Lino Cutting

I was researching ideas when I came across elephant ideas. I really like the shape of elephants, also that you could do designs within them. I thought it would give me a chance to try many elements. I plan on doing an elephant and then shapes within it. I could also used different coloured paints, I think bright and tribal colours would look great. I could also expand on my project and add colour to the designs within.

Norval Morriseau

The power point mainly talked about how norval morrisseau paved the way for aboriginal artist' that focused on woodland art. He was also referred to as the Picasso of the north. His paintings had lines, colour, shapes, and spiritual meaning. It also showed his association to the group of seven and how he impacted them.

Morriseau was so important because he was the first traditional aboriginal artist. He also was the first to be so well known and reach that success. He faced the struggle of rejection and critics not understanding the spiritual meaning behind his paintings. He also struggled for providing for his family and often sold his paintings for food. He impacted Canadian art because he showed Canada new techniques, as well as a new out look and understanding of aboriginal art. 

Gothic cathedral

Our gothic cathedral did turn out successful because it included so many features . We also used the candy very creatively. If I were to do anything differently it would be to make it slightly bigger and 2 more towers. I did enjoy this project. I really liked the building and decorating process. 

Cathedral plans

Me and Hanna got inspiration from the Leon cathedral. We kept certain features such as the three arches in the front and back. We still included a rose window, two stain glass windows, four flying buttresses, and six pointed arches.

Calligraphy

I first started practicing calligraphy a week ago. It was very difficult at first but I used my time wisely and practiced. Keep your hand the right angle was hard for me and the detailed letters looked some what messy. I practiced different forms until I got comfortable. 

Once I was confident I decided to make a project out of it. I took a regular piece of blank white paper and dyed it using tea. 

You had to be careful to not rip the paper an be very delicate. 

I dried it using a hair blow dryer and crumpled it to make it look more aged. I still thought it could be darker so I dyed it once more to add to the effect. Once I was happy with the product I began to write using ink and a writing tool. I accidentally made two spelling mistakes and was unable to start over. I enjoy doing calligraphy because it makes me focus and have a lot of patience. I am very happy with the final product and this has been one of my more enjoyable projects.

Printmaking

I decided to do a small and simple project. I went with a snowflake to keep with the winter theme. I wanted to do a mixture of white and blue. However, it all mixed together and turned to a light blue which I was still happy with. I used black paper for a good contrast. I found printmaking quite easy and would like to learn more ways to do intricate designs. 

There was some smudges but for my first try I thought it went fairly well. 

Experimenting with printmaking

To first try out printmaking and practicing using the paint I rolled on white paint on a piece of glass. I did a thin layer and then using the tip of a pencil drew an eye. I found a contrasting piece of paper (black) and pushed it onto the paint. The eye came out somewhat smudged but it proved to be good practice. 

The eye before copied onto the paper:

The texture turned out very cool

Drawing

I have always enjoyed drawing, more specifically shading. I was excited to do my section of the portrait and chose one of the more difficult pieces to draw: the eyeball. I made a to-scale grid on my strip and the picture which made the proportions much easier to draw. I used Kleenex mostly to smudge and just a regular HB2 pencil. Sometimes it's easier to use simpler drawing tools. The pencil worked great as long as it was sharpened. Overall, I didn't find the task too challenging. I did find out it looked better and more realistic from greater distances. This project helped me realize what impact your perception of an art piece can have. 

Up close you can still see some grid lines, as much as I tried they were still visible.

From far away:

Final product of mosaics

To finish off my project I just had to remove the left over grout that had become stuck in the groves of some tiles. I found tools around the class room and worked on each tile individually. It was a very long process but worth it in the end showing huge differences. I also used a tooth brush to scrub and sand paper. I am very happy with the finish of my tree. I enjoyed doing mosaics very much. 

The before and after:

 The tools I used, they sometimes scratched the tile so you had to use the right amount of pressure.

The final product:

Grouting

Once I finished gluing it was time to move onto grouting so I did alittle tester one. I Glued a couple of left over pieces on scrap wood and the next did mixed a small amount of grout. I experimented with consistencies until I found one that worked the best. However, the grout looked a little crumby but I still moved on. I did the lower half first the grout came out the same as on my tester. I just did small portions at first learning as I went. By the time I reached the second half o my lower half I realized the grout dryed smoother if you let sit for about 10 minutes, no longer though or else it was too hard to scrape off. Even though you had to apply more pressure when removing the grout from on top of the tiles it looked much better and was worth it. I also found it was hard to remove the grout from tiles with texture and had yet to find a solution that would save me time . I re- grouted my first bumpy Half to make the whole lower section smooth. I re-grouted a lot of places even though it was time consuming two coats looked better in the long run. 

Mosaics second stage

After laying out my pieces I began glueing. However because I didn't glue each piece individually I took them off and tried to put them in the exact same lay out. When I tried to put the pieces back on my layout got really unorganized. I think it still turned out really good even though the placement was different. 

Experimenting with mosaics

While brainstorming for my real big project (eventually the tree) I started playing around with buttons. I was just going to test out the glue and grout. While making my design, which turned out to be a rainbow I decided to make it a mini project. I got a glass candle holder from home and decided to glue the buttons on the exterior all the way around. It turned out to be very easy and the glue worked very well. When I finished I thought about grouting, I mixed a small amount of white grout. However I found I couldn't get the right consistency, it was either too chalky or thin. I decided not to grout for the fear of ruining my project. It also seemed unnecessary due to the fact that the holes were very small and the glue was already white. 

First stages of mosaics

I set a small outline for my trunk and left the rest of the board bare, ready for experimenting. I enjoyed using the stain glass and found it very easy to work with, it was easy to break. At first I started off with mostly green leafs and then started to add colour. I found the tree to pop more and look fuller. Then using the white backs of old plates I filled in the space below the tree. I was thinking about doing mirror instead but, I thought it would take away from the tree, which I wanted to be the focal point. 

Mosaic thought process

I ended up going with neither of my ideas from Pinterest (world,flower,and castle). I came to the conclusion that I would need too many square and straight cut pieces. I didn't think I had the tools or time to do this, so I started looking for more ideas. I ended up getting inspiration from Pinterest once again with a tree design. I thought about how I could make it my own and what materials I would need, and if they would be available. I found old plates I could use at first but, after seeing the stain glass mrs.rose brought in I thought it would be better. Most pieces had vibrant colours, some even textures. I then found a square piece of board I could use to put the mosaic on. After gathering all my materials and made my plan I began to experiment. 

Mosaics brainstorming

As I am beginning my mosaics project, I have begun to research many ideas. I have come up with four possible designs: 

 

I used the site Pinterest to look at large and small scale mosaics. Of corse all of the designs would have to be modified in order to successfully be created. I would simplify the design I choose in order to make it more realistic for me to accomplish. I also need to start gathering materials, preferably glass. A challenge I might face is shaping the glass pieces to fit my design. A hard design would be the earth because I would want the exact shape of the continents. Another one would be the castle because you need straight edges for the tower. Overall I think whatever design I pick will be a challenge.

Dot day final product

My dot day project was being apart of the mural. I only did one square, but it did take me almost 4 days to complete it. I started by drawing my outlines of my dots starting off small and gradually becoming bigger. I then labeled every dot of a colour, to help me be prepared when painting. I started off with yellow in the smallest circles and finished with blue and the largest. One obstacle I faced was the pencil marks beneath my paint. I discovered it early enough, so only a few bubbles were effected. I then had to erase as I went to eliminate the outline.Not only did it waste more time but it shook the table disrupting fellow painters. Other then that I did not experience any other difficulties, and much enjoy my final product.

Mosaics

What are mosaics?

Mosaics is a picture or pattern produced by arranging together small coloured pieces of hard material, such as stone, tile, or glass. When were mosaics used? Mosaics were created in Greece in the 8th century BC using pebbles. How were mosaics used? Mosaics were often used as flooring, at first using standard designs and then evolved to telling a story.  What arts were created from mosaics? Mosaics provided a picture that could not fade however needed repairs every few years.

Sketch book

My idea of a good sketch book would be one that tells a story. From the first page to the last, the book should have a theme that all ties together. It should also have an colour scheme. You should also share your tools used and your thought process. In my sketch book I chose the theme of ballet. It starts as the feet, legs, then the costume, hair, and the final product of a ballerina dancing. I wanted it to tell a story and show all the elements of a ballerina. I used a black paper mate pen and charcoal, wanting to keep in the theme of black and white. I decided to share my thought process on blogger rather then my sketch book. I did this so I could fit in more information and share with my peers.