Blind Contour or as I call it..."Is that What I Really Look Like?"

This project was probably the scariest one for me so far.  I don't mind getting my hands dirty with paint, clay, glaze or even just cleaning up the art class supplies, but when Ms. Kiick said we would be drawing ourselves, you can say I was a little bit panicked!

What you have to do is look into a mirror, hold a pen and do not pick it up off the page, and draw a picture of yourself.  WOW!  I felt completely out of my element and was afraid that I might make myself look totally ridiculous.  When I was allowed to look down I wasn't completely thrilled but it really wasn't too bad.  You could tell it was a face, and I was kind of impressed with myself.

If you look around the drawing, you can see the things I wrote about myself.  These are things that make me who I am.

 

I am smart, I am 15, I do not cheat, I am not ARTISTIC, I want to make a difference, and more!

 

If we believe in what we wrote than we can become the people we want to be. 

 

Here is what "I Really Look Like!"..... I think I look pretty good too!

 

 

Empty Bowls, Full Heart

The Empty Bowls Dinner is a project that helps the hungry.  Thousands of people everyday go without food or not enough food to have good nutrition.  Ms. Kiick hosts an Empty Bowls Dinner each year to help raise money and awareness and benefit The Foodbank of South Jersey.  You can find out more information on Ms. Kiick's blog by clicking here: http://creativeartsclass.blogspot.com/

Each student in art class had to make bowls for the event.  I never really thought about being hungry all day long, everyday, all the time.  I have plenty to eat at my house and it never really hit me until I worked on these bowls.  I can't imagine going to bed hungry or knowing that the next day will bring more of the same.  I think we forget how lucky we are and that we have to do something to help!  This dinner is a great idea and I hope that lots of people attend and donate money to this amazing cause!

 

Maybe we can end hunger one bowl at a time!

Lantern, Light and Me with a Knife?!

I have no problem turning night into day, well at home that is.  I can walk into any room of my house and flip a switch, and voila!  "LET THERE BE LIGHT!"  Okay, so I'm no magician, but just a few hundred years ago, I might have be considered one!

Our project was to make a lantern out of paper.  Before Ben Franklin flew his kite and discovered electricity, people used candles and oil in lanterns to light their homes.  I can tell you this, I would not have survived back in Ben's day!  We were challenged to make a lantern with a seasonal theme. 

 

Not only am I a technology-dependent teenager, as I said before, I am not so crafty, so this assignment proved to be a real challenge for me.

 

This was a difficult project for me, since I am not used to working with an craft knife. I was a little scared using it but I think that it turned out well and I am so proud of what I was able to create!  I still have all ten fingers too! 

 

I chose Winter as my season.  I love snow and the beautiful white blanket it leaves behind.  Winter is so calm, quite and still when it snows.  I really like how I can sit and just enjoy the beautiful scenery around me.  It's so clean and so peaceful.  I wanted my lantern to reflect the quiet, calm, outdoor view of a leaf-less tree with a snowman nearby.  You can almost feel the wind blowing across the tree and keeping the snowman's scarf flowing in the breeze.

 

I hope you enjoy my creation!

 

 

 

Leaf-less tree

 

Cold icicles, snow mounds and a whipping wind

 

There's my snowman!  His scarf is blowing in the cold winter air.

 

Old Man Winter gusts of wind!

 

Calm, peaceful, still...

 

Who's Your Artist?!

He was referred to as the "Prince of Pop Art".  His artwork has influenced many young artists of today.  He is the man behind many of the famous, colorful paintings of famous people and even soup cans.  This man's name is Andy Warhol.

 

Andy Warhol was born in Pittsburgh, PA on August 6th, 1928 and died at the age of 58 on February 22nd, 1987.  You have probably seen his work before but never knew he was the master mind behind it.  Andy Warhol is best known for his painting of the Campbell's Tomato Soup can.  He is also known for doing many silk screens of Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger and many more stars.  Warhol knew how to stay prominent in society by being friends with movie stars, musicians, and socialites.

 

I like Andy Warhol because he is not afraid to express himself and he makes his art work up to date with society likes and interests.  His soup can painting made you look at it more and see that even every day items can still be considered art.  His silk screens showed vast amounts of colors.  The colors expressed to me the emotions of the people in his work.  Andy Warhol was never afraid to speak his mind and share advice with others.  My favorite quote of his is, "Don't pay attention to what they write about you.  Just measure it in inches."

Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol

 

Marilyn Monroe always looks beautiful in every picture I see her in.  But this on is probably my favorite one.  She looks so bright and happy.  I love the color for her hair and eye shadow.  It makes me wonder why Andy Warhol choose these colors for her.  Did she have a bright personality or did she have a colorful out look on her life?

 

Zebra by Andy Warhol

 

This zebra definitely made my eyes pop with all of the colors.  Zebras are usually the same, boring black and white stripes.  But Warhol thought this Zebra needed a new look.  I love how the colors make you think why he painted it yellow, red and orange.  Why didn't he paint it blue, purple or even pink.

 

Soup by Andy Warhol

 

I like the tomato soup can painting because it is so realistic and unexpected.  who would of thought that a soup can can be a piece of art.  Definitely not me.  I would have said its just a can, but Andy Warhol saw more than just a can.  That's what makes it so interesting