While reviewing my previous blog posts, I really enjoyed reading over the reflections I made about my early modernism painting. This was a very engaging project because I was fully immersed in emulating the work of a painting that I only had a strip of. I had fun trying to master the semi-abstract brushstrokes and making it up along the way. I really owned the process of mixing colors to get the right hue, it was also the first project of the year that I spent a tremendous amount of time on. I got used to the process of refinement and editing the painting again and again. I got lost along the way and forgot that I was trying to expand upon another person's work, and ended up creating a blend of the style of the original artist and of my own.
I have grown the most in my reflection on my art. I have really learned to take a step back and attempt to see the places for improvement. I don't always fix the problems, but I acknowledge they are there. I feel most comfortable crafting the art, I am confident in my ability to bring artistic knowledge to any project (even ones outside of art class). I enjoy making art just for the sake of making art, for the sake of accurately representing a place, person, or feeling.
The most engaging project for me was the Artist Emulation project. I really enjoyed the sketchbook part of it, and emulating on a small scale. It reminded me of how much I like sketching. I learned that it's difficult to copy another persons style without a lot of practice, and somehow your personal style always influences it. I have more respect for people who forge famous paintings because it takes a lot of skill to precisely imitate someone else's ideas and style on canvas. Another one I enjoyed was the Biomimicry project. I didn't really have a plan of attack, but I spent a lot time looking for images of nature and for images in nature. I now have a better understanding for composition and shading.
The most successful project to me was the mural, we really learned to cooperate with each other and we pulled it off in the end. The most frustrating project was the printmaking project because I couldn't come up with a subject for a long time, and after that I trouble with developing the print. I never really ended up with a final print. Mr. O is very accommodating to my needs and helped me to see where I could improve. I would allow for more variety in the beginning and not just focus it on the cameras. Maybe start with shorter drawing projects to get the year started. Overall it was a very fun year.
