NAHS invitational

I would like to invite all of you to....
my old high school!

19th Annual Mt. Olive High School Invitational
Feb 5th, 2007
7pm - 9pm
Mt. Olive HS Library

There will be tons of amazing art work, as well as other really cool NAHS kids to meet and greet!

And the work of Helen Wu, Emily Shaw, Maddie Tyska, Brandon Paeschke, Kim Svec, Christine Dimeo, and some others (but I forget names at the moment, sorry, my bad!) will be featured from Randolph! (under spotlights, with blinking neon lights that say "supastarrrr!"... just kidding about the neon...)

So, GO!!
and you can meet the wonderful people that made me into the art teacher that I am today!

winterfest!

i just want to send out a HUUUUUUGE thanks to helen, dana, siobhan, ali, jess, maddie, mallory, kim, emily e, emily s, jillian, dia, camila, my brother mikey, and miguel!!!
you were all awesome and did a fabulous job!!!
i posted some of the pics....

















again, thank you!!!!
it was a huge success!

design fundamentals...

just a reminder!

extra credit if you bring in old t-shirts on exam day!!!

this is so cool...

extra credit if you can name an artist or the title of a work in this video!
but not the mona lisa, that is just too easy....

just a reminder...

due dates!

the last day to turn in any and everything is jan 17th!

teacherease should be updated, if you are missing anything, jan 17th is the last day to turn it in before the end of the marking period.

montone's bday surrrrprise....

the pictures can not even begin to explain the ridiculousness.

yes, the snowman is taped to the ceiling. and yes, everything; the desk, bike, chairs, etc are completely saran wrapped.
check it... asergonis.dotphoto.com
montone is going to go crazy when he sees it.....

how to write a critique

due for painting on monday jan 8th

Painting Critique

Answer the following questions about your painting. Times new roman, size 12, double spaced. Use full sentances, proofread, and Ellaborate!, tell me WHY! you have the opinions that you do.

Due: Monday

There are 4 major categories of art criticism; description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation. If you discuss a piece of work adressing these four categories and in the general order in which they are presented, you will soon become a professional and eloquent art critic!

Listed below are the questions you should be answering in each category. Keep this page in your sketchbook so that you have this reference to help guide you during all critiques.

Description

Describe exactly what you see:

• I (enjoy, dislike, appreciate, etc.) this work because...

• Do not use “four letter words” (i.e. like, hate, nice, ugly, etc.)

• Describe (what and where) the “elements” (line, shape, color, form, value, space) and subject matter.

Analysis

Describe how the work is organized as a complete composition:

• Where/what is the focal point/point of emphasis, why?

• How is the work constructed or planned (i.e., movements, balance, contrast, rhythm, unity, and variety)?

• Identify some of the similarities throughout the work (i.e., repetition of lines, colors, or shapes, and/or how they are varied)

Interpretation

Describe how the work makes you think or feel:

• Describe the expressive qualities you find in the work. What expressive language would you use to describe the qualities (i.e., tragic, angry, funny)?

• Does the work remind you of other things you have experienced (i.e., analogy or metaphor)?

• How does the work relate to other ideas or events in the world and/or in your other studies?

Evaluation

Present your opinion of the work's success or failure:

• What qualities of the work make you feel it is a success or failure?

• What criteria can you list to help others judge this work?

• How original is the work? Why do you feel this work is original or not original?

Some sample sentences....

I would like to speak about the piece by ____.

I am drawn to this piece because (identify the elements of art and why they are interesting to you, or because of a certain technique that is exceptionally successful).

The focal point is (what and where and why).

My eye starts at the focal point and then moves (where and how?). Describe the little adventure your eyes go on throughout the peice.

The piece is (principles of design: balanced, rythmic, has contrast, etc.).

I think this is about ___. It may tell a story, express an emotion, or just be for aesthetic pleasure.

I feel it is successful/a failure because ____.

Your essay should have 3 paragraphs (you can skip interpretation)

1. Describe:

Elements of Art

the building blocks or ingredients of art

a. Line -

b. Color -

c. Value -

d. Texture -

e. Shape/Form -

2. Analyze:

Principles of Design

a. Focal point/emphasis -

b. Variety/Repetition

variety -

repetition -

c. Space -

positive -

negative -

d. Balance -

e. Movement -

f. Harmony/Unity

harmony -

unity -

g. Overall, how do the elements work together to form a successful (or unsuccessful)

design? Why?

3. Interpret:

a. What does this painting mean? What is it about? Why?

4. Evaluate:

a. What techniques worked well and what did not? Why do you feel that way?

b. What is the quality of the craftsmanship? Do you see a lot of effort put into this piece?

c. Overall, is it successful? Why or why not?

Elements of Art

and

Principles of Design

Elements of Art

the building blocks or ingredients of art

Line - a mark made with a pen, pencil, or other tool, that could be straight, curved, squiggly, jagged, thin, thick, real or implied.

Color - the quality of an object or substance with respect to light reflected by the object, usually determined visually by measurement of hue, saturation, and brightness of the reflected light; saturation or chroma; hue.

Value - degree of lightness or darkness in a color, the relation of light and shade in a painting, drawing, or the like.

Texture - the visual and/or tactile quality of a surface, the characteristic visual and tactile quality of the surface of a work of art resulting from the way in which the materials are used, the imitation of the tactile quality of represented objects.

Shape/Form - the quality of a distinct object in having an external surface or outline of specific form or figure. three-dimensional quality or volume, as of a represented object or anatomical part.

Principles of Design

the rules or recipe for a way the elements are put together to create a successful composition

“the organization, placement, or relationship of basic elements, as lines and colors in a painting or volumes and voids in a sculpture, so as to produce a coherent image; the formal structure of a work of art.”

Balance - A principle of design, it refers to the way the elements of art are arranged to create a feeling of stability in a work; a pleasing or harmonious arrangement or proportion of parts or areas in a design or composition. Portions of a composition can be described as taking on a measurable weight or dominance, and can then be arranged in such a way that they appear to be either in or out of balance, or to have one kind of balance or another. Balance can be symmetrical, or formal; or it can be asymmetrical, or informal. It can also be radial.

Movement - The act or process of moving, especially change of place or position, an effort. This can either be actual motion or it can be implied — the arrangement of the parts of an image to create a sense of motion by using lines, shapes, forms, and textures that cause the eye to move over the work. A principle of design, it can be a way of combining elements of art to produce the look of action. In a painting or photograph, for instance, movement refers to a representation or suggestion of motion. In sculpture too, movement can refer to implied motion. On the other hand, mobiles and kinetic sculptures are capable of actual motion as well.

Focal point/emphasis - Any forcefulness that gives importance or dominance (weight) to some feature or features of an artwork; something singled out, stressed, or drawn attention to by means of contrast, anomaly, or counterpoint for aesthetic impact. A way of combining elements to stress the differences between those elements and to create one or more centers of interest in a work. Often, emphasized elements are used to direct and focus attention on the most important parts of a composition — its focal point. Emphasis is one of the principles of design. A design lacking emphasis may result in monotony. The portion of an artwork's composition on which interest or attention centers. The focal point may be most interesting for any of several reasons: it may be given formal emphasis; its meaning may be controversial, incongruous, or otherwise compelling.

Harmony/Unity

harmony - Agreement; accord. A union or blend of aesthetically compatible components. A composition is harmonious when the interrelationships between its parts fulfill aesthetic requisites or are mutually beneficial. As a principle of design, harmony refers to a way of combining elements of art to accent their similarities and bind the picture parts into a whole. It is often achieved through the use of repetition and simplicity.

unity - The quality of wholeness or oneness that is achieved through the effective use of the elements and principles of design. A totality that combines all of its parts into one complete, cohesive whole. Often it is realized through a deliberate or intuitive balancing of harmony and variety. However, this balance does not have to be of equal proportions. Harmony might outweigh variety, or variety might outweigh harmony. Harmony aids efforts to blend picture parts together to form a whole. Variety adds visual interest to this unified whole. A composition is unified when the relationships between its parts interact to create a sense that no portion of the composition may be changed without altering the aesthetic integrity and meaning of the artwork. When unity is achieved with insufficient harmony and variety, the result is monotony. Unity is largely synonymous with coherence.

Variety/Repetition

variety - A principle of design that refers to a way of combining elements of art in involved ways to achieve intricate and complex relationships. Variety is often obtained through the use of diversity and change by artists who wish to increase the visual interest of their work. An artwork which makes use of many different hues, values, lines, textures, and shapes would reflect the artist's desire for variety. Unity is the principle which is its variety's opposite; but when there is too little variety, the result is monotony.

repetition - Closely related to harmony, a principle of design, this term refers to a way of combining elements of art so that the same elements are used over and over again. Thus, a certain color or shape might be used several times in the same picture. Repetition also can contribute to movement and rhythm in a work of art.

Space - refers to the distance or area between, around, above, below, or within things. It can be described as two-dimensional or three-dimensional; as flat, shallow, or deep; as open or closed; as positive or negative; and as actual, ambiguous, or illusory.

positive - filled with something, such as lines, designs, color, or shapes

negative – the empty space (perhaps the background)

this one is for helen...

http://www.precipice-alliance.org/projects_language.html

GREEN ART: Mary Ellen Carroll’s Indestructable Language

by Jill

Something mysterious happened in Jersey City this past Monday night… On this grey and windy evening, while most people were at home watching TV, giant neon lights emerged up in the windows of an abandoned factory, spelling out the sentence: “It is green thinks nature - even in the dark”.

The neon-light public art installation is visible from the surrounding area, from the New Jersey Turnpike, and even from the air for incoming and outbound flights. The goal of the illuminated art piece, sponsored by the Precipice Alliance, is to spark public discussion about global warming, energy conservation and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Via Core77

Lest you think this is just a meaningless art prank, conceptual artist Mary Ellen Carroll took the philsophy behind the piece seriously and put her money where her mouth is, using green materials and renewable energy throughout the execution. The neon lighting is low-watt and carbon neutral, and the lead-free glass tubing was donated by TecnoLux, a pioneer in the application of new eco-conscious materials for the neon and lighting industry. In addition to this, all energy for the project will be offset by a combination of solar panels and green credits.

If more artists would relate their work to such pressing issues as global warming, the world would certainly be a cooler place.

We unfortunately missed the event (sorry Benjamin!) but thankfully our friends at Core77 were on hand to report back.

due dates

end of marking period - fri. jan 19th
midterms - mon. jan 22nd - fri. jan 26th

painting - architecture painting due at the beginning of class on fri. jan 5th

jr. portfolio - project due at the end of class on wed. jan 17th
artist's statement is due on jan.17th as well

last day to accept anything late - fri. jan 19th