laurelnm

[laurelnm]

Beautiful Boy

Title: Beautiful Boy

Artist: Laura Nunes

Medium: Acrylic on paper

I chose to do an acrylic painting of Timothée Chalamet because he’s my favorite actor and currently one of the best actors of our generation. Timothée plays many different roles and is excellent at every role he takes on. I’m inspired by the depth and emotions he brings into the characters he plays, especially Nic Sheff in Beautiful Boy. He motivates me to chase my dreams and work hard to become successful. He’s also my celebrity crush, so I worked very hard to portray him as beautifully as possible on my favorite medium, acrylic paints. His curly hair was my favorite part to paint because I tried to add as much movement as possible. I didn’t take many pictures of my process, except for my sketch and my final, because I just got lost while painting. I hope you like this artwork as much as I enjoyed painting it!

[laurelnm]

Virtual Sketchbook 4

Jackson Pollock began painting traditionally but later shifted his style based on his struggles and those who inspired him. While studying with Thomas Hart Benton, Pollock learned dynamic composition and movement from Benton’s representational style. However, Pollock took what he learned and used these techniques when making his nonrepresentational “drip” paintings. I believe that the primary reason Polluck began his “drip” paintings was because of all the emotions he was feeling when he was sober. In the videos, they told us that he painted how he felt and was inspired by Picasso. Therefore, he could’ve potentially changed his style because he felt limited by conventional art in his fight with alcoholism. This is when he began action painting on the floor of his barn using different objects like sticks, nails, and by flinging paint onto the canvas. The chaos of his paintings shows his inner self and emotions, especially his battle with sobriety, which ultimately led to his demise. I also believe he kept this painting style because most people liked it, and he enjoyed the fame. 

Title: “Can’t Stop” 

Media: Digital 

Artist: Laura Nunes 

Based on the song “Can’t Stop” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. 

[laurelnm]

“The Triumph of Divine Love”

Peter Paul Rubens’ “The Triumph of Divine Love” is a powerful piece made using oil on canvas during the peak of the Baroque period. The painting is large and takes up a whole wall on its own, like many of Rubens’ other works. At first glance, the image is a whirlwind of movement and emotion with dozens of cherubs filling up the canvas with Charity at the center. The cherubs' bodies have a subtle pinkish beige hue, contrasting with the reds, yellows, blues in the sky, and greens from the landscape, further drawing you in. As does the symbol of Divine Love at the center, which is practically glowing. This piece is balanced in composition, with strong diagonals and circular motifs creating rhythm and drawing you toward Charity at the center. Although there’s some chaos, there’s a strong unity and purposeful contrast between light and dark, and heaven and earth. 

When looking at this painting I feel a little bit uneasy because of all the naked cherubs and it’s hard not to react. But after looking deeper into the painting I see their symbolic purpose. Each part of the painting stands for something meaningful like innocence, Christ’s sacrifice, sin, evil, and love conquering all. Moreover, the underlying biblical themes show us the need for grace and compassion in our everyday lives. Ultimately, the message, “love prevails over all” is especially significant now when our country feels divided and there’s so much pain and suffering throughout the world. 

“The Triumph of Divine Love” was part of Rubens’ commission for the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, the daughter of Philip II of Spain whose family were all devout Catholic. The painting was originally made for the Monastery of the Discalced Carmelites in Madrid, reflecting Catholic themes of redemption and divine grace during the Counter-Reformation (Ringling Docents). Rubens was known as a master of Baroque art, for his emotional intensity and use of classical allegory to convey religious truths. Thus he had a clear message, divine love triumphs over worldly sin and evil.

Lastly, this painting matters today because it still speaks to us and things that are going on today. Art is one of the few things that remains uncorrupted because it’s how people speak truth. I chose this piece because its message is timeless and especially important today, as we see many people suffering all across the world. Even in our darkest moments, love can conquer hate. It's something our world needs to hear again and again, and we need to remind ourselves.

[laurelnm]

Virtual Sketchbook 2

JOURNALING

Variety: using different elements and styles to make an interesting artwork. An example would be Picasso’s “Girl before a Mirror” because he uses contrasting shapes, patterns, and colors to be dynamic and create layers.

Balance: is distributing visual weight and elements in a composition. An example is a well-set dining table, which is visually pleasing because everything is equal and has an opposite.

Emphasis is giving special attention to a specific area in a work to make it stand out. An example in everyday life is when arranging flowers, where certain flowers are added to be the focal point of the bouquet.

Directional Forces: are visual paths created by lines, shapes, or movements that guide your eyes through a work. An example is Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” because the lines of the table and walls lead us toward Christ, who is at the center and focal point.

Rhythm: is the repetition of elements that creates a sense of movement. In Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” we see how he used his brush strokes to create rhythm in the sky.

Scale: is the overall size of something compared to other things or our own bodies. In “Spoonbridge and Cherry,” by Claes Oldenburg, we see how he plays with unusual scale to amuse his viewers with a giant sculpture.

2. WRITING AND LOOKING

BOP (2002-3) by Elizabeth Murray 

Oil on Canvas, 9'10" x 10'10 1/2"

Chapter 7.6 - Oil (no page numbers) 

Elizabeth Murray’s recipe for “BOP” begins with the jazz music she heard that inspired this piece. She uses a vivid color palette and saturated reds, yellows, blues, and contrasting hues that create vibrancy and visual rhythm. Her work with different geometric shapes comes to life as each piece is its own interlocking part, defying the normal rectangular format. Moreover, she used curved lines to guide the viewer across the painting from one shape to the next, almost in a musical sense. Although her painting feels chaotic, there’s balance through the repetition of color and distribution of visual weight, allowing the pieces to dance together beautifully. Finally, certain shapes have more emphasis because they’re bigger and grab our attention through their color and specific positioning. Ultimately, Murray created a fun, vibrant artwork that lives up to its name “Bop” and represents jazz music well, even though her recipe wasn’t perfect in the beginning, it took adding the right ingredients till she arrived at this intriguing piece.

 

CONNECTING ART TO YOUR WORLD

If I had to choose a color scheme for my life, it would be soft whites and varying hues of pink. To me, white symbolizes growth, potential, and new beginnings, so I try to surround myself with light values of white to reflect a sense of calm and clarity. Especially because there’s always a lot going on in my life, but I at least have certain things to remind me of tranquility and to push me to be the best version of myself. On the other hand, pink is my favorite color, and I love how I look in pink. Depending on my mood, I will wear a specific shirt with the saturation that is just right, allowing me to face my day. Finally, my bathroom is also filled with pink tones, which radiate positivity and comfort in my everyday life. 

4. ART PROJECT 

Wildflowers - Watercolor

I painted this picture of purple wildflowers because they represent peace, growth, and nostalgia. I used to live in Ohio, and something I miss about living in the country is the beautiful flowers you’d see along the roads in the springtime. I’ve always loved flowers and still love to arrange bouquets when I can. However, life in Florida feels like there’s not enough time, and it makes me think back when life was easier and slower in Ohio. It’s most likely because I was younger and didn’t have as many responsibilities, but these beautiful purple wildflowers remind me that I’m still growing, even though I’m in a different place. They bring me peace, knowing there are still pieces of who I used to be while growing into my best version.

5. PHOTO/DESIGN

Group 2 - Layout Design

This National Geographic cover is a good example of layout design because of the beautiful image of a Lion as the centerpiece, bold titles that call attention, and minimal text. The contrast of the letters on the image makes it easy to grasp what they're talking about. 

This second image is an example of bad design layout because there are multiple images, many logos, and it's too cluttered. Ultimately, the flyer is so busy that you can't focus on the crucial information.

A good design calls the attention of the viewer, gives proper information that's easy to understand, and communicates effectively. Different aspects of the layout should work well together and not be too busy. The text, images, and colors in the layout must be visually appealing and have a purpose. Without all these components coming together, it will result in a weak layout that doesn't convey what you want it to and won't have any impact or purpose.

[laurelnm]

Hello, I'm Laura and I love to travel! Here's my first post.

Artwork: Kippe (2006) by Ai Weiwei (Tieli wood (iron wood) from dismantled temples of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and iron parallel bars)

5 Facts about Kippe and Ai Weiwei 

https://ago.ca/exhibitions/ai-weiwei-according-what#:~:text=EXHIBITION%20OVERVIEW&text=Although%20Chinese%20artist%20Ai%20Weiwei,both%20in%20China%20and%20globallyLinks to an external site.. 

https://www.artsy.net/artwork/ai-weiwei-kippeLinks to an external site. 

https://crmcohen.com/2017/10/28/ai-wei-wei-maybe-maybe-not/Links to an external site. 

https://robinlevertonart.com/2015/10/11/ai-weiwei-at-the-royal-academy/Links to an external site. 

1. Today, Kippe is held at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC, in an exhibition called " Ai Weiwei: According to What?"

2. Ai Weiwei is famous for his artwork that challenges authority, as he tries to link the contemporary work with traditional Chinese culture. 

3. His artworks angered the Chinese government so much that he was imprisoned for 81 days in 2011. This is because his works comment on individual and human rights, censorship, and freedom of expression. 

4. Kippe is made from tieli (iron wood) salvaged from the Qing Dynasty temples. The artwork repurposes about 6,000 pieces of wood stacked without nails or glue. 

5. The title "Kippe" comes from the German verb kippen, which means "to mount" or "to tip." Weiwei cleverly used gymnastic parallel bars outside the wooden stack, and named it "Kippe" to remind us. 

This is the first time I've seen this artwork, but my first impression is that it's plain and simple. Moreover, in the beginning, all I saw in the artwork was just wood logs slapped together. At first, I thought the wood pieces had to have been held together with glue, but after reading about this piece, the wood is only joined together, which is very interesting. Underneath its simple surface, I see pieces from the Qing Dynasty. This wood from the temples has years of history, growth, and decline, which is powerful. Ultimately, I think about the artwork as pieces from the Qing dynasty put together to remember its history and how it's shaped today's world.