100 colors using red, yellow, and blue.

Masks

Cardboard Construction

Creating a cardboard structure was definitely a challenge for me but this project ended up being more fun than I thought it would at first.  It took a long time for the ideas to come, but it finally came together.  I used blue and yellow spray paint on top of a silver base coat.  I randomly sprayed spots of the colors around the structure and allowed the paint to made drip patterns as it dried.  I love how the light reflects off of the silver paint and gives it a shiny look.  The circles were a challenge to create, but they were very fun to create with.  I am slowly learning how to let my imagination “go” to create works of art.

Light Painting

This light painting project has become a fun family memory as we worked together to come up with the images.  The creating process was so much fun and we laughed and played together as we tried many new things.  The first picture I call “Kids in Motion” and the second picture is “Egyptian Man.”  My husband graciously posed for this one and everyone participated in the first one.   I loved using technology to help create a work of art.  It was very educational as well as fun.  

Printmaking

Because I love flowers so much, I ended up making a flower print.  I first created my print block using a piece of foam board from a display board.  I found that the covered foam was really difficult to push through enough to make a print and it took several hours for me to finished just making the print block.  In the end, when I applied ink and transferred the print to paper, the finished image could not be seen very well so I knew I needed to try something different.  I then used the bottom of a foam plate.  The printmaking went much easier and smoothly than with the foam board and the print came out very clear.  I was very happy with the way it turned out.  If I were to do it again, I would fill in more of the negative space.

This image is a favorite of mine because I feel like it really stretched my artistic abilities.  Using a plastic bag as a way of making an image was so intriguing to me and I really wanted to try it.  The print is what I imagine seeing if I were camping and I peeked out my tent door.  I can almost imagine a deer walking through the trees in the quiet of the morning.  I was excited to have this print work out as well as it did because the paint and the bag could be really unpredictable from one application to the next.  It was a little bit difficult to control exactly what was going to happen but I think that added to the fun of making it.  I did notice that I needed to be careful and make sure to add more paint each time because the bag would sometimes pull some of the paint off if there was not enough paint on it.  

Alien Name

This little name alien was another one of my favorite pieces to create.  He came alive so naturally when I got started on it and his world seemed to form right around him.  He very quickly transformed from a piece of paper to a little creature with character and personality.  Part of the fun of this project was coming up with different ways to create a sense of texture in the picture.  I found a piece of lace, a stiff paint brush, and some ink pads and used those to create the sky and the bottom portion of the alien.  It took a lot of time, but it was worth the effort as I think it created a fun texture to it.  I would love to do this project again with students.  I think they would absolutely love it.

Batik

Because of my lack of experience with art, I was very hesitant to even start on this Batik.  I was excited to see if I could do it, but I worried that it would not work out in the end.  The first one that I made I used the glue bottle tip to outline the image that I had drawn but as the glue set, it flattened and spread out, causing the glue lines to  run together.  I decided to use a thin brush and actually brush the glue lines onto the fabric.  I applied two coats of glue to make sure that it was covered well before I colored it.  I used a brayer and three different colors of tempura paint on this Batik.  When I washed off the glue, I was pleasantly surprised at how it turned out.  If I were to do it again, I would definitely brush the glue on again.  This was a fun project to create because of the repeated pattern and the vibrant colors.

Zentangled Scratchboard

Zentangle is a perfect name for this kind of art.  This remind me of doodling, except it is taken to the next level.  The scratch board effect only adds to the fun of this project.  It was a bit messy, but well worth the time and effort put into it.  This project helped bring out the imagination in me and it keeps the imagination going just by looking at it.  I wanted bright, bold colors to dome through the scratches and I was very happy with the outcome.  

Watercolor Emotions

The assignment to create a picture of emotions using watercolors was very challenging for me.  Abstract ideas and images are more difficult for me to imagine and create because I am not very good at letting my imagination go.  It took me several tries to get to this point and I am glad that I stuck with it and kept trying because each time I created it, I was able to let my imagination go a little more.  The colors ended up being more vibrant than I thought they would be.  I love how they turned out so bright.  I found that as I thought about the emotion I wanted to portray, I could almost see the colors in my head.  The difficult part for me was actually experimenting with the paint and not making a mess!  Once I got going on it, it was fun experimenting with different things to see how it would react with the paint.

Georgia O'Keeffe

As crazy as this sounds, I really had no idea that watercolors could be this bold and bright.  I was so excited about the beautiful purple color that I was able to create for these flowers.  I knew when I started that I wanted the finished product look loose and "flowy", creating a feeling of relaxation and free flowing motions.  These flowers remind me of Iris’s, or what my grandmother use to call “flags”.  They would grow every spring and their petals were delicate and light as they waved in the wind.  It gives off a care-free feeling that makes one feel that there are no bounds to the many possibilities around us.  

Notan

This Notan was one of my favorite art projects this semester.  I struggled with coming up with ideas for it, but once I started working it, it just started coming together.  When I was finished and I looked at it, I could see something playful about it that I did not expect.  I see a curly tail and pointed ears that were no intended but demands to be seen anyway.  I learned an interesting thing along the way.  When I made the “tail”, I went past the middle of the black paper and this caused the image to not fit completely on my white background.  I had not thought of the fact that doing so would lengthen the picture.  I had to made adjustments, but I was able to make it work.  This was a very fun project and I think that this is a fun way to teach about positive/negative space.

Foil Square

This little elephant was probably one of the most difficult pieces for me to create.  Thinking of something to draw is one of the most difficult parts of art for me and so this was really a challenge.  I chose the elephant because it is my daughter’s favorite animal when I see one, I am reminded of her.  The lines were made with hot glue, which was a big challenge to work with because it seemed to have a mind of its own.  When I glued the tin foil to the cardboard,  I found that I was not able to make designs in the foil or create a sense of texture because I glued the foil to the whole surface so I ended up needing to start over and it worked much better when I just glued the edges of the foil.  I learned that I need to be patient with myself and sometimes I have to adjust the way I am thinking or the technique I might be using to make the project better.  Sometimes there is just is no way of knowing where the process will take you.

Mandala

The name of this piece is “Gentleness”.  It represents the way I try to live my life, with gentle words and actions, never harming or hurting others.  In creating this Mandala, I used pastel watercolors to help create the “soft” or delicate feelings that might come as one views it.  The symbols that represent myself are flowers, hearts, and the letter “S”.  I have a great love for flowers of all kinds because there is beauty in each and every one of them.  Just like people, each have their imperfections, but those things are outshone in the other wonderful attributes of the blooms.  Hearts are an important symbol for me because they represent the love that I hope other can feel when they are around me.  It is important to me that everyone feels included and loved.  The letter “S” is the first initial of my name and has always been my favorite letter.  It is simple and curvy, no sharp edges, and has a simple kind of graciousness about it.