| Drake and Rascal | |
This was a wedding gift to some good friends. It is of their rambunctious dogs that they love very much. I had a lot of fun painting their unique features, especially Drakes droopy eyes and flops of skin (foreground). I made the time of year in the painting early fall, just like their wedding. My only complaint is that I wish I would have pushed the fall colors a little more, especially after the beautiful drive through Pennsylvania on the way there. I think I was in denial of fall.But what a perfect fall day for a wedding, no denying that! Oil on 48x24 canvas October 2008 
|
|
| Topic(s): oil painting 2008 | |
| By Gogh on November 5, 2008 at 11:38am EST | Add/View Comments (1) |
| Happy Halloween Everyone! | |
Recycled...Origami...Dia de los Muertos...Skull a Day...Inspired SkullI was approached by my principal to create a Halloween inspired project for our 7th grade advisement group. I struggled with an idea for a while because I didn't want just a meaningless "craft". Thankfully, I'm surrounded by creative people and my sister was a lifesaver with an idea! She was very excited to tell me about this interesting artist, Noah Scalin, that she saw on TV. He introduced his new book called "Skulls" that was assembled from all of the creative skulls he posted on his award winning blog called SkullADay. As the site suggests, he created a skull every day for a year out of every imaginable material! As an artist, I'm completely drawn to the repetitions of the subject as it's transformed by its medium. So now I had my inspiration! After flipping through the pages, I noticed all of the organic produce and recycled objects that were used as mediums, so I decided on a recycled theme as well. We used cast-off copy paper and made simple origami skulls. Then we stuck them to a skull that was glued with torn copy paper, to help fill in the gaps. It’s quite large so you get a different perspective depending on whether you stand up close or far away. We also touched on the fact that Dia de los Muertos is coming up (Nov. 1 & 2) and that skulls don’t have to be morbid, but rather symbols of remembrance. They embellished the skulls with color and patterns, similar to Mexican Day of the Dead sugar skulls. 40 minutes is not very long to teach all of those things and do a project, but all in all, I think it was pretty successful. I mean, you can't go wrong with letting boys make freakish skulls! 
|
|
| Topic(s): middle school lessons | |
| By Gogh on October 30, 2008 at 1:10pm EDT | Add Comment |
| New Meaning from Local Yums | |
What's for breakfast?What's for lunch? What's for dinner? I love good food! Who doesn't? Pale and I just went to the Rochester Public Market and bought some beautiful local produce. We bought organic green beans from a little boy so cute that it just made the whole trip more meaningful. It felt strange at first, throwing cash and coins in every direction, but now we have blueberry, raspberry, and HUGE blackberry gems in my fridge and golden apricots, tiny tart yellow plums, and juicy tomatoes on the counter. We are definitely going back! I just finished Harvest for Hope by Jane Goodall and I can't seem to get her "eat local" and "do you best to take care of this earth" messages out of my head. We also recycled computers and other junk at the Seneca Park Zoo rally in Rochester this weekend. It's part of my nature to reuse or maybe it's because I'm frugal, but I see art in trash sometimes. These pans were destined for the garbage but remade into soul-searching art. That's why I'm posting these pieces. I looked at them yesterday and smiled. They mean something totally different to me now than when I made them in 2004, which had somewhat of a negative subject. The titles were supposed to act as a nag because sometimes ones ego can suck all the fun out of food, something my family still struggles with while juggling hectic lives. But food can be fun if you can let go of your expectations and really savor simple flavors. I look at these differently now and they proudly hang in my kitchen, reminding to have fun! I giggle at the surrealism because it's less serious now. I know now if I mess up and make something dreadful... it's ok, no need to go coo coo! Furthermore, I don't always have the time to paint but I can get my creative fix by cooking. 
|
|
| Topic(s): oil painting recycled food 2004 | |
| By Gogh on August 10, 2008 at 4:59pm EDT | Add Comment |
| Summer Workshop | |
Well I've had about a week to recover...The lack of posts has been because during the month of July, I was instructing kids how to make web comics at the Rochester Institute of Technology. It's a really fun summer program that keeps kids from going completely vegetable and keeps me busy as well. So instead of running my blog, I organized a blog for a wonderfully goofy group. KOC 2008 looks very similar to my site (Thanks Pale!). Check out the blog and the students' websites! We used traditional drawing techniques, Photoshop, a digital camera, and Dreamweaver to make everything...oh and don't forget our whacky imaginations. |
|
| Topic(s): webcomics photoshop middle school lessons summer | |
| By Gogh on August 9, 2008 at 9:08pm EDT | Add Comment |
| Enlighten | |
I’m not a sculptor but that doesn’t mean that my work will never take on a 3 dimensional quality. This piece titled "Enlighten" (2004) is basically a bunch of 2d components organically stuck together to make this nature inspired sculpture. I forgot about this piece because it was done quickly and then stored away. Many of my friends and family have never seen it, so it is time to give it a chance to glow (and it does!) once again. The main structure is made from papier-mâché and a textured spray paint. The petal forms are sheer fabric sewn to wire wrapped in natural material. As you peer inside, a translucent watercolor moth glows from the lights hidden in the base. The use of paper helps to illuminate the entire piece. Enlighten was inspired by the amazing work of Lee Bontecou. Her structures continually shape my ideas. 
|
|
| Topic(s): 3d mixed media 2004 | |
| By Gogh on June 28, 2008 at 6:00pm EDT | Add/View Comments (2) |
| Please Log In | |
| Username: | |
| Password: | |
| register | |
| Popular Topics |
|
oil painting (8) 2004 (7) painting (6) 2007 (5) middle school lessons (4) photoshop (4) high school lessons (4) student art work (3) mixed media (3) computer art (3) |
| Recent Comments |
|
Drake and Rascal |
|
After meeting them, I think the only thi... |
|
Enlighten |
|
A short strand of christmas lights. |
|
Enlighten |
|
I forget, what did you use to light this... |
|
Birdhouse Gourd |
|
i just found a website you might be inte... |
|
Birdhouse Gourd |
|
It's gorgeous, heather, she will love it... |
| Archive |
|
+ 2008 |
Blog engine used by permission from Pale Entertainment