Art 100
Identity Collage Portrait
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When I think of an identity collage, I think of a group of words and ideas that describe someone’s personality. As this assignment was being taught, I was thinking about ideas of how I could put my collage together. I decided in order to show my identity, I would cut words out of a magazine that reflected my personality and lifestyle. As for my background, I chose to do an ombre style. The bottom of the page is a dark blue, and it fades lighter as you move towards the top of the piece. This represents how some days in life can be dark and gloomy, but there are always bright days too. My skin and hair are collages of pieces of magazine that represent my actual skin tone and hair color. I used magazine pieces throughout the whole project to create a common texture and theme.
Creating a portrait of yourself can be very challenging. Figuring out how you want to portray yourself to others is a very important detail in this process. One may look at your portrait and learn something about you that they did not know before. They may also have thought that they knew a lot about you, but your portrait shows them even more that they didn’t know. These may help to change their perception of how they view you. As one can see, through creating a portrait, people will learn many things about you. When you create a portrait of yourself, things such as the way you perceive yourself, your interests, and your personality become obvious. Things like these may not be shown in a picture taken with a camera, which is a reason why portraits are very beneficial. Overall, portraits are a great way to show personal identity.
The Real Anatomy of Technology
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Have you ever wondered what life would be like without technology? The way that we live our lives everyday would change drastically. Technology has many effects on our body, some that we may not even realize. In this project, we were asked to combine a part of the human body with a piece of technology. As I began to think about how I wanted to create this project, I had a difficult time coming up with something. I didn’t want to choose a random organ of the body, and piece it with an item of technology, if they had nothing to do with each other. Somehow, I wanted to come up with a piece of technology that had a direct impact on an organ of the body. Throughout the course of a couple days, I contemplated and sketched out some ideas. I finally discovered the two items I was going to put together, the brain and the headphones.
The way I chose to portray this idea was by putting the brain on top of the headphones. Music is a tool that is used to help people reduce stress, release emotions, and find the words they may not be able to say. Without being expressed, these things will begin to take a toll on our mind and mental health. Through music, the mind can be soothed and relieved. By putting the brain on top of the headphones, one would have to put on the headphones just to have a brain. Music would be playing all of the time, resulting in them having a relaxing day everyday. The cooler colors that were used throughout the piece also help convey how music can be relaxing and easing to the mind. As one can see, music can affect the brain greatly, it being a significant way to express your feelings and keep your mind content.
The Value of Words
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Robin Williams once said, “No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.” The words that we choose to speak have a great impact on our lives. Negative words can cause others around us to feel unwanted and dispirited. On the other hand, using encouraging words can help our relationships with others grow, as people will feel a sense of pride and desire from the kind words spoken to them. Words can make you feel so special, but the wrong words can also tear you down.
Incorporating words into works of art is a way for the artist to express themselves. You often hear of people releasing stress by playing sports, working out, or listening to music. Using words in artwork is another way to relieve stress, or get something off of your chest that may be taking a toll on your life. Words may also help the artist tell the story they were trying to convey through their piece. Although, words may not always make the story of the piece crystal clear. The way that others perceive the words on the piece, compared to the artist, may be way different. For example, one may view a picture of a girl, and the piece includes words such as love, kindness, attachment, and importance. The viewer may believe that these words symbolize what the girl in the picture has in her life, but the artist truly views these words as something they would like to have in their life. This can make incorporating words into artwork tricky.
“Family, where life begins and love never ends,” -unknown. My family is a very important part of my life. They are my rock, my supporters, and always there whenever I need anything. I know I can count on them through the good times and the bad. In my piece, I chose to create a tree. At the bottom of the tree are the roots within the ground. I used the names of my oldest ancestors to symbolize these, as they are the roots of my family. In order to make it look like the roots of the tree were within the ground, I wrote over the quote multiple times to make it darker, and left the roots lighter, with only one layer. As you go up the tree, I used quotes about family to show how important they are to me. The branches that come off of the tree are my current family members. The branches show that our family is growing, but we still remain together as one. The heart in the middle is made out of the word, “ohana,” which means family. This is to symbolize that no matter how much distance is between us, we will always have each other. My family is such a valuable part of my life that I am so thankful and blessed to have.
Printmaking
Have you ever used a stamp to print on an envelope or card before? Printmaking is the art of making pictures or designs by carving them out from plates or blocks. After carving out the design, ink is applied to the block and then printed onto another surface. Some materials that can be used for printmaking are glass, linoleum, wood, and stone. Printmaking takes a lot of time and dedication. The artist has to make sure every exact detail is the way they want it to be printed. Once something is carved away, there is no putting it back, therefore the artist has to carefully consider every move they make.
For my printmaking project, I used a piece of linoleum as my block. From this, I chose to carve away a moon and a star. The moon is a very powerful element on our Earth. It controls the rains, the tides, the waters, and the seasons. In astrology, the moon symbolizes a soul. In my life, I have lost a lot of people whom I was very close to. When I look up at the moon and the stars, I remember that those people are still here for me. They may not be here in person any longer, but the moon and stars remind me that they are looking down on me every single day. Every night I look up at the beautiful sky and am reminded of how lucky I am to have had those people in my life.
Throughout the process of carving, I chose to put a design within my moon. I used the technique of relief printing and cut away the areas around the design, so they would not print. Using a tool called a brayer, which is a roller, I rolled ink onto my block. I had to do about four or five practice prints, as I had to figure out the right amount of ink to use. Without enough ink, the image would look scratchy. On the other hand, with too much ink, not all of the image would show up. I also had to go back and carve a little deeper so some of the lines wouldn’t show up on my print. When I found the right amount of ink to use and had enough carved out, I printed four final copies. All of them turned out just a little different, as it is very hard to get them the exact same every time. Printmaking can be a very challenging form of art, but the final results are very interesting.
For my printmaking project, I used a piece of linoleum as my block. From this, I chose to carve away a moon and a star. The moon is a very powerful element on our Earth. It controls the rains, the tides, the waters, and the seasons. In astrology, the moon symbolizes a soul. In my life, I have lost a lot of people whom I was very close to. When I look up at the moon and the stars, I remember that those people are still here for me. They may not be here in person any longer, but the moon and stars remind me that they are looking down on me every single day. Every night I look up at the beautiful sky and am reminded of how lucky I am to have had those people in my life.
Throughout the process of carving, I chose to put a design within my moon. I used the technique of relief printing and cut away the areas around the design, so they would not print. Using a tool called a brayer, which is a roller, I rolled ink onto my block. I had to do about four or five practice prints, as I had to figure out the right amount of ink to use. Without enough ink, the image would look scratchy. On the other hand, with too much ink, not all of the image would show up. I also had to go back and carve a little deeper so some of the lines wouldn’t show up on my print. When I found the right amount of ink to use and had enough carved out, I printed four final copies. All of them turned out just a little different, as it is very hard to get them the exact same every time. Printmaking can be a very challenging form of art, but the final results are very interesting.
Automatic Drawing
Art can be used as a form of therapy to help figure out what is going on in someone’s head. Automatic drawing is a type of art that can be helpful in this type of therapy. Automatic drawing is used to express the subconscious. In this type of art, the hand is allowed to move freely. An eraser is not used at all, nor is the piece planned out. In order to create their piece, the artist starts with a blank sheet of paper. With no thought involved, the artist just starts drawing lines or other things of this sort. Eventually, the artist will begin to see something take shape in their piece. For example, the artist may see within their piece there is a skull, which they may then begin to develop further. The skull may represent that the artist is feeling sad, lonely, or empty. Without even knowing what they were going to draw, the artist created a piece that tells how they might be feeling on the inside.
As this project was handed out, I thought there was no way I would be able to do this. Being a perfectionist, I always plan everything out before I begin to work on it. It was very difficult for me to just let loose and start drawing. As I looked around the room, everyone else was working. This is what pushed me to finally get started.
I started with a black color, drawing swoops and circles within my lines. As the paper began to fill up, I decided to add a light pink color. I began to think that nothing was going to come of this project; I couldn’t see anything taking shape. As I was drawing swoops with the pink, I began to see that there were flower petals developing. The inside of the flower petals are dark, while the outsides are light pink. I began to think about this, and realized what it represented. Flowers are a beautiful form of nature. They are bright, colorful, and pretty to look at. The only time that they show any form of sadness is when they are dying. I realized I am like a flower petal. Even if I am having a terrible day, or having a tough time in my life, I never show it. I go to school or out in public and pretend like everything is okay. I put on a smile and act normal, even if I am dying on the inside, which represents the darkness on the inside of the petal and the light pink on the outside. In the end, automatic drawing may not have been my favorite thing, but it taught me a lot about myself.
As this project was handed out, I thought there was no way I would be able to do this. Being a perfectionist, I always plan everything out before I begin to work on it. It was very difficult for me to just let loose and start drawing. As I looked around the room, everyone else was working. This is what pushed me to finally get started.
I started with a black color, drawing swoops and circles within my lines. As the paper began to fill up, I decided to add a light pink color. I began to think that nothing was going to come of this project; I couldn’t see anything taking shape. As I was drawing swoops with the pink, I began to see that there were flower petals developing. The inside of the flower petals are dark, while the outsides are light pink. I began to think about this, and realized what it represented. Flowers are a beautiful form of nature. They are bright, colorful, and pretty to look at. The only time that they show any form of sadness is when they are dying. I realized I am like a flower petal. Even if I am having a terrible day, or having a tough time in my life, I never show it. I go to school or out in public and pretend like everything is okay. I put on a smile and act normal, even if I am dying on the inside, which represents the darkness on the inside of the petal and the light pink on the outside. In the end, automatic drawing may not have been my favorite thing, but it taught me a lot about myself.
Chalk Drawing
Sculpture Invitational
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Call to Sculptors
Applicants Name: Lindsey Minnick
Hometown: Cosmos, MN
Title of Sculpture: Ballpark
Type of Sculpture: Realistic
Theme of Sculpture: Place for community to gather
Materials Used: Rolling pin, clay, sculpting knife
Materials and construction techniques proposed for the large public version: For the sculpture, I plan to carve it out of wood. I will carve deeper into the wood to create the field and leave the bases, ball, and bat higher off of the surface. The foul ball lines will be stained with a deeper color of brown.
Artist Narrative:
A maquette is a small sketch or model which is constructed before creating an actual sculpture. Using this method, the artist is able to figure out what dimensions would work best and how to add the details. Living about a mile outside the town of Cosmos my whole life, I began to think about what was significant to the town. The first thing that popped into my head was the universe or space, being that is what the town is named after. Although this seemed like an alright idea, it just didn’t feel quite right. The town of Cosmos being so small, it has a great sense of community; everyone knows everyone. Thinking of what brought the community together, all I could think about was the “ballpark”. The softball field that lies right off of mainstreet is known by everyone as the “ballpark”. For many years, this is where events have been centered around. Softball tournaments, the town festival days, even annual get togethers are held here. When these events are held, everyone in the community attends. The space is filled with fun, laughter, catching up, and memories. Although it seems like it is just for playing softball, so much more actually happens here.
While making my maquette, I went through some difficulties. I used a roller to roll out the base of the ballpark, but it was hard to make it even. Making the softball perfectly round was also very difficult. I chose to paint on the foul ball lines as those are part of the field. The softball and the bat are bigger than the rest of the field because I wanted them to represent the bigger picture. The field is just a place, but the softball aspect of it is what started to bring people together. Although the game of softball is the smaller part of it now, it is what started to bring people together at this place. My maquette shows the community how much the softball field actually means to them. Without people even realizing it, the ballpark brings people together to create memories that will last forever.
Applicants Name: Lindsey Minnick
Hometown: Cosmos, MN
Title of Sculpture: Ballpark
Type of Sculpture: Realistic
Theme of Sculpture: Place for community to gather
Materials Used: Rolling pin, clay, sculpting knife
Materials and construction techniques proposed for the large public version: For the sculpture, I plan to carve it out of wood. I will carve deeper into the wood to create the field and leave the bases, ball, and bat higher off of the surface. The foul ball lines will be stained with a deeper color of brown.
Artist Narrative:
A maquette is a small sketch or model which is constructed before creating an actual sculpture. Using this method, the artist is able to figure out what dimensions would work best and how to add the details. Living about a mile outside the town of Cosmos my whole life, I began to think about what was significant to the town. The first thing that popped into my head was the universe or space, being that is what the town is named after. Although this seemed like an alright idea, it just didn’t feel quite right. The town of Cosmos being so small, it has a great sense of community; everyone knows everyone. Thinking of what brought the community together, all I could think about was the “ballpark”. The softball field that lies right off of mainstreet is known by everyone as the “ballpark”. For many years, this is where events have been centered around. Softball tournaments, the town festival days, even annual get togethers are held here. When these events are held, everyone in the community attends. The space is filled with fun, laughter, catching up, and memories. Although it seems like it is just for playing softball, so much more actually happens here.
While making my maquette, I went through some difficulties. I used a roller to roll out the base of the ballpark, but it was hard to make it even. Making the softball perfectly round was also very difficult. I chose to paint on the foul ball lines as those are part of the field. The softball and the bat are bigger than the rest of the field because I wanted them to represent the bigger picture. The field is just a place, but the softball aspect of it is what started to bring people together. Although the game of softball is the smaller part of it now, it is what started to bring people together at this place. My maquette shows the community how much the softball field actually means to them. Without people even realizing it, the ballpark brings people together to create memories that will last forever.
Art for Awareness, Art for Change
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Depression, anxiety, suicide, addiction; disorders that affect mood, thinking, and behavior. Now a days, mental illnesses are not being ignored as much as they have been in the past. Survivors are starting to share their stories. Scrolling through instagram and twitter, I often find quotes about mental illnesses or stories of how people made it through them. Being someone who knows what it’s like to have family members, friends, and personally go through this, hearing how other people got better inspires me. Without dealing with one of these illnesses personally, or having someone close to you deal with one, it is hard to understand what it is actually like. Mental illnesses are finally getting the attention they deserve, and I am going to do anything I can to help other people be more aware of this issue.
Often times it is hard to know if someone is dealing with a mental illness or not. When they go out in public, they put on a mask. They seem to be perfectly fine, happy, smiling, and laughing. It is when they go home, or when they are alone that everything falls apart. The mask they use to cover everything up comes off, the brokenness inside them begins to show. In my project, I attempted to show the two different sides of mental illnesses. The silhouette on the right side of the paper is made out of a sparkly, whole piece of paper, with colorful rhinestones around the outside. This silhouette symbolizes the mask that people put on, to try and show they are perfectly fine. The colorful flowers by this silhouette say things such as, “happy” and “I’m fine”. On the other hand, the silhouette on the left side is looking the other way, and is dark and filled with shattered cd pieces. This symbolizes the brokenness people dealing with mental illnesses don’t show. The dark, gloomy clouds around this silhouette say things such as “help me” and “depressed” to show how the person is really feeling. The phrase I used as my driving force for this project was “Look deeper”. People with mental health issues often times put on a fake act when in public. It is their friends and family who need to look deeper and look for signs to see if anything is really going on.
The challenging part about creating this piece was figuring out how to make the one silhouette happy and bright. Some people may take offense when looking at this artwork, as some believe mental illnesses can be controlled. I believe mental illnesses should be discussed because no one should have to battle them alone. I created this project for this reason and to help spread awareness.