Second Semester
Progess report #7-5/13
I have finished my series and have realized what i had hoped to. I am currently making pieces that are roughly 4×5 feet. Now that i have been working on a variety of styles and techniques, i have finally found what works for me. In the begining of the year i focused on sponge work, then to brush. After this, i converted to sharpie, pastel, pencil and so forth. Now i have found how i like to munipulate all of these materials and bring them together to make a full rounded piece. This year has taught me alot about myself as an artist and as a person. In creating this final series, i have found what i would like to pursue in art, which would be to take it to an even larger scale on a harder material. Perhaps i will begin to work with masonite or wood burning.
Progress report #6-4.29.11
I have begun to work smaller pieces of butcher paper in hopes that i can begin to focus on fine detail. For the duration of the year i focused on creating the largest pieces that i possibly could. Coming to the end of the year, i realized that this may not have been the best approach. Now that im working on a smaller scale, i am able to catch all of the fine detail that i want to include, as well as color and line quality. It is a regretful realization but i am happy that i learned it now as apposed to 20 years from now. I hope to find a new style that allows me to work at a large scale while still capturing the finer things that i would like to add. I will continue to work on this series in hopes of doing so.
Progress report #5-4.8.11
I have begun my series of pieces that focus on the mythical world that lies in the skies. This series will be my final, seeing as how the art show is fast approaching. So far, the pieces are coming together well. I have begun to work with pastel over top of water color and acrylic paint. The pieces come out very well and i hope that i can continue to develope the messages that are portrayed. I feel that i have been focusing too hard on my character development when i should have been focusing on my composition.
Progress report #4-3.18.11
I have finished the series of 10 acrylic pieces and have found much success in my work. I feel that my skill in brush work and working with sharpie and developed considerably. I continued to focus on words and numbers, while also focusing on character placement. I found that the best way for me to develope a series is to work one at a time and put all of my efforts toward one piece. As far as developing the piece, I prime and add a background surface before i begin the piece itself. This method has been most effective for me, though i will continue to experiment as an artist always should.
Progress report #3-3.4.11
I have continued to work on the 6 pieces, completing the series and extending it to my next series. I have been focusing on my character placement and compiling a story with the basic characters. I have also begun to focus on the value of words and numbers in my pieces. I feel that I can convey a much stronger message through a numerical puzzle and a riddle of sorts. I want to continue this series into my next, so I have decided to extend it from 6 pieces to 10 pieces. The topic and focus will remain the same, I will simply continue my investigation.
Progress report #2-2.18
I have continued to work on the 6 pieces having completed 3. The pieces are coming along well in that i feel my skills in drawing and painting have severely increased. In doing the still life for a few weeks, my attention to detail and scale have heightened and matured. I look forward to the pieces to come and the development of a new technique. I will continue to work on this series, while beginning to add pencil to the mediums.
Progress report #1-2.4
As i have been working on the 6 pieces dealing with emotions and religion, i have found success in many aspects. I have been working on the paintings for the past few weeks and feel that the pieces are coming along well. I find that blending pastel and acrylic can be simple yet effective. In doing something that i had avoided for some time, i had developed a technique that is still growing, yet i am satisfied with. I will continue to work on this technique, as well as blending watercolor with pastel and acrylic. I feel that continuing this series with help me in doing so.
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First Semester
Progress Report #7: 1/13/11
Heritage pieces
With the beginning of my heritage pieces, i found it to be a lot of fun making pieces about Mexican culture and the American lifestyle. The more i got into it, the more effective the pieces have become. My most recent piece is reflecting on the characters that i draw in my sketchbook, magnified to a large size on a 7×4 canvas. I enjoy reflecting on my art background and using it as a theme for my pieces. It gives the work a personal touch in my eyes, perhaps the viewer can see it as well. For my next piece, i will begin my mural.
Progress Report #6: 12/17/10
Illustrations
The illustration pieces which i have been working on for the past few months have developed into something i was not expecting. Although the pieces have considerably dropped in size, i now focus on the story in the piece and what the characters are trying to say. Another detail that i have begun to expand on is the background in the piece. I enjoy this new perspective of art making and i am excited to see how far it will go. After this series i hope to make a series of random pieces regarding my background and heritage.
Progress Report #5: 12/3/10
Illustrations
With my illustrations i have found much success. I have developed my skills as a painter, a cartoonist, and an artist in general. The creation of large pieces pushed me to do better as far as the quality of the piece. I have begun to make the pieces bigger and bigger, the largest one being 10 and a half feet in length. I hope that my skills will continue to develope as i push forward into my illustrative period. I also want to capture the stories of the characters better with each piece. I believe that i will be able to accomplish this before the semesters end.
Progress Report #4: 11/12/10
Illustrations
With my illustration paintings, i have found much success. Each piece tells a story that is left for the viewer to decode. I find that taking the time to make sure each piece is complete to me has reflected on the work. Although I am not producing as much work as before, I am now focusing on quality, not quantity. After this series i will change to another approach and make smaller illustrations, while continuing to focus on telling stories. I also plan to make a series that tells stories through poems and single character movements.
Progress Report #3: 10.15.10
People paintings-I’ve decided to do one series per marking period, but divide them into sets or sections. For my third set of people paintings, i have taken on the challenge of capturing the struggle of power between democrats and republicans. I wanted to reflect on the lust for money and power between the two sides and how they fight for it. I stuck to the same materials of acrylic paint and butcher paper. I hope that i can continue this art marking skill and work towards improving. I want to move onto animals and things of the wild after this series.
Progress Report #2: 10.1.10
People paintings-Continuing my first series, i took a new approach with my character paintings. I decided to switch my media to strictly acrylic paints and butcher paper. The first set of painting i like to call ” The scrolls”. This set consists of pieces that express different human emotions. I like how the pieces ended up looking, being that there is no distinct story behind them. The pieces are completely up to interpretation unlike the other pieces in the set.
Progress Report #1: 9.17.10
People paintings-For my first series, i found much success with my characters and my use of mixed media. I found that as i began to make the piece, i used more and more medias. When i made the first painting, i went to painting the characters right away instead of painting the background first. Although i was happy with how the piece came out, for the pieces that followed i was sure to paint a background first, so that the entire surface was covered. With my second piece, i went for a much larger approach as far as the character went. The attention to detail was still a priority while making the piece, i feel that i accomplished this. With the smaller characters on the separate sheets of paper, i’ve decided to start a new series which i will paint 128 characters.
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2009 – 2010 School Year
Pot #1 assessment- The first pot worked out well. Although it was not the height I wanted to achieve, the pot came out with a unique look. The overall height measured out to be 13 1/2 inches, missing my goal of 22 inches by 8 1/2 inches. The drawings were also not put onto the pot but through this first experience with using the wheel to add coils, I can progress my skills from there. The pot came out to be much wider then I had expected having odd curves to the sides. The sides are smoothed down to give the pot a finer look along with the top coil to add the finishing looks. Using a paddle to make the pot thinner added height and a slow curve to it. With this style of pottery I can make pots with a more gradual and defined rise instead of the odd shape that came out in this pot. I chose Tahitian Blue as the glaze. The glaze came out with a pinkish, blueish tint to it. The pot came out with an almost oceanic look to it.
Pot # 2 assesment- The second large pot was not as successful as the first. While constructing the pot, the bottom layer became too dry to work with. With the dry bottom i could not add to the pots size. Despite this, i will be able to learn from this mistake to make the next pot better. With the next pot I will be more careful with the drying stages and make sure that the clay is still moist enough to work with. With the new batch of clay, I should be able to construct 4 or 5 more of these pots. Each time a make a new one I plan on using less clay. After the piece was fired i place several characters inside and outside of the pot. I then went over the underglaze with chrome green glaze on the outside and orange glaze inside.
Pot # 3 assesment- The third pot came out to much success. The sides were about 3/4 to 1/2 of an inch thick. This is very thin compared to my 2 other pots. The pot came out to be 18 inches in height which is much closer to my goal of 22 inches. Although the pots sides were thin, the pot manages to hold up its weight. I plan on using an orange glaze on the pot and using underglaze to paint various images on the piece.
Pot #4 assesment- The forth pot worked well. The height exceeded 10 inches which was one of my general goals. The walls of the pot were not thinner than the last, but were not as thick as the first. On this patricular pot i plan on putting a unigue design on the sides. This design will consist of square paterns similar to that of a film strip. In each square i will place different characters which i have already started. I am happy with how the pot came out but am disappointed by the pots shape. It looks radical and lacks consistancy. I will try to improve on this with the next piece.
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Pot #5 assesment- The fifth pot came out nearly identical to the fourth. The height and shape of the pot are very similar but my goal to make then differ from each other is to put characters and slip on the fourth pot and use only glazes for the fifth pot. I have completed the glazes on the fifth pot and it came out to be a unique blend of colors and textures. I am satisfied with the piece overall but still feel that i should be trying to accomplish my goal of 22 inches.
Pot #6 assesment- The sixth pot came out perfectly, measuring 20 inches with a very gradual shape to it. Using a wooden paddle i was able to smooth down the sides to give the pot a nice even texture. I also placed a seal on the rim of the pot with a face which gives the pot a unique look to it. Like my other pieces i plan on putting various characters using underglaze and going over the underglaze with a glaze, perhaps ill use slip as well.
Pot#7 assesment- The seventh pot came out to be a unique piece. My goal behind it was to create a chimania-like piece to hold candles. I followed through with the candle holder idea but decided against the chimania factor of the piece. Instead i placed various incisions along the sides of the pot so that the candle light can shine through the piece. I plan on using a blend of red,yellow, and orange glazes to give it the look of fire.
Pot # 8 assesment- The eigth pot was successful in that it was large but thin. I was attempting to make a pot with a large bottom with a thin neck at the top, but was only able to complete the bottom without the pot collapsing. None the less i am happy with how the pot came to look. It measured out to 13 and 1/2 inches which was under what i expected but i am still satisfied with it. I also placed three holes at the bottom of the piece because it is meant for glowing flowers or whatever one desires. After the piece was fired i added a variety of different glazes such as green, moss green, chrome green, red, and rust. Overall i am satisfied with the end result.
Pot #9 assesment- The ninth pot was a pot that was special to me because of the work that i put into it at home. This piece is roughly 15 inches high and 5 inches wide. The piece has two faces pertruding out of the sides which gives it a unique look. I plan on adding underglaze to add an additional 7 faces to the pieces, in total 9. After this is done, i will add a blue glaze over top to give it a shine and a red glaze inside to finish the piece.
