Links

Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rmchale6/with/6271289994/

Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/RMcHale6?feature=mhee

Van Gogh Influence - Starry Night

When I first came to Hartwick College, I noticed that the view of the mountains and valley closely resembled a scene from VanGogh's "Starry Night."  Since I am greatly influenced by VanGogh, I decided to create a drawing of the scene from Hartwick using VanGogh's technique.  I used oil pastels instead of paint because I have a bit more experience with them.  I used the fast, short brushstrokes that VanGogh is known for, and used the same design for the sky that is in his piece.  I added in some details that are unique to Hartwick, like the shape of the buildings in the valley and the type of tree in the foreground.  

Art Event 2

I attended the art event where a few visiting artists were presenting their work.  One of them showed us a piece that he created using sound technology.  It consisted of a bucket of water that people could throw pebbles into.  When pebbles were thrown in, a microphone would pick up the sound and an attached computer would play back a sound of rain.  The soundtrack that was used started out with the sound of rain hitting a tin roof, and then grew into the sound of a storm.  I thought this was a very interesting idea, and it was very well thought out to use sound in such a way in order to make a piece of art interactive.

The next artist was working on a gold coating that was covering an entire wall where she would be hanging up photos she took.  She was using long strips of tape on this coating to create a design that resembled a forest.

Another artist was building what he referred to as hot head and cool head.  These were two structures built with many boards of wood to resemble giant heads.  One was painted blue and the other painted red to contrast each other as polar opposites.  Cameras were set up on both structures so that each would be recording the other.

Celtic Mandalas

From time to time I like to draw Celtic mandalas.  These are circular designs that contain Celtic patterns, and are usually symmetrical.  They often consist of three designs that mirror each other, since the number three is important in Celtic mythology.  I find drawing these to be very relaxing, and it is always fun to experiment with different patterns of color.  So far, I have only used colored pencils to make the designs, but I hope to experiment with paint at some point to help make the colors more vibrant.

Art Event 1

I attended an art event that featured a visiting artist named Martina Lantin.  She showed those of us who attended some of the plates and tiles she had made previously.  I thought it was interesting that some of the plates had words from newspapers printed on them.  She did a demonstration of how to make this type of work, and she discussed how to use slips in order to do layering, which is similar to how it is used in printmaking.  She also discussed her experiences using electric and wood kilns.
In addition to her discussion and demonstration, she handed out pictures of her previous works.  One of the pictures depicted a few pitchers that were wood fired.  These pitchers had a unique elongated shape and had various patterns, including striped patterns.  Another picture showed her ceramic art, which included mugs, plates, and pitchers, and it highlighted the many unique designs she incorporated.

Sketches

I have always been the most comfortable doing sketches, especially of houses and buildings, compared to any other art form I've experimented with.  Sketching has always come somewhat naturally to me, and I've always had a love for drawing houses and trying out different styles of architecture.  

This is a sketch of the Unitarian Universalist church in my town, which I attend on occasion.  The building is rather small but quite beautiful, and I enjoyed being able to study its structure in detail while drawing it.

This is a sketch of a lighthouse that I visited with a friend when we were at her house in Maine.

Stop Motion

As I prepare to start my first project using stop motion, I found a couple of videos online that demonstrate how the use of stop motion can be impressive and unique.  In the videos, the artists are able to create a sense of magic using the stop motion technique.  I will hopefully be able to use similar techniques in my own video.