Learning Reflection 3/31

I am pretty excited about our mural projects!  I will be working with Adele's, and learned quite a few things about illustrator that we will be utilizing to make this mural happen.  We decided to stage each separate window of the mural and photograph them, and then work with the images in illustrator to create a stencil out of cardboard.  I know more about Illustrator than I do about photoshop, but I did learn a few new tricks, such as the different style effects, to apply to these pictures.  We were thinking of using four colors per image, totaling in 16 different stencils; however, using my printmaking background, I think there are some images that we can treat as a reduction print to save cardboard. 

I also learned more about photoshop while attempting to help Adele in her tessellation. It was much more difficult to work with than mine was, so it ended up being a better learning experience for me. Teaching something to someone else always helps enforce things in my mind much better than trying to figure it out by myself.  

Learning Reflection 3/23

Response to class on 3/23:

I was pleasantly surprised with my stereogram! I was able to finish three different stereograms in class, but still plan on spending more time fine tuning them. I found that text is very hard to work with because it is so easily lost in the image. I have been trying different levels of random dots to attempt to bring out the words, but have not been able to find the optimal level just yet. Also, when creating my tessellation out of construction paper, I decided to play around with color. This turned out to be a good idea because I have three different options when choosing a selection of the tessellation in photoshop. The only thing I am dissatisfied with is how the program distorts my image after adding the text. I know that this distortion is essential in order to achieve the desired effect, but I feel as though it does not work well with the cups that I used in my tessellation. The website is very fun to play around with, and I'm glad that it is something that I can keep using after this project. 

Learning Reflection 3/11

Before Tuesday's class, I was very confused on what image should be the latent image, and what should be the dream content. Talking about this confusion helped me clear this up. I struggled during class with trying to figure out how to disguise my Post Secret, which states "I wish that just for one day, everyone would say exactly what they wanted to say." I tried thinking of things that make people say things that they might not say otherwise; these things include alcohol, lack of sleep, etc. 

I learned that tessellating these objects and concepts that I came up with is no easy task. I was not able to come up with a good tessellating design during class. I know that I am going to attempt to use the actual text, "I wish that just for one day, everyone would say exactly what they wanted to say," for the hidden image. However, i am still working on the objects to use for my tessellating design. 

I am curious as to how we are going to put these two images together to create the 3D image. What are the steps to make this happen? I know we are probably going to go over this next class, but I am still curious.

Learning Reflection 3/2

I am truly looking forward to our next project. I find dreams fascinating, mostly because I am unable to remember any of mine; but when I do remember part of one on that rare occasion, it connects in the most amusing and creative way to what is going on in my life at that moment. I also love Postsecret, and look at the website when it updates every week...I have read the books, and am trying to go to see one of the shows. I am curious as to how we are going to make the image 3D. I remember as a kid I was obsessed with those images. I'm excited to be able to create one myself!

I found it very helpful to have someone else write an artist statement for my mural proposal. There are several new points of view that I am able to bring into my artist statement. It was very challenging to write for someone else; however, this exercise helped me think in a new way while looking at someone else's work. 

The demo of gluing and cutting for the mural proposal gave me a good idea on what is expected in this project. I realised that I needed to trim some of my edges, and I also cut down my presentation board so I could have an even border on all sides.  

Artist Statement: Mural Proposal.

My whimsical mural design will be entirely hand-painted with cool, rich tones of the sea.  The painting will extend halfway up the building, and stretch the entire span between two of the barred windows.  The design itself pictures a woman's face amidst the tossing waves of the sea, and her hand arching above her face holding a ship in a glass ball.  I juxtaposed the human face and the ocean to show how humans and nature are connected on a primitive level.  I think it is important to bring natural images into a city such as Syracuse, because nature is not as big of a part of everyday life.  Although this image does not have any significant ties to the culture of this community, I have designed it with the intention to spur the imagination of those who view it.  I enjoy the freedom of interpretation that images have the power to create; I feel as though it is fun to let loose and create something for the joy of creating.