Painting Recap; Teepee

If you have seen my post, Exploring Wet Mediums, then you have seen my painting of the two teepee's.  I did this one a while ago, and it is now hanging above my fireplace.  Somehow, a connection through my friend Claire, brought me to having the opportunity to sell another original painting, similar to my first, but still different.  Here is a picture of the first painting.

My First Teepee Painting

At first, I had trouble coming up with a way to paint teepees in a similar landscape, and having it end up completely different.   However, the further I went along, the more ideas I came up with.  Here is a picture of me working on the newer painting.  It looks almost identical to the first painting in this picture, but the final piece ended up looking a lot different.

One difference between the two paintings is the size.  The first teepee painting was 24" by 36", or two feet by three feet.  The second teepee painting was painted on a 36" by 48" canvas, or three feet by four feet.  That was one of my biggest paintings that I have done!

After this picture was taken, I decided to add a couple horses and some more variation in the grass.  Though in the pictures, the paintings look practically the same, in real life, there are different brush-strokes, tones and textures that make them different.

Feature Artist: Joy McManaman

So, I was sort of having a bloggers-block, so I thought I would wright about my AMAZING art teacher, Joy McManaman, and show you guys some of her work.  I am so lucky to get to work with her once a week, and have done countless projects with her.  Keep in mind that all paintings are courtesy of her website, http://www.joysartgallery.com/

Painted in Alta Ski Resort

This amazing painting done by Joy amazes me every time I see it.  Everything from the detail of the snow in the trees to the natural feel of the hazy cloudy sky I am taken aback.  Though the color scheme is not very varied, your eye doesn't get bored. 

Another snow painting done by Joy, and it doesn't disappoint.  The detail is impecable, and it looks even better in real life!

Another one of Joy's paintings painted in Alta, however in a completely different setting!  The composition of this emphasizes not only the front and center flowers, but also the side trees and the distant mountains.  

The last painting of hers that I chose is my favorite!  It is so bright and peaceful.  I didn't know that I painting could convey so much emotion.  Everything from the path to the water to the trees doesn't make the painting overwhelming.

I am so lucky to have such a talented teacher.  Remember, these are just a few of Joy's amazing portfolio, so be sure to check out her website!  

Feature Artist: Nagi Noda

I'll just admit it.  The artist I will be writing about has a very, very different style.  And I mean very.  It most likely won't appeal to everyone, and probably won't stick out to you as beautiful, but there is no doubt that this is a form of art.  

Image Courtesy of pondly.com

Now you can probably see what I mean.  I get frustrated putting my hair in a ponytail...  I can't imagine how much patience this artist must have to be able to sculpt these amazing pieces.  

Image Courtesy of pondly.com

This is my favorite animal piece of this artist.  The red color really shows the depth of the detail, and the loose but not tedious perfection of the shape gives the piece a natural look.

Image Courtesy of pondly.com
A literal take on the phrase "hair like a birds nest"

This is definitely my favorite piece.  The detail in the shape is impecable, and the way the sculpture frames the face of the model  pleases the eye.  Now you see what I mean about patience...

The artist Nagi Noda creates pieces like no others.  It's always hard to find artists who can create beyond the boundaries, and this artist has definitely colored outside of the lines.

Lifelike

This past weekend, I went with a friend to visit La Jolla, a suburb of San Diego.  During our trip we decided to visit the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art.  They had an exhibit called "Lifelike" that I had heard of, and was really interested in seeing.  Located in the middle of La Jolla, it was a walking distance from our hotel, and ended up being one of the highlights of our trip!  Here are a few of the pieces in the exhibit.

Vija Celmins, 1967

Image Courtesy of mcasd.org

This may look like an eraser, but it is actually three feet long, and made out of balsa wood and acrylic paint.  It looks so much like the real thing, you have to look really close and carefully to see what it really is.  I really like this piece of the exhibit because of how the artist made a simple, everyday thing into a piece of art.

Jud Nelson, 1981

Image Courtesy of walkerart.org

This piece is so realistic, I almost leaned over to pick it up when I saw it in the middle of the gallery.  This realistic looking trash-bag was actually made of marble, and intricately carved.  The details are so accurate that it took the artist 6 years just to make this one piece!

"(Old) No One - in Particular #6, Series 2," by Evan Penny

This piece REALLY creeped me out.  Made of latex, animal hair and many other material's, it looks like someone chopped the bottom part of a real old man.  The wrinkles and details in the face must have taken forever to form.  The eyes were what made this sculpture look so real.  With eyelashes and everything, these eyes look unnaturally real.

Overall, this exhibit went beyond my expectations, and I would definitely recommend going.  From mini elevators to giant milk cartons, this gallery has a range of pieces.

Photography Inspiration: Pinterest

This week I decided to post a few pictures that I have found on Pinterest that are really neat examples of cool photography.  I'm sure most of you have been on Pinterest before, but if you haven't, I highly suggest you check it out.  Not only are there great DIY's, fashion, hair and makeup tips, but there is also a pretty good variety of the visual arts as well.

Image Courtesy of Georgiana Lane

This is one of my favorite photographs ever.  The bright color of the roses, contrasting with the dark, blended background emphasizes the beautiful flowers even more.  The natural shapes of the flowers with the hard contrast of the sign makes the picture even more visually interesting.   The vintage, french feel really makes this picture more than a simple photograph.

Yes, more flowers
Image Courtesy of Pinterest

This is another picture that I found on Pinterest.  The way the photographer focused in on the details of the main flower, and blurred everything in the background, in a mindful way, created the emphasis on the main flower.  The way the light was captured in orbs, and the blurred background gives the photo a dreamy, vintage effect.  

Finding inspiration on the internet can be hard, if you don't know where to look.  But once you find a good source, it is easy to find your desktop overflowing with hundreds of inspirational pictures.  I know that I did.  Pinterest isn't the only place to look for neat photographs.  There are hundreds of other websites out there, with thousands of pictures for you to look through.

Holga: Camera Review

I'm sure that not many of you have heard of the Holga.  I hadn't either until I got one for Christmas this year.  The Holga is a plastic film camera that has only four settings.  It is really great if you just want to take pictures, and not worry about settings, flash etc.  It is also a really good camera for beginning film photography.

What I got in my stocking this Christmas!
 Image Courtesy of docksandgreens.blogspot.com

When I first got my camera, I had no idea how to work it.  It took me a week to figure out how to put the film in, when to turn the knob, and how to open and close the camera without ruining the film (which I did a few times).  However, after you have the hang of it, it is super easy.  Unfortunately, I haven't gotten a chance to develop the three film rolls that are sitting on my desk, so instead I'll show what the pictures can look like.  

Image Courtesy of fivetdsisters.blogspot.com

This is picture taken of the film that contains this picture...  confusing right?  However, as you can see, the camera takes really cool, faded looking pictures.  The Holga also captures light in a really cool way!   Here are some more examples.

Image Courtesy of www.liadcohen.com

Image Courtesy of alexibullock.blogspot.com

Both of these photos are taken from a really neat perspective.  The first one was taken using green tinted film, and the second one was just using regular colored film.  I really love the way the details fade out at the corners.  All pictures taken with the Holga have a slight vignette around the edges, that can really give a picture personality.  

So if you ever decide that you want to try film photography, I would definitely start with the Holga.  It really does deliver at just the push of a button.   

P.S.  I'll post some of my pictures as soon as I get them developed.

The Leonardo

A couple of months ago, I went to visit the Leonardo Museam in Salt Lake City.  Instead of just buying a one day ticket, my mom and I decided to get a membership, meaning that we can go whenever we want to!  One of my favorite exhibits I have seen is called Nature's Toolbox.  I really like this exhibit, because it combines a bunch of artists with different style from different places into one coherent exhibit.  Here are a few pictures that I took of the exhibit.

A video sculpture done by Katja Loher

I've heard of Katja Loher in the past, but never got to see any of her sculptures in person until this exhibit.  I was not disappointed.  The way her sculptures incorporate the video is really cool.  This particular video sculpture was made to look like a beehive.  I don't like bees, but I loved this sculpture!

Picture by  Nathan Cumming

This picture is really incredible.  The photo that I took of it does not give it justice!   It is a zoomed in picture of a purple flower, and the detail and quality is incredible!  The print is HUGE, and probably my favorite thing in the whole exhibit!

 As well as Nature's Toolbox, the Leonardo also has the biggest mummy exhibit in the world, and a ton of fun interactive activities!  I highly recommend that you go visit this museum next time you have a chance.  You won't be disappointed!

"The World is Our Canvas"

We've all seen graffiti.  I've never thought much of it, and you probably haven't either.  However, as well as the crappy word graffiti, there is also some pretty cool street art out there!  Here are some of my favorites...  (All images courtesy of streetartutopia.com)

By Antoine Stevens and Steve Locatelli, Antwerpen, Belgium
All Image Courtesy of streetartutopia.com

I love this piece, located in Belgium.  The faces are created using an almost cubist style, which makes the piece look very graphic.  I also really like how the streaks of color add visual interest.  The use of colors such as pink and blue, mix from farther away, making it look natural.  

By David Walker, London, England

What I really love about this piece is that the artist did it without stencils, without brushes.  Only spray paint.  I doubt that many artists could do something like that and have it turn out so successful.  I also LOVE the way he incorporated the bright colors into the figure.  It gives it a fun creative twist!

By STMTS in Athens, Greece

This piece really feels like it is popping out of the wall!  This is the first street art piece I've seen that uses cross-hatching to show form.  The crosshatching makes it look like a pencil drawing!  The emotion captured in the little boy is so adorable, it looks real!

It can be hard to find good street art in the real world, but the Internet makes it much easier!!  Though many people look down on street art, I think it is really cool!  As Henry Thoreau said, "The world is our canvas."

This is Sand

Messy, boring and useless is probably what you think when you hear about sand art.  To tell you the truth, I thought it was too.  Sure it looked cool, but I never really thought about it until my friend, Annalise, showed me thisissand.com.  Here, you can make your own sand art for free, without the mess, and online.  When you get to the website, it is just a blank page, but if you click and hold your mouse, it drops sand.  To change your color, press "c" and select the color you want.  You can also drag it to get a gradual effect.  Here is an example of something that I did on this website.

My Sand Art

Now may I say that this is not one of my best...  I made it while I was supposed to be writing this post.  One of the things that I love about this website is that it is so simple, but every time you end up with a piece that looks completely different.   A lot of people will probably get really bored doing this, but I can do it for hours at a time.  Here is an example of what other people have done on this website.

Image Courtesy of thisissand.com
Created by Olivia

This makes my sand art look horrible.  Literally.  The way the colors sort of blend together and flow throughout the piece is AMAZING.  The way the colors overlap give the piece texture and gives it its natural but vibrant feel.  There are tons of other pieces on this website, and it can be fun to look around at them.  

So next time you find yourself bored, try out this website.  You won't regret it :)!

Recreating Color

Repainting someone else's artwork isn't very creative.  Or artistic.  However, it does really help you get used to the tricks and techniques that you need to get a certain look.  So for this week, I decided to repaint a picture that I found on Pinterest.  The color and looseness of this piece really caught my eye.  Here is what the original looks like.  Unfortunately, I couldn't find the artist who created it, and I looked all over.  Just remember that mine is not an original!

Image Courtesy of Pinterest.com
Author Unknown

The color of this piece is almost overwhelming.  The way the artist used such loose strokes and still managed to get such  realistic look is unbelievable.  By mixing the hard of the bridge and the hill with the soft of the leafs and the water gives the painting a flowing contrast.  Finally, the short strokes of the brush gives the painting a texture that brings it all together. Here is a picture of what mine looks like.  Remember that I am not completely finished with mine, so don't judge it too harshly! 

Image Courtesy of Maddy Lee

Obviously, my version of this painting needs a lot more work before I can officially call it done!  I still need to add the branches in the trees,  make the bridge a bit less vivid, and do a bit more work in the reflections in the water.  I usually like to paint small little paintings, but for some reason I decided to use a four foot canvas for this project!  I actually ended up liking the size, but going bigger means that you will need to spend a lot more time on making it look how you want it to.

For most of this painting, I used a palette knife, which gives a thicker textured look.  However, I also used brushes for little tid-bits of it.  The hardest part of recreating this painting was probably letting myself be loose.  I am so used to trying to get every detail perfect, and if you did that in a painting like this, the effects of the painting would not be nearly as dramatic.  Overall, I had a lot of fun with this project, and hopefully I can finish it up soon!  

P.S.  Check out one of my older posts, Exploring Solar Printmaking to see how my prints turned out this summer!

Project Runway: The Ultimate Hard and Soft

Last week had my favorite episode on Project Runway teams.  "The Ultimate Hard and Soft Challenge" was a challenge in which the designers had to design using only materials from both a flower shop and a hardware store.  Of course, the teams each had to create a coherent collection, which caused a bit of trouble.  Some of the looks I was in love with, and others I wasn't so impressed. 

Dream Team:

Design by Tu Nakchat
Image Courtesy of Sewing in Style

Design by Stanley Hudson
Image Courtesy of Sewing in Style

Design by Samantha Black
Image Courtesy of Sewing in Style

Design by Matthew Arthur
Image Courtesy of Sewing in Style

Design by Layana Aguilar
Image Courtesy of Sewing in Style

Design by Benjamin Mach
Image Courtesy of Sewing in Style

Ultimately, I loved almost every design done by this team.  The dress done by Benjamin was probably my favorite, considering his colorful yet sophisticated pallet, and the hand woven material used asymmetrically in the shoulder.  My other favorite was done by Layana.  Her fun and whimsical design was made using only flowers, wire and string.  My favorite thing about her design was how well the hard and soft went together.  The only design this week that I wasn't in love with was probably done by Stanley.  In my opinion, the length looks uncomfortable, and the leaves used makes his model look like a bush.  This team was the winning team this week, and Samantha Black was nominated to be the winner.  Her silhouette was interesting and her use of leaves under the wire mesh was creative and interesting.

Team Keeping it Real:

Design by Patricia Micheals
Image Courtesy of Sewing in Style

Design by Michelle Franklin and Richard Hallmarq
Image Courtesy of Sewing in Style

Design by Kate Pankoke
Image Courtesy of Sewing in Style

Design by Joseph Segal
Image Courtesy of Sewing in Style

Design by Daniel Esquivel
Image Courtesy of Sewing in Style

Design by Amanda Valentine
Image Courtesy of Sewing in Style

Unfortunately, Team Keeping it Real was the losing team this week.  The thing that brought them down the most was lack of cohesion.  Every design looks like it was from a different planet than the others. However there were still a few that were pretty great designs.  Daniels design, as usual, was unbelievable.  Using white lambs ear to give texture to the dress gave the design something interesting without looking like a craft project.  His silhouette was incredible, however because of the materials used, they sort of look like moldy coconuts.  The other design that I really loved was made by Joseph.  His silhouette was very different, and the way he placed the flowers gave his funky silhouette a sophisticated twist.  His designs always give people a new perspective without looking distasteful.  Unfortunately, the judges did not like his design this week, and he was sent home.  My least favorite design of this team was definitely Patricia's.  Her idea of draping flowers was interesting, but the way she incorporate it into her design looked like a little kids homemade halloween costume.  However, the judges didn't think too badly about it, so she is still in the game.

This weeks episode was probably the most interesting of them yet.  The unconventionality of the whole thing was what made most of the designs.  So next Thursday, be sure to tune into Project Runway at eight o'clock on Lifetime!  You won't regret it.

Exploring Solar Printmaking

As a couple of you know, during the summer I live in a small town in New York called Penn Yan. I love love love it there, and cannot imagine being anywhere else during my glorious summers.  However, surprisingly, living on a lake can get a bit boring.  All of my friends live across the country, I am surrounded by old retired people and I can get a bit grumpy.  So this summer, when my grouchiness started to come on, I decided to sign up for a couple of art classes; one of which was solar printmaking.

Arts Center of Yates County
Photo Courtesy of ycac.org

When I signed up for this class, I had no idea what this was.  I assumed we would making prints of pictures (duh) and using a printing press, but other than that I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  When the class finally came around, I loved it, and had a ton of fun.  The process of solar printmaking involves a long list of tasks, including: printing pictures onto transparent paper, holding heavy solar plates in the sun for a couple seconds, letting the plates dry, and finally, inking your plates and sending them through the printing press.

This is the type of printing press that I used
Image Courtesy of  nontoxic print.com

Though the experience was very fun to do in a class, it is a very

expensive hobby.  Just the printing press can cost thousands of 

dollars, let alone the solar plates, which cost about $20 for one.

However, I recommend that if you ever have an opportunity to do 

this, it is definitely worth it!  Here are some pictures of a
few of the prints that I made this summer.  I also made one of them
into an accordion book, that I will be doing a tutorial on soon!

Print by Maddy Lee (Made from original content)
Image Courtesy of Maddy Lee

Print by Maddy Lee (Made from original content)
Image Courtesy of Maddy Lee

Print by Maddy Lee (Made from original content)
Image Courtesy of Maddy Lee

Exploring Wet Mediums

Acrylic, oils, watercolors, pastels, charcoal and more.  These are all examples of common mediums that artists can use.  In most of my paintings that I have posted, I have used acrylic.  In this post, I will show some examples of my work in other mediums.

One of my acrylic paintings
Image Courtesy of Maddy Lee

This painting is an example of acrylic.  Some reasons why acrylic is so popular is because the paint  is cheaper, dries fast and can be used with water.   When painting with acrylic, always remember that the pigment  dries darker than it appears on your palette.  

An Oil Painting
Photo Courtesy of Maddy Lee

Above is one of my oil paintings.  Oil paintings can sometimes turn out looking a bit pastelist, such as the one above.  I painted this in summer 2011 out near the Glen Wild Park.  Oils are much more troublesome to use than acrylic for many reasons.  One of the main reasons that I have trouble with it, is because you have to use turpentine (paint thinner) instead of water.  Turpentine can smell REALLY bad, even when you buy the odorless kind.  Smelling this always makes me nauseous, so I don't use oils very often.  Another troublesome thing about oils is that they take really long to dry.  Really REALLY long.  The painting above is a 8.5x11" and it took about three weeks to dry.  Not only is this annoying when you want to display your work, but also if you are on a quick time frame, or you have to get something done for a client.

Watercolor Painting
Photo Courtesy of Maddy Lee

This is a watercolor barn painting that I did this summer.  I live in upstate New York in the summer by the way.  Anyways, I had never done a watercolor painting before this one, and it kinda looks like it.  The background and foreground look horrible, and the only thing I really like is the streakiness of the wood.  Watercolors are EXTREMELY difficult, considering you have to plan out your painting before you paint, so you can leave the white spaces blank.  You also can't go over your mistakes, whereas in oils and acrylics you can.  I think that if I had more experience with watercolors, I would like them a lot more, but for now I am used to the spontaneous use of acrylics.

So these are all the different paint mediums I have used fairly recently.  As you can probably tell, acrylic is my favorite by far.  But don't take my word for it.  Try these mediums out, and figure out which one you like the best.  And remember, no matter how bad you think your painting looks, everything is better than a blank canvas.

No Need to be Professional

Another Picture of Claire
Image Courtesy of Gretchen Lee

 What do think of when you see this picture?  When you see it, you probably think of it as a average, crappy photo to throw in a box and keep for later.  When I see it, I think about the "golfing" experience I had with my friend, Claire.  Photos are meant to be used to remember an experience and can often hold great meaning to those who know the story behind it.  For example, this picture shows Claire's (sometimes) goofy personality, and another failed attempt at being golfers.  

New York Summer '12
Image Courtesy of Cole Lee

Now this picture is something else.  Talk about crappy, this photo has no quality whatsoever.  The lighting is horrible, the whole is blurry, and it looks like my friends and I are tubing on a lake of trash.  However, this picture represents a summer vacation that we will never forget.  This goes to prove that one person's trash is another's treasure;  meaning that this photo means nothing to you, but the world to me.  Not everyone is can be the best photographer, but the fact that we were on a bumpy boat ride did NOT help.

Me leaving my closet
Image Courtesy of Claire

Well this is embarrassing...  Goes to prove that you should never judge a  book by its cover.  At school I appear to a quiet bore, and at home I just come out of my shell.  Although Claire captured this picture with a professional camera, nothing is professional about this image.  It captures my personality in a funny way.

Now you might be wondering why I wondered off into this magical topic.  It is simply because I wanted to point out that not all pictures have to be perfect.  Sometimes it is the blurriness or crookedness that brings a picture to life.  Next time you find yourself holding a camera, remember that being professional is not the most important thing.

P.S.  Next week's post will NOT be about photography.