I see, said the blind man

I took this picture of my eye. And, I thought it was rather interesting. Just a quick snap and voila! You have an eye . . . with specks reflecting the sunshine. This is not edited. Pretty cool.

So, as an artist (as Diebenkorn says) you learn to see differently than everyone else. That's a part of being an artist. Learning to really see things.

It's a cool concept--you see differently than I do. We all have different perspectives. That makes art rich.

Illustrating

Illustrative.
Artist.
Draftsman.

What in the world is the difference?

Well . . . here's some illustration for a children's book I'm working on.

What's the difference, you ask? Well, some drawings can be illustrative (mainly working on the graphic quality--linear/emotive). So, it is a must to capture recognizable forms well, so that the viewer can distinguish the picture at hand.

Now, draftsman, as we call ourselves, can strive for illustrative qualities or they can go for something different . . . unique.

This is my description of draftsmanship--a profile I drew a while ago. I'm striving to combine the elements of line/edge to craft a space.

Many draftsman excel in illustration/graphic design. I choose to go for graphite/pencil that literally melts into or emerges from the page by using line/edge as 3D/compositional and formal elements. Let me tell you--pencil is a hard medium. ;) But, it's rewarding . . . sometimes!

Sky

Sometimes, it's all about the colors you can see... I thought the sky was exceptionally beautiful today... :) It's cool how negative space and positive space can make such an interesting composition.

Was it Picasso who said, "I never tire of the blue sky"? Because, I find his statement to be increasingly true... the blue always changes.

To art or not to art

This is the question. So, walking to my car the other day, I found this:

Right? And, there were also post-it notes inside my car. Inside. My. Car. :/ My boyfriend and one of my best friends decided it would be fun to steal my spare keys and do this. I have to admit, I was pretty surprise and impressed by their large amount of post-its.

But, as an artist--is this art? Is this aesthetically pleasing? Is it vandalism? Or, is there a midline--like Banksy's graffiti art. Does it make a statement?

That's probably a better way to ask how art can be revolutionary--does it make a statement?

Well, let's see . . . ridiculous, chaos, prank. Taking found objects (post-it notes) and sticking them on someone's car makes for a driving exhibition (note to viewers--please don't drive your car like this--you'll hurt yourself or other people, trying to see through the post-its).

But, that's an interesting thing--we've all seen those cars with murals painted on them, or found objects stuck on their hoods. What do you think when you see them?

I think: well, that's different. And, then I wonder how they did it.

Arguably, that's pretty good art. Intentionality can make all the difference. This is why we call this course, art, "thinking," and social change. That's the rub. Thinking.

I went diving with dolphins

So, once upon a time, a little dolphin came up to me, and he struck a pose. haha Okay, dolphin. You do what you do. I'll just take your portrait.

Snowflakes!

These were so much fun to make... :D And, yes, I am a little kid.

Expression. What in the world does that mean to the artist? So much. Here's a picture I took of a horse that was so excited to see a human near its fence... as you can see.

The dictionary defines expression as, indication of feeling, spirit, character, etc., as on the face, in the voice, or in artistic execution.

The artist defines expression as a formulaic approach to a subject. Taking the idea of expression and implementing it during WW I, artists named this movement "Expressionism." The artist defines Expressionism as expressing "emotions through the use of vivid colors and strong, distorted lines, rather than capturing a likeness or reality. Their work was characterized by intense, violent, and non-naturalistic colors, painted in a textural manner."

We try to capture things as artists, and in a world where nothing was making sense anymore (World Wars breaking out), artists turned to a different style to try and make sense of the emotions. Think of Munch's "The Scream." Evocative of many emotions and moods, expressionism takes pains to move the soul of a person, instead of Fauvism (focusing on color use, like Matisse, and capturing the world by color) and Impressionism (the focus on light and an impression of the subject) that previously held the art world captive.

Expression became a formal element in an artist's composition. Expression allows the viewer to "feel" the subject, whether that be abstract or a identifiable representation.

Here's an artist in the contemporary expressionist vein of study: Elizabeth Chapman.

She says, "I find the force and beauty of the creative process to be compelling. My paintings are personal narratives, portraying honest emotions in response to current life and past memories. When I'm painting, spirit and intuition guide while my hands mindfully follow."

Her paintings contain variations on light/dark/calligraphic marks/textures, and personality that is her own take on a certain emotive subject.

Emotions are valuable to human connectivity. That's why expression falls as an important art form for any time--arguably, before "expressionism" was coined as an artistic word, expression was the driving force of artist's personal art pieces. For, no one does art unless to express something of value.

Link here: http://www.elizabethchapman.com/Elizabeth_Chapman/Biography.html