AR 101-04 by Emily Simanton

Who am I?

emilysimanton8 — 2024-01-18 17:20:24 UTC

I'm fine with Emily!
I'm a sophomore majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing and management. I chose it because I do the business operations at my dance school, so I developed an interest in this field and would love to learn more!
I hope to work for a company as some sort of managerial role. I actually just completed an internship in NYC for Human Resources, and that seems to be the path I want to follow!
My favorite artist is Beyonce. I enjoy her music and the concerts she puts on. Also, she directed a movie of her tour which was very interesting as well.
I'm most passionate about Irish Dance. For the past 15 years I have danced myself, but have recently retired so now I am shifting my focus to teaching

Paintings Reactions

emilysimanton8 — 2024-01-18 17:39:57 UTC

# 1

Colorful
Tie Dye
I like how the sky incorporates many colors that are mixed together. I also like how the colors are reflected in the water

# 2

Dirty
Rough
Monochromatic
I don't like this painting because it looks dirty and boring. Also the figures are really complex.

# 3

Mirrored
Complementary Colors
Geometric
I like the simplicity of the colors. I don't like the triangle in the middle, it throws me off.

# 4

Chaos
Darker colors
Doodling
I like the use of the yellow in the painting, I feel it brightens it up. I don't like how there is a lot of going on in the picture (colors, figures).

# 5

Bright white
Creepy
Reflection
Mirrored
Dimensional
I like how you can see different depths in the image. I don't like the dull colors and the stray lines.

# 6

Nature
Mountainy
Fine Lines
I like all the different shading of the painting, it really adds depth and character to the image.

Paintings from slides

emilysimanton8 — 2024-01-23 18:26:21 UTC

Several Circles

When first looking at the painting, I am interested because a few of the circles look like eyes. I like the contrast and bright colors as well. It feels slightly chaotic, but that is only towards the middle, the outside edges seem calm to me.
I do believe that the contrast between the bright and dark colors of the painting impact my impression. Because of this contrast, where there are dark circles within bright ones, it makes them look like eyes. Also, because the circles are so prominent and stand out from the background, when they are close together it is more chaotic. Looking at the painting closer, I can see that it isn't just a solid background, rather it is almost like little waves. That adds character to the background in my opinion.

Picasso Painting Response

emilysimanton8 — 2024-01-25 16:49:10 UTC

I would describe the figures in the painting as sharp. There aren't many soft curves, rather there are sharp lines and angles. The sharpness of the figures stands out to me and is one of the first things I noticed about the painting. Also I notice that the faces look distorted. Their features don't really feel to scale (large nose and different shaped eyes).
When looking at the painting it makes me feel intimidated almost. The figures look like they are staring at me and have pretty emotionless expressions.

Picasso Drawing

emilysimanton8 — 2024-01-28 17:49:51 UTC

Before Drawing:

I felt intimidated when first finding out we would be drawing the picture. I was wondering where I would even begin due to the complexity of the drawing. I also was looking at the image as a whole,rather than breaking down the lines and shapes, so trying to figure out how to draw the figures themselves was also stressing me out.

After Drawing:

Yes, I do think that finding the center and simplifying shapes and lines were helpful. When starting the drawing I picked a quadrant to start at and that helped me be less overwhelmed since I was focusing on just one piece. Upon breaking it down I was no longer intimidated by the figures in the drawing and was able to focus on their simple lines and spaces. After doing one section, I'd look back and see how the lines I just drew contributed to the overall picture which was pretty cool.

Pollock Painting Response

emilysimanton8 — 2024-01-30 19:01:52 UTC

I see balance in the painting. Specifically, radial balance. I notice that dark blue splatter lines starting at the middle and going out to the sides. Going with that, I see repetition in many different aspects. Again with those blue splatter lines but also with those white splatters and yellow as well. They aren't in just one spot and are splattered throughout.
I overall enjoy Jackson Pollock's drip paintings, but in this one specifically I don't enjoy the colors. It kind of seems dark and dull, which is not appealing to me.

Leger Painting

emilysimanton8 — 2024-02-03 20:07:24 UTC

The subject matter of this painting included pattern and emphasis. When drawing this painting I kind thought of each shape as its own, and within each shape there was patterns of lines, dots, or lines. Regarding emphasis, I tried to recreate that in my drawing specifically because of shading. Some objects were darker and those are the ones that stood out to me most. I'm not sure what the subject matter actually represents, because when I look at the painting it looks more like doodling, I don't really see the bigger picture.
From elements of art, this painting demonstrates lots of shapes. Basically the entire painting is made of shapes including squares, trapezoids, rectangles, and circles. The shapes then all come together to create the overall painting. In principles of design, there is a sense of unity across the painting. Through the repetition of shapes and also where they are aligned, it is all a unit.

Slides Response

emilysimanton8 — 2024-02-08 16:49:44 UTC

I do agree that any found object can be made into art. The whole idea of altering an ordinary object into something different by either adding color, objects, etc. is art. Although these aren't the "typical" art pieces one normally sees or would purchase, the objects are an expression of the artist.

emilysimanton8 — 2024-02-15 17:46:19 UTC

Thumbnail Drawings

emilysimanton8 — 2024-02-27 19:15:02 UTC

Brancusi Sculpture

emilysimanton8 — 2024-03-05 19:00:06 UTC

I really like this sculpture. Initially, it looks like a quill pen and ink. The gold is the feather pen and what looks to be cement is the base where the ink is held.

It looks very smooth and shiny.

emilysimanton8 — 2024-03-26 02:42:24 UTC

I can both agree and disagree with this critique. I feel that it is quite harsh, but there is some truth to it. Throughout the documentary and the article, I was able to see the shift in his works and I do believe it got more chaotic and crazy towards the end, but that doesn’t mean it lacks meaning, which is what the quote implies. I feel that Picasso’s everchanging style was a characteristic of him as an artist. The different works showcased his life experiences and personal feelings.

Picasso’s late work challenged the traditional notions of creativity because he didn’t fit the set in stone paintings, it was like he was more carefree and spontaneous with his art. Additionally, with old age, he challenged the typical stereotypes of “retirement” as he kept creating till a very old age and was still being creative within his work.

After studying Picasso in class, I’d be very interested to see what exactly went through his mind while creating pieces of art. Some of his pieces I do not love as they seem to be chaotic and almost thrown together, but that is because personally, I tend to be attracted to more organized and “to the point” works of art. Also I feel that he would sometimes use harsh colors, which would convey like “pow” (I don’t know how else to word it).

emilysimanton8 — 2024-04-02 17:22:24 UTC

I don't know much besides hieroglyphics and mummifcation but something I do know is the pyramids. I believe that a lot of Ancient Egyptian Art is inside of these pyramids and also the pyramids themselves are art.
The figures are represented in different sizes which could mean the larger figures are God like figures and the smaller ones are just people. Composition wise, the figures are constructed out of very simple linework. Another observation is the difference in skin tones amongst the figures.

Final Drawing

emilysimanton8 — 2024-04-18 16:03:38 UTC

1. Evolution of the Artist’s Role

After taking the course I have developed a deeper understanding of the role of an artist. Before I didn’t think or even know about all the elements that goes into creating a piece of art. I kind of had just thought they just created whatever came to mind. But now after taking the class I realize all of the different elements that go into creating something. And how different artists keep the same style not even in the art itself but details like value, lines, mediums, etc.

2. Drawing Assignments and Personal Progress

I enjoyed the drawing assignments that consisted of replicating an existing piece of artwork. The final drawing assignment was not my cup of tea, hence why I doodled hearts on the back of it. I guess I don’t like adding dimension as I prefer to just have it be 2D like a sheet of paper. Although, these drawing assignments did teach me a lot again about the process and all of the different elements. If I were to be given a painting to draw on my own before the class I wouldn’t even know where to start. Now I know to piece it into sections and I feel that’s what really helped my drawings become better.

3. Key Takeaways

I enjoyed the lessons about Picasso and the video about him. I have heard of Picasso before this class but I never really knew much about him so learning about his thought processes and how he created his work was very interesting. I also enjoyed the lessons about the basics of art – mediums, drawings, techniques, etc. Again, I never really knew what all went into art. This class has allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of art and also grow a greater appreciation for it.