Final Project Ideas

I would like to continue using my senior show theme, Taking Flight for this piece. I want to have a series of three landscape pieces that incorporate parts of paintings that I have created for my senior show. Another idea that I would like to try is to create a series of 3 self portraits using similar images and pictures of myself.

Digital Painting

Cherise & Stormy

Master Study- Lady Gray

Creator	Thomas Lawrence, European; British, 1769 - 1830, (artist)
Title	Catherine Gray, Lady Manners Lady Louisa (Tollemache) Manners (1745-1840), Later Countess of Dysart, as Juno
Date	1794
Material	oil on canvas

Flight

This is my collage piece!

Photomontage

The theme for my photomontage project is Taking Flight. This theme is also the title of my senior show. I have some images of the sky and of some leaves blowing in the wind. I plan to layer these with one or two of intaglio prints and watercolor images. I would like to incorporate a picture of me into the collage as well.

Where I Want to Be?
Home. At Peace. Free.

Partner Collage

Surrealistic Artists

Rene Magritte (1898- 1967)

He was a leader in the surrealist movement of the early twenties. He attended school for art and began his career designing wallpaper and posters. His art was inspired by our 'internal states of consciousness'. His paintings reflected these dreamlike states, bringing the viewer to a new realm of visual interpretation. He also is noted for his use of symbolism and size distortion.
He was know as having a more reserved personality. He differed from his contemporaries in that he was not eccentric or wild, he was a normal guy. (No scandals, one wife, hard working)


Artist Review

Magritte, Rene
Perspective: Madame Recamier by David
Oil on canvas
1951

Description/Analysis:

The over all color of this piece is done in browns ranging from dark in background to a use of lighter colors in the foreground. It has a horizontal orientation that is filled up by its focal point. This painting depicts a coffin lounging on a day sofa in a very plain brown room. The coffin is adorned with three handles equally spaced along its edge and it is nailed closed. The coffin is peculiar in that it is not flat. It sits, bent at the waist, and makes one imagine that there is a figure inside it sitting/lounging on the sofa. There is a piece of cream fabric sticking out from under the leg area of the coffin that gently drapes off the sofa cascading down to a foot stool. The foot stool is painted in the same browns as the coffin and the sofa. It sits in front of the sofa and isn't noticed until the eye is drawn downward by the fabric. There is a lamp located next to the head of the sofa which extends from the base of the painting to the top. The lamp and the walls of the room help to frame the coffin/ sofa which is in the center of the image. The sofa has two green and yellow pillows on it and it is cushioned in the same colors.

Interpretation:

I think that this is a visual memorial. Colors are all muted and drab which sets my mind to a more somber interpretation. There was most likely a woman who lounged on this sofa and maybe she was even painted here. Rene painted a coffin instead. He painted death. Which makes me think that he is reminding the viewer that she is gone, she does not exist. The image is a little ridiculous because coffins are not bent and they don't get put on sofas. But isn't it ridiculous to lust after a memory or desire what isn't there? Rene has simply painted the reality of her state.

Judgement:

I think that this piece is very successful and intriguing. It addresses how we view the world. Do we see the irony at play in daily life? I think that Magritte did and he painted it.


Konstantin (1978- )

I discovered this artist on deviant art.com. He is a 31 year old Russian photo manipulator.
His work is mainly consists of dissecting and/or taking apart the human body. He is a modern surrealist and works in digital media. He is also a digital photographer.



Artist Review

Konstantin
Empty
Photo-manipulation
2008

Description/Analysis:

This image has a square format and is done in black and white. It is of a figure sitting behind a flat surface like a table. Only the top portion of the figure is shown. This portion forms a triangular shape. He is slumped over the table and is resting his head in his left hand and his right hand is laid on the surface. The figure has no clothing but its skin is all crackled and breaking apart like dried mud. His face has fallen off completely and landed on the table next to his resting hand. There is no expression on it. You can see through the rest of his head and it is empty. His entire body is empty. There is nothing holding it together.
The table looks like it is made of canvas that has sand or fine gravel covering it and the background hovers ambiguously around the figure. It is a haze of oil and water. Everything is in high contrast and there is a light source in the bottom left corner of the image that increases the contrast of the figure.
There is one element of the image that seems odd because it does not fit in to the rest of the scene. In the top corner of the image there is a partial white bar-code that gets lost into the background. It reads beneath it: nse by int 21h. I think that it is how Konstantin signs his images.
To me it adds an element of mystery.

Interpretation:

I think that this is a man falling apart literally. He feels empty and dried up, hopeless and alone in a vast plain of uncertainty. There is no nourishmnet and he is slowly eroding away. There is only a hollow shell and even that is almost gone.

Judgment:

This is a very moving piece. My first reaction was cool!! But as I studied it I realized the message it was sending. This piece speaks to every one who has felt hollow, alone, fragile, and dried up. I think that this piece has not only a great design but it has captured the human element that allows us to connect to a visual representation on a deeper level.

Compare:

Both Magritte and Konstantin are great artists that very skillfully manipulate visual medias to portray and express ideas and interpretations. Rene takes a more playful approach than Konstantin. He makes the viewer think about what is being placed before them and connect the dots. Konstantin is all about internal struggles. What do you feel when you look at this?
However they both ask the viewer to look at their world differently. As surrealists they demand that we look beyond the surface to think and feel what the artwork is saying.

Motion & Depth of Field

Leaves
Stop Action
1/125
f 3.2

Hands
Blur Action
1/30
f 2.8

Alley
Wide Depth of Field
1/400
f 3.2

Mushrooms
Shallow Depth of Field
1/40
f 3.2

Composition: Photo Project 2

1) Shelly

Shutter Speed: 1/40
Aperture: f 3.2
Exposure Mode: P
Composition Technique: Birds Eye
Element or Principle: Emphasis
Description: I took this photo looking down at Shelly from standing on top of the foundation monument in the campus green.



2) Lamp

Shutter Speed: 1/500
Aperture: f 4.0
Exposure Mode: P
Composition Technique: Worms Eye
Element or Principle: Shapes
Description: I took this photo looking up a wall on Main street at an interesting shaped lamp.



3) New

Shutter Speed: 1/250
Aperture: f 3.2
Exposure Mode: Auto
Composition Technique: Unusual Angle/ Leading Lines
Element or Principle: Emphasis
Description: I took this photo on Main street. It is of an up close view of a flower bed.



4) Kirstin

Shutter Speed: 1/80
Aperture: f 2.8
Exposure Mode: P
Composition Technique: Birds Eye
Element or Principle: Line
Description: I took this photo looking over the top of the steps of Lincoln Hall down at Kirstin sitting on the steps.

Artistic Heroes

5) Ansel Adams

He was an amazing photographer and co-founder of f/64. His images are high contrast and include every shade of gray from white to black. He seems to capture in each image, no matter the subject, with a sense of majesty and intensity. Looking at an Ansel Adams photo is like seeing clearly.

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4) Winifred Lee

I am in awe Lee's use of color and luminosity the she brings to her paintings. They are wonderful! Winifred is a Chinese watercolor artist. She currently lives in Richmond, BC and at the age of 75 is still producing wonderful pieces of art!!

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3) Artemisia Gentileschi

She was a woman painter in a male world. She overcame much in her life and sacrificed her reputation to be an artist. She used an extensive pallet in all of her paintings and was a master of contrast. I also like her use of symbolism and passion in her works.

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2) My Sisters & Parents

At a very young age my sisters taught me how to draw and color. We would spend all afternoon together coloring and painting. My mother is a natural artist. She encouraged all of us to be creative and taught us to sew and allowed us to wreak havoc in her house with all kinds of crafts and creations! My father can in my opinion do anything. He can fix automobiles, doors, build houses, fences, barns, and panels. He taught me to weld, dig post holes, and to fix things for myself. If I wanted a new shelf in my room or a sculpture in the back yard. I could go out to the garage and make it!

My eldest sister, Joyclyn, is a constant influence to my work. She is a stay at home mom and portrait artist. This picture is a drawing she did of her 2nd son, Colby. He was in the hospital for 14 weeks after he was born premature.

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1) Michelangelo Buonarroti

When I was 16 I read an inspiring book about the life and art of Michelangelo. It was titled The Odyssey and the Ecstasy. Since then, I have looked up to him as an artist. His work is stunning and speaks not only to the educated, but the masses. His work allows the viewer to transcend the physical realm into a spiritual experience and gain new insight. It speaks to the core of our humanity.

Assignment #1 My Life

My name: Cherise M. Smith

Childhood ambition: supermodel...! yeah about that...

Fondest Memory: Long walks at my parents ranch.

Proudest moment: High school graduation, Valedictorian! Woot Woot!

Biggest challenge: Procrastination...

Alarm clock: is evil!

Perfect Day: sleeping in till noon, couch, movie, my fiancé, and take out!

Indulgence: ice cream!

Favorite movie: Dirty Dancing

Soundtrack: New Soal, Yael Naim/ Foundations, Kate Nash

Inspirations: Music, Nature, Family, Astronomy, Mythology, and mood swings

My life is: Peachy

HELLOS!

Welcome to my blog gallery! my art work for Digital Imaging will be posted here!