Blog Post #3

I looked through several contemporary Texan artists and the one that most caught my eye was Debra Latham. From what I’ve seen of her work She works mainly with oil paints and creates representative pieces typically with the subject of landscape or the subject of the female figure.

The images I appreciated most were her portraits.

Debra Latham, Joseph, Oil

 

Debra Latham, Joseph, Oil

Personally enjoying drawing portraits I appreciate the above piece for its representative quality. She seems to capture the emotion in his eyes which in my opinion can make or brake a particular piece.

Debra Latham, Red-Chopsticks, Oil on Panel

 

Debra Latham, Red-Chopsticks, Oil on Panel

What interests me the most with the above piece is the quality of the paint; it seems have a rough sketch-like quality which I believe makes it a very intriguing piece. Every brushstroke has weight to it that captures the image of the woman well. I also feel that the hair was well represented with its shine and directional qualities.

 

Debra Latham, Silas, Oil on Panel

 

Debra Latham,  Silas, Oil on Panel

Her portraits capture emotion as much as it does the character in my opinion. I feel she represents the character of “Silas” rather well, from the quality of his beard to the quizzical look in his eyes to the subtle raised eyebrow.

 

http://debralatham.com/dataviewer.asp?keyvalue=3506&page=AllWorks&startrec=1

Blog Post #2 (Parts 1&2)

Part 1


Having looked at how I spent my time it is easy for me to see how I can be more effective with my time and how I can avoid falling into traps. I notice that I generally get up between 9:00 and 9:45 and try to read my book until classes start or print out anything necessary for class. After my morning classes I go to lunch at about 2:00 then watch YouTube or Netflix until my afternoon class. When all my classes are over I return to Netflix and YouTube until 6:00 when I have dinner. After that I try to work on my homework but am distracted by watching videos or playing video games. Too much time is spent wasted on unproductive activities. The activities are intended as background noise but end up taking all my attention.  Whether I try multi-task or am trying to burn time Watching mindless fodder is not the best solution. I would much rather spend my time hanging out with friends or doing something creative than wasting my time with mindless activities.



Part 2

I have always enjoyed drawing in a representative fashion. I do my best to portray the subject in an accurate manner but also to do so stylistically. I have never much enjoyed abstract pieces of art in the same way I have liked more realistic pieces. It is partly because I want a challenge when I create and partly because it can represent an interest of mine.

Pencil on paper
Troll, Pencil on paper
Colored pencil on black tempura back
Crow, Colored pencil on black tempura back
Pencil on paper
Cracked Back,Pencil on paper. 

One pastime I have is creating (typically by drawing) new phone cases for my phone.

Watercolor
15th, Watercolor

 

VISU I: The First Batch

My walk took me from about East Annie Street to Elizabeth Street. I walked with my brother and I looked for interesting or repeating patterns mostly in the architecture of the many surrounding buildings. My first picture was the synthetic flower on the sidewalk. I thought it was initially funny: a lone flower set in the middle of the sidewalk completely isolated. For some reason later learning the flower was fake made the image far more comical than the lonely piece of nature it once was.

 


Copy of IMG_1384 Copy of IMG_1394 Copy of IMG_1397 Copy of IMG_1401 Copy of IMG_1411 Copy of IMG_1417

VISU Seminar Response

 

Both articles entangle the two worlds: entrepreneurial and artistic. These worlds have only lately begun to merge on such a scale. These articles analyze the striking similarities held by people in either world. Business is in its own way a kind of art the requires artistic minds and art cannot often survive without its own needs (patronage, popular appeal). Artists can learn a multitude of things from their entrepreneurial  cousins. One such thing is the necessity of cooperation. Being able to work with others and the ability to communicate is critical in any field and could help an artist express him or herself more effectively to their partners or to the community. Another important lesson artists can learn is the ability to sell oneself (and their work) with out losing their integrity and being able to hold up under any pressure to fold. Artists in my mind could easily be considered entrepreneurs and many artists should accept and embrace this fact. Looking inward as I read the list of the twelve characteristics I found I carried many of those qualities. I particularly resonated with numbers 4, 6, 8, and 9. Artists are very child minded. This fact is the root and origin to many of the other qualities. Child-mindedness is not a negative thing but rather a positive. It can lead to acceptance of ambiguities (#4)  that many strict-minded individuals would struggle with accepting. This likeness to a child can also account to the open-mindedness  that artists are know for (#9). Being fueled by their surrounding and contextual awareness makes artists powerful conduits and powerful think tanks. Number 8 “Artists thrive under constraints,” is a belief that is very personal belief for me. I strongly agree that constraints can make what would ordinarily be an unrestrained piece of work a far stronger piece. Beyond that, I believe Mr.  and Mr. Gupta summarize the qualities of artists as entrepreneurs very well very well.

I was rated by the grit test at a 2.75. Which as it claimed was grittier than at least 10% of the American population. I have always felt easily distracted from distant goals and have notice I sometimes lack the conviction to focus on long term tasks. I often find myself struggling to complete assignments days before they were due even though I was given weeks. I would say that retaining a certain level of focus and awareness at all times with all my activities (personal or work related) would allow me more perspective when it comes to completing goals in a timely manner. Denying myself simple pleasures such as video games and TV and Netflix on a regular basis would give me more time to concentrate on more urgent or important tasks.

Response to Amy Tan’s “Where does creativity hide?”

Having heard what Ms. Tan had to say along with having done some thinking, I believe that creativity is as unique to each person as their finger prints. I agree that many people have similar inspirational roots such as a mental deficiency or childhood trauma or even not fitting in. This truth of creative uniqueness is what makes the artistic community so great; people will pour their experiences and their beliefs into their works in a multitude of ways adding to the artistic communities already diverse library of works. In my case, I felt as though I didn’t fit in because of my artistic pursuit but now I’ve grown into it and thrive on the support of my friends. I am pushed to test myself and achieve greater heights because of the support my friends and family offer.

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