"If you look out of the window as a human being, at nature, all of nature is unconditionally and absolutely beautiful. Whatever it is. Whether it’s a jungle, a desert, the arctic waste, or your own backyard, the only ugly things you will ever see are things made by man. And if, from your earliest age looking at the world you see yourself as a member of a species that can only uglify and spoil the world, it gives what psychiatrists would call a deep sense of guilt. And guilt, as anyone knows, is the major cause of aggression. That’s why you get violent. Because you’re guilty. You feel worthless. And you feel worthless if you don’t believe you’re part of a species that is actually capable of creating beauty. Which we are. In terms of architecture, music, painting, and all kinds of things, beauty is possible. And is good."

The ever-brilliant Stephen Fry on why art and design are key elements of peace.

Time lapse test

The following is a time lapse video I made using istopmotion2. This is a test for something I might wanna do for my final conceptual project in my art class.

It's only a matter of time

As I slowly applied the watercolors to the portrait I was doing, Ezra (my ars instrusctor) stopped by to suggest what I could do to make it better. He also chided me for not being careful in mixing the watercolors, though as he moved to the next student he said "You may be good at watercolors, but I got reign you in a little"...Since when have I been good at watercolors? Now some of you may be thinking "Oh you're just being modest" well sorry to break it to you but I'm not. I thought of all of watercolors I did in the past and... they were not pretty. Anyway, I continued to do the watercolor portrait until we had our 15 min. break. I decided to look around at what everyone else did, expecting mine to be the worst in the group. How surprised was I that I actually did a good job on blending the different colors when compared to most people in my class.

I admit it I can still improve the portrait, but I felt so happy inside that I was able to do something with watercolors that came out as nicely as it did. It made me think of all those times when I was younger when I didn't want to draw because I was so frustrated that I couldn't get it look the way I wanted it to look. This lead me to think about all the drawings and artwork I did in the past. I also thought how my friends say I'm good/great artist, and yet I always say I'm not. I say I'm not because 1) I don't want to get an inflated ego and 2) I remember how I used to draw.

Though with that said I've become more confident, I still have much to improve upon and it's ok. As time passes on I'll continue to grow as an artist. I'll also slowly, but surely create artwork that will be even more amazing than what I have now. Who knows, there may even come a day when I'll look at my work with out thinking negatively about my lacking skills. Until then, I'll just keep on drawing.

The Major Question..

Once again it's time to register for the fall semester. In planning out what dec's to take for next semester there's something else, rather important, that I should figure out soon. I need to decide what to major in. I admit it's not something I should worry that much about, but at the same time it's been bothering me that I don't know what to major in. Okay that's a lie I know what I want to major in, but I'm afraid to do so.

I want to major in Studio Art, but I'm afraid that I don't have what it takes to do. I'm also afraid career wise. I mean just because one majors in art doesn't mean that I'll get to work in the arts. Heck for all I know I could end up with a job that I have no knowledge of and be stuck with it for the rest of my life. Even in the event of working in something art related I'll probably be struggling considering what I really want to do (make comics).

But then again I won't know for sure if I don't try. And I mean it is something that I love to do, even if I'm not the best at it. I still have time, and I can always change my major. Who knows the future has in store for me. Though I'll in the end I'll persevere and I'll manage..somehow.

an animal with a guitar by robert shilling

Metropolitan Museum

Today I went to the Metropolitan Museum. I went to every exhibit, but my favorites have to be the Greek and Art exhibits. The Greek exhibit was very interesting because they had art from Ancient Greece and its advancement throughout time. They also had Greek armor, which I found very interesting because they were sculpted to look like a person's body. One of the guards told me that Greeks were the only ones to ever create armor that looked that way. The Greek statues were also very impressive. The one downside to the statues though was that most of them were broken. Most of the statues were either missing half a face or had another area broken off. My favorite statue though was of Heracles with his Lion skin draped over his head; what really captured me about the statue was the hand, and its incredible detail. It was as if I was looking at a real human hand.
The painting exhibit was my next favorite and totally blew me away. To see all these brilliant paintings was truly astonishing. The different techniques, the colors, the subjects really differentiated each painter from one another. There were pictures that were so abstract that interpretation was left up to the viewer, and there were other pictures that were so well done, they appeared to be real people. My favorite painting was one that was made up of a bunch of little dots to form a picture. This was my favorite painting because it made me wonder, how was this done? To paint a picture by making so many dots to form a picture can only be described as incredible.

Music Is Miraculous

My true love in life is music. Music talks to me; it shares my joys and sorrows. On lonely days, I pop in my favorite headphones and emerge myself in the sweet lullabies of sound. Music motivates me; it helps me power through the last mile of my jog. Music encourages me; it lets me know that I can accomplish another hour of studying. Music inspires me; it helps allow my creative juices to flow. Music is miraculous, and words cannot express how passionately it has affected me.

Especially in times of hardships, there's nothing that music couldn't help carry me through. Music has always been there for me, to help share my pain and ease the tension off my shoulder. It never judges and instead sympathizes, wooing me with its melody.

I love feeling the sub-woofer shake the floor with a heavy, rich bass. The sound of clear, audible mids and highs resonating from my speakers is like heaven to my ears. If I could marry any inanimate, intangible object, it would be music. I want to breathe it, live it, create it. Despite what everyone else's music tastes may be, music has this unspoken power to move us. One of the greatest art forms of this world, the expression of pure beauty -- it's music.

I should be asleep right now

A few month's ago I decided that I would hold a free sketches event on my deviantart account. However I had to then put on facebook as I came to the sad conclusion that not that many people watch me. So I posted a note detailing of my free sketches event and that the first ten people to comment would receive a free sketch from me. To be honest it's a little redundant considering my drawings have always been free ( though if one wanted to pay me out of the kindness of their heart, who am I to say no?). Anyway I got a few people saying they were interested but that was it.

I actually had to ask several times if people wanted in. It wasn't until I had finally gotten ten people that I got around to doing the free sketches. At first I got a few comments here and there. It wasn't until I drew my section leader that I actually heard from other's saying how good my drawings were. While I was flattered I did not let it go to my head as I could point at certain mistakes, but it made me happy nonetheless.

As my sketches went on that more people started to ask me to draw them. I said yes, though it slowly grew and grew. It finally got to a point where I now have 14 requests that I have to do now. What makes it worse is that I haven't finished my original 10 yet and now I have these requests as well as the assignments for my art class. I guess I need to find time to finish these things before the semester is over. Once all is finished I can finally draw in ease without having my stomach turn at the thought of sacrificing one drawing for another.

Art, you amaze me as well as frighten me

I love art. I really love art. I'm at my happiest when I am drawing something especially when it's a cartoon character. Though I love doing anything that is related to art. With that said, when some of my friends ask what my major is,when I reply " I'm undecided" they are rather shocked.
This is understandable as one would think that I should major in art as well, but there's a problem. I am afraid to do so. I'm afraid of doing art for the rest of my life. I realize this is counter to what I've just said about adoring art, however I'm afraid of the uncertainty that comes with it. I'm afraid of putting myself out there.
I realize that just by majoring in art does not equal that I will I will necessary get a job in the art field. I mean I could do something completely unrelated like become a psychiatrist. Though there is a part of me who wants to do so, to do something that I really love.

Time Texture

For the time texture assignment, I found it interesting to record certain things such as the movements of my eye as well as a couple( I presume it was a couple) walking through the snow. Though what really piqued my interest was when I decided to record myself drawing a girl as well as a unicorn...with pie... It was overall a weird experience for me when I recorded this in particular.I found this weird because it's not something I had ever done before, though I have seen people record themselves drawing on YouTube.

I guess why I found it really weird was because I never seen myself draw. That is to say I've never seen my drawing in this perspective, that it was something I just did. It was as though I became detached from my drawing, that I no longer held any relation with it. I was no longer creator nor maker, I was now just a spectator, watching as the lines slowly became more than lines and created things such as...pie...

Though enough of pie, after that weird experience of looking at myself drawing and looking at the various clips I decided something needed to be done. I took my twenty clips and put them in imovie and made a story out of the random clips. I then added to music into the foray and the 9 minute video is the finished product. Though this took much longer to make than was necessary, but I like the overall feel of it when coupled with the music. It doesn't really tell that much of a story, however if you're able to find some meaning in it then I guess it was not all in vain.

This is the link to see the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z9oRcRZ4bY

Digital vs. Traditional, Is it truly art?

So I've recently gotten the Bamboo Craft from Wacom. For those of you who don't know it's a type of tablet that basically allows me to draw or write naturally on the computer. In other words if I wanted to draw a cat I no longer have to deal with the sometimes awkward feel that comes with drawing with a mouse. Instead I have the feeling of drawing with a pen like I would normally feel when I draw in my sketchbook.

While this excites me since this can lead to a myriad of new ways to express myself in art at the same time it reminds me of this debate I had once in my museum studies class. What is art? What constitutes as art? My belief is that anything and everything is art (yes even if you were to just paint a dot on a canvas I would consider it art, the kind that pisses me off sometimes). However according to the class, many of the graphic design entries were not considered art, for the sake of it's not "real" that the same effort was not put into it like a traditional art piece. The same went for the some of the photographs that were deemed "myspacey". Though to says it's not art is a lie.

I recently drew something using my tablet and in my sketchbook. Both drawings I feel I was able to create something that I was proud of. For me to say that one is better than the other based on the materials used is just stupid. Besides I've met so many artists who use tablets and digital programs, that to say what they create is not art, would be an insult. Though for me while I love both approaches, I still love the feel of pencil to paper.

The woe's of a deviant artist

As a person who has an account on deviantart.com there are many things I love about the site. Some of the main reasons include the chance to find brillant artists, as well as to showcase my work, and get some feedback from a much wider audience. However with all good things there is a downside to it. The main one is the fact that while I may have a wider audience not that many look at my work, or when they do it's only of my fan art. Not to say that I didn't put effort into my fan art but there is more to me than just a drawing of let's say some drawing of Sasuke from Naruto (not that I ever drew him but you get the idea).

To give a better illustration of what I mean I'll show two pictures of chalk drawings I did this past summer.

This chalk drawing is of Alice Liddell from the Manga Alice in the Country of Hearts. The statistic's of this piece show that: It has received 44 comments(not including my comments), it has been favorited 134 times (similar to being liked on facebook), it has been viewed 1,676 ( 4 today), and it has been downloaded 10 times.

Now this is my own character which I drew and made use of the ground as a night sky and overall I felt that it was my best chalk drawing to date. The statistics for this piece is:It has received 3 comments(not including my own), it has been favorited 5 times, it has been viewed 73 times (1 today), and has been downloaded3 times.

You see my point? However since I'm the artist who created these two pieces I may be blind to which is better since I'm not looking at it in the same way as a person viewing these for the first time. I don't know really, maybe I didn't do my as well I as thought I did in the second drawing. Who knows? Well I can't rant about this forever so I'm leaving it at this. And on a sillier note enjoy this eager face mellophone player.