Art Explorer #3 - Art Critique

Gossip

George A. Reid



Looking through all the pieces of art at the Art Gallery of Ontario really made it difficult to pick ONE piece to focus on for this blog post.  Many of the pieces displayed stood out to me as I jotted down their title so I knew where to go back to for my art critique.  However, walking into a new room and having one painting on the wall pretty much jump out at you signifies a connection to that painting. 

Art work can be made into whatever the artist desires.  It is up to the artist to create a meaning behind their art work.  A trip to the art gallery will allow children to use their imagination to interpret pieces in their own way.  This can be taken back into the classroom to get children to create their own work and depict the meaning behind it.

First off, the painting I chose for my art critique was LARGE.  It was one of the biggest paintings in the room.  I love things that are big, that stand out in a cluster.  This painting did exactly that.  After noticing the size of the painting, I took a seat in front of it and admired it.  My initial story I matched with this painting was a mother and a daughter.  The lady standing with her hand on the spinning wheel appears to have shorter hair.  I interpreted this lady as the mother.  The lady sitting in the chair has longer hair that is pulled up and has yarn in her hand.  I saw this as the daughter, learning how to use the spinning wheel from her mother.  I really liked the image in this painting and the story that I connected with it because it looks very casual and relaxed and reminded me of times with my mother.  I am very close with my mother and we do many things together.  This painting reminded me of when I would sit around with my mother as she taught me new things.

After sitting back and making connections to this painting, I noted the title and other information about this painting.  When I discovered the title of this painting was “Gossip”, it sparked more thoughts in my head.  Yes, I still believe this could be a mother and daughter talking and sharing stories.  However, I believe it could also be two friends. 

ART WORD OF THE WEEK:            DESIGN or COMPOSITION

Design or composition is anything the artist aims to achieve.  I believe George A. Reid did accomplish what he was set out to do.  He captured peoples attention with this painting and used two women in a house setting with the title "Gossip" to emphasize the gender roles in society.  The focal point of this painting is the two women with the spinning wheel, and clearly showing a smile on the one woman's face.

Art work can be made into whatever the artist desires.  It is up to the artist to create a meaning behind their art work.  A trip to the art gallery will allow children to use their imagination to interpret pieces in their own way.  This can be taken back into the classroom to get children to create their own work and depict the meaning behind it.

This painting was created using oil on canvas.  I am not familiar with this style of painting, however, thinking about the word oil and comparing it to an oil paint I would think of the paint to be very smooth and thick.  The painting did look smooth and flowing together.  From the smile on the lady’s face that is standing I got a cheerful feeling from this painting.  When I look at this painting, I can imagine them sharing stories and laughing, having a good time.  It gives a cozy, home feeling.  Both ladies in this painting appear to be happy and relaxed. 

Art work can be made into whatever the artist desires.  It is up to the artist to create a meaning behind their art work.  A trip to the art gallery will allow children to use their imagination to interpret pieces in their own way.  This can be taken back into the classroom to get children to create their own work and depict the meaning behind it.

After bringing this painting to the attention of some friends, my original thoughts of this painting did not change.  Thoughts that first came from my friends about this painting were two friends talking, a mother and daughter, and housework.  This painting sparked similar stories in all our heads.

George A. Reid was a Canadian artist born in 1860 in Wingham, Canada West, now known as Ontario.  He died in Toronto, Ontario in 1947.  After he died, in 1964, this painting was a gift of the Academy of Medicine, Toronto.  A connection I made with this painting and the time the painting was made is gender roles.  Gender roles were a great focus in the 1800’s.  In this painting we see two women in the house with a spinning wheel, relating back to a woman’s expectation to carry on everyday house hold duties.  Men had more social connections out of the house, however, women’s only social contact was with neighbours and family.  One general connection I made throughout different paintings in the room was Canadian artists.  After looking through the painting guide, I noticed George A. Reid’s name reoccurring many times, as well as some other Canadian artists.  Many of the paintings were focused on children and flowers and all the paintings in that room were oil on canvas paintings.

Art work can be made into whatever the artist desires.  It is up to the artist to create a meaning behind their art work.  A trip to the art gallery will allow children to use their imagination to interpret pieces in their own way.  This can be taken back into the classroom to get children to create their own work and depict the meaning behind it.

Art Explorer #2 - Instant Sculpture

For days, I looked around for materials that would spark an idea in my head for my instant sculpture.  For days, I remained confused and unsure about what exactly I was going to do.  Today, as I sat on the floor brushing my cat, into the recycling bin went an empty bottle of pop.  Knowing my mother would go back into the recycling and crush the bottle, I took it out and stepped on the plastic bottle to flatten it.  Instantly, an idea sparked into my head and this is what I came up with.

Art word of the week:

proportionate -- BALANCE -- harmony

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equal

This sculpture has an asymmetrical (informal) balance.  It does not show points that are equally balanced.  I decided to place a rectangular shape on both the bottom and top of my sculpture, but in different positions, resulting in an unblanced image.  The bottom rectangle is standing vertically to depict standing tall and strong.  However, I placed the top rectangle horizontally to demonstrate finding balance through rough times.



The message that came to my mind when creating my instant sculpture was,

Life is what you make it.

I decided to create a sculpture that was abstract rather than depicting something important to me.  When I saw the crushed pop bottle, milk carton, and crumple paper bag, I thought about those times in life when you are just confused, upset, and have some things to figure out.  Just recently, I got a phone call from my sister who was a little upset that day, and I knew that I was going to be the one to cheer her up. 

The box of cheese bites is the base foundation to my sculpture.  The point in having such a large and strong base was to resemble lifes foundation; family, friends, and any other safeties in your life.  We all go through periods when our dreams are crushed, we are off balance, and things just don't feel right.  That is the time when we go back to our base foundation - the people we love, the people who care for us, and you will be able to find a balance.  The red container on top resembles being in charge of your own life.  Although the rough patches act as a barrier to our happiness, it is up to you to be able to get back on top.

Instant sculptures are a great way to teach children that materials do not always have to be used in context.  Creativity involves thinking outside the box and trying new things.  Having children bring in recyclable objects such as boxes, cartons, and toilet paper rolls allow for a wide range of creations waiting to be discovered by eager to learn children.

Art Explorer #1 - Creativity & Inspiration

What does creativity mean to me?  That is a good question, as it is not something that I would think about daily.  However, expressing my creativity is something I do daily.  After sitting back and thinking deeply about what creativity means to me I have come up with some definitions of creativity, which in fact are creative acts that I have personally experienced.

Creativity is trying something new & exciting!

As a child, I convinced my parents to let me try a horse back riding summer camp.  This has been something I continue to take part in on a recreational basis.

Creativity is changing what you do. 

Skiing is something that I have being actively involved in since I could walk!  Enjoying this winter sport lead me to trying something new.  In high school I picked up snowboarding and it is now one of my favourite winter past times.

Creativity is letting your mind explore to create your own master piece.

Creativity is taking risks.

This was such an exhilarating experience.  And yes, it was safe.  This was at a friends cottage where many people go cliff jumping.  There were signs posted and as lifeguards, my friends and I made sure to check the area for rocks, check the depth, and of course we all wore our life jackets!

And of course, creativity is having fun & bringing out your inner child.

So as I mentioned above, my creativity comes from inspiration.

Friends are inspiration.

This is a card I made for a friend who goes to school far away and only makes it home a few times a year.  I truly miss this friend.  Of course the story behind what I included on the card is based on past events that created memories never to be forgotten.

This is a birthday cake that I made with some friends.  We decided to make this as a surprise that we know would be enjoyed and remembered as one of the best birthday cakes!

Family & love are inspiration.

Relationship building is something that means a lot to me.  The friendship and trust I have built with my sister is something that I will always cherish.  Also, having a pet truly makes you realize how much caring for someone means.  These are my two cats and it is great to see they are finally getting along just like my sister and I.

Religion & culture are inspiration.

Receiving my First Holy Communion was one sacrament of my faith.  It is something that will always be a part of who I am and have an affect on my life decisions.

Music is inspiration.

This is at the Brad Paisley concert.  He is one of my favourite artists and this was by far the best and most memorable concert!  Partially because of how close we were.  Getting to reach out and shake hands of someone who has inspired my music choice and style was truly one of the greatest experiences.

I believe creativity is one of the most important pieces in working as an educator.  Creativity is important not only to engage young children, but older children creativity in their daily work as well to keep them engaged in learning.  As an educator, my inspiration to be creative in the classroom would be the children.  My goal would be to bring creativity into required curriculum for children to enjoy and engage in their learning. 

Art can be made from ANYTHING

Creativity is making something out of anything.  Explore what you have.

You never know what master piece you might end up with.

First Blog!!

Wow, my first blog?  Kinda cool.  Welcome to my blog.  Hope you enjoy all I have to share and feel free to comment!