Self Assessment #4
6/3/11
This year has been quite an artistic journey for me! I started off very unsure of myself and with many half-formed ambitious ideas. I didn’t know what path to take or where to focus. Should I experiment? Create seemingly impossible 3D sculptural trees? Try something new or stick with what I know? I ended up doing a little bit of everything. I tried and failed many times in the first few months, as my big ambitions were far beyond my budget and skill set. I decided to push myself in a different but even more challenging direction: the dreaded observational drawing. Despite my uncomfortability, I spent hours meticulously sketching, drawing, erasing, shading, and redrawing. It grew tedious and exhausting, but I came out with some of the best things I’d ever drawn at the time. Slightly encouraged, I moved back into my comfort zone of photography and explored concepts in the classroom such as ‘Unpurpose Art”. Then came the Still Life. For the first time in my three-year experience with the Still Life, I fully embraced it and explored it in every aspect. I sketched it in my best drawings to this day, I painted it, I oil pastel-ed it, I photographed it, I painted over my photographs of it, and I created my most ambitious photographic project yet- my Panographic Still Life image. This is a composite of over one hundred images, over-lapped in Photoshop to create a seamless, 360 degree view of this year’s Still Life. If it weren’t so expensive, I would have a giant color print of this because I am so happy with it! I was sad to see the Still Life go, but the inspiration it gave me provided the perfect boost of confidence I needed in my artistic abilities before I go on to college next year at the Kansas City Art Institute. I’ve learned to take experimental risks but to also give up when necessary, to push myself beyond my comfort zone in interest of bettering myself as an artist, and most of all to just be myself. I am proud of what I have accomplished this year and I cannot wait to continue to grow as an artist in the coming years and beyond.
Self Assessment #3
3/25/11
This past marking period I have worked entirely on things based off of the Still Life, and I think they have all been successful. I started with the painted-over photos, which kind of transitioned my from photography to painting/drawing. I really like my set and I think it’s a unique and interesting take on the Still Life I have yet to see in this class. I then focused entirely on my observational drawing, which was so much better from last time. The improvement over just two marking periods is so evident, and I am really proud of the work I produced. I have gained much more confidence in my technical art skills which I know will be essential in college next year. After that, I am now going back to photography and creating the super panorama of the Still Life using my previous photos. It is an ambitious project, but it is coming along well and I should finish this coming week. Once again, it is a take on the Still Life I haven’t seen before and I think it will be really awesome to see big and printed out!
This past marking period was very productive and helpful for me as an artist. I took one point (the Still Life) and did so many different things with it! I feel like I could continue using the Still Life for the rest of the year, but I know it has to go away soon as the Honors Art class moves on. I feel like the Still Life is this central point for the art classes that bring them all together and each person puts their own interpretation on the same physical objects. Some people complain about it, especially in the beginning, but I definitely see improvement in everyone and the complaining has been replaced by positive comments. This was the best last journey for me with the Still Life, I will miss it!
—————————Fall Semester 2010-2011————————————-
Self Assessment #2
1/13/11
This quarter was much more productive for me than the last. I think this is because I have been working almost entirely in my preferred medium of photography. It is easier for me to explore, experiment, and be creative when I am most comfortable and sure of myself. Especially with this last project, I feel like I am on a roll again. I’ve discovered new techniques in Photoshop that I never knew before, and lately I’ve been reinventing my photographic work. This is very refreshing, since in general my photos are very practical, as opposed to experimental or conceptual.
I definitely have been taking a more experimental approach when photographing and in post-processing. I feel like I’m developing myself, and even digging a little niche in the blurred style I have come to love. Even in my photographic work outside of this class, I am noticing the minimal, unfocused approach is becoming constant. I am thrilled with this, because up until now, I never felt I had a particular style in any of my artistic endeavors, and now one is finally appearing!
I am really pleased with this past marking period, especially contrasted to the last one. It was much more productive and exciting and not at all frustrating. Therefore, I think I deserve a good grade! [=
Self Assessment #1
10/29/10
This past marking period has been full of ups and downs for me. I started off with an ambitious project which soon made me realize how I need to really plan out and think over involved ideas like that beforehand. It had just been an image in my head and I dove in without thinking about all of the little necessary details, like sanding, connecting, and a base for the tree. Because of this lack of preparation, it was a learning process that is still unfinished. These road blocks knocked me off track, and I lost my drive.
I definitely still want to finish my tree, but at the moment I need to focus on my current project; drawing from observation. This is an elemental part of the portfolio, one that I find the most difficult and boring of all, being a photographic and “hands-on” oriented artist. Still, I am forcing myself to do it because I am going to art school. I can definitely see potential and improvement in my work, and I am figuring out different methods and techniques that work for me.
My Saturday class at Moore is also helping a lot, since it is the first “formal” art class I’ve ever taken. This, along with the college visits I took early in the year, are forcing me to realize how different the college art school world is from the one I have become used to, and how little basic instruction I have ever recieved in drawing, design, value, etc. I guess that’s what a foundation year is for!
I have also been keeping up with my Daily Art Journal. Already, I am almost done the first book! I am definitely enjoying these little pieces of work. For every last-minute, sloppily thrown together page, there are two more that I consider some of my best artistic work. I admit it has been a challenge to keep up, but I am really glad I took on this project.
Over all, I have definitely been learning, experimenting, and facing reality this past quarter! While I ran into some obstacles that I have still not completely overcome, they have not defeated me, either. I have tons of new ideas I am looking forward to starting in the upcoming weeks, as soon as I get these observational drawings out of the way for my applications! Good grade for effort and optimism.
