November 10, 2009
Cyclops by Albert Hutchins
I like to draw from my mind and Art history sparks my interest.
When I hear about ancient Rome certain images come to mind. I instantly think of certain stereotypical images. Listening to discussions in art history is broadening my view. Usually when I hear about Rome I think more of the coliseums and all the usual architecture. I find myself thinking more about the smaller details of things found in ancient Rome. It broadens my understanding of culture and adds deeper detail of my own art.
I drew this Cyclops after a quiz in class over terminology related to the Aegean. Hearing about it makes me want to draw. One eye, bestial, broken teeth.
When I have an idea –like this one – I have to draw it. When I hear about something I get the general idea and that’s usually when I put pencil to paper.
Albert (A.G.)
November 9, 2009
Have you ever been driving or riding in a car, listening to the radio, hoping that your favorite song is going to be on next? And when it comes on, you start to sing along with it? I have! But why do we do that? What is so great about that particular song that we wait so anxiously for it to come on? Is it from your favorite band or singer, do you just like the music, or do you like the message it’s trying to portray?
Well, one of my favorite songs is “Stand” by Rascal Flatts. I like the band and their music, but I especially like that song. It says that throughout life you’re bound to hit some rough patches and that things don’t always go the way you plan them to, but never give up. One of the lyrics says, “Every time you get up and get back in the race, one more small piece of you starts to fall into place.” It pretty much means what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. Never sell yourself short. You are in charge of your life and it’s up to you to turn things around.
So, what’s your favorite song? What does it mean to you?
Loren
November 6, 2009
I am doing a research question for my art history class, “What is the most influential art?” My research started with the internet. It led me to a bunch of sites, but the one that stood out the most was the Great Depression. I searched some artists and their murals and that led me to Thomas Hart Benton.
I found many works and information on Benton. After reading some background information on him, I knew I wanted to research further. I found Benton to be an interesting and determined man. As a child he loved to draw. His father disapproved of it, but he didn’t let that stop him. When the family moved to Washington D.C., Benton was strongly influenced by the Library of Congress murals and the cartoon figures in the Washington Post.
Thomas studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, then moved to Paris and took art classes there; observing new trends and familiarizing himself. After he spent five years in Paris, he moved back to the United States and started to study on his own. This is where the majority of his work came from. He experimented with different styles of painting and colors. Benton found that he liked to use bright colors and paint real people in real places, doing a variety of activities.
I just found this really interesting because he didn’t let his father stand in the way of his dream. He went out on his own, learning about what he loved and soon took matters into his own hands. He wasn’t afraid to go out into the world and experiment. The majority of his work came as a result. I think his work is really beautiful and captures the real life of the people he painted in a unique way.
Loren
October 31, 2009
I’m first going to tell a little story. Thursday I got up at 6 o’clock to get ready for school. It took me three hours. I had the whole “little red riding hood” thing going; Except she was dead. I had scratch marks, blood, the red hood, basket, the works. Left the house and went to Sardinia to get candy to pass out throughout the day, just something I thought would be nice (And to ease people out of being so judgemental about my costume). Bought the candy and low and behold the van won’t start. That was about nine. While I was there I made a little boy cry and a little old lady looked at me as if I was crazy and asked “why are you dressed up” quite sarcastically, everyone else just laughed. Finally got the car started about 10:10 and went home. The van is now going to the shop, so I couldn’t get to class. The point of my story is, however, that everyone looked at me a different way. I think it’s Megan who asked if a persons personality effected the type of art they like. Everything is influenced by what we like. The boy hated what I looked like, he was scared, while the old lady thought it was distasteful, and some found it humorous (even if it was at me walking around like an idiot). Our personality affects every aspect of our life, but most of all what we see.
Amber
October 28, 2009
Amber’s illustration
October 26, 2009
Bull Leaping in Crete
Want to learn more??
Go here
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here
Loren~
October 26, 2009
When you think of history you don’t think of art. I bet you never realized history of art helps us learn more about people, cultures, and the belief systems of those who lived thousands of years before us. Art was developed starting with the Great Stone to this present day. Art shows the changes and evolution and what cultures have gone through to become what it is. Art is culture, the people who make it and the best way to enjoy it is to look at it’s history.
During the different times, cultures and societies worshiped different gods and goddesses and had many different belief systems. The Greeks believed in many gods and goddesses, unlike the Egyptians. Greeks represented gods and goddesses in their art work in the forms of humans. Egyptians believed in many dieties and composed them in their art work as animals or having the head of an animal. The Sumerians and the people that came after them in the ancient east worshiped many gods and goddesses, most were natural deities. When shown in art work the deities are shown wearing horn crowns.
Brandi
October 23, 2009
So, I’m a little pressed for something to write but as Cassie says, I always have something to say. While I’m not the most artistic and I’m not a critic… that’s it. Why am I not considered a critic? So what that I don’t have an art degree. I can look at a piece of art work and say, “Yeah, it’s good”, or completely bash it because I don’t understand it. I mean that’s what they do right? It’s not like they just look at the art work in question and say, “Hey it has all the correct art criteria, so it has to be good.”. No, they look at something and judge it by what they see, without knowing what it’s about. Haven’t they ever heard not to judge a book by its cover. You can’t look at something and say it’s bad, because somewhere in the world someone thinks it’s amazing. Picasso for example. People think his work is great while others hate it.
That being said, Can’t I be an art critic? Can’t YOU?
Amber
October 23, 2009
Yesterday around four in the afternoon I watched a gut retching, historical document of the destruction of the Parthenon. It was more of a theory animation but still appealing to the facts and artistry. This was played as a timeline form from around 440`s to 1800`s. Over 2,500 years the Parthenon, has been rocked by earthquakes, set on fire, shattered by exploding gunpowder, and boulders, changed structure to fit of means such as the Christian church, looted by for it stunning sculptures, and defaced by misguided preservation efforts. I just do not understand why something so wonderful, beautiful and inspiring had to be destroyed.
I had restored faith in to the system of history when I found an old issue of Smithsonian. The Parthenon was slowly and painful being restored. The original building was 228 feet long and 101 feet wide. It had 46 outer columns each about 34 feet high. The marble quarried 11 miles away from the site. The most notably and challenged of the project which was caused the ultimate destruction was the explosion in 1687 by the Turks. A Venetian cannonball had struck the temple which was used at the time as a Turkish ammunition dump. If memory serves, the Turks was later to be recorded to have looted the remaining sculptures.
There two other major problems were the earlier attempt and the eye illusion of the Greeks gave to the building. 100 years ago, Nikolas Balanos stabilized loose blocks with iron clamps but did not pour molten lead over the joints to cushion the clamps from seismic shocks and also to protect them from corrosion. Rain played a factor to swelling the iron and cracking the marble which caused over time to be clear of danger of collapse. The Parthenon had been deliberate engineered into different parts of the temple. The base, floor and columns had been build with curves and inclined angles. Nothing seemed to have a straight line
Architect`s blueprint was studied by a scholar name Haselberger. While observing the innermost sanctuary, he noticed a semblance pattern of faint scratches on the walls. After the sun set , a web of finely engraved lines emerged. What was conclusion was the outline was made in place while the builders onto layer by layer with marking marked where columns, walls and doorways.
Some information referred from the Smithson Magazine, February 2008 edition.
Alex
October 21, 2009
In class Thursday we watched a video about Anicent Greece. It was amazing, not only the artifacts we saw but Greece itself looks like art. It makes me want to forget everything and just move there. What I liked most about the video was the discovery of the lost items and not knowing how the villagers were able to get off the island in time. I also liked in the video in the end when it showed how much Greece had influenced other countries with their art.
I’m starting to realize that art comes in may forms and it shapes our way of life.
Sarah
October 20, 2009
Well, I’ve missed a couple of classes so I don’t have anything to write about for class. However, there ware a few other subject I would like to talk about.
First, when ever someone says “Artist” the average person thinks Picasso or Da Vinci or another artist labeled “Famous”. Well for those who don’t know I have a seventeen-month old niece. She is really into doing whatever it is I am doing at the time. I happen to love coloring so, naturally, she wants to also. Watching her make a drawing, or rather trying to, got me to thinking. Why does an artist have to be someone with a degree or someone famous. I consider my niece an artist. So can’t everyone be considered an artist in some degree?
Amber
October 20, 2009
The kouros statue was erected by Kroisis’ family to mark his grave and honor him for his fight. At the base of the statue his family inscribed “stay and mourn at the tomb of the dead Kroisis, whom raging Ares destroyed one day as he fought in the foremost ranks.”
I let my imagination go to work on this and put down what I felt so this is what got:
We, the proud family of Kroisis invite visitors to “Stay and mourn at the tomb of the dead Kroisis, whom raging Ares destroyed one day as he fought in the foremost ranks.” He was a strong boy, brave and fare. He went to fight when we didn’t dare. So we lay him here forevermore, he fought for us and you, so how could you pass without a care? He fought, he risked everything and ultimately paid the highest price. And for that you can thank him for your land, your life and all your rights. Its easy to walk right past and not know, not wonder who, how and why. But for us we know who he was, why he fought and how he met his fate. Remembering is all we have left but in our house he’s known as Kroisis the great.
Judith
October 19, 2009
People like so many different types of things. Everyone has a different taste of things such as their taste in music and art. Not everyone likes the same artwork so my question is…Why do people like the art they like? This seems like a simple question but what really attracts people to different pieces of artwork? I think some artwork is really ugly but to other people they think it is fascinating and interesting. I like classical pieces and simple things most of the time. However, sometimes I like wild and crazy pieces.
I think that it is just what people like and what they are interested in. It is also what attracts your eye. If you normally like soft colored pieces sometimes when pieces are bold and full of color those attract your eye more. I am still researching on my topic and I’m trying to find new ways of how people think.
~Megan Bohrer~
October 19, 2009
In our last class, we discussed topics and pictures from the Ancient Greece chapter in our book. I drew a couple of pictures myself: I drew one just for fun and one of the grand staircase at Knossos Palace (top). Candee, my teacher, took pictures of them both and I hope to see them posted sometime. (They’re posted! cb) I will be putting them in my portfolio for Art History. Everybody else is enjoying this class as much as I am.
On November 20th, our class is going to the Cincinnati Art Museum and I can’t wait! I’ve never been to that one before. As far as our class has made it into the book, when I look at artwork now, I stop and think about the story behind it. These images are worth a thousand words and memories. We also watched a DVD about Ancient Greece and I have to say the towns and ocean views are absolutely beautiful! Thanks to Candee for picking out an incredible movie for class!
Caila
Sketch of Staircase at Knossos Palace
Ancient Greece inspired image
