Dada da da da da

This is another studio assignment for my Art History class, this time in the Dada style (post-WWI, pre-WWII).  They loved collage as a medium, and I'd never really experimented with it, so I thought I'd give it a try.  It's probably a commentary on materialism and consumerism and the fact that we keep cranking out more babies to take up those flags, but I really just chose the images that said, "hey, cut me out!"

The Joy of Cookie

This was my final project for Color Fundamentals class.  The assignment was to create one design and use twelve different chromatic strategies.  The medium I chose (don't ask me why) was iced sugar cookie.  The picture didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, and the cookies are gone (so no re-shoot opportunity), but I think you can get a sense of the project from the photo nonetheless.  Not only were we to use different chromatic strategies, but since there were twelve, we were also supposed to associate each with a month of the year.  The cookies in the picture are laid out in calendar order, reading from left to right, top to bottom.  The twelve chromatic strategies are as follows:

1. January -- achromatic: browns, grey, black
2. February -- monochromatic: hue, tint, tones, and shade of blue
3. March -- value contrast: significant "lightness/darkness" contrast using the violet hue
4. April -- split complementary: violet, yellow-green, and yellow-orange
5. May -- tetradic chord: red-violet, blue, orange, and yellow-green
6. June -- warm/cool: mix of warm and cool hues with a neutral color (brown)
7. July -- saturation key: all highly saturated (relative brightness or dullness of a color) hues
8. August -- value key: all hues at relatively the same value (relative lightness or darkness of a color)
9. September -- achromatic/chromatic mix: a blend of neutral browns with blue and green hues
10. October -- analogous: red-orange, orange, yellow-orange
11. Novemeber -- triadic chord: red-violet, blue-green, yellow-orange
12. December -- complementary: red and green

(cookie design template)

It was an involved process: I baked the cookies, mixed all the colors (20+) from scratch, and painted each cookie by hand; I nearly bit off more than I could chew (no pun intended), and if I see another sugar cookie before Christmas, it'll be too soon.  But, I'm glad I challenged myself to do something extremely creative and that I'd never tried before.  My classmates were happy I'd chosen to create edible art, as well. :)

Man with the Hat

Another studio assignment for Art History, this time in the style of the Fauve Expressionists.  (This is an homage to Matisse's Woman with the Hat.)
Graphite and colored pencil on paper.

More fun with card stock

Experiment with the Bezold Effect

Working with simulated transparency:
"Dipping Toes."  Cardstock mounted on illustration board.

van Gogh'd Sunset

Studio Assignment for my Art History class, done in the style of the Post-Impressionists.  Acryla Gouache on paper.

Impressionism Impression

Studio assignment for Art History in the style of the Impressionists.  Didn't have oils or pastels (plus, I don't know how to use them), so I used charcoal. :)