Tuesday, October 18, 2011

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.

Monday, October 17, 2011

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.

Friday, October 14, 2011

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!!!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

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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Monday, October 10, 2011

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