issues of Russia, perhaps also reflect our universal realities, and thereby to explain human responsibilities… For me it starts in a desire to create a spiritual space with the hope of awaking a range of human emotions, a space that will challenge understanding of the past and reinforce awareness of the present.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quick Guide: Color Symbolism

The symbolism of the basic colors sets a question before us: how the painter able to combine colors in order to make a harmonious whole?

One of the complicating factors in color symbolism is that nearly every color has both positive and negative connotations. For each of the colors discussed bellow, we should remember that value and intensity modify its meaning.

In a simpler term, bright colors indicate intense emotions and pale colors just the opposite.

Each color is self-defining and its transmits its own message.

RED

Red is very emotional color, it is color of love, fire, passion, and also aggression. In primitive thinking blood is life, so symbolically red is a color of life. Red attracts us, convening vitality, warmth, excitement, but also call for attention, says ‘stop’. Red warns us for danger.

BLUE

Blue considered to be rarest color in nature. Thus, a blue ribbon awarded as first-place prizes, ‘blue-chip’, meaning high quality and ‘blue blood,’  indicate aristocratic person. In Christianity, the Madonna is usually depicted in blue, symbolizing fidelity, as reflected in our modern phrase “true blue”. At the same time blue feels cold and often symbolized sadness, depression, and isolation.

YELLOW

Yellow has the highest reflectivity of all colors and it is first to be noticed, that why its became a color of warning. In icons gold is equal to light, a heavenly light, from which God communicates.

Buddhist monks dyed their robes is saffron yellow as a constant reminder of mortality, for yellow is symbolic of death in that culture.

GREEN

While most people associate it with growth, spring, and foliage, it is also associated with mold and decay, poison, and jealousy. In our time, “green” implies being ecologically aware. This adds a fresh note to the old meanings of green as fresh. With this means, freshness can also carry a notion of immaturity and inexperience.

ORANGE

From  psychological point of view orange is similar to yellow, being considered to be a cheerful.

Its often associated with autumn and holiday season. When orange darkens into the brown tones, it is associated with comfort and security. Orange is color of maturity and harvest.

PURPLE

Purple express first and foremost the idea of wealth. Purple connotes bravery, perhaps an extension of its connection with royalty, as with the  “Purple Heart” – well known military medal. This color associated with deep feelings, it also associated with mourning for the death and loved ones.

BROWN

We find brown tones in everything that is considered earthly and we often associate it with certain season. It lacks the radiance and the dynamism of pure colors, so it is a low –intensity color and color of uniform.

WHITE

In Western cultures, for example, white symbolizes innocence and purity (think of a bride’s gown or a baby’s baptism dress), White color was chosen by some of monasteries as a sign of rejection of the material world.  White flags signals an honorable intent to surrender peacefully.

GRAY

Probably by association with gray hair, gray stands for old age and all that is associated with it: retrospection, inaction -  but also wisdom and serenity. Gray evokes sadness and melancholy, it is also color of ashes, which in alchemy symbolized immortal part of our personality that has survived the confrontation with primitive desires and emerged purified.

BLACK

Black is the total absence of light; the whole universe of colors is plunged into the night of black... (Pseudo-Dionysis hierarchy). And for this reason, black is also associated with unknowing, mystery, and intrigue. In Greek and Egypt, black was the color of the underworld gods.

Hwk 3/24: COLOR!!!

Hwk 3/24: COLOR!!!

Bring in your 18"x 24" COLORED mi tients (or any velvety/ toothy) paper and chalk pastels for your "STRIPES" project!

We are beginning to work with color in earnest! Using color well, like many things, requires a working knowledge and dedication in practice. REMEMBER ALL THINGS ARE RELATIVE, and we are building towards our final, conceptual project.

The history of color theory, for us, begins with Sir Issac Newton and his spectral breakdown of light (Think 6th grade science class! ROYGBV!!). It is not a clear and even path to what we know as contemporary color theory, but I am giving you a few links that focus on the contributions of Bauhaus artist and colorist, Josef Albers.

http://www.webexhibits.org/colorart/bh.html
http://www.ppanda.us/2009/04/eugene-chevreul-father-of-color-theory.html

I am attaching the links from class:

1) Who is Josef Albers? His work, his concept, his color:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He9wIkms6s0

(just cute!)

2) His teaching philosophy & his legacy: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/08/16/interaction-of-color-josef-albers-50th-anniversary/

This is the explanation of Josef Albers and his "Phenomonology of Color":

"In visual perception a color is almost never seen as it really is — as it physically is. This fact makes color the most relative medium in art."

"In order to use color effectively it is necessary to recognize that color deceives continually. To this end, the beginning is not a study of color systems."

"First, it should be learned that one and the same color evokes innumerable readings. Instead of mechanically applying or merely implying laws and rules of color harmony, distinct color effects are produced-through recognition of the interaction of color-by making, for instance, two very different colors look alike, or nearly alike ."

3) Mrs Estrellita Karsh on Albers (Artist intent versus viewer's interpretation):

4) On contemporary standardization of industrial color today. She talks a lot, but it's good information. :)

5) INTERACTIVE COLOR SITE!!

https://kuler.adobe.com/create/color-wheel/

Elder Drawing

This is a very wise man of the nature. His age is unknown and his name has been translated to one who see's with the birds. His wisdom is far beyond most of ours and he has seen many lifes pass. He is a strong leader and has become disheartened by the destruction he is seeing in today's world.

Elder Study - Lydia Gosling

John Howard, not sure how old he is, is a tattoo artist at the shop that I work at. He has had a very interesting life, and spent much of his youth as a bank robber and rode motorcycles with various motorcycle gangs. Eventually the law caught up to him, and he spent 10 years in prison. While he was incarcerated he was in the Santa Fe Federal Prison during the infamous prison riots. Since it has been many years since his rebellious youth, he has established himself as a tattoo artist, and is married with two young children. Often many times his old "friends" will come by wanting to talk with him and reminisce about the old days, and he always rolls his eyes and says, "It's not that I hate you guys, but I'm a family man now, and that lifestyle is unhealthy for me." He is one of the most genuine and sweet men I've ever met in my life.Surprisingly when I posted the finished image on my Facebook, many people recognized him and had said they have had work done by him. 

Elder Drawing - Sullivan

            This old man may be worn and grizzled, but he’s still full of zest for life. He’s a widower, but still going strong. In this picture, he’s joking around with his son, who is a photographer and will definitely record his goofy, gleeful expression. He knows this and is playing along. I think the old man is probably named Sven and was some sort of blue-collar worker until he retired. While he’s had his share of suffering and struggles, in this moment, he’s put them all aside. I would hang out with this man in a heartbeat—he can probably tell a great story. He also seems like he’d be a pretty kind person, despite his rough edges.

Portrait of an Elder-Chris Marquez

Jane Goodall
A primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, from Britain. She's known as the worlds foremost expert on chimpanzees. She is best known for her 45-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania. She's an advocate for animal rights, conservation, and welfare, the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute. She's against the use of animals in farming, zoos, sport, and medical research and is a devoted vegetarian. While working with a troop of chimps at Gombe Goodall assimiliated with the troop and was it's lowest ranking member for 22 months and is the only human to be able to do so. Goodall's most well known contribution to the scientific community is her discovery that in addition to humans, chimpanzees are able to construct and use tools as well as her discovery that chimpanzees are not strictly vegetarian. 

Elder Drawing- Lupien

Khristoph MacLory, 82, a retired member of the Demersal Fleet in the United Kingdoms' Fishing Industry. Known as one of the first members of the Scottish Fisherman's Federation he spent his childhood years in the small town of Elgin where he attended and graduated high school and then moved on to seek his career as a boats man. Husband and father of two Mr. MacLory is now living out the rest of his years in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Portrait of an Elder- Shirey

The man looks like he wants to tussle with someone while he wears a Popeye the Sailor shirt. Ironically he looks like an older Popeye with one eye staring you down. He most likely could have been the inspiration for the cartoon, but I believe he thinks he IS the character. As I drew him, I became attached and decided I wanted to meet this man, thinking he is a tough, takes no crap from anyone kinda guy with a hilarious personality. All he needed was a pipe and some spinach to create the full fledged dude. I want to shake the man's hand and get to know his history, which to me is a WWII sailor staring down at the enemy grunting and ready to punch.

Elder Portrait

I drew my grandma on my mom's side.  Her name is Laurel, and she's 88 years old. We get together every week with her, my mom, myself, and my two kids. We talk a lot, and she is always telling me stories about years gone by. It always surprises me the things I learn about her that I never knew. I wonder what other stories I will hear, and which ones I will never know.
Last week she went in to her doctor with a pain in her abdomen. They extracted her appendix and upon its biopsy found that it was cancerous. We still don't know anything else about it; she is seeing an oncologist this coming week. She is optimistic, however, even if it is cancer - as she fought breast cancer before I was born.  She's tough and stubborn as a mule. She managed to quit smoking after 50 years after she had a heart attack and surgery ten years ago and I'm sure she would already be gone if it weren't for that.

Portrait of an Elder (Dixon)

The Warrior

The picture I chose was of an an African man with facial scars from the tradition of scarification. I'd like to think that he got them from being a high-ranking member of his village, particularly, a warrior. I imagine he started going on hunts when he was 11 or 12 with the older men so that they would be able to provide food for their people. Each boy must undergo an official first hunt as a rite of passage into manhood. After the successful hunt, they undergo the ceremony which includes scarification where the skin is cut with the intent of creating scars. These can be lines, dots, drawings, etc. I picture each person having different scars as a way of showing that they are unique, like names or fingerprints. Some get scars on just their torso or arms, and others get them in multiple places. This warrior chose scars just on his face to show that he endured a great injury, but also played a significant role in the hunt he participated in.
I would indeed like to hang out with him to hear stories about all the different hunts he's gone on and what his life and culture are like.

Portrait of an Elder - Kerri Banach

Portrait of an Elder: A Texture Study

By: Kerri Banach

     I chose to do my portrait of an elder on Christopher Walken.  I do not personally know him, but he is one of my favorite actors of all time.  I thought choosing him for an elder study was great because I have been watching him for the past twenty years on screen, and have been able to see him age, sort of speak.  Christopher is seventy years old and I think age has been very good to him.  This particular image of him is beautiful to me for many reasons.  The close up angle the photographer used puts him in a very vulnerable state.  All aspects of his face are focused on, including the spots and wrinkles that most people strive to cover up.  His expression is “real” compared to the character faces I’m so used to seeing him have.  Sometimes it’s nice to view a person in the spotlight in one of these instances to take a step back and just appreciate them for being a normal person.  As for hanging out with him? Is that a serious question? I would love to! He’s Christopher freakin’ Walken!

Elder (Thompson)

Jim Thompson, my grandfather.

Not chosen out of convenience, but because I would like to appreciate the time I have left with him. Last month he exhibited stroke symptoms and scans have revealed glioblastoma, a brain cancer with only 12% of patients surviving longer than 36 months. He underwent surgery to remove the tumor behind his eye, and is finishing the first stages of radiation therapy. He lives here in Albuquerque, and is awake and even a little conversational when I visit.

He spent his career in the Navy, and coordinating weapons and nuclear waste disposal at Sandia. He retired just a few years ago. He displays a gentle kindness everywhere he goes. His personality is soft, and honorable. His humor is subtle but often present. He enjoys war movies, watching news, and shooting.

Portrait of an Elder

I named my image Bob
       Bob is thinking that he didn't close the flap on his ti-pi before he left for the sweat lodge. The smoke from the piece pipe being passed around, may escape. For you see, he had a powwow with other chiefs in the wee hours of the morning. There are so many long winded people in the sweat lodge Bob decides to go for a swim in the river instead. After a good swim he returns to his ti-pi to check the ti-pis flap. He finds that his woman has opened the flap because it smelt like burnt feathers. His woman has prepared Bobs meal and even chewed his meat for him.

        I would like to hang out with Bob, for he would have many stories to tell.

                                                                                                                                     Terry Sager

Striped Figures

Drawing II- OLIVER

Assignment 6

(Due: Monday, 4/7)

 

Striped Figures

(Suggestive Narrative)

Materials:

White and Black Chalk on Canson MiTeintes Paper

Many Artists strive to tell a story; sometimes those stories are completed through the imagination of the viewer. Students looked at a deconstructed still life of skeletons and objects draped with striped fabric, arranging them in unique positions and configurations. The placement of the figures suggested a wide variety of mysterious psychological implications, open to interpretation and conjecture.

Think about COMPOSITION (formal elements) and it’s implication on NARRATIVE and read. As the artist you must be aware of the story you are telling or implying—write this down! After completion of your composition I want you to step back and take a moment with this image. Sit and converse with it. What are you reading in frame now? Has this narrative shifted? Is there depth to your storyline? Is it clear? Convoluted? Write this new read down.

Hwk: SPRING BREAK!

Hwk: SPRING BREAK!

For MONDAY:

1) Portrait of Elder DUE! Once you have completed this image write a single paragraph describing the character presented in frame. Post this to the blog AND print this out and bring it in with your image the Monday after spring break. 

2)We will be discussing COLOR and your "Stripes" project. Bring in your sketchbook/ notebook to take notes in. We will be setting up your deconstructed still life in class on Monday and taking sketches to prepare for our work on Wednesday ("Stripes" project). You will have a class and a half of open, in class work time and two weekends to complete this piece. 

This was the artist I was thinking of

http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/krzysztof-wodiczko

Hwk 3/10: CRITIQUE DAY!!!

Hwk 3/10: CRITIQUE DAY!!!

1) First 5 Experimental Drawings DUE!

2) Scratchboard Assignment DUE! REMEMBER you need both a FIGURATIVE & an ABSTRACT eye. MINIMUM 6" x 6" each. These DO NOT HAVE TO BE HUMAN OR SUPER CLOSE-UP! The goal of this assignment is to create texture studies with varying states of ascertainable narrative/ legibility. Make SURE once you are done that you step back and really examine each image. One should read as an eye and one should NOT. If you need to add an extra image to accomplish this bring all of these into class. There is extra scratch board in my trunk in Room 245 if you need more. 

3) Bring in at least 2 images for your Portrait of an Elder assignment to discuss in class. These can be digital at this point, but will need to be printed to accomplish the assignment. 

Your mid-term portfolio check will be done the week AFTER spring break. This will include all blog posts and assignments, in class and out, to date.

Portrait of an Elder: A Texture Study

Drawing II-­‐ OLIVER Assignment 5
(Due: Monday, 3/24)

 Portrait of an Elder:

A Texture Study

MATERIALS:

• Fawn Stonehenge 22”x 30”
  
• White Charcoal Pencil and White Conte Crayon
  
• Black Charcoal Pencil and Black Charcoal
  
• Bistre Conte Pencil and Bistre Conte Crayon
  
• Sanguine Conte Pencil and Sanguine Conte Crayon
  
• Blenders/Erasers/Other Drawing tools

• PROCESS (suggested, NOT fixed):
  
• Grid original image (triangle grid most effective)
• Draw in 1.5” border very lightly using graphite. Carefully tape 1.5” border using
  Blue tape (and newsprint, as needed). Draw corresponding grid on Fawn paper
  (very lightly in White Pencil)
  
• Draw Image in as much detail as possible using SANGUINE. Think about 7-­‐pt
  value scale and TEMPERATURE.
  
• Remove any trace of Grid as needed
  
• When Sanguine is complete, add BISTRE to darker areas.
  
• When Bistre is complete, add BLACK to the very darkest areas
  
• When Black is complete, add WHITE to highlights. Be sure to leave bits of Fawn
  paper as second-­‐lightest value.
  
• When Complete, Lightly Spray-­‐Fix, if desired
  
• CAREFULLY Remove tape. Always pull AWAY from the interior of the drawing,
  rather than toward the middle (so if tears occur, the tear the border rather than the drawing)

Once you have completed this image write a single paragraph describing the character presented in frame. Post this to the blog AND print this out and bring it in with your image the Monday after spring break. Give him/her a name if one does not already exist, tell us about the moment, thoughts, etc. Do they have a secret? What is the moment being described? Would you want to hang out with him/ her? We are looking for true PRESENCE in frame.