Material Exploration

1.    Discuss what you thought about creating the Value Scale and Color Wheel.

I thought the scale was simple to make. The only challenge was creating one box too dark then having to go back and darken up the previous box a little more to balance the scale. 

2.    Which media did you enjoy working with the best and why?

I actually enjoyed working with the acrylic paints the best because I genuinely like painting. I paint on my free-time usually in the summer. Mixing the colors is always an obstacle because I don’t know much about the color wheel or how to mix properly. Usually I try to mix what I think would make the color I’m looking for as I’m painting and 8/10 I never get the color I wanted originally the first time. 

3.    What was the most important discovery in the creation of these studies?

It has spread the facts about primary colors

4.    What is the most important information you learned from watching the videos for this project? What is your opinion of the videos?

I thought the color wheel was the most important piece of information that I took away from the two videos since I personally use acrylic paint more than I use pencil to sketch. However, each video taught me something new. I learned the term gradient which means the smooth transition from light to dark by using the 10-step scale. This scale requires control and careful measurement to determine value. In the color wheel video, I learned the primary colors are actually cyan, magenta, and yellow which produce the secondaries of red, green and blue that combine to make black. 

Color Perception

1. Describe Color and it's effects on emotions. Use the appropriate vocabulary of color in your posting.

In a certain point of the video, Vincent Van Gogh is shown painting a cafe and deliberately painting the picture using colors of green and red to show that it is a place where a man can ruin himself and portray disparity. He uses color to express himself more forcefully by using "unnatural" colors. The contrasting colors would express is hatred for the place. This is an example of emotion by using such bold colors. 

2. What is a theoretical aspect of color that most intrigues/fascinates you? Why?

I liked how it described the intensity of color. It defines the intensity by how the color is made in the first place. Oil paint is made of 3 ingredients. The pigment, oil from poppies, and a substance that stops the oil from separated over time, beeswax. I find this fascinating because the ingredients are so simple yet last forever and manage to create extravagant colors across a blank canvas.  

3. In the Color videos, what made the biggest impact on you in regards to color and it's effects on emotions?

I like how the artist, June, describes her art as being a mystery. She likes to discover her paintings and goes on to say how a picture could either come together easily or fall apart drastically. She described this point of pass/fail as a "crisis point."

Slideshow

When I published my slideshow through PhotoBucket, the photos did not paste in correct order unfortunately. I will explain the order of my photos to the best of my ability.

1 Photo.) Line. This image is described as the pencil pointing downward to highlight the perception of the line in art.

2 Photo.) Shape. This image is described as the outside of my couch pillow. The shift in texture is why I chose this layout.

3 Photo.) Light. This image is described as the bottom of an empty plastic water bottle reflecting the light. The beads of water inside made this image come alive for the sake of the value scale explained in Chapter 4.

4 Photo.) Color. This image is described as my eyeshadow pallet. The colors display monochromatic harmony, meaning they are composed of the same hue.

5 Photo.) Texture. This image is displayed as my table centerpiece in my kitchen. It resembles the smooth, flat , or bumpy surfaces that texture is defined by.

6 Photo.) Space. This image is described as my ceiling tile. It was the only example I could creatively come up with to define space. The closest picture I could capture that resembled "nothingness."

7 Photo.) Mass. This image is described as a butternut squash. Unfortunately, I don't have a mountain in my backyard with great space to take a more suitable photograph. Therefore, this butternut squash was the next best thing. It was purposely taken in an empty space to emphasize its mass alone.

8 Photo.) Pattern. This image is described as the pattern of my bathroom towel. Another household item that is decorative and shows repetitive design.

9 Photo.) Unity and Variety. This image is described as the decorative mirrors I have near my front door. They display a a sense of oneness and hang as if they make up a coherent whole.

10 Photo.) Balance. This image is described as the body design of my lamp. This image shows a symmetrical balance that forms a composition that mirror each other across a central axis.

11 Photo.) Scale. This image is described as butternut squash about to be eaten with a normal size spoon. The image emphasizes how much larger the spoon is in the photo to show the size of the butternut squash in relation to the giant spoon.

12 Photo.) Emphasis and Subordination. This image is described as a set up on top of my dish towel with fruit and an avocado to keep the image visually interesting with the different types of fruit and colors displayed. There is supposed to be a difference in visual weight seen in this photograph.

13 Photo.) Rhythm. This image is described as the outside of my space heater. This photo displays a distinct rhythmic pattern thats based off of repetition. This photo seems that it could go on for eternity without breaking its rhythm.

14 Photo.) Proportion. This image is described as yet again, a butternut squash and a giant pair of scissors. I chose this image because the scissors represent a relative size of normal scissors being shifted to show a different type of relationship between the squash and the sheers.

Video Review

1. For each video and article list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

In the aesthetics video, I learned about the meaning of art in the views of plato, Aristotle and many other artists. It explains different ways to understand the ideas and insights of the interactions within art. The CARTA video gives more of a scientific evolution of art and how it is a human production that is represented as an artifact. "Works of art do not belong to language because it is a non-verbal form of communication." The article explains how artists can manipulate perception of their work through shadows, different colors, moving images, or patterns. This formulates the concluding question of the article, is art a lie?

2. Which philosopher's theroy on aesthetics do you feel is most important? Be sure to mention the philosphers name, era (time in history), and contribution to the aesthetic theory in your response.

In the beginning of the video, it mentions plato's idea of a sensible world is described in 5th century athens. An example is the triangles being drawn in the sand. It represents an imperfect copy of the perfect idea of a triangle. However, ideas are beyond the senses besides one exception, beauty. There is contemplation in the idea of beauty. “What is beautiful in itself is not this object or that one, but that which conveys their own nature.”

3. What do you think about Changeux and Ramachandran scientific view of aesthetics and art? What was the most interesting fact you discovered from each speakers lecture? 

I am repeating the line that grabbed my attention but I loved when the speaker was defining art. When he said "works of art do not belong to language because it is a non-verbal form of communication." I agree with this viewpoint. Art should be emotional and felt through the conscious. 

4. How do the videos and article relate to the readings in the text?

I believe they all tie in the meaning of aesthetics and how it is implemented in our lives. Wether it be science based, physical attractions, or multiple explanations of beauty. Either way aesthetics of art is the form of expression and why it has value. 

5. What is your opinion of the films and article? How do they add depth to understanding of the topics in your reading in the text?

An off topic opinion of the film, it was painfully hard to understand with the speakers thick accent. I was having the most trouble understanding that clip due to the audio. However, both the films and article give some type of background in the perception of art. Each video gave some history of discoveries and ideas while the article gave 

Creation of Blog

1. How was the process of creating the Gmail account and setting up the Blog?

Setting up the Gmail account for the Blog was very simple. The process was quick and easy.

2. What do you expect to learn in this course?

I expect to learn the meaning behind art and how it applies to us.

3. How do you feel about taking an online course?

I feel confident about taking an online course, however, I realize I need to be conscious of my courses daily. 

4. What three things in the Growth Mindset (from Step 3) videos do you believe most apply to you?

I enjoyed the different interviews that were included through the growth mindset clip. I agree that Buffalo State is very welcoming and adaptable. The workload can be stressful but the time dedicated to each course is worth the lack of sleep. The second video displays many underdogs that achieved success through failure. This is important to realize and accept through our time here at Buffalo State. It serves as an effective motive as each semester passes.