Artist Statement
Art has been deeply integrated into my life since the moment I could first pick up a crayon. My earliest memories involve making necklaces and drawings with my mom on the living room floor or creating masterpieces in my preschool classroom. In elementary school I had my first art class and that was monumental in my young life. I would go to that class every day at lunch just to work on my projects and make them as perfect as I possibly could, which is something I still do to this day. Middle school is when I moved away from drawing and I became interested in photography. I didn't yet have a camera but I would collect photos I liked from magazines and posters and keep them all in a box under my bed. Freshman year I took a photography class and I fell in love with taking photos. Now I am doing my best to get better at other mediums because even though I love photography I want to find something else to love and get better at so I can have other ways to express my love of art. This is why I chose to take creative art, to find something else to be interested in and I really think I've succeeded.
I don't know if I really have a style when it comes to anything non-photographic at this point in my life, I haven't quite found it yet. So far I have taken an interest in graphite and pen drawings, in photography I like to focus on black and white things too so I've been trying to integrate that interest into other things. I also have really liked drawing natural objects, like trees and flowers and such. But I am still trying to be open to other stuff to hopefully find a passion and something else I can try to become better at.
I don't know if I really have a style when it comes to anything non-photographic at this point in my life, I haven't quite found it yet. So far I have taken an interest in graphite and pen drawings, in photography I like to focus on black and white things too so I've been trying to integrate that interest into other things. I also have really liked drawing natural objects, like trees and flowers and such. But I am still trying to be open to other stuff to hopefully find a passion and something else I can try to become better at.
Visual Arts Standard #1: Observe and Learn to Comprehend
Rationale
These images demonstrate my success in using both the elements of art and principles of design over the past semester because all of these pieces have numerous examples of both. Even though I have studied the elements of art and principles of design before I think that this semester they really clicked in my head and I now truly understand the relationship between the 2. I find that I can look at other people’s pieces as well as my own and automatically pick out people's usage of these things. I understand that utilizing the elements of art and principles of design in my work makes it look better and I can take that knowledge into all areas of art including photography and I have truly seen my photo skills improve since I grasped these concepts.
Visual Arts Standard #2: Envision and Critique to Reflect
Rationale
I have written many 5 step critiques before and I understood them pretty well coming into this class. But over the course of this semester I have actually memorized this 5 step critique process and a few weeks ago I went to an art gallery and found myself actually doing the 5 step critique in my head. I see how it is very important for one to reflect on their art and look at everything closely before making a decision on whether you really like it or not. This process also helps one become a better artist since if you don’t like something you create you can really look at it and decide what about the art you don’t love as much and you can work on that aspect more and become better. With art you constantly change and become better, there’s no such thing as being a perfect artist and doing 5 step critiques really aids this growth.
Visual Arts Standard #3: Invent and Discover to Create
I lost the photo of my final project but I will put it in once I get the piece back.
Rationale
I have demonstrated success in using the entire creative process as you can see above. I found photos that inspired me and helped me develop and idea for my self directed projects. I made goals which I looked at frequently and attempted to achieve in my drawing and I did little practice sketches which helped me develop a composition I was happy with. I then created something that I am actually really proud of. I created exactly what I imagined in my head after thinking of the idea while looking for inspiration photos. Even though it isn’t as good as I thought it would be it does show my current skill level well and it shows what I currently am passionate about which I really like. Using the creative process really did help me achieve these things and I am happy to have learned this skill so I can utilize it in the future.
Visual Arts Standard #4: Relate and Connect to Transfer
Rationale
I really took ownership of my art and expressed myself personally over the last semester, especially in the 3 pieces shown above and in my self directed project. I really liked the assignments where we were allowed to to take ownership and choose what we do or at least the reference we use. I Think the art I’ve created with this freedom does show my personality and skill and even though we didn't get to choose the medium for the 3 above I think there definitely is a correlation of some kind and one can tell they were created by the same artist.
Evaluation
I do like this portfolio and I am proud but I think that I could do better. Though there isn't evidence on this site it definitely shows my growth as an artist compared to last year when I took drawing. I don’t love all of the things that I created this past semester like my still life, my self directed drawing, my chalk pastel, and my oil pastel, I am not in love with how my ceramic and acrylic piece turned out. I think that I have definitely improved with my 5 step critique and my understanding of the elements of art and principles of design which I think is the most important things I got out of creative art.