12.16.14: kman

Happy birthday Kardinsky!

Some works of his:

S

12.5.14: finalization

Hello to all.
This is the end of the project. It's arrived.
I'll be frank: I haven't done anything these past few weeks.
Well, no painting at least.

On a brighter note...
Last week I had the opportunity to chat with one of my mentors, Theodore!

(Insert the post about my painting and such)

In the brief 10 minutes that we chatted, I learned that canvases come pre-primed, and that I must be more careful when it comes to trying to maintain an original section after manipulation. 
I really appreciated how he took time to explain the science behind the chipping though. I was about to ask him, "Why? How" and him being amazing, answered with a crafted response. Thanks Theodore!

This is it. I mean, I had hoped to fit in another painting. I planned on outlining something in pencil and then incorporating glitter or other media into the canvas, but with finals, and other tests and projects, there's not time for it. Throughout this semester, I have learned a lot about painting, but I feel that I didn't get to employ my knowledge to its full extent. Perhaps in the near future I can continue this short lived endeavor.
Many thanks for everyone's support in this journey.

S

11.14.14: reflection

Good day mates.

As of today, there's only 3 more weeks left of the project. I know I just started my first painting last week, but I already feel sad about the approaching end. I know, I know... "Why can't you just continue this next semester?" I fear I won't have enough time to do so! In just one painting I have learned much, and with continued practice I know that I would be able to become more skilled at it. I mean, next semester, I plan on enrolling in the Directed Studies class, so maybe I can do it as an extended project and see what I can learn through an onsite mentor (Mrs. Nollner), if she would be willing and able to (macro = ingrained in this brain).
I'd like to thank all the people who have left such sweet, constructive comments on my blog. I would like to take some time to respond to Abi's comment:

I will argue with anyone who says abstract art isn't real art. I'm all about expressing things away from the concrete. I really love that painting with the flowers, and I hope to see more of your work on here. I know the feeling of your artistic energy being burned away by the week. Maybe if you buy the paints, you'll find more time for it? Also, I'd love to read about any particular artists who inspire you, or any trips you make that sort of spark your creativity (I'm always seized by the urge to create after visiting the High). Have you considered experimenting with multimedia, or is the goal mostly painting? With abstract art, anything goes, I suppose, so you might be able or expand this, if not this semester, then someday!

Abi, I see that you asked for any sources of inspiration (trips perhaps to museums or exhibits). I haven't yet gone to the High, but I am always inspired by nature. Waking up so early, I sometimes able to see the beautiful mixed colors in a sunrise. Little things like leaves and the breath that comes out of speaking mouths... little things inspire me. If I carried around a camera all day, I would snap pictures of everything, and I'd maybe come up with 20-30 good pictures. These pictures would be of things that I found interesting or what not... inspiration! Also, I think for this next painting, I will try to experiment with other cool things! I have tons of nail polish bottles that are just laying around and I have millions of little tubes of glitter! I know I'll have fun experimenting with these extra goodies.

But getting to the soul of your question:
No time (or leftover money) for new paints! I have had to ration it by mixing in some water and thinning solutions. Maybe in the future :)
I haven't visited a large museum, but I am inspired by everyday things.
Multimedia: yes, but in the future.

For now, I guess I'll get around to painting some more. My short-term goal is to have another painting done soon!

S

11.7.14: creation

Heulloooooo!

I FINALLY painted something!

Why did I ever think painting would be easy? 

It wasn't.

No, not at all.

First I started off by mixing red and fuchsia, which resulted in a salmon color. I then used the largest angled shader I had and began painting in one corner, starting out with thick lines and then moving to the opposite corner in a curvish fashion. I repeated the same sequence using yellow paint. I then painted the opposite end with electric blue and a dioxide purple, repeating the same extended curves clear to the salmon and yellow part. I kept doing this until I got stuck. At this point, I didn't know where to go, or what to do. I then decided to add in a contrasting color, black. Oohhh... it didn't go as well as I thought it would. I attempted to paint random lines in the middle, and before I knew it, I had spread the black paint all over the canvas. I became frustrated with myself. Why couldn't I do something so simple! It's just paint and canvas, canvas and paint. DING! An idea popped into this brain o' mine and I sprinted to the closest sink to see if I could still salvage my original curves. The black washed off, and the curved lines remained. Aymennn. I then spotted a lovely wine color that was hidden under the table. I had lots of blank white canvas spots, so I decided to try to fill them in with the brushes... and ended up doing the same thing I did with the black paint. As I washed off one spot, I realized that I could possibly make the painting look watercolory. I would only clean off about half of the wine paint. And so it came to be, forming the background that I have now. I left it to dry. I did notice that some of the original paint had begun to chip off in flakes! I have to look into that. About 20 minutes later, I decided to add some contrast, but in a simple way. I grabbed my detail brush and right in the center I began to paint a five-petaled flower. Nothing difficult. I then branched off and continued adding black petals to the outside, gradually increasing in length of the petals. I eventually had to switch out the little detail brush and replaced it with the ole' angular. I kept adding and adding petals. Once the entire flower had been painted, I went back about 10 minutes later to highlight the inside of the flower with lime green and electric blue, the little spark to my painting.

For a first attempt at abstract painting, I think I did pretty good.
Things I have learned overall from this first experience:

1. Take your time. Don't rush. It's a process, not a race.
2. Find something to rub under the paint (like a primer?). The paint will most likely end up flaking off if you just apply the pure pigment to the canvas.
3. Be more flexible with the hands and learn the different ways of the brushes.
4. Don't give up! 

Until next week

S 

11.2.14: motivation

Evening fellow blog readers!

As you all can tell (or maybe not tell), I tend to use more exclamation points when I am in a really good mood (and feeling more positive about this 20% project) as opposed to using periods.
Well, this time around I am feeling pretty good because I bought CANVASES!!! (finally)
I went to Hobby Lobby last Tuesday (it's been a while), and went straight to the canvas section. I have never seen an aisle as white as that one. Me being me, I was immediately drawn to the canvases with the stickers that read "classic" and "fine", but those tended to be the ones that were most expensive. I had to gently scold myself because I am trying to do things on a budget. I had stated in one of my past blogs that I wanted to use larger canvases due to facility, but they were expensive. Realllllllyy expensive. Ain't no high schooler with money to spend just like that. Also, the brushes that I so eagerly went out to buy are pretty tiny. There's no way I can paint on a 48 x 32 with brushes that are the size of my index and middle finger side by side. Instead, I went to the ON-SALE! section that displayed two 16 x 20 canvases for the cheap price of $7.99. With the mighty help of a coupon, I got a 40% discount! (Oh how I LOVE coupons). 

I know, I told myself not to put deadlines on myself, but I need to pick up the slower pace I have carried throughout this time period. I will try to paint something simple on one canvas. And, it's been a while since I've been in touch with my mentors, so I'll try to get a conversation flowing with them sometime this week.

Excited for the mysteries this week holds!

S

PS: This is how my blog looks like in Bosnian! How cool huh?

10.27.14: stagnation (part II)

Good evening everyone.

I have titled this post stagnation (part II) because I am at it again: nothing has occurred this week. Nothing exciting at least. I went to Walmart and saw the pretty colors of acrylics in huge bottles and thought, "If only I had time..." 

AND

it turns out that I actually don't have a blank canvas at home. My sister has used them all for her artsy room decor. You know, middle schoolers being all middle-schooley.

THEREFORE

I need to buy at least one-two blank canvases this week. I'll try to paint on that (hideous) thick paper (that falls apart when I try to remotely blend with my pinky) and just get into that feel for the paint. The deadline is soon approaching.

S

10.17.14: realizations

Hello everyone.

No painting yet.
College applications are the current cause of my daily migraines and have consumed my life morsel by morsel.

I have come to the realization that I shouldn't be "planning" on what day I will paint, and more importantly, I shouldn't be planning what I will paint! The purpose of this project is for me to learn how to paint abstractly AND to learn how to view things above one view point. I feel that I am missing the point of abstract paint: do not think, just do. I think this principle may very well apply to other aspects in life as well. Sometimes we find ourselves in a rut, but by just doing something a little something will react and then that something can possibly turn into something bigger and greater than that original something, you know? (This all makes sense in my head and of course when I try to type it out, it sounds awkward.)

My point is, I will just stop giving myself weekly deadlines. The big deadline isn't until December 5, 2014. That's presentation day. My major, overall goal is to have a few paintings to display. More than one for sure, but if I feel inspiration for only two paintings, I will feel satisfied with myself. I need not pressure myself into painting 6 pieces (like I originally had intended).

Til next week.

S

10.11.14: more learning

Hey y'all!

So yesterday in class I was going to bring in my painting stuff, but alas, I ran out of the house (again) and forgot my stuff. Sad.
But I did indeed do something productive in class!
I watched even MORE videos and saw that I apparently purchased really expensive acrylic paints (Folk Art - $1.79 a pop!). They're teeny little bottles, and since I intend on painting on larger canvases (facility), I needed to buy the larger tubes that came with the flip up lids that I hate. Ew.
Guess that's something I'll have to work around.
Also, I need larger brushes :)
The ones I got are perfect for detailing and smaller canvases... I won't be using small canvases.
YouTube's also shown me that I shouldn't be afraid of blending. It's key. I was slightly appalled by the artists mixing yellow and fuchsia or blue and red, but the important part is the end result. Never judge something by its cover. The end results were always beautiful.
Videos that spurred my imagination:

Abstract Art Painting Ideas, Techniques, Tips, Tricks and Tools at AbstractArtLesson.com

Learn How to Paint Abstract Painting with Acrylics video - Antigone by John Beckley

Time Lapse Expressive Portrait painting. Tim Gagnon oil/acrylic artwork.

Custom Portrait painting (Acrylic painting techniques on canvas) with ARTSYHILS

VOKA - Marilyn Monroe - Spontaneous Realism

Next week, I'll have started my first full painting. It won't be on a huge canvas because I have supplies for a medium-to-small canvas, but it will finally happen people! Anticipating the outcome already!

S

10.5.14: something

Hello!

Saturday I found myself with some extra time.
This resulted:

The flowers were made after I watched a YouTube tutorial on how to use an angular brush. I ended up using the wash though, and I found that I liked it the most.

The sunset was just a random painting. I was messing around with the wash, the smaller angular, and the larger shader. I also know that I will purchase different paper because in this painting I used my fingers to blend in the colors and bits of the paper were literally coming off. Not cool.

I'm excited for the rest of this project and I can't wait for my first actual painting to result!

S

10.3.14: small steps

Howdy do?!
Today in class, I was attempting to view videos online to see if I could learn how to distinguish between the different brushes when I hear that the woman in this particular video says turpentine. Intrigued, I decided to make a quick Google search. This is what I found:

The traditional solvent for oil paint is turpentine. Turpentine is used in traditional oil painting mediums, especially those that contain damar varnish. Unfortunately, turpentine produces noxious fumes. Odorless, artist quality mineral spirits (OMS) is now available, which dramatically cuts down on noxious fumes. Hardware store mineral spirits or paint thinners also produce dangerous fumes and are not suitable for fine art oil painting.

Oil paints cannot be mixed with water or water based paints, including acrylics. Some artists, however, layer oil paints on top of dry acrylic paint or gesso. Acrylics cannot, however, be used on top of oil paints because they will not properly bind to the oil surface.

Interesting.
Apparently it's a strong solvent used to take out paint. It's better at cleaning off paint compared to water, and also serves in diluting the amount of paint (in case I want to make the painting look watery or less bright I guess). Very interesting.
Artist's White Spirit (or something like that) was also something that I decided to look at.
As for painting stuff, I haven't put brush to canvas yet! It's mid-semester, and I'm about to get there, I pinky promise! This weekend I shall view the videos that I couldn't view at school, and then I WILL (I actually will) practice. I have a nice medium-sized canvas in my room waiting for it to be destroyed :)

S

9.28.14: stagnation

Greetings everyone.

So, as my post title implies, I haven't been able to do much. Since the 16th, I haven't done anything...
But
That shall change!
See, I was completing QuestBridge (http://www.questbridge.org/)
It was due this past Friday at 11:59 pm PT, but me being the ultimate procrastinator suffered the consequences of leaving all the important components until the end.
Now that it's out of the way, I have more time to work on this project!
For this week, I plan on focusing mainly on different brush strokes. I WILL learn how to distinguish wash from flat. I promise. I will view tutorials and other videos online to achieve this. No canvas yet, but thick paper (so it doesn't double in on me).

S

9.16.14: testing le brushes

Howdy.

I decided to mess around with the different brushes.

My favorite brushes had to be the round and the wash. The round because I could make little dots and gradually build up to make bigger dots AND because I could not only do dots, I could paint LINES!!! The wash was my favorite as well simply because it was easy to employ. It's probably going to be my best friend for time and all eternity.

It turned out looking all the same :')
But it's a start I guess. Just like some famous guy said, "Started from the bottom..." though I'm not really "here" yet.

S

9.13.14: supplies and hope

Hello world!

I FINALLY bought my supplies!!!

I bought 6 new acrylic paints, found 10 in my mom's old painting stuff, and bought 2 brush cleaners.

I also bought 3 different sets of brushes which include: a pack of camel hair flats (1/2, 3/4, and 1"), 2 packs of brown taklon brushes which have 3 angulars, a wash, 2 shaders and a round.

Although I bought the main supplies I think I'll be using for the rest of the semester, I have yet to buy a canvas and a sketchbook. For the mean time, I won't start "painting". I've started with sketches. Yesterday in class, I drew this:

And brainstormed a list

This past week has mainly been a week of keen observation. I've started to hone in on all the detail that life has. Monday, I went to Chick-fil-a and when I took out my sandwich, I knew my mouth was watering just by looking with a newfound view at my food. Normally, I don't even pay so much as a glance to my food, but in doing so that time, I felt that I enjoyed my food more. The different textures, the different tastes. Another observation: eyes. There are soooo many different eyes. The colors, the size of the iris vs. the pupil, the shape of the eye, etc. I got told a few times whether I was okay or not... I am enjoying this new aspect to life that I'm starting to discover. It's truly helped me not only to become more detailed myself, but to see things with a different perspective.

For this coming week, I shall continue sketching things. I will practice brush strokes, and maybe Friday I'll start painting actual things! MAYBE. Emphasis on the maybe part.

S

9.6.14: mentor and inspiration (part II)

Hullo!

So yesterday evening, I talked to another wonderful person who has agreed to help me on my journey! His name is Theodore and is a British gentleman :)  He's been painting practically forever, and has a load of information that will be resourceful for me.

Snippets from last night's conversation:

(To start off, you'll need to buy) Synthetic brushes, maybe a couple of rounds, some flats and some fans

And acrylic paint

Acrylic can be watered down to make it look more like watercolour

And it's not too different to oil paint except it dries much faster and you don't have to use expensive brushes and solvents 

You're going to want a decent A3 or A2 sketchbook

Start sketching things

Art is about the journey

Experiencing creating something

And less about ending up with a painting c:

I would say avoid really cheap brushes because the bristles fall out and dry into the paint and are a nuisance

And watercolours too, they're very hard to get right

Do a lot of sketching and it'll increase your hand skill

Try and do at least one image a day, even if it's a tiny sketch

And never throw anything away. When you have a block or you think things are going bad you can let everything out and see how far you've come

You're going to grow so much as an artist this year c':

You should also look at getting maybe one large flat brush with a long handle

You want to be very free with abstract c':

Try not to leave the brushes covered in paint or in water and stand them bristles up

If you accidentally end up with acrylic dried into one you should be able to get it out under a hot tap

But it's better not to c:

Not only is Theodore an excellent resource, he's just such a motivational person. Thanks Theo for everything! I can't wait to report back :)

On another note... last week I had stated that I was going to try to have all my supplies by now. Yeah... that didn't really work out. Looking at the prices of things have scared me. Also, looking through the internet, I found so much information, it kinda freaked me out! To me, there was just one brush that could do it all, but apparently there are different brush lengths, different hair types. and different shapes. I was confused and clueless by the end of my searching. I haven't gotten any brushes or canvas, but I did go out and get small bottles of acrylic paint! It's a start right? By this Friday, I hopefully will have bought the majority of the tools I will use. I shall continue buying stuff and sketching (on random papers for now). Maybe, MAYBE, I'll start something. Maybe. We'll just have to see how things go!

S

8.29.14: mentor & inspiration

Greetings!

I'm still getting started on this project, but I have finally found a great mentor who will aid me throughout my odyssey into the abstract world of art! She is my cousin, who goes by the name Kramer Gilot. She's ultra creative and has been painting for approximately 6 years. Not only does she paint abstractly, but she uses materials that aren't as common in the artist realm. Her primary medium is carbon; she finds a way to implement this into the vast majority her paintings. She also uses watercolors, acrylics, and oils, but her favorite to use is carbon. I have been intrigued by the carbon, so I will try to use some of it and see how it turns out!

This week, I will try to find and buy some of the most basic supplies that I will utilize (canvas, watercolors, oils, brushes, sponges, etc.). Also, I will try to see things with an artist's point of view, if that makes sense. I want to try to pay attention to smaller details and be very open about everything. To practice this detail part, I will start off by drawing little sketches and doodles in my free time and eventually build up. This will certainly keep me busy for the entire week!

S

8.22.14: beginnings

Hallo everyone! Welcome to my blog. I am very excited to announce that for my 20% time project, I have decided to undertake the process of becoming an abstract artist, something I've always wanted to do.

Why abstract?

Almost all of the paintings that we know about are famous for their reality, how grounded they are to the traditional. I want to be able to express myself fully through a different method; I want to break from the traditional and be free to express myself without having to conform to the mold that almost all paintings fit into.

I will be posting every so often with updates and images of my progress. My ultimate goal is to be able to create a collection of nice paintings to be able to display (I don't know where yet) and simply to be a freer, more open-viewed person.

S