Reflection Essay Post #15

In reflecting on my work over the past year, I have gained significant insights. This year, we concentrated on four major projects, each imparting valuable lessons. The final project was my favorite among the four. The most significant lesson I learned this year was how to construct an abstract or non-objective painting. During this project, I delved into the Abstract Expressionist movement, an artistic movement that emerged in the 1940s and 1950s, focusing on expressing and eliciting emotions through art. Not only did I learn how to create an abstract painting, but I also discovered my enjoyment for abstraction. This unit taught me that the process is more important than the final piece, a sentiment I wholeheartedly agree with, as the most enjoyable aspect of art is the act of creation. The concept of action painting, which involves using one's entire body to paint, particularly resonated with me and deepened my appreciation for this style.I believe I have found an area within art that I wish to explore further.

At the beginning of the year, I created an inventory of non-objective art skills, which did not yield a particularly successful piece. Recently, for our final project, I produced another non-objective work that I believe is significantly more effective. The primary differences between these pieces lie in the techniques employed and the color schemes used. The most notable growth in my work has been in non-objective art and color theory. This year, I gained substantial knowledge about color theory, which has greatly enhanced both my still life and abstract paintings. Each of these works featured a well-considered color scheme, with subjects or shapes that created pleasing contrasts. My techniques for the larger painting have improved, allowing me to handle acrylic paint with greater proficiency. Additionally, my conceptual understanding has deepened, particularly due to my exposure to the Abstract Expressionist movement, which has significantly influenced the improvement of my work. Most importantly, I felt confident in my painting abilities, which I believe has been the key factor in my improvement.

The primary area in which I need to improve is realistic drawing. I struggle with understanding the relationships between different values, which results in my drawings not accurately representing what I observe. This summer, I intend to devote significant effort to practicing realistic drawings and shading techniques. Achieving realistic work that precisely matches my vision is a personal goal. Although realism is not currently my strong suit, I am determined to improve in this area and enhance my proficiency. Another related area is figure drawing, which is essential in art and also requires my attention. In addition to practicing realism, I plan to focus on improving my figure drawing skills. I am hopeful that dedicating time to these practices over the summer will foster considerable growth in my artistic abilities.

Building upon the insights and techniques learned during the non-objective painting unit, I plan to integrate this knowledge into my artistic practice next year. My objective is to create paintings that incorporate non-objective elements, leveraging the principles of abstraction, color theory, and dynamic composition to enhance the visual impact of my work. I am also aiming to further develop my realistic drawing skills, striving for a precise depiction of subjects through an improved understanding of values, proportions, and shading. I want to create pieces that relate to music because that was my main focus in my play pages and was one of the themes in my Head and Heart project, specifically songs that I enjoy listening to. This approach will allow me to explore the ideas between abstraction and realism, creating works that are not only visually compelling but also conceptually rich, thereby reflecting my growth and evolution as an artist.

g of the year, I created an inventory of non-objective art skills, which did not yield a particularly successful piece. Recently, for our final project, I produced another non-objective work that I believe is significantly more effective. The primary differences between these pieces lie in the techniques employed and the color schemes used. The most notable growth in my work has been in non-objective art and color theory. This year, I gained substantial knowledge about color theory, which has greatly enhanced both my still life and abstract paintings. Each of these works featured a well-considered color scheme, with subjects or shapes that created pleasing contrasts. My techniques for the larger painting have improved, allowing me to handle acrylic paint with greater proficiency. Additionally, my conceptual understanding has deepened, particularly due to my exposure to the Abstract Expressionist movement, which has significantly influenced the improvement of my work. Most importantly, I felt confident in my painting abilities, which I believe has been the key factor in my improvement.

The primary area in which I need to improve is realistic drawing. I struggle with understanding the relationships between different values, which results in my drawings not accurately representing what I observe. This summer, I intend to devote significant effort to practicing realistic drawings and shading techniques. Achieving realistic work that precisely matches my vision is a personal goal. Although realism is not currently my strong suit, I am determined to improve in this area and enhance my proficiency. Another related area is figure drawing, which is essential in art and also requires my attention. In addition to practicing realism, I plan to focus on improving my figure drawing skills. I am hopeful that dedicating time to these practices over the summer will foster considerable growth in my artistic abilities.

Building upon the insights and techniques learned during the non-objective painting unit, I plan to integrate this knowledge into my artistic practice next year. My objective is to create paintings that incorporate non-objective elements, leveraging the principles of abstraction, color theory, and dynamic composition to enhance the visual impact of my work. I am also aiming to further develop my realistic drawing skills, striving for a precise depiction of subjects through an improved understanding of values, proportions, and shading. By merging the realms of non-objective and realistic painting, I seek to cultivate a distinctive artistic style that is both creative and expressive. This approach will allow me to explore the ideas between abstraction and realism, creating works that are not only visually compelling but also conceptually rich, thereby reflecting my growth and evolution as an artist.