YSP and Hepworth Gallery.

21/10/15

After visiting the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Hepworth Gallery yesterday, I have many mixed thoughts about Sir Anthony Caro's work. Initially, I liked his work. I liked how it was mainly built on a large scale and I liked the materials he worked with were industrial instead of plaster or ceramic materials that were mainly showcased in the Hepworth gallery. I especially liked how he experimented with different materials such as glass switching to plastic when glass deemed too difficult. As most sculptures are built from the floor or to be placed upon a table, I was also fond that he built sculptures hanging from the ceiling or draping over the edge of a table. However, I also did not enjoy his work. I feel that his work lacks creativity and is too simplistic for my liking. I feel like the majority of his work could be done by myself as it just looks like pieces of painted metal welded together. I appreciate his work and understand that in reality I would not be able to do what he does to his level, but I still think his work doesn't look like it has come from a man deemed the greatest sculpture of our generation.
Looking at the difference between the exhibitions, the work shown in the Yorkshire Sculpture park was definitely more modern and bright compared to the exhibition shown in the Hepworth Gallery. The work that was showcased in the Hepworth was mainly shown in the materials natural form instead of painted bright, bold colours like in the Yorkshire.

Week 5

During his week I have finished all 20 of the glossary pages. Including proportion, Harmony and Space.

I also used terms from the print making working such as chine colle and la poupee. To do these I used two examples of work I had created in the workshop.
For chine colle i cut away the zebra and elephant from tissue paper and stuck this to parcel paper. Then suing my lino print from the printmaking workshop, I used white ink to press onto the page.

For la poupee i used three different colours on the lino block:brown, purple and red.

For proportion, I used a picture I had found on Pinterest. I used the initial design and then incorporated my own background, keeping it remotely the same, using similar colours .

For space I did not want to do a black and white picture that appeared to be a commonly used idea. Therefore, i took the literal word of space and placed a hand in space. I cut out a hand and placed it on the page, painting around it in black. I then mixed colours to get a light shade of blue and purple and a 'hot pink' Using a sponge I then dabbed the paint across the page to create a nebula effect. To finish the piece i then flicked white paint across the page to create stars using my thumb and index finger.

Harmony was the one i found the most difficult. I decided to use a harmonious pattern using harmonious colours. I cut small hands from two shades of pink and a purple card and placed them in a spiral pattern.

I also started and finished Value and Emphasis.
For Value I used water colours to create the gradient effect of the background, starting from the bottom and working to the top so the colour washes out towards the top of the page. I then painted the hand black again using water colours.

For emphasis i traced the image of the bird and women onto newspaper, filling it in with ink. I then let the ink run from the bottom.

I also finally finished the pattern piece. However, I did not have access to the right colour of cream pencil so I had to leave the background white

‘Hands On’ Evaluation.

A wide range of visual language has been used throughout my work of glossary pages and workshop outcomes. I have interpreted different visual languages throughout the course to ensure that I have attempted to experiment with different Medias of art. This can be expressed in such pages like, pattern for the Print Making workshop. Even though I did not use my print making outcome as a glossary page, I incorporated pattern within the piece to tie the theme together and make the background more intricate. Along with applying visual language to the workshops and glossary pages, I also applied different media to explore the characteristics of a range of visual language. This use of different terms learnt within the workshops to add to the glossary pages can support this, along with techniques studied to portray visual language, for example, I used Puff Binder to show Texture.

The whole experience of making my own glossary I have found very challenging in a number of different ways. The main challenge I have been subjected to is time management. Throughout school or my previous year at college, I have never been assigned to a large project were you are set free to study and complete work until a deadline. Doing this, I have had to set personal targets of how much work is needed to be completed for everything to be finished on time. Another large challenge for me is regaining artistic techniques I have long forgotten about. As I have not been an art student for a total of four years, I have found it different to remember different styles of painting and shading in order for my work to be at an acceptable standard. Along with learning how to use different medias again, I have also had to learn how to use different tools and techniques within the workshop such as a tjanting and lino cutter.

To an extent learning about the different terminology within art has broadened my English skills. This is because I am now aware of the different meanings of one word for example within the English dictionary ‘Value’ can mean the importance or worth of something, however in art, it means how light or dark tones or colours are. However, focusing on spelling or grammar, this project has not improved my English skills as the definitions have only been copied and therefore not learnt or memorised.

Within this project a different range of research has been conducted. For Primary research I mainly used photos taken by myself within the photography workshop alongside photos taken by myself in my personal time. These photos include family and friends as well as myself. In my sketchbook I have also taken observational drawings and paintings of different artists work such as Egon Schiele and Kathe Kollowitz. For secondary research I produced a Pinterest board containing 43 pins of hands portrayed using different media, for example, photography, drawings and paintings. I also conducted information on different artists to study how they draw or paint and which art movements they belong to if they belong to any. I printed off additional photos of hands which I could use to influence my glossary pages. In supporting my practical studies I would say my research has been very effective. My secondary research has been very helpful in influencing my work when I have been stuck on ideas of what to do for certain glossary pages. I have also been able to use my primary research for glossary pages such as movement. To improve my research I could have done more primary research in my own time instead of using a majority of photos from the photography workshop. I could have also printed more research out to use instead of just a small image on my phone.

Throughout this project I have acquired a large range of skills in different processes and techniques within art. For example, I am now able to use tools such as scalpels in the correct manor to achieve clean cuts with materials I am working with. In workshops such as print making, I can now use tools like lino cutters to achieve intricate designs and machinery such as a printing press to print my designs onto paper. In ceramics, I have learnt the processes of not just how to create a sculpture using clay but how to prepare the clay using cheese cutters to slice through and make sure there are no air bubbles so the sculpture will not explode once heated in the kiln.

I feel that my workshop outcomes have been some of my best work throughout this project. I am most proud of my Print Making/Lino Cutting outcomes as I feel the amount of time spent on cutting the lino to achieve an accurate, clean design paid off. I believe I had a high technical skill throughout this workshop, using different size lino cutters to allow me to easily access and cut away smaller details within the design. This also applies for the 3D workshop, using the scalpel to achieve clean lines for my design.  I found it difficult to cut away small parts using a scalpel and sharp turns within the design but I felt I would create a more accurate design using a scalpel instead of scissors. However, I do not think I used a high level of technical skill within the textiles workshop, leading to poorly designed work. I feel this is because it was the beginning of the course and everything was new and I was unsure of what to do and how to do it. I also feel that at the beginning of the course I had little confidence in myself which also lead to a poor quality of work.

I think my overall ‘Hands On’ portfolio is quite effective. I feel that the majority of the work produced is at a high standard, using a large range of different medias within art. However, I do believe there could be pieces that could be heavily improved as some pieces of work were rushed to meet the deadline. If I could redo them, I would simply take more time and effort to produce the specific pages.

Being creative is about taking risks and challenges and doing something just for the sake of doing something. I believe it’s about being more confident in yourself and your designs and ignoring any doubts you have.  It can be about changing your perspective and allowing yourself to thinking differently and work with different mediums of art. It’s about finding many different ways to reach the same conclusion and finding inspiration in even mundane places.

I have learnt that being creative is not just about using bright colours and intricate ideas for designs, even the most simplest of creations can be flooded with creativity.

To work independently I found it easy. This is because I feel I work best when I am alone, to think about what I am going to do and how I am going to achieve it. Working independently there is no one else to influence your ideas or argue against you if they do not like it. There is also no one else to distract you. To work collaboratively with peers I found difficult. This is because I am a rather shy person who finds it hard to talk amongst a group of people I am unfamiliar with. Therefore I prefer to work independently.

There could have been a lot of improvement on time management. I feel on certain days I managed my time effectively, getting up to four pieces of work started or completed. However, at the start of the project I did not realise how fast the project would come to an end, leaving me to have to rush some pieces of work. But towards the end of the project, I believe I managed the majority of my time effectively, coming into college on days off or staying late after the class had ended so I could use the equipment and large space provided.

Within the time frame that we had I feel like I have produced the best possible work to my standard in most cases. However, if I had managed my time more effectively at the beginning of the project I feel all pieces of work could be at the same level instead of a few that were rushed due to poor judgment of time.

Overall, I have really enjoyed this project. I liked how the project brief was set and then we were allowed to go away and work independently creating the glossary pages as we pleased instead of being tutored through every section. Doing this has allowed me to think more creatively.

Print Making.

13/10/15

KeyWords
Print Making - The process of making artwork by printing, normally on paper.
Lino Printing- A print making technique were a sheet of lino is used as the relief.
Relief Printing- Lino/Wood Printing.
Brayer - Roller used to spread ink.
Texture - The feel, appearance or consistency of a surface or substance.
La Poupee - Using multiple ink on one block.
China Colle - Collageing paper onto a block. Tissue Paper commonly used.
Henna - A dye used to decorate the hair or body.
ZenTangle - A method used to create images from repetitive patterns.


Today, in the Printing Making workshop we did Lino Printing. To start the lesson, Jess, our printing instructor went through key words and terms we would be learning about throughout the day and the health and safety of using the presses and the workshop. She then showed us different zentangles to inspire us to create our own. Up until break we were left to sketch out different patterns and zentangles and to choose our favourites to use for our final design later in the day. I did not use my favourite.
After break we were introduced to lino and the tools used to cut it. Jess then told us to incorporate our zentangles into hands on the lino. I chose to use a previous vine pattern I had drawn and incorporate it within a safari theme. I drew around my hands in different positions and used them to create different animals: I used a Zebra and an Elephant. I then used the cutting technique shown to cut away the excess lino. This took a lot of patience as i made the design complicated to cut out. However once the pattern was finally completed, I used ink to roll onto the template using a brayer and then put through the printing press. I'm glad i had the patience and determination to complete the design how I wanted it to be and not finish it in a quicker way as I am proud of the outcome of my work. I used black, white and brown paper to print onto.

This has been my favourite workshop. I found it therapeutic and loved the final outcome of the designs once they were printed.

week 4.

At home I started to illustrate shape. I drew around my hand in various positions around the page and then began to doodle across the page. Once i had finished scribbling the pattern, I simply coloured it in. This caused many problems. For this design, I did not want two colours to touch, but in many places they did. Therefore, to solve this i had to re-draw certain areas so they remained separate. However, I am not completely satisfied with this piece. If i was to restart , I would choose different colours as I think using separate colours for each section makes the piece look childish.

As the shape piece was mainly completed at home, it did not take long for me to finish this within sole. So I started texture. I painted my background using black paint, and using the techniques we learnt in textiles, I used puff binder to create the skeleton hands. I then drew on the definition using white pencil.

For my next art piece, I took the word 'abstract' from the 3D workshop. I again painted the background black like I had for the texture piece. I then drew out a hand and cut it into sections, painting them different colours. I then pieced the hand back together but moved them away from each other so it no longer resembled a solid hand. Once they were stuck down, I wrote a different part of 

the definition onto one of the pieces of hand.

I also continued my Pattern piece by colouring the hand, henna and background. I need a cream pencil to full complete this.

I used tracing paper for 'Balance'. I had previously found an image on Pinterest that i liked for me to draw. I equally divided the page into four quarters and copied one section onto the tracing paper so i knew how much space i could use to draw onto. I then split this quarter into two and wrote on the definition onto the bottom, smaller part, drawing the hand on the larger part. Using the paper, I mirrored the sketch into all the other quarters.

The final piece I did this week was another word taken from a workshop; 'Screen Printing'. To do this I used the same method I had learnt from the textiles workshop. I used multiple colours through the screen to create this effect. However, doing this has caused some of the procion dye to smudge in certain places. I also printed the same design onto paper to use in my sketch book.

Wire Hand.

8/10/15

As part of the 'Hands On' project I did a wire sculpture of a hand. This was done by cutting four, one metre long wire pieces and slotting them into the wood base. I then wrapped one piece around in a spiral motion, comparing it to my hand so it was the same width and length. For the fingers, I then wrapped the wire around my fingers to try and aim to get them the same size. However this method did not work as I had hoped as I tied the wire slightly too tight and got my fingers stuck. I had to unwrap the wire to release my fingers. I could still however, remotely see where it was previously coiled as there were kinks in the wire. I did this for all four fingers and thumb.

At the start of the session Brad, our instructor, went through all the safety procedures such as wearing goggles so the wire remained away from your eyes. He also instructed us on how to cut and clean the wire safely and how to slot it into the wood base using pliers.

week 3.

In week three I started rhythm and contrast. 

For rhythm i drew a pair of hands clapping which causes the rippling effect. As rhythm is mainly associated with music, I thought about what music can you make with hands; clapping. But in art rhythm is thought of as repeated pattern, which is why i chose to choose a bright rippling pattern. 

I also used google and Pinterest to help me with how to illustrate rhythm and the rippling pattern.

I also completed contrast. For this I was influenced by an old method i used when i was a child. I stick half a piece of coloured paper on top of another and cut out a pattern. I would then stick the cut out pieces onto the opposite coloured paper to create this look. However, instead of using paper like I would when I was younger i used paint.

week 2.

In week two of the 'Hands On' project the brief was extending onto also producing glossary pages of the principles of design: Pattern, Rhythm, Balance, Contrast, Emphasis, Unity and Proportion. We must also produce six glossary pages from words we have learnt within the workshops.

This week I started pattern. For pattern I knew straight away that I wanted to draw Henna. I drew around my hand and then started to draw the henna, making sure that the pattern was as symmetrical as possible. As this pattern was based around an Arabic theme I wanted to keep the rest of the piece orientated around the Arabic Culture. For the background, I used a recent picture I had taken from a trip to Abu Dhabi as inspiration. The picture was taken of a wall in the Grand Mosque, a huge part of their culture. The definition of pattern is also written in Arabic; meaning 'A regular and intelligible form or sequence discernible in the way in which something happens or is done.' The circle it is within was influenced by the circle on the picture. The picture represents God and he is within the circle because he was believed to have shown the meaning of life. In my art work, the definition is within the circle because it describes the meaning of the work. To draw the outline of this piece, it took me a total of seven hours.

During the second week i also restarted colour as I didnt not like what i had previously done. Instead I wanted to use melted wax to create the effect that the colour was raining on top of the hand. I used this picture from Pinterest as a starting point of how to draw the hand. Once the hand was draw I then covered it masking tape so the wax would not run over. I then sellotaped coloured wax crayons together and on top of the page, using a hairdryer to melt them. However, the power of the hairdryer caused some of the wax to splash and merge into one. Also the orange, yellow and green wax wouldn't melt. So instead I cut a small piece of the wax on, stuck it to the top of the page and melted it on a low heat on the hairdryer so it wouldn't spread across the page. Melted wax is very hard to control. Another problem that occurred using wax was that the oils within the wax leaked onto the paper.

I then took the page back to college the following week where i could paint the background white, covering the leaked oils. I then finished the piece by painting the hand and writing on the definition in sole. I found painting the hand very difficult as I have not used paint for 3/4 years.

week 1.

In the first week off the 'Hands On' project we were given the brief to produce glossary pages expressing the elements of design. These were: Line, Colour, Value, Shape, Texture, Space and Form. Each glossary page should illustrate the word chosen as well as having the definition within the art work.
I chose to illustrate Line and Colour first.

For Line, I simply drew straight lines across a page, however, raising them in an arch in certain places to it created the effect that there was a hand underneath causing the paper to raise. Doing this piece was very time consuming and tedious. I also came across the problem of being unable to match the striped pattern up and as i drew this in felt pen, some of the lines ran and caused the lines to blur.

I also started to draw Colour. For this i drew around my hands so they crossed over. I then chose to colour each hand in a Primary colour, either red, blue or yellow and were the hands crossed i coloured the hand in the colour that would be made if they primary colours were mixed; green, orange and purple.

Ceramics Workshop.

29/09/15

In the ceramics workshop, we used clay to create a sculpture based on the 'Hands On' project. After our tutor went through the rules of the workshop and how she expected us to behave in it, we began to sketch ideas of what we would like to create using the clay. I struggled to think of an idea of what to sculpt, so I used Pinterest to help inspire me. This lead us up to break.
After break Deborah, our tutor, instructed us how to prepare the clay so it was good to use for sculpting with. This included kneading the clay so there were no air bubbles. If there were air bubbles in the clay, once in the kiln, they would expand and cause the sculpture to 'explode'.
Once the clay was prepared we rolled it out onto calico using a rolling pin and two sticks to ensure that the clay was evenly spread. We cut around our hands and saved them to use later for a group piece. Using the techniques I had used earlier, I then rolled out more clay to use for my sculpture. I then placed a piece inside an oval mold to help form the base of my design and then another piece around a tube to help form the tree structure. I carved around my hand onto another piece of clay for the hand design. Over dinner I waited for it to set, making it easier to sculpt with.
After dinner, I began to stick all the pieces together. I started by placing all the pieces were i wanted them to go, cutting pieces of the tree base away so it sat in the right position. I then used 'slit' and scoring to stick the tree base onto the base and then the hand onto the other two. I then used a sculpting tool to help smooth out the edges to it became one. Using more clay and slit, i added branches onto the tree and then smoothed it all over using water and a paint brush.

Within the last 30 minutes of the workshop we worked as a group to create a class piece by using the hands we had cut early in the day. We used a mold so the hands would form a bowl shape. We each took it in turn to place out hands into the bowl and secure them using slit and scoring.

I really enjoyed this workshop as i found it fun and challenging.

3D Workshop.

6/10/15

Keywords
Shape-Scape - Sculpture in a box, aimed at adults to construct an infinate number of sculptures from the same set pieces
Cutting Mat - A rubber mat to protect the surface of the table
Abstract - Art that does not attempt to represent an accurate depiction of visual reality but instead uses shapes, colours, forms and gestural marks to achieve its effect.
Slotted Cardboard - inter locking pieces of card that can form a shape without the use of any other fixtures eg. glue.
Scalpel - A knife with a small, sharp, sometimes detachable blade.
Craft Knife - A stronger handle knife but not as accurate as a scalpel.
Slot Puncher -A tool used to punch put a slot in the cardboard the correct width to interlock.

At the beginning of the workshop, our instructor, Adam, showed us the Shape-Scape website to give us an understanding of what they were and what is was we would be doing in the workshop. He also showed us a book in which the Shape-Scape featured in, telling us that the designer of Shape-Scape was Peter Mayor.
Adam then gave the us some Shape-Scapes and told us to, as a group, create something. We all took a couple of pieces and slotted them together, then joining everyone's together and deciding what is was that we made.
Adam then went through all the safety procedures we must follow to ensure we used the tools such as the scalpel safely. One rule was that we should use the scalpel towards ourselves as it allowed us more control over the tool instead of if we used it going away from ourselves. We then got ourselves a scalpel, cutting mat and card and started to cut random shapes from it. Once I felt I had enough shapes, I used the slot puncher to cut slots into and then started to piece them all together. To me what I had created looked like a plane had crashed into a fish, however to Adam it looked like a man from a marching band.

After break, we starting on sculpting hands. Adam showed the group a few sculptures he and Brad had made to give us an idea what to do. Instead of planning what I wanted to do, I just started it. I started with the palm. I tried to replicate the bones and knuckles in it to add to my sculptures. It was not intended to look like a skeleton hand, but as it started to appear that way, I carried it on. I found a picture off of Pinterest and started to work from that. Once a had joined all the pieces of the fingers together, I did not like that the hand look overcrowded, so I copied the idea Brad had used on his hand and cut out circles to use as Knuckles.













So far this has been my favourite workshop as i prefer to sculpt and use tool such as scalpels. I found this workshop challenging however very fun.

Art Bloggers Websites.

For this weeks sole project we were given a list of websites and told to analyse them, saying what we liked and disliked and how we can take ideas from their blog and apply them to our own.



1) http://www.aestheticamagazine.blogspot.co.uk/

What I like about this blog is that it has a professional look. I also like how photographs are used and the text about them is informative yet it is used in different medias such as informative text and interviews. However, I feel there needs to be an even balance of images and text and people who don't enjoy reading, such as myself, can get bored very quickly and lose interest before finishing off the blog entry.
Something i can take from this blog though is to use different ways in which to write my blog such as using interviews, instead of it being just text for every blog entry.

2)http://www.art21.org/

What I like about this website is that is uses a very bold and attractive layout. However, I do not like how you must go through a series of other pages among the site to find what you are looking for. As I do not like this website I would not apply anything from it to my blog.

3)http://www.artcritical.com/

This site is laid out in a similar way to the previous website. However, I like how it has a more easier layout to follow. The previous site, took time to find what you were looking for, however this one is so much quicker and straightforward. I also like that the homepage has a simple design. I don't like that the homepage is slightly overcrowded in my opinion. I feel there needs to be less things going on and maybe making some elements bigger too.
For my blog, i would use the simple and easy design and layout of this website.

4) www.blog.frieze.com

Website Not Found.

5)www.contemporaryartdaily,com

Website Not Found.

6)http://www.edwardwinkleman.com/

What I dislike about this blog, firstly is that my first thoughts about it was that it is boring. It has a simple layout but black text on white background does not appeal to me. Secondly, there is too much text. I feel people could easily get bored reading this and if they were to click onto the website link, would quickly click back. I also find that the blog is hard to navigate. There is nothing I particularly like about this blog nor use to influence my own.

7)www.galleristny.com - http://observer.com/art/

What I like about this website is that even though the design is simply black on white, it uses many photos, subheadings and a brighter tool bar to making the website more appealing. However, i don't like this website as it reminds me more of a newspaper than it does of an art blog. If i was to apply something from this website to my own it would be the design of it.

8)http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/blogs

What I like about this website is that is it so easy to navigate, using the side bar you can easily find what you are looking for. I also like that the images can be enlarged to view better and that the use of images is frequent. I also like the logo. However, I don't like that there is a lot of information crammed into one space. In my blog, i could use the easy layout and the use of a logo.