alyssafedrau - Tumblr blog

[alyssafedrau]

Conceptual Goals: For this first one, for myself, I first spent the time to do an ombre purple background. Most of it is covered, but you can sort of still tell that it was ombre! I then put a picture in the center of my best friend Cearra and I. This is one of my favorite pictures of us and I have it up in my room, so I thought it was the perfect choice! Next, I decided to split the rest of the sections into four. I used things you taught from throughout the semester.

Aesthetic Goals: At the top is a "still life" drawing of an otter, my favorite animal, in sharpie medium. On the left I did the "care free" lines and dots that you and I discussed I try. The right has the "abstract" work we did in the beginning of the semester. And lastly, on the bottom I worked on the collaging methods. I collaged some of my favorite candies:)

Course Inspiration: You were the influence to my piece, since I used tools from throughout the semester and tried to continue with the care free technique that we discussed throughout the semester!

Conceptual Goals: This next piece was for my mom, who influenced my decision to come to Bonas. She is an alumni from 1988 and lived in Devereux Hall 3 years, freshman-junior years! She met all of her best friends in Dev, and to this day says it holds the best memories. I wanted to make this for her because she was my influence to come here. Not only that but I met two of my three roommates in Dev, just like my mom did. And Saint Bonaventure has so far been the best three years of my life, and I want to continue making these amazing memories!

Aesthetic Goals: This picture is meant to be a more colorful depiction of the Dev archway. At the end of the "tunnel" is some crayon to change up the medium! I used a Bonaventure magazine (we had previously used magazine clippings for assignments, so my inspiration was from those!) to put images on there that I thought represented this piece well. The background is green since everything in Dev is green!

Course Inspiration: I used paint, crayon, collaging, and sharpie to complete this assignment. This one again was inspired by our discussions on getting me to let loose with my work. I also used some more dots with paint and q-tips like I had previously done in an assignment to improve on my care free work:)

[alyssafedrau]

I decided to make a notecard for each of the four stalls on the first floor women's bathroom in Swan! This way, when they close the stall door, they are stuck with a message. I also put one, the finals one that I thought everyone could use some motivation for, just in the bathroom for everyone to see on the wall. I chose different colored notecards for each, and I wrote a message on each just to give whoever is reading them some motivation!

Attendance prompt-

"At its simplest, charcoal is the carbon-rich by-product of organic matter - usually wood - and fire" (Page 274).

I chose this simple quote just to sum up all of the charcoal page. I find it so interesting how back in prehistoric times, charcoal was used to make art on cave walls. It is just cool to me that something so basic as charcoal was used to make art, in a time where there was no, 'art'.

[alyssafedrau]

Using your previous artistic advise, I made the background more carefree and added dots! (and I actually used a Q-Tip rather than a paint brush to try and make them look loose) !!  I also used pencil, sharpie, crayon, and paint as my mediums!! To add onto your advise, I used magazine clippings to the Hershey's bar, which I think made the picture!

My artistic process was just trying to let loose more this time around and have fun with it. I am a very specific person, so to help myself I would not let myself have a theme, and just drew random images! I think that some of the items I chose helped reveal more about our current times, and I tried to modernize it with all of the colors used. My morph is the butterfly flower in the bottom corner. The face (animation) I added to an object was on a present in the top corner (with is a dark picture and little hard to see!). I added a firework, a bonas flag, and mickey mouse from magazine clippings for the collage aspect.

Attendance Prompt: BLUE

"One problem is our modern world, filled as it is with spot-lit rooms and backlit smartphones, overloads us with blue light at odd hours of the day, which has negative effects on our sleep patterns" (Page 179).

I immediately noticed this quote on the first page because of the relevance this quote has on modern life. I did a project in high school about cell phones and sleep patterns, and it helped me learn habits that actually work (that I probably should start using again!). I can definitely tell a difference in sleep if I was scrolling on my phone in bed, or if I just went to bed. If I just go to bed I fall asleep easier, and feel like I am in a deeper sleep. All of these screens have a negative effect on you, and I found this section of the page super interesting!

[alyssafedrau]

For this assignment I chose to draw one of my roommates, Catherine. I used light pencil, as I thought it better replicated that time period at first. Then I went in and added some color to this. I also chose to use the dramatic backdrop. I added an arch and some pillars to fit the Renaissance theme. I also had some repetition. This can be noticed in the 3 diamonds, the 3 pillars, and the 3 trees on Catherine's shirt.

"Friendly Critique: It would be cool for you to get a little looser and wilder with your drawing strokes so that they are going in a variety of directions, like Van Gogh style.I appreciate the inclusion of an environment and suggest exploring it further through the addition of collage, or painterly experimentation. : )" I tried to add some fun colors and strokes to fit this style. I tried to let loose on the background and just draw!

Attendance Prompt:

Violet

"Their preference for violet was the result of two new-minted theories. One was the impressionists' conviction that shadows were never really black or gray, but colored; the second concerned complementary colors" (Page 175).

I wanted to pick something under violet, since that is my favorite color. I chose this passage because of the underlying meaning of shadows. I found it interesting that they found shadows to have these different hues or tints that were not gray and black, but colorful. The idea behind the complementary colors seems to be more for visual appeal. It goes onto discuss how the other color would be yellow, meaning sunlight, so it makes sense that violet would be shade. I honestly think that the color violet is a darker color in its hidden undertones. People who appreciate the color may see life differently, and "shadier."

[alyssafedrau]

ACTIVITY 2

I ended up doing my project outside of Swan, because I figured more people would pass by it! I used a lot of stones near by to make a smiley face! I picked this spot near the bench so it is not in anybody's walking way, but hopefully it will catch somebody's eye!

[alyssafedrau]

ACTIVITY 3

A couple of my roommates (We were missing two of them!!) and I painted some fun window "Suncatchers!" We had some candy and snacks while we watched some Toddlers and Tiaras. Typically my roommates Cearra, Adrianna, Catherine and I watch it with our honorary roommates Evan and Mason. We decided to add the paint night twist to it;)

[alyssafedrau]

ACTIVITY 1:

I chose to draw Cearra, who is also in this class. I chose to draw her because she is one of my roommates this year, and my best friend. We became friends at the start of our freshman year, and we are both currently juniors. I drew her super blue eyes and her blonde hair (with the crayon colors I had)! She also has super fun gold tinsel in her hair, but you can not see it in the picture! My favorite quality about her is the way she is instantly able to make me feel better in any situation. Everyone needs a friend like her!

[alyssafedrau]

Jellyfish

They have no brain, heart, bones, or eyes! (National Geographic's Kids)

2. Because they have no bones, their fossils are hard to come-by. With that being said they are believed to be older than dinosaurs. (Treehugger)

3. They are made up of 98% water! (One Earth)

4. 150 million people are stung by jellyfish each year! (Bristol Aquarium)

5. The main shape of jellyfish are called the Medusa, after the mythical creature! (Farmers' Almanac)

5 Facts- Consumerist/Technology

High Heels- The first high heels were actually boots worn by men in the 10th century. (Google Arts and Culture)

2. Diamond- Some are older than dinosaurs and some even older than the stars. (Forevermore)

3. Flowers- Roses are the #1 most sold cut flower. (The Spruce)

4. Phone- The first call from a mobile phone was made on April 3rd, 1973. (NPR)

5. Acrylic Nails- Created accidentally in the 1950s after a dentist broke off his nail and used chemicals and dental acrylics to fashion a new one. (Cohen Cramer)

Attendance Prompt:

"Although it has long been prized as a color for the prestigious and powerful, it has, from the beginning, always been a victim of unintended meanings" (page 138).

It goes onto discuss different meanings behind the color Scarlet which I found interesting since so often it is just grouped with red and not even thought of as its own individual color. It even go as far back to discuss the history behind this color in Roman military uniforms. But this section starts off with a rather gruesome interpretation of the color. I just find it rather interesting how different meanings of the same shade can be.

(This is the only rock I could find near the townhouses!)

[alyssafedrau]

I decided to morph a Skull into a Butterfly. I liked the idea of it being morphed into something with nature. I love butterflies, and it is something I would be able to draw/represent. When making it, I started off by using highlighter on parts I wanted to pop. I wanted the grass to pop and stand out, rather than just using a dull crayon, where as for the sun and the sky, I wanted that to blend in more. I just made those decisions that I thought would look best for the picture itself. The butterfly was supposed to be symmetrical, but I tried my best!

As for my experience, I chose to go to Italy. I have always wanted to go since I was a little kid. My family is all from there, and I would love to see where they came from! I drew the boot of Italy, along with some reasons to go. I would love to just explore Italy, of course to eat their pasta (and pizza!), to go shopping (Especially in Milan), to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and my last reason was for my family. I did not draw this but I would also love to go to their beaches! I made Italy pink so it stood out on the page. In the background I did the green, white, and red for the flag! I guess what I can say I have learned about it is all the different cities I would love to travel to in Italy. It would be a very long trip for me to go everywhere I want to go!

[alyssafedrau]

My birthday is July 1st, 2003, and I am a Cancer.  I share a birthday with Princess Diana.

The color most associated with my sign is silver/white. I left a lot of pencil to incorporate “silver” along with a gray crayon. As cancer means crab in Latin, the animal most associated with this zodiac sign is a crab. It says that the crab symbolizes a Cancers self-protective nature. I found this online that I think explains it perfectly, “Cancers, like all water signs, can have issues with boundaries, but unlike fellow water sign Pisces, whose boundaries can be a circle of stones that are easily stepped over, Cancer’s boundaries can turn into walls that they have a hard time letting down” (www.alittlesparkofjoy.com).  

Cancer corresponds with the moon rather than a planet. The element was water, which I incorporated with the crab. “The moon represents our unconscious minds, emotions, intuition, our childhoods, and relationships with maternal figures” (Astrology Tea). 

The flower represented by cancer is a white rose. Cancers typically have a nostalgic view of home and corresponds to the ideas/concepts of family and home which is why I drew a sketch of a house. 

I couldn’t get it to stay in the tree because I could not reach it, so hopefully this will do! 

Attendance Prompt:  

“Pink’s current imagine problem is partly due to the feminist backlash against old-fashioned sexism” (Page 116). 

I thought this whole entire section on pink was extremely interesting. Just like the introduction of this section says, pink is for girls and blue is for boys. That is what you think as a young child. I like this quote because this is the current issue with the color pink. There is a push now for men in pink etc., to break this stigma in pink. Which I think is a unique push and way to remove this sexism and make it a color everyone is comfortable using! 

[alyssafedrau]

For this portion I drew an otter since it is my favorite animal. A fun fact about them is that after each meal they wash themselves. I have always been drawn to otters ever since I first saw them at the zoo as a little kid. They are unique animals. 

I cannot really say that my music taste changes much in the fall, I think that I listen to the same music all year round. I am not much of a scary movie person, but growing up I loved the movie Halloweentown! 

I was born in 2003, with research I saw that Beyoncé had won 5 Billboard Music Awards. Her debut album was also released this year, along with “Crazy in Love” featuring Jay-Z, which was in the overall top 5 songs of that year. I picked this since it is interesting that everyone my age today sings this song by her. 

I chose the lyrics “They say that good things take time. But really great things happen in the blink of an eye” from the song One in a Million by Hannah Montana. This was one of my favorite songs as a kid, and I would sing it without much meaning. But looking at the lyrics years later it makes so much more sense. These lyrics mean to me that you should not wait around for good things, because when you least expect it, these good things will come to you! 

Attendance Portion 

“Artists used gold not for realistic effect, but because of its intrinsic value, and even once Renaissance artists began placing their figures in more natural settings and mastering perspective, they still liked to make use of rich gold paint” (Pg 88). 

I chose this quote because of the meaning behind gold. This made me think about how people gravitate towards things and ideas that benefit them in a monetary sense. They like things that are richer, and that is how you fit into today's society. This quote talks about how the idea of gold brings this monetary value. Even though people may not actually enjoy it, they enjoy the idea of being “richer” by using gold, which is why I found this quote so interesting! 

[alyssafedrau]

Solidago Rugosa: commonly called "wrinkleleaf goldenrod" or "rough-stemmed goldenrod." Native to North America, and mostly on the eastern coast.

Hemp-agrimony: A herbaceous plant of the daisy family. It is occasionally found as a garden escape. They are pollinated by insects from July, to early September. The heads are tiny, fluffy, and can appear dusty pink! (They are more pink in my nature pictures than my final product, as they started to lose color.)

American Elm: (Leaves) Elms are known for their green leaves that turn yellow coming into fall time. These can no longer be recommended to plant due to the Dutch Elm disease. But ones more resistant to this said disease are available for planting. (I used the Plantin app, so I would assume these leaves are from one of the similar types rather than the American Elm!) The American Elm was the most popular tree plant in the 19th century!

European Buckthorn: A species of small tree in the flowering plant family. It is known for having small spines on the branches edges. These plants were introduced to North America in the 1800s. They have now naturalized in open woods, pastures, fields, prairies etc.

Attendance:

"'It seems,' the author concludes, 'that somehow beige is interpreted as a neutral- ambiguous color that everyone will like.' In fact the situation is even worse than that: the hope is not that everyone will like it, but that it won't offend anyone" (Page 59).

I found it interesting as before this is was said that... "it is unassuming and safe, but deeply dull" (Page 59). It is fascinating how beige is a universal "boring" color, yet it is so widely used. The book used the example of rental properties, and I think that is a great example. Neutrals like beige are often used in these, which you would think is odd for it being so dull. But the quote I found makes it make sense, so it will not offend anyone. People know that beige is not a liked color, but nobody is offended by beige, and beige does not really mean anything. And I think that was a very interesting point to touch on.

[alyssafedrau]

Step 1- Crayon

Step 2- Paint

Step 3

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Attendance:

"Savage nations, uneducated people, and children have a great predilection for vivid colors (page 28)." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1810

This quote stood out to me. I think the reason it was on its own page was because of the meaning behind this. To me, this meant that creativity comes from simplicity. You can not be taught how to be creative, it is not something that is learned. Education does not make you creative, but only takes away from your ability to think differently and outside the box.

[alyssafedrau]

Hey!! My name is Alyssa Fedrau and I am from Rochester, NY (specifically Fairport!). I am a junior marketing major with a management minor! During my free time at Bonas, I love to volunteer at the local SPCA. I enjoy hanging out with my friends and just chilling out! This is different than any class I have taken, and I am excited to be creative and start posting!