Last week, my Drawing class explored what each student individually defined as “home,” which was incredibly fascinating and thought-provoking. Below are a couple of photos of unique architectural structures. Perhaps, these pictures will lend me some inspiration when inking my nest series, which I am super ecstatic about creating.
INNIES
OUTIES
Have a beautiful day!
Cheers,
Dani
Last Thursday in my drawing class, each student individually shared their definition of home. Because I felt that my sculptural portrait of a relationship was so relevant to this assignment, I chose to share my sculpture installation with my drawing class.
home: any place of residence or refuge (Dictionary.com)
Nestled underneath the outdoor ramp of the art studio and gallery in a muddle thistle of bush branches neighboring barbed foliage, my champagne-hued wire nest sits peacefully blanketed in warm lighting. Home is not necessarily place but rather a sentiment; and this sentiment can be found in anyone, anywhere, or anything. How does someone know when he or she has found this sense of “home”? It is fulfilled when he or she finds a sense of peace and wholeness, much like a sanctuary.
After my explanation, we, as a class, went back inside of the art building to discuss my impending art project. Although I was uncertain about the overall drawing, I knew that I wanted to use a fountain-like ink pen due to its delicate and fluid line quality. Several suggestions included creating a nest with bed legs or placing precious items within the nest to make it feel like a home.
Following an interesting and eye-opening discussion with my drawing professor the next day, I decided that I wanted to draw a series of miniature rooms within a house with a nest as the foundation for each space with a different lighting fixture for each room, much like a dollhouse. However, in lieu of dolls, I wanted to use eggs as people with baby doll hands and legs similar to Alex’s “NOURISH” blocks. I decided to use a small size due to its whimsical and playful nature. To me, home evokes a sense of nostalgia like dollhouses, an ideal time and place in one’s childhood when anything is possible. Like with all of my previous art projects in both my drawing and sculpture class, I cannot wait to see how this assignment will begin to unfold.
-Dani
Speaking Writing of nests, could these be considered the next evolution of, dare I think it, nests? Hmm…
I really am curious... (Source: itsyowyow.com)
Just wondering,
Dani
In this particular sculptural project, I chose to convey a relationship between my grandmother and me. This relationship is one that I associate with unconditional love, warmth, and compassion. Because these special objects possess nostalgic childhood memories and serve as not only birds’ homes but also as sanctuaries, I decided to utilize nests to express this relationship. Before I celebrated birthdays with half a dozen candy-colored wax candles, I lived several hours away from my grandparents’ charming pallid house in the midst of suburbia. On Christmas Eve, my parents and I would travel to their address to unravel wrapped presents the very next day. That night, I would slumber in my great-grandmother’s bedroom encased in pastel floral wallpaper with a bedspread to match. As we cuddled to sleep, my great-grandmother would tell me the bed was our nest and that I was her baby bird, which made me feel special.
Due to the material’s malleability yet strength, I employed wires, including electric, nylon, and coat hanger, as the skeleton of the nest. Its composition creates a muddled array of angular (hard) and circular (soft) line qualities. When creating the piece, I chose to progressively unravel the nests’ wires as it draws further outward to represent my great-grandmother’s Alzheimer’s as she aged, which did not weaken our relationship per se but rather made it difficult to communicate with one another. Because some of the wires that I have threaded through my nest are electric wires, I feel that those particular wires signify the gradual disconnection of our communication. Because this hue evokes a strong, warm sentiment much like her personality as well as our overall relationship, I chose to spray paint the wires in a champagne color.
Due to its sheer simplicity, I believe that this piece is not only empathetic but beautiful as well.
Until next post,
Dani
P.S. Photos coming soon! I promise.
Sia | Soon We’ll Be Found from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.
I love how hands are employed in order to make objects found in nature, including overarching trees, adorable little bunnies, placid ocean waves, along with a number of other organic goodies.
Please enjoy,
Dani
After finishing the ritual materials assignment, I am beginning to reflect on the aesthetic connections that I have made to my next sculptural piece. After last semester’s class entailing a casual stroll through my college’s science building, I have developed a fascination with nests, which is more than evident in not only my current sculpture project but the following post I wrote last semester on my personal blog as well. Check out!
Using our handy dandy art map, my art class and I strolled along the college path yesterday afternoon in search of local artwork. Although I had never actively studied the pieces on campus, I soon fell in love with the science building’s second floor, which featured an assortment of bird nests.
One of my favorite pieces was called “Nests” by Joe Walters, which consists of a series of distinctively arranged speckled steel bird nests made from polymer clay, glue, paint, and sand. His piece was a response to the interdependency of species within the ecosystem.
Lynne Moody, the artist of the following piece I noticed, “The Floor of Heaven” (2001) said, “A nest is a fertile place, where something vital is born.” Because I thought that her remark was so profound, I wanted her words to stand at the forefront of my blog’s concept.
Not only is my hope for this blog to include a collection of distinct yet interconnected disciplines but also for this blog to personify a precious oasis in which I continuously evolve just as the creatures that dwell in nests do. So, please feel free to “flutter by” or “drop in” anytime!
Mazel tov,
Dani
Forks on the right, miniature black pony on the left...
Coming along...
This particular drawing assignment concentrated on value. From my perspective, I was able to see a white porcelain rabbit draped in a plaid flannel purple shirt two porcelain cups with a series of silver forks inside. The reason why I chose to draw from this particular angle was due to its resemblance to the whimsical classic tale, “Alice in Wonderland.”
Similar to the first drawing installation I completed, I had diligently worked with my proportions. After outlining the objects, I started to shade value for each item. I began with the small black horse in the corner of my picture frame to the forks in the bowl and worked my way to the rabbit, the skeleton, and eventually the background, the plaid shirt.
I was initially a bit reluctant to draw the plaid pattern due to its intricate pattern. However, once I began to sketch, the task did not feel as daunting as initially thought. In order to capture the texture of the piece of cloth, I decided to attempt to draw the fluidity of texture before sketching the actual pattern on the fabric. Because I first focused on the flow of the fabric and its values, the shirt turned out rather nicely. After doing so, I concentrated on the overall shading of the plaid shirt rather than each individual portion that needed to be shading. This adjustment in focus made the task of shading the plaid pattern much less daunting and more strategic.
Similar to the value homework assignment, this particular drawing project taught me a different shading technique along with the importance of patience and resolution.
-Dani
My drawing seventy-five percent (75%) completed for my in-class process critique.
My drawing of the plant canister, origami cranes, and alarm clock...
The mother's tongue plant I drew...
During this particular drawing homework assignment, my professor told me I could use any five objects, when positioning my very own… at-home installation. After minutes of indecisiveness one of which included my closet door coat hanger dangling a textural assortment of outdoor jackets and handbags, I decided to draw my nightstand. This piece furniture holds a number of near and dear items to me, including:
1) My lime green lamp
2) Floral origami cranes (two)
3) Floral origami cranes (two)
4) Alarm clock
5) Mother’s tongue plant…
6) With black spiral vase
7) My bubblegum-pink Easter bunny
I decided to use my nightstand, because it felt like an incredibly organic installation in which I slightly modified the position of each object. I also set up this particular installation due to the contrast texture of each object.
My favorite textural and value juxtaposition and contrast was between the plant’s foilage, which was light, natural, and soft, and between the black canister, which was dark, cold, and hard.
Okay, see here were the parameters:
This project will explore tonal drawing considering the local values of individual objects and then describing a universal condition of light that effects all objects within given light conditions equally.
Consider value and its relationship to various design elements, including line, shape, texture, space and color.
Compose a still life that includes at least five distinct values, with two being 20% gray or lighter. I recommend using seven objects that have variety of texture and size. Try to include something that is reflective. Keep in mind principles of design such as harmony, repetition, rhythm and balance. This project often works best when a unifying element is behind the objects, like a piece of fabric that covers both back, middle and foreground.
Throughout the duration of this assignment, I drew as early as six o’clock in the morning to as late as eleven o’clock at night, which made it a bit to cast the appropriate shadow on each item.
I initially attempted to tackle the entire sheet of Strathmore paper, which became quite a challenge, because I draw rather meticulously. After a classmate pointed out that, “The size of your still life on the paper should be at least 9”x12,”“ I felt relieved.
I truly enjoyed this assignment, because it taught me that I did not have to smear my charcoal in order to cast shadows or demonstrate the texture of an object. I was particularly happy with the texture of the mother’s tongue planet as well as its canister. Similar to smearing, the pressure placed on the charcoal determined the darkness of the line quality.
During the class critique, my professor suggested that I make the corner between the nightstand and the window blinds more distinct by distinguishing the shading (lighter vs. darker). In keeping with this advice, I sat down to draw and shade at one consistent time (late morning and early afternoon) and make shading modifications accordingly.
This particular assignment taught me a different shading technique and made me come to the realization that I have difficulty drawing objects in proportion that are far away from me at an angle, not all objects in general. Because the nightstand was merely a foot away from me, I did not encounter proportion problems.
I cannot wait to see what other drawing assignments are in store this semester! It just keeps getting better and better.
-Dani
Love,
Dani
I hope to paint, draw, write, and even eat sketchbook. Haha. (Source: shapesandspaces.com)
Two dozen black sketchbooks sprawled across a series of paint speckled tables were the earliest images I peered upon as I treaded up to the third floor of the art studio. These exquisite volumes of art were created by Susan Cipcic, a local artist who was kind enough to talk with my art classes that day.
After receiving her Biology undergraduate degree, Susan earned her Commercial Art Technology degree and began to work a great deal in Advertising. After doing so, she studied painting and ceramics before obtaining her MFA in Sculpture from Georgia State University. While studying at various universities, Susan became known for giving professors her meticulously organized sketchbooks.
Although the entire discussion was incredibly inspiring and fascinating, several techniques were particularly poignant, all of which will be presented in hi-tech text much like my sketchbook scribbles:
She…
Because I have had the opportunity to reflect on her super exciting visit through this blog post, I am better equipped to implement the methods that she taught us as a class. Her best piece of advice (from a slew of sagacity)?
Write everything down immediately even in a rudimentary fashion.
…, which I marked with an animated quotation mark and a delightful, heavily sketched smiley face.
It is sometimes difficult for me to record things on paper due to the fear of generating oodles of flaws in the process. Now that I have thought about my experience in this mini-sem, I have realized that documenting is amazingly cathartic and therefore essential as an artist. Along with being a means of expression, it is also a technique to actively observe and reflect on daily interaction. I suppose, similar to this electronic chronicle, a sketchbook is a process log as well.
Her show and tell has made me view my sketchbook and blog in a completely different way, which makes me especially delighted about the next few months in art.
I will embrace every piece of artwork, information, and material I come across as well as attempt to the best of my ability to document these new discoveries on my blog and in my sketchbook.
Thank you, Susan.
Signed,
Dani
