nothin but a cowboy hat...

I had a cancelled class today so I went to the STAC room to start something new since I wasted my day yesterday and I wouldn't be in STAC today. I decided to paint a cowboy hat as my new victim and to challenge myself. When I saw the cowboy hat I thought it was perfect but then I realized how complex it actually is and although I knew I could do it if I wanted to my laziness was kicking in but I fought it for a change so now...I'm going to sketch the hat a few times and then paint it! haha and tonight I'm going to continue reading a book about Salvador Dali that I've been reading. His style of painting is completely different from me and I would never be able to...create such surreal works but I've always been strongly drawn to his work and obsessed and hes such an interesting person so.....I'll continue reading the book! haha

Today I finished the hands but I put a random stupid background behind it just to finish it because I needed it for AP art as well. I decided to start writing how finished thins are behind them because I'm beginning to lose track, I'm def going back to the hands and changing the background and fixing the hands more but I'm trying to think of when I'll have time to do these things in the future...

Today's waterbottle

I love to draw still lifes, I never knew why but I finally figured it out recently and I wish I took a picture of the water bottle I painted today to show you what I mean.
I'm not naturally good at drawing, I had to go to an art school since 8th grade to learn what I've learned so far and the way I learned was by watching my teacher when she'd help/fix whatever I was working on. Sometimes (bare with me I know this story seems out of the ordinary but it all leads up to the big point) She would work on my painting or whatever for 40 minutes straight! and no she wouldn't finish it, no where near because there is so much you have to take in to consider when drawing (painting etc), so much to be aware of and When I'd see the way she would highlight things and do things I would be too scared to do or would never think about doing I would be amazed at how well that detail but everything together and I would begin to recognize all the important pinpoint details and really just learned from that that way... So when I draw a still life I love it because I love being able to see what others (people who don't really paint etc) can't and I love how I can fearlessly (I fear a lot of things going wrong and this is one of the few I don't fear, I guess it's freeing to me) put a striking line of white paint across something because thats the way the item shines or whatever and it looks good! it makes it look more realistic but you would have never known otherwise how to get a object to shine, bend, or stand a certain way without these techniques. It brings so much more visual aesthetic to this simple still life, it makes something so simple seem significant, intricate, and interesting an I love it! Ever since I realized/learned this I've been amazed. I could probably explain it better in person.

hows it goin?

I've been working with oil paints for the first time and I love it! I mean I liked working with acrylics but I was never comfortable with them because...knowing that they're permanent and just the name kind of freaks me out. So with the water based oils I was a lot more comfortable. I can better learn and understand how to mix and blend with the paints now and since the oil paints have limited colors I really have to concentrate on what colors have to blend to get a certain color. I wouldn't say i got better at it YET but I'm definitely trying to figure out how to get the colors I want 100 percent. I've been delaying this specific piece though because I keep forgetting to bring the picture and I always need a reference, I can't free hand the shadows and such yet.

STAQ4

I want to continue my focus on art, contemporary art, fine art, and art history. Instead of just working with paint and pastels though, I'm going to do more research and reading and use what I read to help me with my work or try to..

I mainly just want to improve y techniques and practice them. My influences are and always have been are emotions (mine) and characters that I've read about from books or seen in movies I feel like that is all a journey. Stac is there to help you get started and keep going on your artistic journey which is what my artist statement is, a journey, my next step and the journey behind that.

Q3

            The Stac Intensives were more stressful than intense, I wasn’t used to working in an environment were we actually had to do work and had to be so close to everyone. What I mean is, usually even at art school we are all scattered. I think that’s why it was stressful for me because you know how I fear judgment and all of that, so I didn’t like sitting in a room with everyone’s eyes having easy access to my work. The intensive week was harder but nothing I couldn’t handle but by putting stupid stress on myself I found it hard to work but I tried to use some of my confidence and that turned out positively because at the end of the week, I was able to take a breath and I was really happy with myself because I gained more confidence in myself and I was able to prove to myself that I can draw/paint on my own without my teacher from art school and I was able to assure myself that I DID learn something. The intensive was perfect for me because It made me really focus and “push me into the world” in a way because I’ve never done anything without my art school so I feel a lot more independent now.

The second week of intensives though was more comfortable because I had more confidence and we started to learn different techniques. The face drawings were the most helpful because we had packets with techniques on it and books with interesting portraits of people with…interesting faces. I’ve always had a problem with portraits but with the packet I was able to try out new techniques and find one that I was comfortable with and able to work with. Now I use it all the time! And I’m able to help others by telling them about the technique! It feels good to know what I’m doing. Now my portraits actually look like the person I’m drawing. Another technique that really helped me was the grid drawings because it really is important to pinpoint where the important features are and get them right. I think techniques should be used to develop skill though, so not everything should be done with trick like techniques. I try to develop a sense of my own skill and grow that when using the techniques so I’d eventually start using and leaning on something I learned rather than a technique…I don’t know if that makes sense.

            I got a lot more than just an expansion of art from the “artist” intensives because it also helped me a lot with other things such as confidence, and direction in everything because art is related to everything in life! So I feel like I have a firmer hold on everything and I learned to just trust my own instincts when I’m drawing, I can’t wait to learn more and I’m definitely open to more intensives.

Virtual tour of Sistine chapel

I actually saw this before, I think it's awesome to be able to have a clear 360 view of the chapel. I wish I noticed all those detail when I was actually there though. I was staring at my computer screen when I positioned it to the ceiling and I was just thinking about how pretty it was:) HAHA that is all.