According to the dictionary, art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. I personally think that art has many different meanings. Some people think that art is something that relieves their stress and get let them be creative.

I described art as an expression. The colors can describe the person's feelings. Each other has different meanings. Artist usually put colors in their paintings to represent their emotions. I personally don't use art to express my feelings. It's just not my thing.

For my art piece, I decided to do something unique. I thought many things to do, but it wouldn't click for me. Until the last minute. I used my knowledge about recycling  and my artistic hands to lead me to the idea. I was stacking these yogurt cups up and I thought about the earth. The earth has green as the grass and then blue for skies. So I decided to draw the beauty of earth onto the cups. The only thing I would change is the timing. I waited until the last minute which was not a good idea and text out how to stick the yogurt cups together.

In my Art class, I had a project that had to do with recycling. We had to use things that either were recyclables or weren't depending on what we wanted and make something out of them. I personally am a big fan of art, and I enjoy to do it because I feel it brings out my most creative side. 

A lot of my themes are people. My best things to draw are girls. Since my theme is so common, I decided to try something new and make something more nature-like. 

What I decided to do was a tree made out of tree materials. As I got into it, I started to realize all of the components that a tree goes through to become the piece of computer paper on my desk, or the cardboard box at my door. So I began to think that if I was going to make a tree, I might as well express what a lot of trees are going through when a human (i.e me) is involved. I made my lean, and made an axe to "cut" it down. So not only have I made a tree out of tree products, but I'm also trying to express the things that seem to be happening way too much to our nature. 

My first attempt at a tree.







The axe I had decided to make.




My final product.


As our first project in art class, we had to make posters to put around the school. Our goal was to get other students to save bottle caps and give them to us so that we can use them in our art. However, I can't post a picture of my poster because I can't find it anywhere in the school.

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Art. Such a small word but into it goes so much meaning; So many different forms and interpretations of this three-letter word. But what does it mean to be an artist? It means having the ability to put down every emotion and every feeling inside of you into a picture, a dance routine, and a sculpture. It means being able to paint a picture of your mind for the world to see; and that I why I do what I do. I want the world to feel who I am; to touch and see and feel what’s been inside of my mind; my heart. When I work with paint I am reminded that the world is a colorful place and that we’ve stepped out of the black and white days into a colorful and diverse place. I begin a piece by thinking about the assignment and how I can add my own person experiences into it.

I know a piece is done when I feel that it’s complete and I’ve got my message across. When my work is going well, I am filled with a sense of happiness and expressive success. When people see my work, I'd like them to step into my shoes and look into my mind.

            When it comes to my artwork, it’s really all about how I feel. Honestly all of my work has to be thought out in my headfirst so when it comes to decision-making I try my hardest to think about what fits best in my piece and what makes the most sense in my mind. I like making my work really out there to reflect my bold and expressively different personality. When it comes to different themes of my artwork, I try to keep it real. I like making my art a reflection of my life and what is happening. It gives me a way to document my life in a sense; some girls have journals where they jot down all of their emotions, I have little pieces of artwork to serve as memoirs throughout my life.

            My current artwork is a heart made of recycled newspapers and other re used objects. In my current life, I am going through some hardships with love and so my piece is centered on a heart. The recycled paper is coming from the top in many different kind of untamed ways to represent the wild and untamed habits of teenage love and love in general. In the center of the heart is a silver square that is different and more luminous as compared to the rest of the piece. This represents the different being inside the core of each person; weather it’s a strong and bold center inside of the cowardly girl or a scared and hurt boy inside a cold and courageous man. This also can relate to the heart of the earth and how it needs our help to survive and we need to remember recycling our resources is like the reusing of blood to our heart. 

I found it interesting that we needed to use recycled materials for our first quarter project.  It is unlike anything I have ever been assigned, in art class or otherwise. I like the idea of doing something different for art, but trying to stick to recycled materials made things a little more difficult for me. At first I wasn't sure what I was going to do but I realized that I had a huge pile of bottles that was just growing day in and day out, and I decided then that I wanted to do something involving recycling plastic bottles.

First I decided to build a small scale raft with several bottles, some tape, card board, a plastic bag, and some pencils. This idea didn't translate very well when I tried to bring it into physical form. In the process of building the raft I realized what I wanted to do, and it didn't involve boats of any form. I decided to make a small comic strip showing the steps that some recycled materialS go through before they are redistributed. I used bits of plastic bottles and a few caps to cover the pictures somewhat. I usually stick to drawing or sculptures. I don't feel very confident when painting, so I chose to stick with something that I felt more comfortable with. 

At first, ideas for this project weren't exactly in high supply. But finally it hit me, a way to incorporate my own ideas with the task at hand, to make something involving the environment, and my own style as an artist. I took a note from the new Pacific Sunwear bags that look like this..


But I adapted it for this project and my skill level. What this is, is a progression with shapes with objects coming through them that have a message or a pattern. Since my project had to involve recycling and being more aware of our environment, my project features things harming the environment while on opposite side it has this that help/save our environment. As a piece, I'm proud of my work. I've attempted things like this before but have never been able to finish it. I also think my message is clear, all these things are are hurting the environment and the ecosystem have to be changed into things that not only do not hurt the it but help them.

Process:

1. I started small with pencil on the negative bubble pattern just starting with only a few objects in them and with the beginning of the center piece. 

2. Then I finished the outline bubble pattern with the negative factors on the environment. 


3. I then added the positive side of the bubble stream.


4. I then began to add color using water color pencils.


5. After finishing coloring with chalk pastels all I had to do was write my name on the back and be done.

This marking period, I had difficulties trying to grasp a idea that my heart was into. First I decided to make a art project that was very abstract, using recycled glass, bottles, and other materials that would usually land into a landfill. That project wasn't a fail but it wasn't heartfelt. So I decided to do something that I do best, poetry. Every time I write a poem a truth bleeds out. In order for this project to be advertised and different I've decided to spray paint it on the windows in the art studio. I currently don't have any images of what this project will look like. It takes many steps and hard work to complete it. I had to measure the windows, figurre out the font size, and cut out my stencils for the spray paint. I have a sample of what the poem is: "

If it isn’t the latest fashion trend we won’t allow the human species to be recycled,

Our hearts to be reused, more like thrown in a landfill because you can’t be saved here,

No matter how many shirts we decide to wear that claim we are going green, we don’t change we are selfish

Wrapped up in a diabetic tornado, it isn’t sweet here. We’re dying."- Toni Marshall

This quarter in art, hearts will change and beat a different tune, we are getting in touch with ourselves.

For this quarter we focused on making art out of recycled material. I particularly liked this unit because the fact that were using things that could potentially harm the earth. I feel like its good way to get people to start recycling by doing more then just tossing the recycled materials into the recycling bin.

For my project I wanted to make an entire picture out of using only recycled materials. I feel like that is the most effective way to show other options of saving our environment. I used materials such as newspaper, plastic bags, bottle caps, and pipe cleaners. At first I wanted to make an entire scene out of the recycled materials but I then decided that it would be better If I made a single object that represented the environment completely out recycled materials.


This is my first draft. I wanted to make a scene out of cotton balls, newspapers, and bottle caps. After a while I decided that this wasn't going to work because the outcome wouldn't look like it took me all marking period to do. I then moved on to my next idea.


My next idea was to make a cardboard recycling bin with the recycle logo on it. While doing this project however I experienced several problems. After I finished cutting out the pieces that were supposed to be glued onto the boxes, I couldn't a good enough box. I then decided that this project was no longer any good and once again moved on to my next idea.


My final idea was making a flower out of recycled material. I particularly liked this one because it represents a small piece of the environment. I chose to make the leaves out of newspaper and plastic. And to make the middle of the flower by using a bottle cap. The stem potentially would be made out of green pipe cleaners. This project fits for because its made completely out of recycled materials. Also because I like to cut and paste which is how most of this project is done. I painted over the plastic to give the petals some color and then glued plastic bag over it to be able to see that this project is actually recycled.




BOTTLE CAP PROJECT :

Art is creativity on display. Art can show you the mental working of the artist, and their way of expression. Art can be in multiple forms, such as performance, written, or hand designed. That is why art is individual and unique. No peace of art is the same as another.

I chose to start from scratch, literally. I took newspaper and recycled it into canvas. This process consisted of turning twelve newspapers into strips, then using a blender and some water turning the strips into pulp. After the put was made, I used a picture frame and a thin cloth to fish out the paper and strain it. Once the pulp was strained it needed to dry, so it was placed between two towels and I used a rolling pin to squeeze the water out.

After the, newly formed, canvas was dried I glued the thin cloth to the back to keep it sturdy. One the glue dried it was time to paint. I used watercolor paint to create abstract lines and figured on the canvas and glued on various recyclables. Thus was my form off art created.