It’s time for the end of the quarter and looking back I wish I had said a little more than I did, but It felt like I was just starting to get to know you all a little better.
But then again I’m sure I’ll see many of you around and maybe even see you in class. If you do see me just tell me hey and I promise I’ll try to talk more than I did, haha 
Good luck with everything guys, it was a pleasure.
A.G.
While at the museum I took a little deeper look into the religious art while I was there, more than I did before.
Seeing how we were coming into the Christian artwork I was looking forward to it but we never really got too far into it. I drew Jesus on the cross and I thought of words to go with it. Candee told me that when you add some words to the picture it speaks a little louder to the viewer and I thought I’d share it with whoever is willing to read it.
Why am I here? Such a simple question with such a complex meaning. A question that threatens to entangle and shake the most stable of minds. I too like many other people have taken this question to such a limit that it would all but consume my state of mind. But why? Why would such a question that has nothing to do with a persons every day life have the most astounding influence on how we run it!? Because we are not designed for no purpose, we are not designed to be alone. Sometimes people can take a simple question and take it to such an extreme that they forget what the question was or why they had asked it.
I found my answer and I found in you my lord my God. This is the Aharit, the answer to the question I had asked myself so long ago. Thank you my lord my God, I have come home.
You’d been warned haha, but if anyone is interested in seeing the picture I drew just send me an email or stop me in the hall and I’ll show it to ya, (again if your interested) but Thank you for reading.
A.G.
Going to the art museum with you all was great, it was a really fun trip and I really enjoyed it.
When I went the first time I went with my grandparents when they were trying to show me this whole world of art that I really knew nothing about. I was trying to learn more because I was trying to actually get better at drawing when I found out it was something I really liked to do in my free time.
The second time was when I was in my 2nd year at Shawnee College and like always I was struggling with my work load and straining to draw better and I was really going to look at what the pro’s do. Maybe it would make me feel as though I’m perfectly flawed like them?
When I went the 3rd time with you all I went with a whole different mindset, not one with a minor understanding or one with the burden of a heavy mind, but a more pleasant and deeper understanding of what I was seeing there.
Thanks for the memories!
A.G.
Now that this class is over I think I will really miss it. I liked being in this class and sharing my thoughts with the other people in the room. When I first came into the room I was a day late, but once I got to know the other people in the room it was a great experience. I really enjoyed getting to know all the people in the classroom even though I already knew Loren and Amber it was still nice to meet the rest too. I will really miss coming to class and seeing Candee who was always very excited about teaching and that made me more excited to learn. Thank you so much Candee you have really made this quarter go a lot better because your class was always fun and a joy to look forward to.
Thanks again Candee!!!
~Megan~
On my question I was thinking about what else might effect the way you like art. The thing that I have come up with is that it can also depend on your style choice. The things around you in your everyday life can effect them too. I have learned that almost everything in your life can effect everything in your everyday lifestyle. Just because you like one thing now doesn’t mean that in a couple of days, months, or years that your mind may decide to change and you don’t necessarily like that artwork anymore. In time everyone changes. Some people change in the way they look at things such as art and other people may stay the same all their life. Everyone is different and has their own opinions, but the way you look at art is all up to you and how you personally feel about the piece. Just because someone else doesn’t like it doesn’t mean that you can’t. Any thing you want to like you can.
~Megan~
When I first came to the class I thought that it was going to be pretty boring and that I would end up sitting in class watching the time and just waiting to get out. Was I ever wrong. This has been my favorite class out of all my classes that I’ve ever taken. I loved our art history class. Not only did I meet some pretty awesome people but I learned some much and learned about a new passion. Since taking this class I want to further my career in learning about art. It’s just been awesome learning about all these cultures and different forms of art that I never even knew about it. Art class was really fun and I learned alot more then what I have from most of my classes. I think what I liked the most from this class was the learning style of how we all got interact and learn from eachother. I’m going to miss you all!!
What I’m really going to take away from this class is to look deeper at everything. Because something that someone else might not think is art could really mean something to you. I’ve learned to give everything a chance and to not just pass things by.
Sarah
A little over a week ago my art history class went to the Cincinnati art museum. I loved it!! That was the first time that I’ve ever been to an art museum. It fueled my passion for wanting to learn about art even more. I think that my favorite part of the whole museum was the exhibit with all the Buddha statues. Now, I’m not into Buddhism but I loved the statues and the reliefs that they had. The detail and time that they took to creat those works of art is just so amazing to me. There was even a section set up that told you what all the hand signs meant and another paper about which Buddha you was for the year you were born.
The other part that I really liked was the jewlery that they had set up on the special exhibit. It was awesome to see what kind of jewlery women wore back in earlier times. Not only that but simply wondering how some of them wore the jewlery. My favorite piece was of this diamond necklace that had sharp gold razor looking things all around the edges. I don’t know about you but I would cut myself like no other with that kind of necklace.
I want to really thank Candee for taking us because its a trip that I will never forget.
Sarah
So this is going to be my last post of the quarter and I thought I might talk about my research question.
The other night, I sat down and cranked out a three page paper on my research. I even added my own artwork and “symbolism”. I’ve always been interested in the deeper meaning behind artwork and the details inside, and this class gave me the opportunity to explore that fascination. Now, every time I look at a piece of art, I wonder “what is this picture supposed to mean?” or “what does that part there mean?” Even when I read comic books.
For example, we went to the art museum; while there, I happened upon the Christian art exhibit [my favourite part of the museum, by the way]. But to get there, I first had to walk through the classical baroque wing. And in both the Christian and the baroque wings, I saw something: cherries. In some of the paintings, there was a child holding a twig of cherries [though more than half were a painting of Jesus]. I wondered “why in the world are these children holdin’ cherries?” It ain’t like they taste good, so there must be some sort of meaning behind it–but what? Obviously curiosity kills more than cats and I am willing to kill myself to find the answer.
Thankfully it didn’t come to that.
Google can be so helpful.
Apparently, Jesus holding a bunch of cherries is a ‘prefiguration of His Passion.’ Go figure.
But I also learned some more fruit knowledge while on this mission. Apparently, strawberries were widely used in juxtaposition with the Virgin Mary back in the 1400’s. Some suggest it’s because strawberries are so pretty–but others say it’s because strawberries were just becoming known at this time [because strawberries are not native to Europe apparently--go figure again].
So, fruits can be yummy and symbolic. That is So Cool.
Raye
This class was more than I ever expected it to be! The first day I walked into the classroom I was dreading what was to come. I took this class because it fit my schedule and it was just going to be my “filler class.” I thought to myself, “Art history…you’re going to be learning about all this old stuff and it’s going to be boring.” But man was I wrong!! After the first day, I couldn’t wait to come back!
Over the course of the quarter we learned so much. We learned about different kinds of art and the cultures that created them, we did projects and class discussions with graphic animation, watched videos, and even went to the Cincinnati Art Museum!! I am so glad that I took this class! It was definitely a great experience and I met some of the coolest people ever!! This class has taught me to have a greater appreciation for art and not to judge things by their cover, because you never know what’s going to happen! =]
Loren
For this blog I want to share two of my poems (for lack of a better word). First of all my poetry doesn’t exactly rhyme. I just like to look at a piece of are or a story but usually just a particular piece and let my imagination go to work. I don’t usually lock myself away or listen to music, I just see something and the first idea I have I just write away.
So, about the first poem I wrote. Professor Candee told us about the statue that was discovered at the bottom of the ocean, and I found it interesting that it was either Zeus or Poseidon. Pretty ironic huh.
This one pertains to ancient Greece and Poseidon.
Poseidon, god of the sea and god of earthquakes,
nature has no gods besides it’s creator.
Make a god and a sculptor.
Try to classify nature say it has an orchestrator.
The sea and the quakes have a different say.
Load on the sculptor your picture of our ruler.
The journey is short the cargo is light but the waves will billow and the sea floor will shake.
Waves high and low wash over the ship where did our Poseidon go?
When bronze meets the watery floor 6 foot 10 all of Poseidon is no more.
Nature has no cue or director is shakes and quakes, waves and calmly blows exactly when it means to.
Welcome to your watery grave Poseidon.
At first I didn’t find much interesting about the chapter on south and southeast Asia so I looked for the most innocent looking piece of art I could find and make something grand out of it, art building or art if you will. So here is what I came up with.
The next one is about the Great Bath.
It’s not a maze, it’s not a myth;
It’s a place to rejuvenate ones self.
My people have talked of this place for ages;
One was once taken there to be renewed of health and by legend it worked.
However not in the same sense you’d think.
This man had a disease which would end him soon.
He knew Jesus Christ as his savior and trusted him to take care of him.
The community urged him to go,
so he obliged really just to please the rest.
Once there he saw the beautiful pool the water glistened peacefully and a pair of doves hovered and cooed a serene song;
He looked to the heavens and through the majestic clouds and felt the presence of God rest upon his spirit.
From that moment on he was stronger and braver than anyone around.
His journey and faith and strength is a great testimony for his savior for all who hear.
For a tiny village such as this; for a family small and ordinary the father was a great foundation and inspiration.
Judith
I’m still working on my research question for my Art History class, “What is the most influential art? I first researched art during the Great Depression and found some beautiful paintings by Thomas Hart Benton. He was a very successful Realist painter, who traveled the Untied States, looking for real people in real places, doing a variety of different activities to paint. Benton did not let anything stand in the way of his dreams, and with these paintings, not only did he inspire others, he made Americans aware of what was going on in their country. After finding all kinds of information on Thomas Hart Benton, I decided to research Jackson Pollock, who was one of Benton’s most inspired art students, and see how his life and career as a painter was affected by Benton.
Jackson Pollock was not necessarily influenced by Benton’s “American subject,” he was more influenced by his rhythmic use of paint and his fierce independence. He had a very successful career and even created his own technique of painting, called the “drip” technique. Unlike Thomas Hart Benton, who was a realist painter, Pollock was an abstract expressionist. Instead of painting distinguishable figures with lines and curves, he dripped, poured, and splattered the paint on the canvas until what he imagined came to life.
Towards the end of Pollock’s career, he began numbering his paintings instead of giving them titles. By numbering his paintings, it makes people see the paintings for what they truly are and finding their own meaning in them.
I decided to research my question more in depth to see how future generations were influenced by previous generations. I found it really interesting that Jackson Pollock had his own views about art and moved in a completely different direction than Thomas Hart Benton. Even though he created his own technique of painting, he returned to painting with bright colors and figurative elements, just like Thomas Hart Benton. I am used to seeing a painting that you can pick up on its representation as soon as you look at it, but with Pollock’s paintings, you have to look deeper.
Loren Wardlow
I find it hard to believe we’ve only one class left (and technically it won’t even be a ‘real’ class at that). I’ve had so much fun in this class; from the digressing discussions to our epic journey through the ghetto. I’ve definitely learned to look at art and people in different ways now.
From my little vantage point of the corner I’ve had the opportunity to sit back and listen to everyone’s thoughts. It really gave me some ‘food for thought’ if you will, because we’re all different and thusly, all bring something different to the table.
This class was certainly the most interesting class I’ve had in all my days of southern state community college. I’m really glad that I had the opportunity to sit in on such a diverse gathering.
But sadly, all we’ve left to do is turn in our portfolios and say good bye. I hope everyone gets a good grade and has a lovely Christmas break.
Raye
Finals week is almost here. I know, I can’t believe it myself. Christmas is almost here as well. This wonderful season of joy brings my creative side into focus. Art History has made an impact on me that I can take with me as I move forward with my college education. Next quarter, I will have Candee Basford as my Speech teacher. As I said in my last blog, we went on a field trip to Cincinnati and had a blast. Candee was my teacher for Art History I and will be for Speech also. Maybe I can convince her to take us on yet another field trip…lol.
As for my novel writing, my first one is done. It needs to be edited by another pair of eyes but as for the second, it’s a work in progress. I have the best time writing and that’s who I am. I am a writer who speaks creatively and honestly with words on paper. Some of my friends know that I can be pretty quiet. But when I write, that is when I speak the loudest.
Caila
Listen to Judith and A.G.’s conversation about the Ludovisi Sarcophagus in Rome.
turn up the volume!
I thought the art museum was so intriguing. I had so much fun on the ride down and back. It was nice getting to know your classmates better that way because you are more interacted with them. In the classroom that’s generally the only time you see them so it’s hard to get to know them.
While at the Museum the piece that caught my eye the most was the triangle lady from the book. In the book she seemed very flat and not life-like at all. When I saw her in the museum she was much prettier and wider than I had expected. She was thicker than I had expected too. When I saw her I thought that can’t be the same image in the book because this one is so much better than the one in the book. There are many pieces of artwork that I didn’t think looked a whole lot different from the book. This one was probably one of my favorite and I hadn’t really expected to like it that much but I do like it a lot and it is probably my favorite piece that we have studied. It’s not a very big piece but it means a lot to me.
~Megan~
 | AGHV on Ludovisi Sarcophagus |
| AGHV on The End is Beginning |
| AGHV on Coming To An End |
| AGHV on ART HISTORY I: A Class of Grea… |
| AGHV on Statue at the Art Museum |
