A Cultured Journal by Rifka M. Shaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d brought to you by the Earth™ en-us 2019-01-13 17:28:30 UTC 2025-12-04 03:34:23 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Lovecoffee.png 01/13/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/320108486 Out of all the images I looked at this week, I enjoyed this one the most because of its composition and my familiarity with it. The movement created by the waves creates a beautiful flow as well as leading lines to Mount Fuji in the background. The muted tones of blue and warm yellows are also very harmonious and pleasing to the eye. Before looking closely at the image, I didn't notice the boats in the ocean that are battling the large waves, it certainly adds an interesting element to the image. It makes sense why this is the most popular piece of Japanese art in history. ]]> 2019-01-13 22:49:48 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/320108486 01/13/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/320109830 Shaalan, R. (08/05/18). Nature and Art. Pennsylvania.
Welcome to my Padlet! My name is Rifka and I'm senior at Harrisburg University studying Machine Learning. During my free time I enjoy hiking, longboarding, playing recreational sports, and anything that lets be outside in nature! But I also love creating art and competitive gaming. I took this photo while I was doing some outdoor painting and I thought it captured what I love beautifully, it even includes a Corgi puppy! ]]> 2019-01-13 23:07:07 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/320109830 01/18/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/322313307 Shaalan, R. (06/21/18). Hearthstone Box Replica [wood, polymer clay, acrylic]. Pennsylvania.
This image is of a recent creation of mine that pushed me out of my comfort zone a bit. I made this replica of the Hearthstone box found on the home screen of the game Heathstone, as a gift to my boyfriend who is on our University's varsity esports team for Heathstone! Although it's a replica I still changed a few things like making the gold accents look more antique as well as darkening the wood grain. It's a memorable piece for me because it was my first time creating 3D art using materials I was not familiar with. ]]> 2019-01-18 20:43:12 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/322313307 01/18/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/322318531 Yachiyo, B. (n.d.). Juggling Thoughts II [watercolor on paper]. Pennsylvania. 
Juggling Thoughts II was created by a local Japanese artist I had the pleasure of meeting at her gallery in The Millworks in Harrisburg, PA. I was amazed by all of her pieces, her technique for blending is so smooth and perfect! I couldn't believe that this was watercolor, her oil paintings were even more buttery and vibrant. This piece stood out to me because of the bold color palette she used and unique composition. While the piece clearly has a meaning about contemplation and the mind, I mainly just felt inspired by her use of colors and subjects to go create something unique just like this.]]> 2019-01-18 21:06:21 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/322318531 01/25/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/324400926 Tanning, D. (1957). Insomnias. [Oil on canvas]. Moderna Museet, Stockholm.
This painting caught my eye when studying different pieces this week because of the lovely harmony and diffusion of colors that give off a dreamy feeling. I love how the lighter whites and yellows are blended to create a smoky effect around the darker, more detailed sections. The way complementary colors are used throughout make it very interesting and help to piece things together although there are many elements depicted. ]]> 2019-01-25 16:50:31 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/324400926 01/25/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/324409097 Akib, J. (01/26/17) . The Black Kimono [Oil on canvas]. United Kingdom. 
Jamel Akib's art style is simply mesmerizing. His technique of incorporating sketching or construction lines in his final pieces as well as the placement of those lines and strokes to create high energy and movement are so unique and breath taking. I actually got a chance to ask him about his technique and he told me that he starts with those construction lines and builds up from there but he doesn't go in with any real plan! He just feels the flow of the strokes and lets his creativity and brush do the rest! His chosen color palettes and placement of those colors really stand out to me as well. In this piece he uses more analogous colors but he always switches it up and uses complementary colors as well, but the way the colors are placed not only make the pieces harmonious, they also create drama and movement when they are strategically scattered throughout. ]]> 2019-01-25 17:07:32 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/324409097 02/01/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/326810713 Hiroshige, U. (ca. 1833–34) Evening Snow at Kanbara [Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper]. Japan. 

These woodblock prints were used to reproduce written text so that ideas and events are spread more easily. I believe that because they were made to be printed in great quantities, the artists were more conservative with the use of colored ink and complex line work. Creators also saw that these pieces appealed to the wealthy townspeople and that most likely influenced the depictions of seductive courtesans and Kabuki actors. ]]> 2019-02-01 18:04:41 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/326810713 02/01/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/326830335 (2nd century B.C.) Marble statue of Aphrodite [marble]. Greek. 

Statues of Greek gods and Greek mythology in general are interesting to me and I wouldn't mind researching and learning more about them. The amazing attention to gesture and anatomy of the human body are what make them interesting to look at. 

One element of the "period eye" that I'd like to learn more about because I didn't fully comprehend it is the mathematics he discussed and the origins of the concepts mentioned around it. ]]> 2019-02-01 18:47:38 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/326830335 02/10/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/329680544 Shinn, E. (1902). Spanish Music Hall [Oil on canvas board]. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York  City, NY. Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/67.187.139/

The composition of this piece was inspired by Edgar Degas, whose way of placing the viewer of the painting in the audience of a theater, appealed to Everett Shinn. This painting stood out to me because of the skill it requires to portray bodies and a scene in the night with artificial lighting, it is very hard to do but when it is done right, it creates a lot of drama and interest in the piece. Knowing that Everett often paints theatrical subjects, I believe the meaning behind this piece is to allow the viewer to feel the movement and music created by the dancer and band while being a part of the atmosphere them self. ]]> 2019-02-10 23:52:46 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/329680544 02/10/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/329685974 Nike, Inc. [Nike]. (2018, Sep 5). Nike - Dream Crazy (Video File). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq2CvmgoO7I

I was really moved when I watched this video this week, the amazing athletes, their stories, and the cinematography were perfect and incredibly inspiring. Although I do not support the unethical practices that Nike is known for, this video was beautifully done and was more about the struggles and hard work it takes to achieve dreams. It's definitely a good example of the use of pathos to really grasp the attention and emotion of the viewer as well as pathos and logos to drive home the quality and performance of Nike products. ]]> 2019-02-11 00:34:20 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/329685974 02/18/19 https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/332419400 (1st or 2nd century A.D.). Marble statue of Aphrodite [Marble]. The Metropolitan Museum of  Art, New York, NY. Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/254697

The most renowned sculptor of the 4th century BC, Praxiteles, created this sculpture that later became the inspiration for many roman nude sculptures. Praxiteles was born in 395 BC and died in 330 BC and is well known for his sculpture work. His focus was always on including as much detail and realism in his sculptures which usually embraced the beauty of the female body. A noticeable element in his pieces is form, his eye for realism results in very natural body proportions even when the sculptures are scaled down.
For my essay, I'd like to explore the reason behind the postures or body language chosen for the sculptures and how they differ for male subjects.


]]> 2019-02-18 18:19:26 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/332419400 02/18/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/332485494 (A.D. 69–96). Marble statue of a youthful Hercules [Marble, Island ?]. The Metropolitan  Museum of Art, New York, NY. Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/247000

The artist behind this statue of Hercules is still unknown, however, it is a Roman sculpture that is believed to have been from A.D. 69–96 during the ruling of the Flavian Dynasty. The over-life-sized  statue, made of marble, depicts the Greek hero Hercules in a contrapposto pose (where most of the weight of the figure is on one foot, creating a relaxed posture) in the nude. The relaxed feel is created by lines that make up his gesture or posture, the lines are organic, not stiff, so the statue appears more realistic and natural since humans often put more weight on one leg when standing. When analyzing this sculpture in my essay, I'd like to discuss the reasoning behind nudity used in Greek and Roman art and how it affected their culture.


]]> 2019-02-18 23:23:03 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/332485494 03/01/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/337083646 Staab, J. R. (photographer). (n.d.). The Late Show with Stephen Colbert [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.cbs.com/shows/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/

Although I watch official news channels to get urgent news, I catch up with main events by watching late night show daily. I used to love watching the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, a much more political news-heavy show, but since Jon left the show, I find myself watching The Late Show more often because Stephen uses the same satirical comedy style I enjoy. One of the highlights of 2018 for me was getting a wave and a heart symbol from Stephen during commercial break when I got to see the show live in New York, although it did take a couple of tries...]]> 2019-03-02 03:52:48 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/337083646 03/01/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/337084441 B. (2016). Tracer Wallpaper [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://playoverwatch.com/en-us/media/tracer-wallpaper

This is an image of Tracer, a character in one of my favorite video games, Overwatch. I've been playing this highly competitive first person shooter a lot in the past couple of months (already have more than a 100 hours clocked in...) because I learned a lot more about the decision making and skills that can take you to higher ranks in the game, which is what got me hooked. The game has a lot more elements to it than a typical fps and every character has a unique kit. Watching coaching videos from official Overwatch League coaches and pro streamers is helping me get better and better at the game, which is very rewarding.]]> 2019-03-02 04:08:44 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/337084441 03/14/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/341352399 Minnick, J. (photographer). (09/22/18). 2018 HUE Festival [Digital image]. 

A reoccurring theme I've noticed in the media lately is the rise of Esports and competitive gaming as a whole. Thousands of companies, schools, and people have invested millions of dollars in creating teams and joining the industry, including our very own Harrisburg University. It's a very wise decision on their part because not only did they gain huge profits, it also brought a ton of publicity, business, and new students to the university. This makes me very happy because I love all of the titles our teams are currently competing in as well as cheering on my friends on the team. ]]> 2019-03-14 14:36:01 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/341352399 03/14/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/341376645 Tarka, P. (February 2019). Apple Chinese New Year Campaign for the Apple Inc. App Store, Apple Music and Movies [Graphic design]. Retrieved from https://www.behance.net/gallery/76058347/Apple-Chinese-New-Year

A new trend that I'm loving in the graphic design world right now is 3D designs and typography. I've been seeing it in many different campaigns starting in 2018. It's just a super captivating and fun twist on presenting ideas and products that can even be implemented on typography to make words pop a bit more. As an artist that has worked in graphic design, I know that it's just all about lighting and composition, but the end result makes the viewer feel almost like they exist in the piece or are looking through a window at real, tangible objects. Along with the use of minimalistic abstract shapes, detailed textures, and gorgeous color palettes, I think this trend is definitely going to continuing growing the upcoming years.

]]> 2019-03-14 15:15:30 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/341376645 04/01/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/347388221 Bureau, M., & Muzichka, A. (2018). Minimalistic stories of countries in coffee packaging [Graphic design]. 
Image retrieved from https://www.behance.net/gallery/70480219/Minimalistic-stories-of-countries-in-coffee-packaging

Minimalism is the theme that I'm interested in researching for my final project. I would like to cover minimalism in graphic design, interior design, and photography. It's a huge trend in the design world right now and has been growing rapidly in the past few decades, I find it very interesting because growing up, I was always taught about traditional art that emphasizes the use for realism and concepts/rules that minimalism has successfully broken. This example work is of a re-branding of a coffee company that imports and roasts coffee beans from a variety of countries. This image incorporates a lot of the fundamentals of minimalistic art including limited color palettes, simple artwork, and clear, modern typography. ]]> 2019-04-01 20:35:06 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/347388221 04/01/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/347396791 Laffitte, L. (2019) New Website [Graphic design]
Image retrieved from https://www.behance.net/gallery/75510033/New-Website?tracking_source=curated_galleries_list

Another theme I am always learning more about and exploring before I start my own projects is composition, I'm interested in this because it's such a complex topic but is vital to the success of an artwork. Even art that is extremely well made and professional would quickly be deemed unappealing if its composition, the backbone or core of the work, is lacking or incorrect. I would probably include more traditional fine art pieces in my exhibition because so many of them portray strong composition, but this one stood out to me today during my search. It is meant for a website and would include text in the middle of the piece. I love this piece because it's so well balanced and follows many of the rules of good composition to create a harmonious piece that's pleasing to the eye. ]]> 2019-04-01 21:10:41 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/347396791 04/02/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/347656746 Lena Vargas Afanasieva

ING Creatives Festival, 2017 

Digital Art 

Afanasieva created this illustration as a collaboration with the ING Creatives Festival where many world renowned creators shared ideas and held workshops in Dubai, including Steve Raymer, a National Geographic photojournalist and educator. Afanasieva was given complete creative freedom for this project, so she utilized her bright, colorful style in incorporating iconic elements of the National Geographic brand including plants, animals, and natural environments pertaining to Dubai. The photographers, cameras, and reference to lenses introduce Raymer and the purpose of his workshop. Her process begins with an initial sketch that is later scanned and vectorized. A digital process in which graphics are made up of 2D points connected by lines and curves forming geometric shapes, rather than pixels. This makes graphics more scalable, so that lines are crisp whether they are printed on a small paper or a billboard. 
]]> 2019-04-02 14:42:00 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/347656746 04/15/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/351755378 HAO DESIGN. (2018). HAO | Beijing1 [digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.behance.net/gallery/67588435/HAO-Beijing1?tracking_source=search%7C

If I decide to go with my theme of minimalism, I would include this as an example of minimalism in interior design. It's a good example because of the elements making up the piece that follow minimalistic shapes, colors, textures, composition, and values. This is meant to be a family home (with this image taken from the dining table angle) so the designer kept the look modern but still functional for the family. The only issue is that this is created by a Chinese artist so all the documentation behind the piece is in Chinese, but I can solve this by talking about the concepts and design to make up for the lack of information on the designer. ]]> 2019-04-15 17:58:39 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/351755378 04/15/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/351771944 Tavernise, N. (2012) Wes Anderson on Moonrise Kingdom set [photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.wmagazine.com/story/wes-anderson-moonrise-kingdom-on-set

Wes Anderson. (2019, April 14). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wes_Anderson

Wes Anderson, an American filmmaker, has created many popular hits in the past including Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle of Dogs, and many more that all follow his unique film making and story telling style. His fast-paced comedic story telling, extensive use of flat space camera shots, symmetrical shots, limited color palettes, and distinct music choices are some of the features that contribute to the Wes Anderson film identity (Wes Anderson).]]> 2019-04-15 18:38:43 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/351771944 04/26/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/354419684 Laffitte, L. (2019) New Website [Graphic design]
Image retrieved from https://www.behance.net/gallery/75510033/New-Website?tracking_source=curated_galleries_list

I saw this piece during my usual scroll through Behance artworks and portfolios and it caught my eye because of its composition. I love the way that although there is no water present, the subject still look weightless because of the wavy lines making up the jelly fish and the fluid gesture the diver is depicting. The textures used in this piece also bring a lot of life and interest to it. ]]> 2019-04-26 12:24:16 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/354419684 04/26/19 rmshaalan https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/354422087 Weber, S. (2019, April 24). The Blackfeet Nation Hopes to Create its Own National Park in Montana. Retrieved from https://www.adventure-journal.com/2019/04/the-blackfeet-nation-hopes-to-create-its-own-national-park-in-montana/

The Blackfeet Tribe want to practice the right to tell the story of their people and their land through tours of their national parks that Americans colonized, however, they are often not given this opportunity and are arrested and must fight for this right in court. "Despite once owning half of Glacier and now sharing a border along some of its most breathtaking terrain, the Blackfeet Nation has not yet tapped into the booming national parks tourism economy in any significant way, though such tourism generated $18.2 billion in park gateway communities last year. That’s where Blackfeet tribal members see an opportunity" (Weber, 2019). They're currently trying to fix this issue by opening their own national parks to protect their land and heritage of their people. ]]> 2019-04-26 12:31:54 UTC https://padlet.com/rmshaalan/od582rg7wt6d/wish/354422087