"Beyond The Night."

I was bored one day so I decided to look up abstract art for sale on ebay that I might be able to buy for cheap. It is called "Beyond the Night" and was created by Sergio Lazo. It was one of the first pieces that caught my eye. I will admit I'm partial to black and white works of art. I think it looks better and I think color sometimes takes away from a work. The rendering of the guitar is great. I find Sergio's obsession of guitars a little odd but he makes some great pieces of art. What I like most about it is the background. The geometric shapes are subtle but provide a better background then a flat background. It also alludes to a cityscape which I'm partial to. The touch of red, although somewhat random, completes this piece. The color draws your eyes across the piece and also, at least for me, makes the background become more visible to the viewer. If it wasn't for the $1,700 price tag, I'd buy it.

The painting I choose today was created by Julio Quaresma,one of my favorites artists of all time.Julio Quaresma was born in Angola in 1958.He is one of the most accomplished Portuguese speaking painters.
This Painting denominated Palacio da Pena depicts an abstract image using a style that the artist calls it A Pintura Espiritual Portuguesa( The Portuguese Spiritual Painting). This painting depicts human parts torn apart from a body located in a port situated in the middle of the desert. This piece of art was inspired by Dali surrealism style and it is a manifestation against the racism and separatism existent among Portuguese speaking countries.
I think the artist did an amazing job and I really enjoy the dynamics,the metamorphoses and the separation of roles existent in the painting, such as the floor at the port bleeding and the human arm morphing into nature shapes like tree branches.
I also like the complexity existent in both foreground and background, and how the entire painting contains secret messages that only the people that understand the separatism existent in the Portuguese countries are able to decipher. The contrast and similarities within the painting creates both confusion and insight and it makes this painting resemble like a puzzle.

Henri Rousseau

A few years ago, I learned that Rousseau was a complete "amateur artist." I don't really know how anyone can be a "professional artist" anyhow, but Henri never really touched a paintbrush until the middle of his life. He lived a pretty ordinary life (He was a toll collector or something!) How cool is that? (That is not to say that I think toll booth workers are dull, only that it's a very defined, instructionalized career... whereas I think the arts are the opposite of having a career, with little or no definite end points and no rules.) What a turnaround.

Anyway, I'm a super picky poster buyer, but Henri Rousseau's "Sleeping Gypsy" made it on my wall. It's one of the few paintings in which Rousseau depicts a desert landscape, as opposed to his regular lush jungle scenes. A gypsy sleeps happily while a roaming lion curiously sniffs her/him. The gypsy is androgynous and not eroticized which emphasizes the mood instead of the individualized character. I love how the gypsy's feet upon close inspection, appear to be inflated like balloons.

Sistine Chapel Ceiling

This painting is located on the ceiling of the Vatican Museum in the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo. I had the opportunity to see this in person this past summer. This photo does not show how amazing this artwork truly was. It was crazy to see all the detail in the paintings that cover the ceilings and walls. I could not believe that what I was looking at was painted by hand. The central ceiling shows nine scenes from the book of Genesis. The scene of God touching and creating Adam is the most known. The Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel is covered in amazing paintings. It was probably the most beautiful place I have ever seen. You could sit there all day and stare at the walls and ceilings, every time discovering a new piece. It was truly amazing.

Dali

This painting " The Persistence of Memory, 1931" was done by a famous Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali. This painting is very interesting. It's so creative in the way that the clocks are melting around the tree and over the edge. It's very visually entertaining. Also how the background seems so normal with the mountains and lake then the forground is so unrealistic. It's simple but that's what makes it work. I like how different this painting is compared to others that you usually see.

Street Preacher

The painting I chose today is by Alex Rubio, a Mexican American artist from San Antonio, Texas. This painting is one of my favorites because it presents a really good combination of colors almost giving the painting a psychedelic effect.
The painting depicts a Mexican street preacher almost making the preacher look like a devil.I enjoy the contrast between the message and the use of colors.
I also like the way the sky resembles like the apocalypse is coming to destroy earth and everyone is turning into a demon, including the most religious people.
What I enjoy the most in this painting is the street preacher and how he is portrayed.He is portrayed as a cholo, a mexican gang member, but he is preaching people and keeping faith alive even in the end of the world.

The Supper at Emmaus by Caravaggio is an amazing painting. When I first saw it I was amazed by the color. The red in the shirt really stands out, and the shadowing of all the men is done perfect. The way that Caravaggio uses light and dark and shading makes the painting look like a photograph. Everything in the painting is done so well. The fruits on the table are each individually shaded and cast their own shadow on the table. The men's skin have a very distinct texture that makes them look very realistic. Overall I have always been impressed by this picture because of how real it looks. The colors are done very well also and the shading is perfect.

The painting that I chose for tonight is known as "Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2" by Marcel Duchamp. Duchamp was a very interesting artist that greatly fascinates me, which is why I decided to choose one of his works for tonight. This image has a very cubist style to it. It almost looks like a photograph with a long exposure, which I find to be very interesting. The lines work well together to create a nice sense of movement in the painting. It definitely looks like someone is walking down a flight of stairs.

Cuban Peasant

The Painting I chose today was created by Mario Perez, a Cuban artist.Mario Perez moved from Havana, Cuba to the United States as a young boy and he never attended art schools, which makes him admired by many artists due to his self-taught method of painting.
The painting I chose is called The Cuban Peasant and it depicts Cuban culture.What I enjoy the most in this painting is the method of how the painting was created,making the painting have a blurry effect. I also like the simplicity of the painting because most paintings are complex and full of multiple stories, while this one only presents one story: the story of a Cuban Peasant.
I also like the effect of movement that the painting presents, resembling as if the viewer was running and he saw the Cuban peasant sitting by himself, looking at the viewer.

Edvard Munch Madonna (The Painting)

Edvard Munch worshipped women but he had a very hard time relating to them. I guess some things don't change much in a hundred years.

Edvard Munch Madonna (The Lithograph)

In this lithograph of the same subject, Munch takes his image of the adoration of women one step further and includes how he feels about his relationship with them in the border area. The little skeletal figure in the lower corner curled up in a fetal position.

This painting was done by Jackson Pollock. I love his splatter paint art. I has so much rhythm and movement. With all of the fast lines it sets a very energized mood. Everytime I see one this painting or one of his I want to get up and create my own, eventhough I know they would never turn out so great.

I love how he uses a basic bold black and builds, and layers a dash of color around it. The randomness and confussion it creates is just amazing to me. I would love to have one of his pieces of art in my future home.

SEEN

The Piece of Art I choose today was created by SEEN. SEEN is a worldwide known Graffiti artist.His real name is Richard Mirando and he is often acclaimed as the Godfather of Graffiti.
Besides being an acclaimed Graffiti artist, he is also a tattoo artist and a painter.
The painting I chose today is one of my favorites of all time. I believe SEEN's paintings should be more respected and known.
I believe what attracts me the most in this painting is the use of colors and the blending, a technique that he learned when he was a Graffiti artist.I also believe that this painting is a proof that Graffiti should also be consider real art, because it involves emotion, technique and dedication just like any other type of art.
This painting also gives a sense of a wave tide covering the entire graffiti, which I think SEEN did it with an amazing technique.

Fore? For? Four? NUMBA FOUR

This photograph is Le violon d'Ingres by Man Ray. He had been another artist in the Dada Era, dealing with photographs. I like this photo because it shows the start of how digital artists now work today. This is a standard photograph, with the t holes painted directly onto the photo. It's almost how digital artists take a photo or image and put it into photoshop to combine images or to add filters to a project.

I also like the overall tone of the image, it seems the woman is very relaxed and almost in a subtle, sensual position.

"The Music Lesson" by Johannes Vermeer

The image I chose for tonight is "The Music Lesson" by Vermeer. I have a personal connection with this painting, since I took piano lessons for many years, and the setup looks similar to how my teacher's studio is set up. This painting triggers a sense of nostalgia in me, bringing me back to those days when my piano teacher would yell at me for not practicing enough, even though I had practiced for hours on end. Even though the instrument the girl is playing is not technically a piano, I still feel a deep connection to this image. I can almost feel the intimidation the girl must be feeling with her teacher standing over her shoulder. I know - because I experienced it too.

I have always liked this photograph of Muhammad Ali standing over Sonny Liston after a historic boxing match. Ali and Liston were huge boxing rivals and this photo shows how important all of their fights were. Ali is framed so perfectly in the picture and everything in the photo draws your attention to him. The emotion shown in Ali's face is amazing because it shows how much of a competitor Muhammad Ali was. Ali has always been an athlete that I have been interested in and admired because of his hard work ethic. He never backs down from anyone and was an amazing fighter.

Times Square

The artwork I chose today is by Julian Beever,a chalk artist. He is known for creating trompe l'oeil chalk drawings on pavement surfaces. His artwork is created by a projection called anamorphosis, an illusion of three dimensions from a correct angle.
What I most like about this artwork is the artist's realism but still maintaining a cartoonish aspect.Also the unusual point of view in which Times Square is being seen combined with the illusion of Times Square being below the street makes the painting more appealing.
In this painting it almost seems as Times Square is like Atlantis, a lost city in the Ocean or in this case, a city at the bottom of a pool. I also believe the artist did a good job in putting the little child next to the drawing,in order to create a better illusion.

Thanksgiving

The First Thanksgiving, by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris.

I hope that you don't find this post until Friday and that you were able to spend Thanksgiving with your family and or friends.

As a child (I know, back in the Dark Ages) I always thought Thanksgiving a strange holiday. It seemed to be all about eating a huge meal. I was not really interested in the "main course", turkey didn't taste as good as chicken and no where close to ham. I was much more interested in Grandmas rules of "you can eat all the bread and butter pickles and rolls with jelly you want at my house". I made full use of that. I can't open a jar of bread and butter pickles to this day without thinking of my grandmother and I guess that's the point of this. When I was young I didn't understand Thanksgiving, the only thing really good about it was that we were out of school and that the real holiday, Christmas, was coming soon. For my family to gather, it meant that someone had to drive about 20 miles and that was it. We had other relatives but they were half way across the country and we only saw them on Summer vacation. I'm older now and I have, believe it or not, grown a little wiser and I guess you would call it sentimental. (some of you would argue that sedimentary would be more appropriate) I now live clear across the country from that Thanksgiving table and even if I were there, a good portion of the other seats would be empty. So my words of advice to you on this day are:

listen to the stories of your uncle that you have heard at least ten times before, someday you will want to remember.

Give your parents and grandparents a hug, it will help them make it through the year far more than you can imagine.

Thank the people that matter in your life.

With todays economy, be thankful that you have what you have, it could be a lot worse.

Eat lots of Bread and Butter Pickles and dinner rolls with lots of butter and jelly. Maybe add a helping or two or three of that green bean mushroom soup with the fried onions on top casserole.

Always root against Notre Dame, no matter how sorry you feel about the terrible season they are having. Unless they are playing either Florida or BYU, then you will have to make your own ethical decision as to which is the lesser of two evils.

And for tomorrow, when I hope you actually read this since you were all busy doing the above yesterday on Thanksgiving:

Don't forget to take advantage of the Extra Credit option by posting to the blog!

Read what others have posted!

Develop your snow shoveling muscles so you will be ready to work on my driveway.

Butter up your parents so you can go on the Digital Landscape Photography Class/Trip to Hawaii next year after Christmas.

Be prepared to crank, the semester is almost over.

Last but certainly not least.

Know that I deeply appreciate each and every one of you. (Well, the jury is still out on Robert). I chose to teach because it is what I love to do. The reason that I love to do it has everything to do with you. You make my life fun. There are lots of places that I could make a lot more money but they wouldn't be any where near as much fun. Thanks for your smiles, Thanks for trying, thanks for showing up when you really don't feel like it, but most of all, thanks for being a part of my life. You are the ones I will tell my Nieces and Nephews stories about at thanksgiving. Trust me, I've got some good ones.

Happy Thanksgiving

Cafe Terrace at Night, Vincent Van Gogh, 1888

I really like the paintings Vincent Van Gogh did of, and in, the night. I love the colors and the way the light radiates outward. This painting reminds me of a Japanese wood block print. The brush strokes that are so evident almost seem like the impression from a carved wooden block. The color is even blocked in to shapes as though it were a woodcut. Van Gogh was very interested in Japanese prints so the influence is only natural. He even did a painting of Hiroshige’s Bridge from the series 100 Views of Edo.

One of the really cool things about Vincent Van Gogh is that we know an awful lot about him, more so than almost any other artist from the 1800’s or before, this is primarily because he was a very prolific letter writer. He wrote many letters to his brother Theo and fortunately they were saved. In these letters, Vincent tells us exactly what he was doing and why. He gave us a window into his mind. Here is an excerpt from a letter he wrote to his sister about this painting.

“I was only interrupted by my work on a new painting representing the exterior of a night café. On the terrace there are small figures of people drinking. An immense yellow lantern illuminates the terrace, the facade, the side walk and even casts light on the paving stones of the road which take a pinkish violet tone. The gables of the houses, like a fading road below a blue sky studded with stars, are dark blue or violet with a green tree. Here you have a night painting without black, with nothing but beautiful blue and violet and green and in this surrounding the illuminated area colours itself sulfur pale yellow and citron green. It amuses me enormously to paint the night right on the spot. Normally, one draws and paints the painting during the daytime after the sketch. But I like to paint the thing immediately. It is true that in the darkness I can take a blue for a green, a blue lilac for a pink lilac, since it is hard to distinguish the quality of the tone. But it is the only way to get away from our conventional night with poor pale whitish light, while even a simple candle already provides us with the richest of yellows and oranges.”

The Ancient of Days

The piece of art I choose today is The Ancient of Days, an watercolor etching created by William Blake in 1794. William Blake besides being a painter, was also a print maker and an acclaimed poet.
This art piece is one of my favorites because it presents God in an unusual way and it almost seems that the wind is blowing is in face, making the painting more realistic.In this paint I also enjoy the use of lines and how the painting moves horizontally, vertically and diagonally.
This painting can be seen as God being submerged by darkness or evil, but still fighting to "create" light.This detail can be related to the increase of sins committed by humans.
Also, this painting depicts God naked, which is unusual in art.Usually God is portrayed with clothes and with open arms, but William Blake did an amazing job in portraying God and making him resemble like any other human being in the beginning of times.

Edvard Munch Starry Night (another one) 1922-24

Leonid Afremov

This painting was done by Leonid Afremov in oil pastels. I really enjoy the colors in the background of the painting. The movement of the strokes draws your eye around the work. I like also like how the background blends into the main object of the woman. It really makes the painting more interesting and creates a relaxed, but exciting mood. Her face adds such passion in what she is doing and makes you be able to feel the music without words. I like how what looks like a bunch of colors can turn into a piece with so much rhythm.

Numbaa 3: Picasso - Three Musicians

This painting is The three Musicians by Picasso. I like the bold colors and the textured feel throughout the picture. Due to Picasso's involvement in the Cubist era, the painting has many geometric shapes in it, making for an interesting composition. I also like the faces of the "musicians" as well. Sometimes I wonder what kind of music they'd actually be playing. Haha.

In High School, my friend actually painted this on a coffee table.

Edvard Munch Starry Night 1893

Vincent Van Gogh was not the only one to paint a “Starry Night”, Edvard Munch did too, or Two I should say because I know of at least two that he painted. Munch was one of the most influential artists of the Expressionists. He painted about what he felt and often portrayed in oils, a psychological state. Many of his paintings are about a particular state of mind, such as anxiety, as seen in his famous painting “The Scream”.

I believe that the following quote by Edvard Munch, is one of the best statements about the reason why we do this, that I have ever heard.

“We want more than a mere photograph of nature. We do not want to paint pretty pictures to be hung on drawing-room walls. We want to create, or at least lay the foundations of, an art that gives something to humanity. An art that arrests and engages. An art created of one's innermost heart." (E.M.)

Massacre of the Innocents

The painting I choose today was made by Sir Peter Paul Rubens, a Flemish painter.This painting depicts a biblical episode of the Gospel of Matthew called Massacre of the Innocents.I like this painting due to the incredible dramatic effect that the artist creates. I also enjoy the amazing realism making the painting almost look like a photograph.
What i most like about this painting is the depiction of the violence and cruelty that ancient civilizations faced everyday and how the artist makes us realize that those days were days of intense survival and exploitation.

Starry Night over the Rhone

This is another of my favorite paintings. Even though it is not a famous painting it is clearly recognizable to the public as the work of Vincent Van Gogh. Obviously not as famous as his "The Starry Night" which was painted in Saint. Rémy. This one is from Arles, just down the street from his yellow house. I really like a lot of Vincent's night scenes, he seems to capture the air. I can feel the breeze on my face and I get a glimpse of the wonder that he felt when he painted. Vincent is in my mind one of the most intriguing artists because he clearly loved to paint, he had to paint. While many artists try to impress us one way or another, Vincent just painted what he loved, and that was the act of being alive.

Another reason I like this one is because everybody knows "The Starry Night" but this one is far less known and so I feel as though it belongs to me. My own personal treasure.

Thanks Vincent.

Roy Lichtenstein - Drowning Girl

My painting for today is "Drowning Girl" by Roy Lichtenstein. It was made in 1963, with oil and polymer paint on canvas. He had used DC Comics' "Run for Love!" for the source for this image. I like the overall feel of the painting, since blue is usually thought of as a calming color and this is clearly a woman in need of help. I also like how this painting has the really harsh blacks and thick lines, created with Benday Dots (Created manually). These were similar to the effects of pointilism because of the usage of little dots of color. This helps the harsh message of the woman saying she'd risk anything rather that ask for help from "Brad".

Brigada Ramona Parra

My favorite artwork today is made by the Chilean Squad named Brigada Ramona Parra or BRP. I do not know the name of these piece of art because all of these artists work is created in murals and were usually untitled.These piece of art along with the others ones made by BRP were done in famous places and they all consisted in iconographic symbols such as the fist, the star,the birds and the working class.
This art was created as an opposition to the dictatorship that Pinochet commanded in Chile.What i most like about this pieces of art is the simplistic view that the art contains but at the same time it presents a deep message of hope and fight.Another thing i enjoy about this painting is the representation of Victor Jara, a former musician known for being a martyr who opposed Pinochet dictatorship and when up being tortured and assassinate by Pinochet's army.

Audrey Flack

This painting was done by Audrey Flack, it is called "Marilyn (Vanitas)". This was an oil painting. Her being a realism painter, took images to create an image that looked almost like a photograph or portrait. I love how real it does look. It has so many fine details. I also love the repetition throughout the painting. With the repetition of the face, and the colors, this really allows the eye to move around the painting. I could only wish to paint this well. Everything looks like you could just pick it off of the page, almost making you look twice to make sure that this is a painting and not a photograph. The realism of this work makes me enjoy looking at and trying to find something new everytime.

Nude Descending a Staircase No. 2

This painting is "Nude Descending a Staircase No. 2" by Marcel Duchamp. He was part of the Dadaist era and was part of the Armory Show in New York back in the early 1900's. I love the multitude of colors in this painting, and most people would be confused as what the stuff is behind the figure at the front, almost down the stairs. In fact, that is a time lapse of the nude walking down the stairway. My favorite part about this painting is how you can see the "hip" throughout the stairwell, but the rest is a bit fuzzy. Also, the idea of the mechanical motion of the nude, with it's harsh edges and sharp points, coming down the stairs, when it's flesh toned to show human flesh is just creative.

I actually recreated this painting on a hamper for my High School's art auction. But, alas, my piece is now sitting in my room at home. Haha.

Caipira Picando Fumo

My favorite painting for today is Caipira Picando Fumo by Almeida Junior.This painting was made in 1893 and now resides in Pinacoteca do Estado de Sao Paulo in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This painting is one of my favorites because it portrays the harsh life of farmers or Caipiras in Brazil.It also gives a sense of harsh life through using light colors but making them seem like the paint is dark.
This painting also depicts the poverty that was existent in Brazil in the 19th century through amazing realism. The realism is this paintings acts as a contradiction to the abstract movements occurring around the beginning of the 20th century.

Starry Night

"Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh.
This piece of artwork is one of my favorites. I love the movement the brush strokes, colors, and shapes play in the sky. The swirling clouds and bursts of stars keep my eyes moving around the painting, examining every detail. The small town beneath the sky creates a mystery and makes me think about what this town holds. My eyes automatically go to the large, creepy, tall object in black. It is bold and beautiful. The dark, flowing lines add a bold statement next to the colorful swirling sky. This painting makes me stop and look at every detail. It was so beautifully created.

Banksy

The art piece that I choose today is by Banksy, an anonymous British Graffiti artist.His art movement is often associated as one of anti-totalitarianism, communism, anarchism,anti- war, pacifism, atheism and anti-fascism.
Banksy is a renowned street art artist that has a distinct stenciling technique. A book entitled Wall and Piece contains the most notorious works of this artist.
I choose this stencil that is presented in the front cover of Wall and Piece because it presents great controversy. Banksy depicts a revolutionist, a figure that usually is seen throwing stones or cocktail Molotov, but in this piece Banksy portrays the man throwing flowers. This piece has a deep meaning of anti-war and pacifism and it promotes world peace.It can also be seen as an opposition against media, which usually shows violence and scandalous acts in war instead of the good actions that people do in wars.

Christ of Saint John of the Cross

This painting made by Salvador Dali in 1951 is one of my favorites.Located in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, Scottland this painting portrays Jesus Christ on the cross in a dark sky floating over water, where a fishermen is next to a boat.This painting's design is based on a drawing of the Spanish friar Saint John of the Cross, made in the 16 century.
This piece of art is one of my favorites due to the complexity and the unsual point of view in which Jesus Christ is presented.It also gives a feeling that God is looking over the fishermen and that God himself is submerged in darkness, in order to protect the fishermen from all darkness and evil. The message is one of God's pain and hope in humankind, symbolized by the protection of the fishermen.Also, the realism in this painting is intricated by the surrealist artwork that made Dali famous.

My favorite painting (for today)

Vassily Kandinsky, or Wassily Kandinsky's Improvisation 31, "Sea Battle"

I love this painting because it is loaded with movement and wonderful color. What I like most is the fact that every time I see it, I see something new and different. If you want to see it in person, you will have to travel to the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. Fortunately they usually have a bench to sit on so you can spend some time with it. Usually I look at art very quickly, this one makes me stop and stare. You can buy me this one.

http://www.joshuaellingson.com


Joshua Ellingson
This illustrator is doing a lot of interesting things in the here now, and his portraiture of Godzilla is spot on. I don't know how he got the guy to stand still for him, but I'm sure it was worth the blaze of fire I'm sure left all of Tokyo in ruins. Who doesn't like monsters, this guy really knows his line work and makes awesome designs.

Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus was awesome because she photographed people who lived unconventional lives. This photo, taken in the early 70's, is of a group of people with Down's Syndrome. I heard that she found it interesting to photograph them because she could not control the image in front of her as she could with other models. I really want to learn more about her.

Saturn Devouring His Son

Francisco de Goya was a Spanish painter and printmaker regarded as the last of the Old masters and the first of the moderns. My favorite work from him is "Saturn devouring his son" painted between 1819 and 1823 in the walls of his house. This painting belongs to Goya's series of The Black Paintings and it depicts the Greek myth of Cronus, who feared his son to overthrow him and therefore ate him once he was born. This artwork was conceived when Goya's mentality was one of concerned of his own mortality and the artist was increasingly embittered by the civil strife occurring in Spain.This work was one of six that decorated his dining room. After Goya's death, the work was transferred to a canvas and nowadays,it is in exhibition in the Museo Del Prado in Madrid.

Chuck Close

I have always been a fan of the way Chuck Close makes use of grids in order to create abstract designs. He also uses a variety of colors. It is interesting the way the grid distorts and changes the face, but still allows you to see the whole face.

-Tara Petty