Finally Blog!

(http://lhs.loswego.k12.or.us/z-mcbrides/AP/2009/09APbreadthconcentration.htm)

The year has finally come to an end. And i have to say i didn't think it would be so bittersweet. I am glad to be able to count the days left till I graduate high school, but it is a little sad. Not to get all emotionally but i can totally still remeber my first day as a freshman and walking into my first art class at lakeridge. Since then i have taken just about every art class i could. Before they were Art 1, 2, 3/4 and AP. I will miss the art room a lot!

Looking back at this year , i can honestly say it has been my favorite class at Lakeridge. Not only did I learn about art, but it was fun. The field trips were always a blast, and I highly encourage anyone who can to take this class. I liked that it was a challenge at times (note-not a class for slackers), but the final product of all the hard work is really rewarding.

This year I tried to create art that was completely different than what I was used to producing. I experiemented with medias and now i can stratch a canvas in a jiffy and have improved on creating interesting compositions. One of the biggest challenges i had was to let myself go, paint loose and trust myself to make mistakes, but work through them. I definately take more risks and oddly now when i draw and do more technical art which i havent done all year i found that my skills are a lot better than before. I know that taking time on your work pays off and lazy work shows!

Next year my biggest advice is to plan ahead and if you stay on track everyhting will be a lot less stressful. Also pick a concenration that allows you to grow and experiment, but that will connect as a whole. Lastly practice your BS factor (it really helps whe trying to explain your art). Relax, enjoy,, good luck, and have an amazing year creating art!

April!

It's finally April! WOW this year has gone by so fast and our concentrations have to be done in TWO WEEKS eek thats a little scary, because a lot of my older pieces need to be reworked. But I have finished one of my pieces and today or wed i think i will have finished my other project-who knew working in class really does help-. I found this picture online while i was looking at artist statements online, doesnt it look like ellen would use this? 

LAST pieces

This weekend was art filled! Saturday I dropped some art off at the Lakewood Center for Local 14, there were some amazing artists that i saw. Then i went to the senior brunch and looked at all our art that was displayed...GO SENIORS everyones pieces looked great!!! I am a little worried about my concentration because i layed it all out this weekend and it doesnt all flow or go together well, but atleast i know what i need to do this month to as far as pieces that will help connect the concentration and then hopefully have time to rework some pieces. 

Artists I LIKE local and beyond....

The first artist I discovered about a year ago, but you all have probaly actually seen her work. Jennifer Mercede is a Portland, Oregon based painter working primarily with acrylic paint, colored pencils, cray-pas, and pen to create vibriant colorful abstractions. Mercede says she,"loves bright pink, lime green and I love DOING." Some things that inspire her are children's artwork, raw, unrefined circles (ELLEN!), graffiti... Her philosophy or goal is to, "design work that uplifts your soul. It is positive, spiritual in origin and one look at the honesty and warmth captured in my pieces makes a viewer smile. My process is whats important to my art, more than anything else. Each painting is another chance to let go, to be free. To escape all rules and restrictions." She does murals all around the portland area or you can find her work in numerous galleries.

The next artist I like is Eli Haplin. I discovered her art at a small ecofriendly clothing store at the beach in Manzanita last summer (Unfurl is an awsome store) She paints will oils and all paintings are made on RECYCLED light weight doors or a section of a door and tiny paintings are made on wood blocks. She paints a lot of animals and has simple backgrounds, but the colors and expressions that she is able to paint-produce an amazing outcome AND she given uses glitter sometimes HA!

Remeber when....

My last blog was our critique with our latest pieces, so i thought it would be fun to put up my favorite piece from the first critque just to see how far my ideas, styles, and concentration has progressed. I like this painting, but the art I am doing now is a lot more fun to work on, but i dont know if it is really capturing skill or that my art all together as a 12 piece concentration will flow/go together at all, eek!

Febraury Critique

Concentration: My concentration is an exploration of color and media through abstract art. The shapes and/or materials are inspired by nature and everyday elements. They started as landscapes, but as I continued in the process, I found that the smaller elements were was I was drawn to most.

The first piece is on a warped piece of wood that was sanded and painted. Then I added chalk pastels, colored pencil, acrylic paint, and yellow building gauze. The second piece is mainly acrylic on canvas, then i added handmade paper and fabric. For this i used the fabric to try a new media and sewed it to the canvas. I liked experimenting with it, and will use it in atleast one of next months pieces. The shpaes in this were inspired by a design that I saw at the Zoo.

For both of these I wanted to expand a little from the idea of layering. For past project I used alot of paint layers and oil pastel, however this month I wanted to expand so i used wood, and fabric as my main media explorations. I sort of like of both have a sort of warm and cool theme so that the contrast eachother well, but I think in the future I will try to incorporate other colors.

Discovering Artists

So I am almost done with one of my Feb. pieces that are due this week (and Mrs. McB I actually did it all in class! surprise :) ) Then I didnt know what I was going to do for a second piece (still don't) BUT i was looking at the Blackfish Gallery website and discovered a really neat artist Kentree Speirs awsome name right. Anyways i really  tartist work and want to share a few pieces with you, because i maybe want to try to do something along these lines for my next project.