Final Portfolio... Part II

I realized that quite few of my ART 113 (color) paintings didn't make it onto this blog, so here they are (a few weeks later than expected).

As you've seen, our first few projects were on a rather small scale, so everyone in my class (including me) was horrified when our teacher walked in carrying huge rectangles of canvas.  We were told that we had a mere two weeks to fill them using a technique aptly named "stain painting," which involves applying watered down acrylics to wet, unprepared canvas, staining the cloth permanently.

 

I had to put down several layers in order to achieve the vivid red of her dress.



"On the Edge"

I promise it looks much better in person... and in different lighting.  It's a little difficult to take a picture of it when it's hanging on my bedroom wall.  Plus, it's still not finished; I need to paint another seagull in the upper right corner.

"light bulbs"

 This, believe it or not, is spray paint.  I designed and cut out the stencils myself (there were about eight of them), then layered the colors to create the forms you see here.  The smell alone was enough to keep me from doing it again.

Our next project involved "pointillism," a form of impressionism.

"Susquehanna River"

I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

So much, in fact, that I decided to do it again for my final:

"Ruined Castle"

This one isn't finished either.  I had hoped to work on it over the break, but I've been a little distracted lately, especially after the events of Christmas Eve.  With everything going on right now, my poor paintings might not be touched again until Summer!

Final Portfolio

It's been a few crazy months, but the fall semester is finally over! 

That's not to say I didn't enjoy it... I actually learned some very useful things this semester, especially in my studios.

I'm going to have to split this post in half because there's a LOT of material.

My 3-Dimensional art studio (ART 115) was a challenge, to say the least, as I have only really ever worked in the 2-Dimensional.  It took me a while to switch my brain over.
The first day of class, we were handed a lump of clay and told to make something, anything, so I made this:

"Mary"

Although she's a little crude and not at all like I intended, I kind of like the effect.
Our next assignment was a relief sculpture, also made out of clay.  I've already shown it in a previous post, so I won't go into too much detail, but I will say that I think it looks more like it should be on a sarcophagus than a wall.

"Reflecting on Eternity"

Things took a different turn with our second official project:

"Museum Piece"

Wire.  It's terrible stuff.  The kind we used was hard to bend and left a greasy black residue on my hands.  And yet, though my hands were pinched, poked, and sore, I like my sculpture.  It was actually supposed to be a fish, until it grew wings... and sharp-teeth. 
As you can see, I continued with the reptilian theme in my next project:

"In Motion"

Wood is just as big a pain as wire.  Luckily, thanks to my years taking stagecraft in high school, I knew how to use all of the power tools, but building a sculpture is VERY different from building a set, and I'm not so happy with the result, except for its EXCEPTIONAL smoothness.  Seriously, I wish that you could touch it. 
Our fourth project was a group project, much to my dismay.  After much stressing and nagging and, finally, giving up, it all came together in a statement about the current condition of the sought-after college degree.

"Future"

If you can't see (sorry that the picture is too far away), the letters are covered in what my teacher dubbed "College Debris:" coupons, job applications, soda cans, Ramen Noodles, receipts of all kinds, pasta containers, fast food bags, bills, scholarship applications, etc.  The sculpture, placed in front of Old Main at ASU, points out that college degrees aren't as valuable today as they were in the past, and that the so-called "College Lifestyle" may not be relegated only to college students.
I was greatly relieved when I could finally work on my own again.  The next two projects, plaster and pewter, both involved molds.



"Immature"

I used a hammer and chisel to carve her out of a solid block, feeling quite Paleolithic the entire time.  At one point I was getting really frustrated because red stains kept appearing on the sculpture while I was working on it and I could not figure out where they were coming from.  Finally, I realized it was blood; I had apparently chiseled off a piece of my finger without noticing.  A Band-Aid solved that particular problem.
As much fun as that was, the pewter project was my favorite (until the final).

"Restless"

Over the course of one (three-hour) class period, I carved all of the details into a cuttlefish bone, then poured melted pewter into the mold.  I didn't pour enough metal in, so the left side is (beautifully, in my opinion) unfinished.  I'm going to make it into a necklace.
In November, I got strep throat.  But I still had a project due, "Life and Death," and had to work through it.  I had so many great ideas, but I just didn't have the energy to do most of them, which left me with Plan "G."

"Paradise"

 
   
I dunno, I guess it's pretty cool... if you imagine an entire room filled with the candles.
My final project, I think, is the best one, and has the most personal meaning.

"From Within"

    I got really, really sick the summer I turned sixteen.  After months of suffering culminating in a two-week long hospital stay, I was diagnosed with Chrones, a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the digestive tract.  However, just as the disease comes from within, so does the strength to overcome it, a truth that I hope my piece is able to convey.

Anyways, as always, I do take commissions, so if you like one of my pieces I would love to make you something similar.

A Tale of Two Paintings

First, here's a little sneak preview:

I started (and finished) a new (abstract) painting in my Color Studio... I call it "Frog in the Canal."

It was my first experience with India Inks, so it took me a while to get into it, but when I did I knocked the entire bottle over onto my painting. I stared at the steadily advancing puddle for what seemed like a very long time before I decided that I liked the effect and dipped each corner.  I would definitely make some changes in the coloring, though, if I were to do it again.

Anyways, it's time for the part I'm sure you've all been waiting for; the grand unveiling!

 

                                                                                                                     It's done!


If you would like to commission an artwork (I work in acrylics, graphite, and frosting), please don't be shy! Contact me at kmjohn45@asu.edu or through facebook.

When the A/C Fails

I realize it's been a while since I last posted.  I could list all my excuses, which are many and include four days with no air conditioning, but that would take too long.  We'll just get into the good stuff.  First off, it was Thomas Scott's birthday last week and I had some brand new stumps (awesome drawing tools) that needed to be used, so I settled down on my couch, turned on Jurassic Park, and eventually ended up with this:

 

 

I was so excited that I showed it to him a week early, even though it was meant to be a surprise.

 

Oops.

 

Blinded by my success, I decided to go all out for one of my school assignments, which actually turned out to be a lot harder than I expected, as it was my first real experience with clay.

A word to the wise: It's definitely NOT like Playdough.

 

 



 

 

I'm not too sure how I feel about it... She kind of looks like she's dead.

 

As for Amber Hall's Temple Painting, I managed to fix my mistakes, but I won't post a picture this time because it doesn't look any different to anyone except me.  If you're super curious, just check my last post. 

Abstract Art

I went back to school last Thursday.  All of my classes are either studios (Color and 3D) or art history (Western, Aztec, and Modern) courses, so I've been eating, breathing, and sleeping art this entire week.  I'm not entirely sure yet if this is a good thing... I've already been sucked into creating my first piece of abstract art.

Feast your eyes upon it:



I actually think it would look really good in my bathroom; the colors are interesting and the composition contains a good rhythm, but it was SO boring to paint!  Hopefully my next school project will be more engaging...

In the midst of all the havoc created by school, I worked on my cousin Amber's painting.

I'm getting very close to finishing it now. I just need to touch up the sidewalk, put the reflection in the reflection pool, and add the surrounding flowers.

....and fix a mistake I just barely noticed while looking at this picture.
                                                                                                                                         Dang it.

Painting in the Rain

If you've been living under a rock for the past week, and only just emerged, you probably didn't know that it rained on Tuesday. And when I say "it rained," I really mean that an apocalyptic deluge swept over the valley.

                                                 It was pretty great.

                                                                But NOT as great as this:

I think the combination of rain and Sixth Sense really helped my concentration.

Distraction

It's been a busy week.

Not as far as the painting goes, unfortunately, but everywhere else. Things have gotten crazy at work and school is less than a week away (yikes), which requires certain preparations. Plus, I started two additional projects, one of which is doomed to remain unfinished for the rest of eternity, and the other turned out too fantastic for words. Seriously. I was impressed with my own work.

Anyways, here it is:

The actual temple is finished, so now I just have to work on the surrounding vegetation and the reflection pool.

That's about it for now... but, for your enjoyment, here is a peek at what my palette looks like at the end of each painting frenzy:

Yes, my "palette" is really a paper plate. This way, I don't have to wash it off each time, I can just throw it away and get a new one. I'm lazy like that.

California, Proportion, and a Teeny Tiny Paintbrush

I must apologize for the lack of new posts, but I was chilling (literally - I was freezing) on a beach in California last week several miles away from my art supplies, so things have been on hold.

When I finally returned, I noticed something horrifying:



The top section of the temple was much too large in proportion to the bottom level. This picture may not be the best illustration of that fact, due to the viewer perspective, but it's there, trust me.

Actually, I knew it was there before I left. I was just in denial. Seeing it after my week-long hiatus made me realize how big of a problem it really was, so I buckled down and spent a good part of my afternoon yesterday fixing it.

I was having difficulties painting the divisions between the window panes and the long, thin shadows around the columns because all of my brushes were too big. Even my smallest paintbrush, a gift from a High School teacher who knows my fanatical penchant for miniscule detail all too well (I often used an old and very battered brush in her class that contained just a single hair), wasn't up to the task. Frustrated, I visited my local art supply shop, and found THIS:

                                                                                                     It's beautiful.

And it does it's job well. I think this might be the best purchase I've ever made, though a few of my books are close contenders.

50% Completion

Well, after an entire week, the top half is finished. It probably wouldn't have taken so long if I hadn't gotten a little distracted over the weekend... perhaps 6 hours at the most. But here it is:

 

                                                                                             I might have to fix the sky again.

 

The size of the painting makes it quite difficult to work on without accidentally resting my elbow on the canvas, which could stretch out the cloth and smudge the paint, so I'm usually kneeling over it as it rests on my living room floor, arms held carefully aloft and nose almost touching the windows. As you can probably guess, my neck has been killing me as a result. Today I suddenly came to a revelation; working at a desk would fix all of those issues! I placed the canvas on my kitchen table, took a seat, and started to work. Twenty minutes later, neck throbbing, I noticed that I was standing up and, once again, hunched Quasi-modo style over the canvas.

 

I guess what they say is true: artists always suffer.

 

...Or I could just get out my easel.

 

 Problem solved.



Throwback Thursday! Considering all the attention I received following my previous post, I figured that I should display some of my earlier paintings for public enjoyment.

These two have gained a yellowish tint as they aged because I used a lower quality paint. I'm not sure if I like the effect, though it is certainly interesting.



 

 

 

 

This was my first (and last... for now) attempt at painting a machine. When I look at it today I can't help but see all of the flaws that would prevent this thing from actually taking flight, but I had so much fun with it that it remains one of my favorites... And there is something satisfying about painting a Nazi balloon going down in flames.

I painted this one for a youth art contest in Salt Lake, Utah. It was also an experiment to see if I could paint a recognizable human likeness. I must've done a good job, as it was chosen to hang in the Church History Museum for an entire year! If, however, you can't tell, the girl sitting in the sun is my sister, Abby.

My absolute favorite painting involved weeks of work and miniscule paintbrushes (one of them contains just a single hair). It was all worth it; every detail is to my satisfaction.

Now I have to go make myself some hot chocolate.