SHARE A SIDE OF YOURSELF

SELF PORTRAIT COLLAGES

BEGINNING 2-D ART

paper collage, misc.findings, mounted on Bristol board

These are so tiny but very powerful Self Portraits that my 2-D beginners created

for their First Quarter Final.

They were required to jump thru so many hoops,

incorporating the Design Elements & Principles we had studied.

Yes, we study in art.  Ha ha

Yes, there is a book,

Art Talk,

 in this class & Quizzes 

Oh no!!!!

This is the foundation class for all my others,

and it's the class I recommend the most for my Art Majors so they will be competitive in college.

And it's definitely my most difficult class.

But the learning is FUN!!!

Right 

Note:  There is a slight chance I might have gotten a name or two

labeled incorrectly here.

Beginners,

send me a shout-out if that's so.

The theme that senior Jessica Mones worked to on this first well thought out piece 

was about rewinding time. 

Love the Monochromatic & Neutral color scheme.

So many kids do not feel confident about not incorporating color into their works.

I adore the pieces of rust found to help balance corners (a Principle).

You can find pretty much anything you need within my room or gardens 

since I am the ultimate dumpster diver!

This next precious and delicate piece was made by junior Stephanie Reyes.

She is working in a Cool or Analogous color scheme.

The winding pathway adds Movement to the work,

a Principle of Art.

In this next delightful one by 8th grader Summer Lee,

she has used tremendous energy going thru all the nooks and crannies of the bead drawers 

to find buttons, sequins, cording, etc.

For some of the kids going thru these drawers is somewhat intimidating

or just requires to much damn energy.

Ha!

I really enjoyed the silhouettes that senior Alyson Tam used

So many of the kids think they have to draw in every single detail of the face & bodies 

when all they really need to do is use a silhouette.

This is so much easier,

especially since we hadn't started the drawing unit yet.

But then there was junior Maniska Ranjit,

who enjoys a good challenge.

She also came into the class with technical skills in place and she loves to draw women.

In that tiny area of 2" by 4" she has managed to put in all the details of this very elegant woman.

Plus her message is simple yet conveys a powerful message.

And check out how she designed the tissue collage backdrop,

gorgeous movement and precise craftsmanship!

Talk about powerful,

man oh man,

junior Ellya Gholmieh

packed a punch and grabbed our attention with this outstanding piece!

Can you tell that the figure is projecting out into space?

Another requirement and Element of Art.

In this very telling Self Portrait by 8th grader Madison Plotkin,

you can really see how she is pushing parts of her work into space.

Notice how she achieves Balance as well with those black curved silhouettes. 

They also help your eye move around the work.

Oh my,

check out the interactive portion of this next work by 8th grader Sophia Matthews.

She built a hinge system so that a section opens to revel the works' meaning.

Bravo!

And this next timely one is so important in terms of message,

and how senior David Tung feels deeply invested and concerned about our futures.

It involves China, Korean and the U.S.,

 and our conflicts with each other.

We end with this last soft & atmospheric piece by junior Esther Ahn.

She also chose to make it interactive by actually making two parts that overlap.

Clever girl! 

She calls this Behind the Screen.

Simple yet so powerful.

Thank you young ones for these remarkable and personal pieces.

BE YOURSELF

SELF PORTRAIT COLLAGE FINAL

BEGINNING 2-D ART

paper collage, text, Modge Podge & various embellishments

These self portrait collages may be small but they are mighty in content.

Coming in at 4 1/2" by 4 1/2" with a piece of white Bristol paper as a border,

these pieces pack a punch.

The kids were required to bring in all 3 parts of a work of art:

subject matter (themselves), form (design elements & principals) & content (message).

So basically everything they've learned from day one.

Let's take a close-up look see.

We are starting with 8th grader Ashley Gong

and her phenomenal piece above called "Get Ready for Rain".

So appealing to the eye for so many reasons.

The pattern & texture, the value change in the color, the fun embellishments,

just an absolute delight for the eye.

Love the color scheme junior Mary Kim picked to work in.

When I was in college the secondary colors were my first choice for many of my assignments.

She is calling this "I'm in Control",

and is reminding herself to Breathe,

good advice for all of us.

"Hidden Dreams" by junior Tiffany Chen evokes such gentleness yet strength at the same time,

just like it's maker.

Tiffany also has chosen a secondary color scheme,

while senior Deborah Harris below is limiting herself to only neutrals in "Forward".

It makes for a very striking, stark & effective composition.

This next super playful & colorful piece "The Entertainer" was made by junior Nara Chai.

It was one of the class favorites.

Nara put so much extra time and effort into it,

and the text she brought has great meaning

"I love all my friends but I hate when their eyes are on me" 

"Wilted Roses" by junior Sarah Oh was a very powerful piece as well.

So critically thought out,

so well executed,

we all gravitated towards it with it's complimentary color scheme,

organic shaped edges,

dimensional embellishments,

and exceptional drawing skills.

Brilliant job Sarah!

EXPRESS YOURSELVES

SELF-PORTRAIT COLLAGES

BEGINNING 2-D ART

paper collage, & bas relief embellishments

It's been a while

 since I showcased my Beginning Drawing, Painting and Design students.

Well,

 here they are,

 in all their glory,

creating these Self Portrait Collages for their 1st Quarter Final.

I want to start off by featuring junior Eileen Lee.

Eileen wants to be an art major,

 and as you can see,

 she already has a strong understanding of design and color.

 Stardust Map has a really uplifting feel to it.

The kids had to jump thru so many hoops on this project

to demonstrate their knowledge of design that we've been studying all quarter

from the book Art Talk.

One of many requirements was to bring in visual texture

 into their backgrounds,

 and Eileen has delivered.

In Practice Makes Perfect ,

Mikaela Guerrero has chosen to work in a monochromatic red color scheme.

 Red is often used in an artwork to express anger

which again is something we studied in their Color Theory Unit.

And since these are self-portraits,

it makes me wonder if she consciously or unconsciously used red

 to express how much she hates all the hours of practice she has to put in?

She is also using several diagonals which create movement (a principle of design),

helping me to "hear" the music..

I've really been impressed with junior Jazzerie Lo this year.

As you can see she has a fabulous sense of design.

There isn't a thing I would change up in this piece.

She is displaying great creativity and critical thinking 

by using so many interesting media within this small little work.

Jazzerie always gives me everything she has.

She is an attentive listener and works hard to apply all that she has learned

which makes her work stand out.

Plus I think she has come to me with a lot of natural ability as well.

Clever and well thought out are the words I'd use to describe junior Kevin Mao's piece.

His self-portrait titled Broken Confidence is INTERACTIVE,

a first in this assignment..

Check out below how it opens up with a completely different message.

WOW!!!

A very powerful work.

I got to work with and know senior Nick Aoki last year in Beginning 3-D art.

And one of the things I asked the kids to do 

was convey something about themselves in these little self-portraits.

Well Nick really nailed himself in Livin Da Life.

I work at a highly competitive high school 

and am used to the kids being stressed out all the time.

Nick is like a breath of fresh air,

nothing seems to bother him,

 He is so relaxed and chill.

And because he got to take that 3-D class,

you can see how beautifully crafted this piece is. 

Also love how he placed his tree on the diagonal instead of vertically.

In Id,

junior Malalya Sithichai has given us a lot to think about.

Sometimes these self-portraits came be dark and a bit scary.

I love that Malaya as well as Kevin and  Jazzerie above

 were brave enough to be truthful in expressing themselves thru their art.

And that they have this healthy outlet to do it in.

Again,

very clever thinking to use toothpicks to create her monster.

Junior Eunice Shim delights the eye as well as the soul with You Carry Me.

And I adore the little fairy she has created.

Really lovely piece!

And in this last one by junior Vicky Hur,

Go With The Flow,

I'm really enjoying all the neutrals she brought into her color scheme.

Neutrals can be thrown into any color scheme.

Neutrals are browns, blacks, greys, whites, & tans.

You can clearly see in Vicky's piece 

so many of the requirements I asked the kids to incorporate.

Going outside the box into the margin in at least 3 areas,

the visual texture,

in Vicky's case she has used both real texture & simulated texture.

Bringing in text was also a requirement

along with building in bas-relief at least one focal point.

This group of beginners we saw here,

 along with the rest of the class,

 has been a joy to work with

 and I look forward to bringing more of their work to the blog.

Express Yourself!

SELF PORTRAIT COLLAGES

BEGINNING 2-D ART

paper collage & misc. embellishments

I use this assignment for the 1st Quarter Final so that my students can put together all the 

Elements and Principles of Art within a Self Portrait Subject Matter.

They have so many hoops (requirements) to jump thru as they build these pieces,

so that a lot of critical thinking is involved.

The finished pieces are truly remarkable as you will see for a beginning art student.

When Oceans Rise by junior Hapshiba Kwon, 

is a great example of how wonderful these pieces turn out.

Check out the person she created and baked from polymer clay,

the build up of tissue layers, 

the strategically places beads.

And can you find the bit of text she was required to insert?

And how it all follows together for a unified piece?

We will see a lot from Hapshiba this year.

She is a natural who loves to create. 

Junior Katherine Ku has made this powerful piece and statement with

  Love in the Middle of a Firefight.

She has chosen a monochromatic color scheme which really makes the work pop.

Again,

 check out the layers of paper collage which gives the piece a bas-relief effect 

(another requirement)

One of my personal favorites,

Stitched Back Up,

was done by senior Melissa Lanto.

She has included all my favorite fibery things.

But Melissa, 

I believe,

 is using them as a metaphor for a deeper more personal message.

Junior Kyla Balquin spent countless hours building Under the Surface.

She totally gets across her message that she's drowning under all her responsibilities,

but that there is hope.

I feel this is a great assignment for the kids to express themselves.

Scatterbrained by junior Hazel Cruz is so visually pleasing to me.

Love the use of the two color schemes side by side 

(warm and neutral),

and that she felt comfortable enough to draw in her margins with pen & ink,

which adds a bit of quirkiness.

Here we have 8th grader Olivia Krueger with The Breaking of  Facade.

For one so young she is sending out a strong visual message 

through a gorgeous color scheme,

 text and embellishments.

Another 8th grader in the class,

Sara Ryave,

in Descent into Insanity,

is really showing us the inner struggles of our youth today.

Again,

a powerful way for these sweet young ones to express themselves.

The message in Sideshow Attraction by Lily To really broke my heart.

All I can say is "Wow!"

And that she has created a lovely,

yet sad and painful,

  glimpse in to her world.

Senior Cyrus Salvani in Lost in Translation,

 has created so many beautiful layers for us to enjoy through his piece.

Love his neutral color scheme,

the masks that float around the focal point,

and then how he rubbed charcoal around his margin for a striking effect.

Talk about a work that pops and grabs you!

In Risking It All by 8th grader Rochelle Serrano,

we feel her descent into the abyss,

but then look at how she's fabricated the beautiful lifeline thru feathers and twig.

These kids are really brilliant at such a young with their brutal honesty.

One of my new favorites 

(yes I know, no favorites)

 junior Bernice Lim,

gives us a fun lighthearted and yet

 dark and charred glimpse into her inner struggle in 

Look Into Who I Am.

I adore that she built her distinctive red eyeglasses

 and incorporated them into her work.

So the second you view this piece you know it belongs to Bernice.

And lastly we have senior Karisma Dev.

I asked the students to give me bas-relief.

Well Karisma delivered in Before All Else.

Love how she has designed a book-like structure with pages.

And on the last page a pix of she and her little sis.

What a beautiful Mother's Day gift this will make framed out in a shadow box.

Hint...hint  :)

2-D Self_Portraits - Student Work

BEGINNING 2-D 1ST QUARTER FINALS

Mixed Media Self-Portraits

My Beginner's have to jump thru so many hoops to pull this collage together.  

They have to use several of the Design Elements and Principles they've studied over 1st Quarter.

They have to create a story/message within their self-portrait.

Bring in text, a focal point, bas-relief elements, the list is long, which means it takes me forever to grade them, but that's ok, wait till you see what I got  :)

Above we have "Restless" by senior Jackie Manipon, a very talented young woman who came into the class with drawing and painting skills already.  She is actually in two of my classes this year.  Look closely for several layers of interest.

And below we have senior Yoo-bin Han with her incredibly sweet portrait entitled "Love Letter".  It's so Yoo-Bin  :)  Notice the text under the dried flowers?  Also notice that each of these works were done in specific color schemes.  Yoo-Bin used a Primary Scheme.

"My Wonderland" was created by senior Alice Choi, and I love the playfulness she had achieved with not only her colors but with her flying self.  Very pleasing piece to the eye.

And one of my favorites this year was made by junior Jessica Kang,  I adore all the texture she has brought into the background, the clever way she created the ladder, the cool looking buildings, and the little girl reaching to climb the ladder.  And all within a monochromatic color scheme.  Brilliant!

She calls it "Reaching for the Stars". 

These next two are so similar in color and diagonal flow, but couldn't be more different in content/message.

Above we have the work of junior Karen Malacon with "Castle on a Cloud", her message powerful and uplifting.  Below in junior Zoe Lin's "Shy", the message is so much critical, and introspective.

Senior Tim Creasy came thru big time with his "Seize the Day".  His visual strong and appealing.  Notice the broken glass shards he has collaged into the center area?  Really cool piece Tim!

And below senior Catherine Chiou has given us a much more somber piece entitled "Where?"  She has created a strong sense of perspective with visually appealing textures.  I am really attracted to this work.  Notice there are messages in the trees?  And she has collaged the tree bark so that it looks real.  Love it Catherine!

 This really dark one above called "No one Knows" by sophomore Elias Rodriquez is pretty darn scary.  He has built an elaborate focal point and really pushed the boundaries of bas-relief which I really love.  Elias is an up and comer here at Whitney.  He has guts and imagination and isn't afraid to express himself thru his art.  My other students and I always look forward to seeing what he will come up with next. 

"Forward unto Dawn" is another neat piece that came in from junior Michael Cantu.  He built an elaborate structure out of wood to house his focal point, then continued his design outward thru each level.  How cool is that?

And lastly I want to show off senior Vivian Huong's "Reach".  I love that she thought to bring in branches and worked in a neutral color scheme for a very effective work.

Pretty impressive pieces for Beginners, right?