Friday, July 9, 2010
Creation
Currently working on a new project. Not sure what the title is yet or what the topics will be about but it will be mainly short essays.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Twilight book covers
Here are my latest sketches. They are the first two Twilight book covers. I discovered that hands are so hard to draw just right. I decided to try anyways.
This has been the hottest summer in 10 years! So nice outside too but still not feeling well. However I got a new mac and it is the best computer ever. I recommend them if you are looking to buy a new computer. Other than going blonder nothing too exciting has been happening around here. Working on a short story. I have some that I want to go back and edit as well. I will post them when they are complete. Enjoy the art. Please note I am a fan of the these books which is why I decided to draw the pictures. This is a disclaimer. I wanted to see if I could sketch something besides still lives, such as pears. Also the names change is an ode to one of my favorite bands. It is a poignant piece of work to me right now. All my pieces are protected under copyright law as well. Unless given permission by me, the actual person, my work is my own. I appreciate anyone who respects this.
Monday, May 17, 2010
The Colour and the Shape
Due to life I have been on a bit of a hiatus because I needed to get my shit right. However, I have returned and am happy to present my first oil painting, with many more to come. My first piece is entitled Simply Pears. I am in the midst of another piece as well as several other projects.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
The Space Between
My second painting class was this past Tuesday. Last week there was no class so I took this time to practice my assignment of learning how to draw pears since my mom has a some fake ones that she uses for decoration around the kitchen. I also decided to start using down time at work to practice drawing.
During my second class my teacher explained symmetry and learning to see the interesting shapes that can come from negative space. She said that things do not always have to be symmetrical and that often times the more interesting paintings are asymmetrical. However this also depends on the artist and what their style is. For example most religious paintings can be folded up and look the same on each side since they are perfectly balanced. Art is subjective. Things do not always have to be inside the box. I myself am a little left of center.
After dicussing this with me she had me set up my display. First she brought out five fake pears,a roll of tape, a desk lamp and a open box. Imagine a small cardboard box. Now cut of the top and two sides. This is where the pears are placed. The remaining sides of the box have a black background and the bottom is gray. Next she told me choose an odd number of pears, I picked three, and then set them up any way I wanted. I noticed one of the pears kept falling over on it's side. This seemed natural to the pear so I let it stay that way. My second pear leaned off to the side a bit and the third one was perfectly upright. If you were looking bird's eye view they formed a triangle. She explained to me that when she first started teaching this exercise what the student set up, they painted. A lot of students ended up disliking their work so now she first has us draw compositions using a view finder. This allows the student to look at all the angles and find the space between, which can often yield interesting results. So with my view finder(which is an index card with a small hole cut out in the middle) in hand I set off to search for what would become my first painting. Below are my six compositions.
After careful consideration I decided to go with my sixth composition, which features all three pears. My teacher explained that since they are all on different planes I would need to find where they each sit before proceeding. Once I accomplished that it was time to draw the to scale. She gave me the canvas I would be using and had me trace it, just like I did with the view finder. We tweaked it and came up with the end result. Notice the negative space between the pears. My favorite aspect is the shadowing and also how the one pear appears to be overlapping the other.
I have chosen to paint the pears red instead of green because why must they be green? I am very proud of myself for going from composition to canvas in just two hours time. Now on to the fun part!
During my second class my teacher explained symmetry and learning to see the interesting shapes that can come from negative space. She said that things do not always have to be symmetrical and that often times the more interesting paintings are asymmetrical. However this also depends on the artist and what their style is. For example most religious paintings can be folded up and look the same on each side since they are perfectly balanced. Art is subjective. Things do not always have to be inside the box. I myself am a little left of center.
After dicussing this with me she had me set up my display. First she brought out five fake pears,a roll of tape, a desk lamp and a open box. Imagine a small cardboard box. Now cut of the top and two sides. This is where the pears are placed. The remaining sides of the box have a black background and the bottom is gray. Next she told me choose an odd number of pears, I picked three, and then set them up any way I wanted. I noticed one of the pears kept falling over on it's side. This seemed natural to the pear so I let it stay that way. My second pear leaned off to the side a bit and the third one was perfectly upright. If you were looking bird's eye view they formed a triangle. She explained to me that when she first started teaching this exercise what the student set up, they painted. A lot of students ended up disliking their work so now she first has us draw compositions using a view finder. This allows the student to look at all the angles and find the space between, which can often yield interesting results. So with my view finder(which is an index card with a small hole cut out in the middle) in hand I set off to search for what would become my first painting. Below are my six compositions.
After careful consideration I decided to go with my sixth composition, which features all three pears. My teacher explained that since they are all on different planes I would need to find where they each sit before proceeding. Once I accomplished that it was time to draw the to scale. She gave me the canvas I would be using and had me trace it, just like I did with the view finder. We tweaked it and came up with the end result. Notice the negative space between the pears. My favorite aspect is the shadowing and also how the one pear appears to be overlapping the other.
I have chosen to paint the pears red instead of green because why must they be green? I am very proud of myself for going from composition to canvas in just two hours time. Now on to the fun part!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
First Painting Class
After searching for two weeks for an art studio that offered painting classes to fit my schedule, I finally found one. Today was my first class.
When the art teacher finally called me back to discuss classes she mentioned that she taught oils, acrylics and water colors. Being relatively inexperienced I decided on acrylics. She informed that this was a six week class that met Tuesday evenings and since I had missed the first class I would only be charged for five plus an additional fee if I used her supplies, which she advised so in case I changed mediums I wouldn't be stuck with things I may not use. This worked out well for me because art supplies are not cheap and I was unsure about acrylics. My art experience was limited to basic classes in elementary and high school, where the teachers paid little attention to those who did not display much talent. I am the type of person who thrives with one on one teaching. This class seemed like a good fit for me.
Upon arriving to class I was not sure what to expect, seeing as I missed the first class. Everyone else there was much older than me and they had been painting for several years, about eight or so. Like anything this takes practice and patience and I am determined to stick with this. To start with my teacher showed me pictures of nature landscapes in order to explain light, shadow, warm and cool colors. She said that warm and cool colors can coexist due to light and shadow. Then we went over the basics: primary and secondary colors and how the opposites on the color wheel are complimentary. After this she let me know that in her class we mix our own black since black does not occur naturally and she also taught me that black is the absence of color. So for the duration of the class I learned how to use colors to make black. First she had me mix ultramarine blue and burnt sienna. This I found to be hard since it kept coming out muddy. Next I mixed crimson and emerald green, which I found was easier and the black came naturally. Throughout this I discovered that acrylics dry pretty quickly so you can not really dawdle. After class I discussed this with her we decided that my first assignment would be acrylics and if I then decided I did not like, I could switch to oils, which takes longer to dry out.
Sadly next week there is not class. Just as I was getting into it. However, I learned that my first assignment will be drawing pears. This is seen as a right of passage. Luckily for me my mom has some fake pears lying around so I will be getting a jump start on this and will be displaying my progress on here from the start to the finished product.
When the art teacher finally called me back to discuss classes she mentioned that she taught oils, acrylics and water colors. Being relatively inexperienced I decided on acrylics. She informed that this was a six week class that met Tuesday evenings and since I had missed the first class I would only be charged for five plus an additional fee if I used her supplies, which she advised so in case I changed mediums I wouldn't be stuck with things I may not use. This worked out well for me because art supplies are not cheap and I was unsure about acrylics. My art experience was limited to basic classes in elementary and high school, where the teachers paid little attention to those who did not display much talent. I am the type of person who thrives with one on one teaching. This class seemed like a good fit for me.
Upon arriving to class I was not sure what to expect, seeing as I missed the first class. Everyone else there was much older than me and they had been painting for several years, about eight or so. Like anything this takes practice and patience and I am determined to stick with this. To start with my teacher showed me pictures of nature landscapes in order to explain light, shadow, warm and cool colors. She said that warm and cool colors can coexist due to light and shadow. Then we went over the basics: primary and secondary colors and how the opposites on the color wheel are complimentary. After this she let me know that in her class we mix our own black since black does not occur naturally and she also taught me that black is the absence of color. So for the duration of the class I learned how to use colors to make black. First she had me mix ultramarine blue and burnt sienna. This I found to be hard since it kept coming out muddy. Next I mixed crimson and emerald green, which I found was easier and the black came naturally. Throughout this I discovered that acrylics dry pretty quickly so you can not really dawdle. After class I discussed this with her we decided that my first assignment would be acrylics and if I then decided I did not like, I could switch to oils, which takes longer to dry out.
Sadly next week there is not class. Just as I was getting into it. However, I learned that my first assignment will be drawing pears. This is seen as a right of passage. Luckily for me my mom has some fake pears lying around so I will be getting a jump start on this and will be displaying my progress on here from the start to the finished product.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The Search Begins
Okay so I started looking for art studios that offer classes and I found two so I will be calling them to see which ones offer classes that fit my schedule. I was also informed by a co-worker that some craft stores sell beginner's kits. I am really excited about getting started. Trying new things can be good. Once I get started I will be posting my art on here and on occasion I will be writing short essays on some of my favorite artists. But first to start off here is an article I wrote on a local photographer.
Seeing the World in Black and White
By: Jenn Schurga
While most people would ignore a crack in the road or a garden hose left lying in the front yard, Pamela Connolly finds beauty in everyday little things.
On March 1 Lot 84’s newest exhibit will feature work from local photographer Pamela Landau Connolly. The exhibit is called ‘here + there’ and will be open until June 30. Connolly, who has been a black and white photographer for 30 years, has the ability to transform something as insignificant as a cracked side walk into something beautiful. Her work features the modest beauty in every day life. She was recently awarded 2nd place at the Soho Photo Gallery for “Cracked Path,” which is part of her series of works entitled Archaeology of the Ordinary. “I am interested in how things break down, how they are repaired, and how the layers of each together create something new,” she explains.
While color photography shows off the vibrancy of life, Connolly still prefers to use traditional black and white, “I love the way black and white renders light, shadow, and form. I find that it reveals a certain essence in my subject.” Her interest in pursuing photography began with the purchasing of her first real camera when she was a senior in high school. “My first roll of film was black and white,” Connolly explains, “I went to a local park in my town and photographed these wild little kids playing on the swings and the monkey bars. They played with complete abandon.” Her ability to capture children in their element is astounding as well as her talent for finding beauty in the most unlikely of places such as in cracked pavement. Connolly is able to transform a simple landscape into something much more, as seen in “Inkblot Landscape.”
Aside from being a photographer Connolly has also been a middle school photography teacher for the past ten years. Connolly taught at various institutions such as Northern Westchester Center for the Arts, The Point Community Center in the South Bronx and The Horace Mann School in Riverdale, NY. She credits most of her inspiration from the work of her former students, “Their fresh take on the world never ceases to surprise me.” She has even done some philanthropy work with children affected by Hurricane Katrina. The two day workshop took place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and was called “Kids with Cameras,” in which Connolly, along with Mark Teiwes, a local photographer, taught them how to use the cameras. The children were then able to go out and take photographs of their environment. Connolly then coordinated an exhibit at Louisiana State University that featured the children’s art.
The owner of lot84, Rossana Fiore, opened up the boutique in August 2007. Fiore formerly owned Vintage Home in Chappaqua, New York. She decided on the name lot84 because she often buys from auctions, where items are listed as a ‘lot’and 84 is in reference to the street address. Fiore’s love of the mixing vintage and modern provides a unique atmosphere which makes this an ideal location for local artists to display their work.
Seeing the World in Black and White
By: Jenn Schurga
While most people would ignore a crack in the road or a garden hose left lying in the front yard, Pamela Connolly finds beauty in everyday little things.
On March 1 Lot 84’s newest exhibit will feature work from local photographer Pamela Landau Connolly. The exhibit is called ‘here + there’ and will be open until June 30. Connolly, who has been a black and white photographer for 30 years, has the ability to transform something as insignificant as a cracked side walk into something beautiful. Her work features the modest beauty in every day life. She was recently awarded 2nd place at the Soho Photo Gallery for “Cracked Path,” which is part of her series of works entitled Archaeology of the Ordinary. “I am interested in how things break down, how they are repaired, and how the layers of each together create something new,” she explains.
While color photography shows off the vibrancy of life, Connolly still prefers to use traditional black and white, “I love the way black and white renders light, shadow, and form. I find that it reveals a certain essence in my subject.” Her interest in pursuing photography began with the purchasing of her first real camera when she was a senior in high school. “My first roll of film was black and white,” Connolly explains, “I went to a local park in my town and photographed these wild little kids playing on the swings and the monkey bars. They played with complete abandon.” Her ability to capture children in their element is astounding as well as her talent for finding beauty in the most unlikely of places such as in cracked pavement. Connolly is able to transform a simple landscape into something much more, as seen in “Inkblot Landscape.”
Aside from being a photographer Connolly has also been a middle school photography teacher for the past ten years. Connolly taught at various institutions such as Northern Westchester Center for the Arts, The Point Community Center in the South Bronx and The Horace Mann School in Riverdale, NY. She credits most of her inspiration from the work of her former students, “Their fresh take on the world never ceases to surprise me.” She has even done some philanthropy work with children affected by Hurricane Katrina. The two day workshop took place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and was called “Kids with Cameras,” in which Connolly, along with Mark Teiwes, a local photographer, taught them how to use the cameras. The children were then able to go out and take photographs of their environment. Connolly then coordinated an exhibit at Louisiana State University that featured the children’s art.
The owner of lot84, Rossana Fiore, opened up the boutique in August 2007. Fiore formerly owned Vintage Home in Chappaqua, New York. She decided on the name lot84 because she often buys from auctions, where items are listed as a ‘lot’and 84 is in reference to the street address. Fiore’s love of the mixing vintage and modern provides a unique atmosphere which makes this an ideal location for local artists to display their work.
Broken Flowers
Here is the first film review I have ever written. Enjoy!
“Sometimes life brings some strange surprises.”
I went into this movie not really knowing too much about it. But I had a very open mind. I figured well this movie has Bill Murray in it, so let’s give it a try. And let me tell you, I was rather impressed. This movie is about a man named Don Johnston (Murray) who has a series of bad relationships and he has just been dumped by his girlfriend Sherry, who is played by Julie Delpy. He then receives a letter in the mail from an unidentified former love, in a pink envelop written on pink paper with pink ink. The letter states that Don has a 19 year old son who is on a “kind of road trip” looking for him. In reading this it forces Don to reflect on the past. He is encouraged by his friend Winston (Jeffrey Wright), who is a Sherlock Holmes wannabe, to assess his past relationships in order to find out who sent him the letter. Don reluctantly goes on a cross-country trip to visit his four old girlfriends (Sharon Stone, Francis Conroy, Jessica Lange, and Tilda Swinton) and try and find clues as to who is the mother of his supposed son.
The thing that makes Bill Murray such a good actor is his facial expressions. Without even saying a word, you can tell what he is thinking. It’s all about the non verbal. They say that actions speak louder than words, and oh how true it is. If you see someone walking around with there nose up in the air, you are most likely going to say to yourself, “That person either is very confident or they have a great big stick up their ass.” But anyways, getting back to my point, there isn’t much dialog in this movie which is ok because you can tell what the characters are thinking just by how they act and the gestures that they make.
I really enjoyed this movie, everything about it was wonderful. As with anything it had it’s ups and downs, good and bad. Overall it is a very well acted movie.
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