Where has the time gone?):

I am sadden to say that this is my last blog post that will be a part of high school.): This art year has brought out and has shown me different creativity and it has showed me that i can do art. This was mny first art class of my four yewars in high school and I  am ashamed to even say that. If I could go back and pick classes over again  I would have picked every single year. I have found a huge interest in art and I have realized it is peaceful and a way to get away from the world. My favorite things that we did this year was the metal work and the clay. I had fun doing the metals even though in the beginning I hated it, it eventually greew on me and I ended loving it. The clay was difficult because I had so many ideas running through my head I would start a part and then want to change it and arrange it and I knew I couldn't because it wouldn't look right. I would also have to say that having Mrs Kiick as my teacher definitly helped make art much more enjoyable. Whenever I would have trouble she would give an idea but it would enough of an idea to just get your mind going and eventually bring together something. I would also have to say the atmosphere in the art room is by far the best atmosphere to work in than any other class. When you go to art it isn't just "oh do this, write this, draw this." it is more of " here is an assignment, lets see what you make out of it."
 Art class this year has gotten me to just draw whatever I see, I decided to draw a picture of my neice and then a picture of my nephew, they weren't very good but 'hey I'm just getting the hang of it!' I would also have to say my little brother James has this idea that I'm the best artist and should go to school for art which I would have to say he is crazy but it also gives me inspiration that my work probably isn't as bad as I think it is!
Overall, I wish I had taken art all four years of High School because the class is absolutely 100% the best. If youy don't like it than there is something wrong with you or you just don't have imagination ! Art has no limits and I believe that is why anyone can take the class and just let themselves find what they are good at and what they can accomplish with out even knowing. I am going to miss art class but I know for sure I am not going to stop drawing, I already have some things I picked out to draw over the summer and I can't wait for it!

Extra Credit.

When we were assigned this new project on making a place setting for someone or something, I couldn't decide on what i wanted to do. After taking about two days to decide I figured out that I wanted to do my brothers. At first I wanted to my little brother James because he is basically my best friend, even though he is only 10 he is the coolest and best little brother. Then after thinking about it I figured I would do all my brothers because I believe they are the most awesome people on earth and I wouldn't want any other brothers. When I decided to do all my brothers the first thing to come to mind was hockey, since we all have that in common. I decided to make my bowl a hockey helmet, my plate has the hockey sticks on it with a quote and then my cup sort of resembles the hockey ball. Instead of making my place settings all match each other I went with the colors that show off each of them. The purple with grey and black stand for our hockey orginization that we have been playing for since we were 4. The orange and black symbolizes the Philadelphia Flyers because my brother are die hard flyers fans. Finally the black and yellow symbolizes the Pittsburgh Penguins because they are my favorite hockey team and my brothers constantly make fun of me for liking them. When I first began this project I just chose colors and symbols but as I was making the plate and the bowl and the cup it started to click what each color meant or what each item was going to be. I would have to say this project was hard to do but it was also easy. Making the place settings was very difficult and I changed my mind numerous times and I would have a hard time with certain things and just want to change everything. The easy part was glazing it all because I had the colors and what I wanted to do in mind already so all I needed to do was paint it on there. But during the process I realized it wasn't that easy and it was a struggle, it took me longer than most people to finish my place setting but in the end I like what I made and I got my point across for what I wanted to do and what my message was.

Through the year Portfolio.

Amanda h portfolio

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Table for two!

Currently we are in the process of working on our ceramics project. With this project we are supposed to make a bowl, plate and cup but base it off of someone, real or fictional. For this project I decided to do my four brothers. When making my decisions I started out with wanting to do The Lion King because it has always been my all time favorite movie ever since I was little. But when we were told that it had to meaning behind it and inspiration, I realized that this was just a movie and I wouldn't be able to think of my own ideas. With that I dsecided I would do a family member, since I have so many choosing just ONE was difficult. When I chose to do my brothers so many ideas came into my head. Since myself and my brothers all have the hobbies of sports I thought what better way to express them. Currently i have hosen to make cup around the goal tending aspects because of my youngest brother James. I have decided that my  bowl would be all my brothers together and I would make a hockey net with jerseys draped over. As for my plate, My thoughts have not gathered to one specific idea yet but I feel that as I keep going with my bowl and cup I will be able to figure out the perfect idea to wrap everything together.
   Every since Mrs. Kiick told us about this idea I was immediately excited and I was able to throw ideas out and come up with one main idea. So far this project is my favorite because I get to show everyone what my connection is with my brothers through a piece of art and I am hoping I am able to accomplish this task successfully.
  

Metals !

We have finished our metals project finally! When we were first assigned the metal project I was excited and new what I was goin to do. But when it came time to start turning what was on paper into an actual metal piece, i wanted to pull my hair out. Cutting the metal out was no walk in the park. It took me, what felt like was forever, but was only maybe two weeks. When I first began I went through so many saw blades because I couldn't find my technique to cut the metal with ease. But after trying and tyring I finally figured out how to cut through the metal and how to do turns and points. At some points I wanted to quit, I was ready to throw in the towel and move on but I had the drive to finish my piece because I was excited for what I wanted to make.This project so far was the hardest project for me because I was doing something im not used to and i didn't really like it at first but after awhile i was able to have fun with it.

Metals.

 We just started our metals project and so far it is going very well. It has taken me some time to create my work but I finally figured out what I wanted to do and now I have just started working on my metals piece. Since I just began my progress isn't far along and I dont have much to say except trying to saw the metal is a piece of work. Saw metals hurts your arms and makes you angry and tired and just want to give up. So far I have broken more blades than I thought I would. I feels as though this art piece will be my challenge, but its a challenge I am willing to take !

Finding yourself.

   When Mrs. Kiick told us we had to do a collage about us and incorporate different pictures or items or anything you wanted and make it into a collage, I was excited. I figured it would be easy and I could show who I am through layers. Then, when I started doing the collage I realized it was tough because i didn't want to cover things that were going to be covered and I didn't want some pictures showing all the way but they were. Finally, I just stepped back and I just let myself put pictures and items on this collage and I just went with it basically. Although my final project wasn't what I pictured I realized that I liked it and it came out completely different than I imaged it to. When the layers of pictures started coming together it created new images and I didn't expect to have any of it happen.

Thinking outside the boxes !

    So we had to draw a self portrait and I was little on edge about it because I personally would rather not stare at myself for the amount of time I had to. After finishing my self portrait I was impressed that I was even able to draw as well as I did and make it look like me! Doing a self portrait was challenging and it made me mad, proud, angry and confident by the end. I was getting frustrated and mad and angry because i couldn't seem to get the eyes right or I couldn't get my nose right when drawing, then I had to paint. When we started painting I had the issue with finding my features and incorporating them into my painting. It's a lot harder than i thought it would be. After, I was able to figure out where my features would be and how light or dark to go for the features I grew the confidence to stop thinking and just start painting.When I would step back and look at what I was doing I could start seeing my face appear how I wanted it to be and I could see the resemblance and my confidence in being an artist was growing and I feel as though I accomplished a lot more than I thought I would be able to in the beginning. 

Kodak Moments ?!

Learning something new everyday...

     When picking an artist for the midterms I realized that I need to pick someone that I can become inspired by and someone that I actually like. At first I figured 'oh I can just pick who ever and write about them and I'm done", but when I started looking at different artist I realized you can't just write anything on an artist because you are picking someone inspiringto you. My first choice for an artist was Michaelangelo, mainly because he is my favorite ninja tutle in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Then, I researched him and I loved his art work but I couldn't get inspired and I couldn't really figure out what it is that I like about him. So my second choice was Norman Rockwell. After researching his art works and him hiself, I realized that my mom used to have one of rockwells paintings on our wall in our living room. Everytime i look at the picture I would think of the different things this person could have done to get in trouble. When i further researched Norman Rockwell I look at his paintings and I see stories that can be created or thought of. I loved the fact that someone can draw and paint artworks that have the veiwer stop and think what story could be told. Also, when i look at the drawings he did for the Saturday Evening Post, it almost seems like he captures a moment and paints it. Rockwell paints in different story like ways. He has humor, real life, sports, romance, and all kinds of different points of views.

Who is Norman Rockwell ?

       Norman Rockwell was born February 3, 1894 in New York City. At a young age Rockwell has been interested in art, his first drawing was a recreation of Admiral Dewey's Spanish-American War fleet for childhood naval battles. By 17, rockwell had dropped out of high school to become a full time art student, he published his first freelance illustration.  Norman's first Saturday Evening Post illustration appears. In 1918, Rockwall tried to go to war but he was underweight by a few pounds. After scarfing down food to gain weight Norman becames painter, and varnisher, third class, U.S.  Navy. In 1926, Rockwell painted the first magazine cover in full color for the Saturday Evening Post. After Rockwells first marriage he marries again and has three boys and moves to Arlington Vermont. In 1943, Rockwell completes his 'finest acheivement of his career' "The Four Freedoms." Rockwells art studio ended up burning down two nights after he sent his last painting of the Four Freedoms. After Rockwells second wife passes away he finds a place in Stockbridge, Massachusetts where he settles down an writes his autobiography of his life with his son Thomas. In 1963, Norman Rockwell ends his long career with The Saturday Evening Post after drawing and creating 321 different paintings. 

Norman Rockwell passed away on November 8, 1978 at the age of 84. In 1994, the 100th anniversary of Rockwell's birth is celebrated and a grand opening is held for the new 27,000-square-foot Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge.