JDRF Walk Pics

 I can't believe all these girls were ready to go by 9am the morning after coronation. Wow.

The organizers that we all love - go team Smoles!

After After After

After coro, after the jdrf 5k, after lunch on an awesomely sunny sf day.

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Namey Name Names

Below you'll find a selection of names I would like you to start thinking about.
I'm asking that you begin giving some opinions on these names via "voting" on your 2-3 favorites in the comments section.
This is preliminary, and I would like to add one wrinkle as well.
You can, at this point, continue to make suggestions in the following manner: by piecing together different parts/words from the options listed below.
For example, you might like the word Awesome from one name, and Studios from another and Smith from another.
Which would give you Awesome Studios Smith - or, Awesome Smith Studios if you rearrange the words.
Or, rather A.S.S. if you are of the funny persuasion.
See what I mean? Good.
Now read carefully and leave a comment.

Barrels of Cats
Piglet Productions
Old Town Press
stART painting
Swagalicious Productions
Tyrant Lizard Productions
Fat Cat Art Corporation
502 Art Press
Students R Us
No Mess Press
Cadmium Awesome
Eloquent Gatos
Artventure Time
Paw Print Press
Sketchy Art Studios
Cat's Rad Art Press
Classy Cats Art
Ruffling Kittens
Lg Smart Art
Total Anarty
Creartivity
Paranormal Artivity
The Company Co.
Innovative Arts Industries
Wildcat Studio Arts
Avant-garde Industries
Paint Can Productions
Wild Art
Incredibart
Put It On Paper
Art and a Half
Laughing Gas Productions
Laughing Cat Productions
Kontrast Studios
Primary Co.
Starving Artist Co.
The Real Smith Shady
(no, you can't choose that one, I just thought it was funny)
CreARTive Inc.
Fetch-a-Sketch
Somewhat Strange Studios
Sleep-Deprived Productions
Sandwich Press
Input Art
Creative Minds Studio
Artistic Minds Studio
Painted Paw Studio
Los Gatos Artists Collective
Studio 502
Pink Elephant Press
Fraction Press
Appetite for Artistry
Infinity Productions
Press 502
Artistic Design
502 Art Studio
OriginArt
Studio LG
502 Crew
Caffeinated Fingers Press


There are some really interesting words to choose from here, and some good ideas.
What do you like? What do you have to add?
Let me know with a comment.

Testing, Testing,...

This is a great example of goodness right here. Sammy has an image to work from so she can try and match her painting's colors to her original inspiration.
In addition to that, though, you can see where she is testing out her mixtures on her scrap paper to test out not just color, but value, too, before committing it to her painting.
Awesome!

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Marge Bustin' It Out

That's a big ol awesome painting in the making. Can't wait to see the finished product.

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Art 1 Painting Tips & Study Drawings

I know, I know, you've heard me say this before.
And trust me, you'll hear me say it all again. But only because it's that important.

Yes it is. Trust me.

Complex color!
Use it and you'll be happier. And seriously, who doesn't enjoy "playing" with the different colors you can make on your palette? That's just straight up fun.
Is it blue, or light blue-green? Is it gray, or dark purple-ish gray?

Value, value, value. Pay attention to lights and darks - which means using black and a lot of white.

More values = more contrast = a happier painting = a happier Smithy = a better grade for you = happier parental units = a happier you because they will applaud you and give you stuff.

See, it works out for all of us!

Work from back to front.
It's easier to paint the stuff that is overlapping after you've painted the stuff that is being overlapped.

Texture. Use it, but not really.,
As in, give us "implied" texture, not actual "physical" paint texture.
We talked about the toothbrush for splatter today, and we'll deal with a sponge later.

Outlines.
Just don't. Really ... DON'T paint in outlines.
We'll discuss how to deal with certain edges and more implied textures later.


Study Drawings for Set 2

There is one study drawing that asks you to do a tempera painting with gradations of tints & shades.
First, note that it says gradations, which means more than one - since it's plural and all.
These are just like in the project you are currently working on with the exception that they do not need to be complementary colors. But I do want to see at least two value scales.
And again, just like in the project, they need to have at least 7 different values - light to dark.

I don't care what the subject is for the painting.

If you don't remember when these are due, check here.

Realism Challenge Video

a very nice.
makes you want to draw something yes?
even if at first it is a "boring" object no?
a that's a what i a thought

New Images

I've added a slough of new images throughout the Art 3 galleries on the class site over at

www.lghsart.com

so make sure you check them out.

Also, the re-sizing of images is taking me forever so I'm going to get my lackey TA's on that over the next couple of days so I can post some more.
Yay for new art!!!

Calendar Specifics

I've noticed that, as is usual for me but not necessarily for you students, I do not have a need to put something on the calendar for every class period.
Why?
Well, if I haven't done an in-class demo or discussion or ... that means we are just working on the current project.
For example, today the Art 2 students are just continuing to work on their grisaille painting. Do you really want me to say that?
I don't think so. Plus, it would just clutter up the look of the calendar and make it harder to find what you really need.
Or at least that's what I'm telling myself.

Great Night

How cool.
Not only did I get to watch our women's water polo teams beat up on Homestead tonight - which was a ton of fun to see, I have to say, but I get home and I have prints from the photo lab waiting for me.

Sweet.

Great way to end the really long day that it has been.

And, again, AWESOME job to all of you water polo players!

Due Dates

There are a ton of new due dates listed for all art levels. Check them out on the calendar on the class site:

www.lghsart.com

or in Aeries.

For reals.

Art 1 Feedback Form

With the warm/cool feedback we did today in class...

In the future keep in mind...
...I would like to get a sense of the "conversations/comments" based on what you write from the others in the group;
...you need to have one unique comment from each member of your group for both the warm and cool sections;
...when you fill out the box at the bottom based on what you heard from others, be kind of specific there so that I know you actually listened to what the others were saying/suggesting;
...and force your peers to give you good comments!

The whole point of this is to expand our idea base, so don't be shy about suggesting changes, just do it in a kind way.
This isn't the last time you'll see this process, and it will get easier, trust me.

Walking the Walk

I'll be participating in the above shown walk for diabetes on 30 October. If you are interested in participating as well, or want any information, please visit the link HERE.
Or, if you are desperate, you can ask me. But truth be told, I don't know that much about it since I'm letting someone else handle the logistics.
But it'll be fun!

Art!

I call this: Awesome Messy Art Seriously, you know you would like getting paid to make a mess like this.

Taking in Mr. Serra

 I found this in the drafts from when I went to the member preview of the Richard Serra drawing retrospective at SFMOMA last week - so here it is.

I think one of.the things that is the most interesting about this Serra drawing retrospective is the process.
Actually, coming from him hat should be expected - and it was, so let me back up.

I most appreciate the pieces where the texture truly takes over and, more importantly, those few pieces where the papers and the pigment join ... and don't join.
There are many places where he has taken two ordinary - though ordinarily large - sets of paper and butted them right up to one another, but the paintstick veers off at some point - though in a straight, or at least straight looking, line.
But there are also times where the pages don't actually meet, even though you expect them to or they look like they do.

Is this him keeping us on our toes? Is this him playing with our expectations? Is it just me?
Truth is that it doesn't really matter. Those particular works are just good.

And I feel totally justified in saying that because not all the work in the exhibition is. Some of it stands out cognitively - rather like a Rothko or a Newman in some regards - even though I don't find myself that terribly fond of it.
But some of it is just flat out stunning and beautiful and amazing.
Awesome!

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If you are interested in this Serra exhibit, it is now open to the public, and the details are here.

San Jose Exhibit

Just read the article from yesterday's paper - thanks to the Sterry's - about the Joan Brown exhibit on view at the San Jose Museum of Art until March.

Joan was a Bay Area painter and had a wonderful handling of the medium. And while I don't want you using as much of the school's paint on your canvases as she did, this would definitely be worth you checking out.

You can get details here.

True Text

In my ramblings around SFMOMA last night I picked up a new book for the classroom called
101 Things to Learn in Art School by Kit White (if you want your own copy you can get it here).
It's published by MIT - which I thought was interesting considering they are not an art school, and goes along in a series of similarly titled works they have published over the past few years - including 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School, which I also have in the classroom.

At any rate, I just unwrapped it this morning and read the titles of a couple of pages, and the very last one caught my eye and made me read the entire page, it states:

"Not every art school graduate becomes a successful artist.
But the training one receives in art school opens avenues to the whole world. Art school teaches one to observe carefully, describe precisely, find solutions to problems through experimentation, keep an open mind to all possibilities, and to accept withering critique in the pursuit of the not yet realized. These are the skills of adventurers, visionaries, and builders of a future we cannot yet fathom."

Now, I realize this - as in LGHS - is not an art school; we all work/attend a public high school, however, many of these things are true for us as well.
I am not looking for you to be the best ever; I am looking for you to be your best. I am looking for you to try new things. To let go of some preconceived notions. To try. To work hard. To enjoy the process. To question in a positive way.

And all of that serious and gushy (yet so true) stuff.

I'm looking forward to seeing what else this book has to say and how I can distill it for you.
Because the truth is, the above statement is so, so true.

And happy Friday!!!

Serra Signs

Really great to have even a couple sentences shared with Richard Serra as he signs my book at SFMOMA tonight.
Such an inspirational person and artist!

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Art 2 Canvas + etc

As we went over today in class, there are several items you will need for class next week, and you need to be working on these things as you are dealing with your grisaille painting.

First, you need a 16" x 20" canvas for your monochromatic oil project.
I have them for sale here for:
$5 for the thinner profile
$9 for the thicker profile
If you want to go purchase your own, no biggie, but you need it here by next Fri.

Also you need at least 3 super cool very high quality b/w pics so we have some options for your oil painting.

As I said in class, it would be sweet if you took the images yourself!
If you want help converting them to b/w in PhotoShop I'm happy to help. Just let me know.
Again, those are due by next Friday.

And that's the same day the grisaille painting is due.
Hint, it shouldn't take you until the end of Fri to finish, so if you are playing your cards right you could have some study drawing time built in there as well.

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Very Cool Illustration

I'm connecting to this post of a linocut done by "Sturdy". Maybe it's because of teh Cousteau stencil from last week, maybe it's because it's a great illustration connecting the person to their life via an image, maybe it's just 'cause.

Sturdy: New Linocut: A lot of people attack the sea, I make love to it. - Jacques Yves Cousteau