The Acknowledgements Page
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| Oscar Wilde In Gratitude for your Genius Terri |
I have been wanting to put this challenge on the docket for a few days now, a challenge which will give us a chance to reflect on the inspirations that surround us.
But we have had so much great stuff going on in terms of the creative ways you have been approaching the symbols and mandalas. We will bring these symbols and such back into the mix very soon, but let's take a day away from them.
As a side note, I will be posting the deconstructed images I am receiving, starting tomorrow
Just to give you a heads up on where we are journeying in this third week, which we have started, we will move into more cut and paste and integration of multi-media--encouraging us to use differing mediums together (like cut/paste with color pencils, etc.)
Moreover, to get our collage practice revved up, we will also do some work with image transfers. So in anticipation of that, now would be a good time to start finding some of those photos of people and "things" that are a part of a community you participate in--maybe family or a found community of likeminded thinkers or a sports community or a community of artists or writers.
Start collecting those images and make photocopies of them using a xerox or photocopying machine. Don't use an inkjet or laser printer/photocopier. Just a standard photocopy machine. Those images will transfer the easiest to start with. We can get into more elaborate transfers as we go along.
For today, at our midway point, let's reflect on some of the influences on our CREATIVE life.
You are going to create an Acknowledgements Page that shows gratitude to those who have inspired you, pushed you, encouraged you to press on with your creative life. Above, I share a picture of Oscar Wilde, someone who has inspired and influenced me throughout my entire academic career--at times I was enthralled with his writing, at other times I did not understand him, but always, his thinking, vision, humor, and biting intelligence have inspired me.
Below is a picture of a group of students, who have also really inspired me. They were seniors in last spring semester's LCS 491, Senior Practicum.
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| LCS 491 seniors at their REDay display in April 2014. |
I want to share some of their work as we go along. Today, I am sharing examples of a way to construct a visual acknowledgements page. One activity we completed in the course was a construction of an accordion book--a tiny one--and students were asked to put images and such that inspired them into the pages.
Josh's example. Josh created mini renditions of art work by artists who have influenced him. He used torn/cut paper to create meditations on these works. He worked with paper and liquid adhesive.
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| Van Gogh's Starry Night |
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| Klimt's The Kiss |
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| Mondrian's Composition II in Red, Blue and Yello |
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| Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earing |
Dana's example. Dana has always been inspired by horror stories and film, and during the course, she was in the process of writing a horror novel. She drew her inspiration from these past great writers and films and created mini reflections, using several different media: pencil, cut/paste, paint.
Here is your turn:
Good luck! Keep the images coming: thassele@bryant.edu
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| Sweeney Todd and Mama |
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| Silence of the Lambs |
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| Edgar Allen Poe, The Ring and Dexter |
Here is your turn:
- We won't be creating mini-books but I would like you to divide your sketch page into mini-segments. Maybe 3, maybe 4, maybe 5. Think about how we divided the page into three squares when we set up our 3 step progression. Keep in mind that we had these squares overlapping. You don't have to overlap these segments, but don't be afraid of that option. Think about what works best for you.
- Choose a shape to work with for each mini-segment. The collage books above used small squares because of the nature of the page. You can create a series of circles or ovals, that might remind you of a wall in a home that has family pictures hung on it. You may work with squares or triangles or another shape of your choosing (hearts, or maybe the symbol you are currently working with.) You can mix and match different shapes.
- Arrange these mini-segments on the page as you wish. Try not to do more than 5 because it may get to be overwhelming and make the page a little cluttered.
- Put into these shapes/your mini-segments a reflection on someone who has creatively inspired you--perhaps a musician (known or unknown), a writer, a theorist, a painter, an architect, a family member . . . .
- You can use whatever medium you wish, and you can work with a mixture of word and image. You can work solely with lettering if you wish, too.
- Before you begin !!!!! consider putting a wash on the back to hold the segments together--either in water color or another medium (like pencil). Or establish a cut/paste background.
Good luck! Keep the images coming: thassele@bryant.edu
For my inspirations I used less literal things for my sketches. I drew about creativity, nature and music as my inspirations.
ReplyDeleteThis activity was challenging at first. I didn’t know what my vision was or where I was going. I used words like our guest speaker showed us in her sketchbook. I ended up being really happy with my work.
ReplyDeleteI liked this challenge but it was hard to understand at first. I used scrap book paper as my background and it made my images really pop!
ReplyDeleteIt was hard to start this challenge at first, but I thought about my vision for a while and decided what I was going to draw. I liked that we were able to choose our medium.
ReplyDeleteI used watercolors to paint a background for the shapes I cut out. I used my construction paper to create 3 shapes and used words to describe people who had an influence.
ReplyDeleteI drew my inspiration from my high school art teacher. She always taught me to explore different types of mediums and to work on my composition and not just center all of my work. She has been such an influence on me and my love for art.
ReplyDeleteI had no clue what I was going to create upon beginning this challenge. After about five minutes of brainstorming, I decided to use watercolors for the background. I used construction paper to create the three shapes I selected. I used both words and symbols for my reflection.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I had a hard time understanding this assignment. As I started brainstorming, I created different square segments and in each square, I drew words on the page in the shape of a triangle to express who I am inspired by.
ReplyDeleteI used words to describe people that inspire me. For materials, I used fun sticky notes on a watercolor background.
ReplyDeleteI like being able to show who inspires me because theses are the things and people who we owe the most to.
ReplyDeleteReflecting on who and what inspires me was a fascinating process. It feel like there was no way my art could do it justice. However, I surprised myself and really liked my final result.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed creating this piece, but I didn't do just people who have inspired me but also movies, books, and plays (so I guess the inspiration can be traced back to the creators).
ReplyDeleteI drew three circles and then filled them in with different water colors and then wrote words that represented who or what I am inspired by. I liked this assignment. it was fun to think about who really inspires me.
ReplyDeleteIt was difficult to start this challenge because I didn't know how to portray how I wanted to display the person who inspires me.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was very similar to my collage. I used video games once again since it opened up a new world for me.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was difficult for me, I really did not know how to portray someone that inspires me, it took a lot of thought to finally figure something out.
ReplyDeleteThis was one of the more difficult challenges we have had to do so far. It took me a while just to think about something I wanted to do but once I had an idea of what I wanted to do it was very fun. I feel as though this was probably one of my most well done challenges and I look forward to more difficult ones like this.
ReplyDeleteThe challenge took a decent amount of time, especially in the beginning. I was at a loss for ideas for a while before I decided on a theme. I did enjoy the uniqueness of the activity though.
ReplyDeleteWhat struck me about this challenge was that after doing the midterm and reading about where inspiration comes from, I really had to think about what inspires me. I then had to represent it without trying to make art just for the source.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was really difficult for me. It took me a while to figure out what truly inspires me as well as how to reflect them in my segments.
ReplyDeleteFor my inspiration I looked at my page as a time line. I did the evolution of dance.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea what was going to happen but then it all clicked and I feel really confident about my work for this sketch.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was really hard for me to come up with ideas. I didn't know where to start and it took a while to get inspired.
ReplyDeleteI am a huge movie fan and so I decided on using one of my favorite directors, Martin Scorsese as inspiration. It worked out well.
ReplyDeleteI found this challenge very difficult. It was hard to get started but then once I thought of my first inspiration the others came to me more easily.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was more difficult than past challenges. Once I figured out my thought process, it got easier.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was difficult for time, taking me a lot longer than others. I think about what inspires me quite a bit though, so for that reason I enjoyed this challenge.
ReplyDeleteThought this was a little confusing at first but once i began working with it it all came together nicely. In the end i enjoyed my work and doing this piece.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was hard to start but once I began working it started becoming easier to know what I am going to draw.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was not my favorite challenge but it was interesting to see the final product. As I drew everything began to flow but it took quite a bit of time.
ReplyDeleteI found it hard to symbolically represent bands and artists without using symbols they use themselves. The symbol I chose for the previous exercises is one that belongs to an inspiration, so it made it easy for that section.
ReplyDeleteI also found it difficult to represent what inspires me through drawing. I do not have many artists/composers that inspire me, so I decided to use quotes that inspire me instead.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge reminded me of an assignment we did with other faculty members in a creative fellows workshop. I wanted an ability to add some dimensionality here. Maybe, my age puts me in a place where my neural patterns point to hyperlinks so nearly everything I think about can be traced to something else and something else and then more. And, then, of course, there is the great phrase by Joan Didion in her article on keeping a journal where she writes about the mind's bits of string not short to use, but interesting nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge took me a while to understand but once I got the concept it became easy to do.
ReplyDeleteI also struggled with this challenge a bit. I ended up creating something very abstract with small pieces of paper. I started from a small circle into something larger. I wasn't too pleased with the results, but I can definitely learn more from this!
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was confusing for me. I didn't exactly know where to start so I picked out a few random shapes and started to put them together on my page. In the end it's not my favorite page in my sketchbook.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of this assignment was being able to sit down and think about who or what inspires me. The portion of reflection was really important to me and I think it made the final product more meaningful. I think that doing this in a more in depth way than other assignments made it better than the other challenges we've put together
ReplyDeleteI really liked this challenge. I chose my mom as my inspiration and used patterned paper and various shaped. I loved the way this came out.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge took me a while, but it was an interesting one! I liked the way this one turned out, the imperfect nature of it was my favorite part
ReplyDeletethis was a difficult challenge. Finding someone inspirational took a while as well as portraying them on paper with shapes. The activity was really a challenge to my creativity.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was quite challenging for me, as it took me a bit to come up with three different boxes. But over time I enjoyed brainstorming
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was more difficult than others. It was hard for me to think of something that truly inspired me, but once I got going the challenge was more enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed representing different things that have inspired me. At first it was difficult to think of three different people/things that have inspired me, but after choosing, it was fun to express each symbol.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this. I picked a blue background and used words to describe my inspiration.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was defiantly one of the more difficult ones, however, I really like my end product
ReplyDeleteHard thinking of my inspirations in symbolic terms. Eventually finished with a decent arrangement that looks alright.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this challenge because I was able to reflect on what inspires me, it was difficult to figure out how to create this with a sketch but I loved what it ended up looking like, along with the meaning.
ReplyDeleteIt was difficult to find what inspired me, then the art just portrayed itself!
ReplyDeleteLike a lot of other people, the brainstorming portion of this challenge took a while. I tried to only think of each symbol after I had finished the previous one. Though it took me a while, I was happy with the results and did not mind taking extra time to finish!
ReplyDeleteI used my inspiration as past present and future. It wasn't hard finding inspiration, It came to me quick because I was so interested by the challenge
ReplyDeleteI drew inspiration from a certain era! I love the Tudor period and all I kept thinking about was one of my favorite movies, The Other Boleyn Girl and one of my favorite tv shows, Reign. So, in this challenge I let these two inspirated my creation. I wanted the viewer to feel as if they are being transported back in time to the period when kings and queens ruled.
ReplyDeleteAt first I couldn't think of an artist that inspired me but then I thought of Andy Warhol and his pop art. I used gouache paint for my drawing and I really liked how it turned out.
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ReplyDeleteThis was a very difficult challenge because at first I didn't know what to do or what to choose for my inspiration. At the same time I found this challenge very interesting.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge really made me evaluate the different influences I have had in my life. It was great to think about the things that I really appreciated when I was younger and how I have shifted away from appreciating them. It made me realize I need to remember the little things in life that I often forget exist.
ReplyDeleteAt first I didn't exactly know where I was going to go with this sketch. Then I chose my medium, and decided to cut construction papers in shapes to represent what I was trying to portray.
ReplyDeleteExtremely interesting mini booklet which allowed me to explore with many ideas what I wanted to do. It made me realize how a specific theme can be crafted.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this challenge because it really made me think. Not only about which mediums to use and how to make it pop (for example, using construction paper and layering colored pencil over guache) but it also made me think into the important memories of my life.
ReplyDeletethis was a very difficult challenge for me, I had a hard time figuring out what what to use for my inspirations
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this activity because it allowed me to reflect on who or what I find most creative in this world.
ReplyDeleteI loved this challenge especially because it allowed me to acknowledge those who inspire me in my life through my creative skills.
ReplyDeletethis challenge was hard to understand, but it was really nice to draw someone or something that inspire us
ReplyDeleteMy progression piece was simply the sun rising. I chose this because it is my favorite time of day. I like this part because it is the part where the day begins and you can look forward to the rest of it.
ReplyDeleteCreative is something that I have always enjoyed. This topic allowed me really put that into a piece that represents to style of creative.
ReplyDeleteI did this sketch in very backwards kind of way. I used three interconnected circles on a blank background. I did this because of the way I am. I am known to be a very serious, very straightforward person. As I was creating, I found this challenge to be more difficult than others. I start my circle with success, I am inspired by success and particular my own success keeps me driving forward. In the following circles, I have the words Dad and Mom printed because they inspire me and support me through my life decisions. In between the circles, and in the links, I have the type of man I am, Ambitious, and MentallyStrong. I've added four black streaks on the background as if to say I am always moving forward.
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