Art Critique

In class, we were asked to take an original piece of art and revise it using the basic elements and principles. I chose to revise ‘J Cap’ by Henry Lewis. It is a black and white profile portrait of a soldier in the rain, done in watercolor and gouache. The stark contrast of the blacks, whites, and variations in between add a distinct mood to the overall picture. I decided that it would be different to do mostly black and white with a few red and blue accents. I also lifted some of the shadows so I could add some more details to the face and helmet. In the original, there is more of the back of the helmet shown. I wanted more attention on the face and its features, so I altered the cut-off line on the back of the head.

Description & Analysis

The piece includes the focal piece of a soldier’s face, a metal helmet, and hair that is flowing in the breeze. The helmet contains many features: there is some sort of trumpet on the top, a child’s hand with a cross on its wrist, an angel’s wing, scroll work in several places, and an inscription on the back half of the helmet. The top of the face includes many different value changes, the eye has some highlights that contour the shape of the eye as well as display the white of the eye. Because you can see more of the eye whites, it is apparent that the subject has his eye turned towards the viewer. The brim of the helmet shadows the forehead and nose bridge varying from very dark black to a lighter gray. On the side of the helmet there is a curved row of white circles that progressively get smaller from left to right surrounding the scrollwork. The tones in this picture were mostly well developed but could most definitely have been better. It is evident that less time was spent on the lower and less detailed half of the face.

Interpretation

Based on the direction of the eye, the stubble on the face, the hand on the helmet, and the cross on the wrist of the hand, I would conclude that the soldier is not of a realm in any of our history. Originally, I thought maybe he was a Roman soldier, but due to the fact that the details are much too beautifully done, I would say it is more of a variation of a Greek or Roman god. I would also say that the soldier had not started out with such a bleak outlook, but it was gained out of necessity and that he was good at his job, but did not enjoy it. I take from the stubble that he was in the heat of a battle and appearance was the least of his concern. Because only some of his hair is in ringlets, he was probably sweaty and mangy. I would assume that the back of his hair had not met any sort of comb in a few weeks and that the front of his hair was really sweaty. He looks almost boyish through his hard exterior, there just seems to be a sort of curiosity in the eye that is directed at the viewer.

Judgment

This piece of art is successful on the basis that the elements and principles are well developed and there is a specific mood that is captured by details that come together without you realizing they are forming a story in your mind. Though some of the values and some details could have been worked on a little bit more, the over all effect is quite pleasing to the art aesthetic.

Urban Coolness vs. Urban Awkwardness

Lately I have noticed how much I fit into the urban/artsy scene. I am also realizing that as much as I fit in anywhere, other people seem to belong more than I do. I haven't ever been the sort to stick to one sort of people, black kids, white kids, nerds, artsy folks, musical/band people, jocks, emos, goths.. I like them all.

In my group of friends, there are two or three groups.
The kids who do all of the musical stuff like multiple choirs the plays etc etc. These are the 'good kids'. Obviously in a non-offensive way, or I would not like them. These are the kids you want to hate, but you can't, they are just too adorable and nice. The ones who will be nice on the first day of school to the end of your time together. The ones who are genuinely kind.

Then there are the urban/ artsy types. These are the kids who will be in art classes every year. They do photography, watercolors, acrylics, graphite whatever. They do it all.

If you compare their spiritual walk types, you will see how they blend as well as contrast. The musical types are more likely to sing or talk about God. And Gos as a personal friend or Father. The artsy types will show you God. Either through nature or the highlight on a face or something that pulls at the core of your being.

Both are equally cool.

I feel like I should say, before you read the next part that I am still on my journey to finding who I am, it may sound like there are angry undertones, but I am really just trying to organize my thoughts.

In some ways, I wish I cold be like the happy-go-lucky musical kids, always smiling and talking about God's love and promises. You know the ones, they just seem lit from the inside out. On the inside, I know I can never be like this. My personality just will not allow me to be positive all the time. I don't know if I need the balance or what.

Most of the time, I envy the artsy types. They do not concern themselves with perfecting stuff, they see the beauty in the imperfect and grimy. They are definitely willing to throw an arm around you and let you know that you are loved and that they know what it's like. It is mostly easier to believe them when they say things like that more than it is the good types, because it is hard to imagine some people as having ever struggled for anything but grades.

I also need to make PERFECTLY CLEAR that no one group is better than the other, they are just different. And often times, they are friends. It's just how it is.

I find myself slipping into the mode that my best will never be good enough. That as hard as I try and as good as I think something of mine is, I see someone else's project or paper or whatever and I am still just a few points behind. I am certain that it is my Adversary out to get me, but I know we've all reached the point that just knowing isn't good enough: we need something with substance. The only metaphor I can come up with is that I am underwater breathing through a straw, whilst everyone else is hooked up to oxygen machines.

Things will get better, they always do.

Love
Liz

Listening to: A cricket that got stuck under my dryer, I finally had enough and took the poor fellow outside.

Reading: As I Lay Dying, still. Ugh.

AtomicDestruction and Dancing Bananas.

I do not know why I have this problem, but I guess I do: people that don't have friends, for a good reason, seem to stick to me like whipped egg to epidermis. As it happens, I do not trust people, but people seem to trust me. I do not understand, I guess people mistake the fact that I make a lot of jokes for being friendly. If you look closely, you will realize that it is a classic case of deflection. I guess due to the selfish nature of humans, we want to believe that people like us more than they actually do. Maybe we need it as a confidence booster, maybe we need something that we think is stable, when all it really is, is just basic psychology and a 3/4 of the way done game of Jenga. Maybe it's just my sanity. Obviously we all have some sort of need: some need to belong, some need to be different, some need to be hermits. Whatever we do, we do it for Them. You know the ones, we all have people we secretly want to impress. We idolize and romanticize them, we see no flaws, and any we do see, we justify for them. You've heard the saying, "Where there's a will, there's a way,"? Yeah, I have one too, "Where there's no will, there's no will,". I usually use this to describe waking up in the morning to go to school, but when you want something to be true, you can manage to trick yourself into thinking that it is. Like the women who want children so badly that their bodies start to think that they actually are preggers. It's a real thing. It is also called the power of suggestion:

Someone says, "You look kinda sick,". All of a sudden, "You know, you're right. I do feel a little ill,". Soon, "Oh, man! Someone get this kid a bucket! He's gonna blow chunks!"

Think what you will, please form your own opinions, I know you have them. This is an Opinion Safe zone.

Love
Liz

Listening to: I Think I'm Paranoid by Garbage, Steppin' Out by Manafest, and Step Up (I'm on It) by Maylene and the Sons of Disaster

Reading: As I Lay Dying by W. Faulkner

Doing: More homework than you can imagine.

Current likes: "You are like a big truck," - Sra. H. And my girlfriend, Ethan :) (inside joke)

P.S. If you are the kid who was wearing purple boxers in Mr. B's Bible 10 class that had dancing bananas on them, they are cool, but does EVERYONE need to see them??

Photoshoot

Come oooon! I need people! I need models and I need photographers. If you can do both, I will bring you hugs. If I can get 5 more people, I will get Steph Hsu to make cookies (I will pay her, obviously, how else would I get anything done??) Come ooon. I dont care if I know you well or not, I need you, your body, and your camera THERE! You can bring in your own models, if you like. Whatevs. Do it. You're on a mission from God. I swear, it'll be a good time.

xoxo
Liz

Jessy Ribordy and Space Faeries.

I have always heard people talking about their favorite albums. It seems to me that their favorite changes from week to week. I do not understand. I, myself, have a few bands that I listen to that I know that if I buy their album, I will not be disappointed. Falling Up is one of these. There is just something about Jessy's ethereal voice that connects on a deeper level, and weaves in and out of the melodies and harmonies in a manner that is.. simply put, beautiful. When I listen to their music, I really listen. I unconsciously stop whatever I am doing and listen or sing. It's unstoppable.Listening to Falling Up is like entering a world of adventure, romance, nonsense, and space faeries, I would imagine. When I listen, I feel enveloped in a cloak of the night sky, which sparkles with a million stars. I imagine a dress, red with the blood of a thousand soldiers, fighting for their cause. I imagine the gods of mythology coming to life once again in tales so consuming, you don't want to go back to reality. In any of their songs, there is always a sense of belonging, acceptance. I think sometimes we lose ourselves in the superficiality of the music, and forget what makes it truly unique. When I listen to music, I try to imagine what it would be life if it was personified. I can usually pin-point a specific character in my mind,listening to Falling Up, I see men with roman noses, women with hair that reaches to the depths of the sea, I see a child's innocence being stolen in the night. For me, Falling Up is more that just a band, it is a world that is full of every possibility, hope, dream, love, battle, and conundrum you could ever want.

Journal #3:

Tomorrow I will be dressing up like Alice Cullen, and I am not gonna lie, I am stoked! Actually, I should be researching some stuff for that, but it can wait. I've been trying to figure out why she is my favorite character. So far, I have thought of these reasons:
She is in a relationship with Jasper. He is both hot and studious. He is less possessive than Edward, and not as showy as Emmett. He is also calm and rational. His view of the world is much like my own, believes there is good in people, but that there is also much evil. She has a very cool look. Victorian mixed with modern interwoven as a nice accent. Very indicative of her life, I think. That's all I really have so far.

I really have not much else to talk about. Oh, I have The Plague, if that counts as a topic. The germ infested kids at school gave it to me as an early Christmas present, I think. I never got sick before I started going to school like this. I really think it is wrong. Did you know that the entire system is based on communistic beliefs? Yep, get the children away from their parents/ homes so that you can teach them what you want, without interference. Doesn't that just make you want to say, "Bye, Honey! Have a great first day of the rest of your mentally skewed life!"? I might be a bit cynical right now, it's the Sickness talking, I swear. It's been like this all day. The maturity towards which I have worked long and hard, is gone. Not forever, just for today :)

Hasta luego.
Liz

Listening to: Phantom Limb by the Shins and John Orr the Arsonist by And Then There Were None

Still reading them books.

Journal #1: Faceless Legacy

Hm. I am supposed to write three journals a week for English class. I am not certain what to do. I only write when I have something to say. I'm not one of those girls who go home and scribble furiously about their latest crush, who was being a female dog at school. It seems to me that if you want to write something down, why not say something meaningful? Or at least not whiny. When I write, I like to think that somewhere along the timeline, someone will read my musings and say nice things about it like, "Wow, this chick is deep!" or more meaningful like, "It's like she sees y problems and delves into the heart if them." This is the legacy I wish to leave. Maybe I am a little young to be thinking about death, but maybe not. If we don't know when we go, is it ever really too early? I think not, why live frivolously, when I can live as I please, for the most part, and leave people with something about which to think?

Along the same lines, going into public places troubles me. As I look upon the masses of young people, all I see is the same thing. Same clothes, same hair, same tan... Obviously, no one is completely original, but I think it is the subtle variations that make us us. I am trying to make this understandable. Based on the theory that how you dress expresses yourself, then if you dress like everyone else, what is it that you are saying? I know that I probably dress much like the urban demographic. I realize this. I think the part that makes it interesting is what I choose to do with it. I see kids wearing Aero, or Abercrombie, or AE and I just have to wonder who THEY are. I see none of them in their labeled tee shirts and name brand jeans.

This is how I feel, think of it what you will.

Love
Liz

Listening to: Lovedrug's album Sucker Punched and Queens of the Stone Age's Lullabies to Paralyze

Still reading the same books I was yesterday :)

Rockstardom

I have never had the relationship with my dad that some people do, you know the ones. They go on dates with each other, they hang out etc etc.. Its just never been me. Recently God has been teaching me that I can rely on Him to be all that I need.

Tonight, my pastor was talking about the attributes of God that are awesome (in more the literal sense). It got me to thinking, as many times as I have wished that my dad could see my performances, God is always there. He is there for when I do something publicly and when I do things like sing to Ben Dog. He is always there to smile when I do something silly, to pick me up when I feel like crap, to remind me to hold my tongue, to hold my hand when I feel alone, and He is there for so much more than I realize.

My goal for this week is to see His presence everywhere and to appreciate what I have. I don't know if you set personal goals, but I do. Maybe not on a regular basis, but I do. I really hope to focus (praying really, because if you know me, you know I can't focus by my own strength) on the afore mentioned things as well as focusing on incessant prayer. I hope, dear Reader, that your week goes well and your walk with God grows stronger daily.

Love,
Liz

P.S. This week:

I am listening to: Children 18:3's self-titled album, I strongly recommend it.

I am reading: As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, The Hunchback of Notre Dame by ...someone and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

I am looking at: Polyvore (you can look me up, I'm under RedPyrat there as well), and art by Natalia Fabia, Mark Ryden, and a guy who has a painting called 'J Cap'.