My Concentration

So the uniting idea for all my concentration ended up being eye contact. I'll admit, I kind of have a fetish. They are my favorite to draw. Take a "look" at them on the Lakeridge Art website.

Gingerbread and Oscars

I thought this week I would express my renewed exhilaration surrounding the artistic world. Lately, I have felt confined to a rather small box with my art. It seems that in order to be artistic, I must divulge my inner-most feelings in a dashing display of assorted colors—a difficult task for me. Many of you have noticed this with my rather fickle concentration selection and desultory piece completion.

However, this weekend, I rediscovered art…ha, and I hope to say this with utmost sincerity and a non-cliché sounding tone. These two inspiring events were the Food Network Gingerbread House Contest and the Academy Awards. I swear I am not an avid TV watcher; this weekend just seemed to lend itself to some good moments. The gingerbread houses required hundreds of hours worth of work, and on the Academy Awards, they described the life of a set-designer. I really appreciated the fact that these people used art to accomplish alternative tasks. A challenge is exceedingly appealing to me, and I revel in the opportunity to compete in situations like these shows. It was just kind of fun to see two fascinating applications of art.

geeky art question...

Does anyone know which gallery it was that we saw Chuck Close's work at during the field trip at the beginning of the year? thanks....sorry.

concentration pieces...ugh

yeah...so here are the first three from the concentration. The third ended up in the garbage...so I thought I would post where it currently is. The teachers are Ms. Finley, Mr. Price, and Ms. Grimm, and I know that probably isn't obvious. I really dislike my concentration very strongly. I feel like there really isn't a strong conceptual idea uniting them together. I don't know why I chose this concentration. My weakness is the backgrounds and I just don't know how to add on the contour line drawing. I don't know who I should get help from either, in cementing my ideas. I am a perfectionist and want high markings and for my pieces to be perfect. For a drawing portfolio, I know the perspective is very weak. I hate how I decided to use different media on the pieces. They really aren't united except for the fact that they have an idiotic composition that is simply straight on. I can't ask teachers though to let me take unflattering pictures of them that would make wonderful pieces of art--I have tried. So I feel I have reached a fork in the road with this concentration: either have people impersonate teachers or redo the concentration. This just makes me sad because I want to do a good job on it. Your thoughts?

REALLY amazing artists: NOT my art....obviously

I just thought I would post some of my friends' work from the Sharpies. They are exceedingly talented and very inspiring. Two of them so far are going for NFAA to Florida for Arts Week!!

The jig is up

yeah...so i hid my concentration in the post below, because I was scared. Just highlight in the dark areas and it will magically appear.....

the concentration train

So...the concentration train is still parked at the station.


And the train couldn't start chugging because the conductor thought he was driving a submarine, not a train. Meaning, in my quest to "produce" a piece of art this weekend, I actually forgot how to paint and over analyzed the entire process.
My concentration idea, though it is probably exceedingly stupid, and I'm only posting this because Ms. McBride made me and she knew I would say this, so woo there goes my element of surprise,
I was wondering if anyone who generally paints in acrylics could tell me if they work their pieces holistically or sectionally, and if they go for accuracy as the piece progresses, in the drawing stage, or in the original painting layer.
but it probably will be portraits in some form, and I want to focus on people's characteristics. When one day I saw two teachers out of their element, the classroom, at a gas station and at the library, it scared me.
Maybe if the conductor sees how the caboose functions, the rest of the function of his train will materialize....
And there it appeared. The secret lives of teachers. It's actually the most embarrassing thing ever...and I still am so confused, especially since I can't seem to do art anymore. Realistic portraits in the foreground, contour for their secret lives in the background?
I'm not sure if that made sense, but anyone with suggestions about how they work a piece would be great. For some reason, I feel as though I need a formula.