Foshay Funanza

   Foshay Funanza 

Digital Print

Oct 27th, 2010. Photo Taken by: unknown, stolen from: google images. Photo Edited by Sarah E. Walsh.

-Here is an edited version of the Foshay Tower which stands in Minneapolis, Mn. I used an image that I had found online... really wasn't up for the idea of stealing somebody elses photograph, but I was unable to make it to the Foshay Tower myself to capture an image. With this image I flipped it vertically... live traced to make the colored photograph pure black and white cartoonie, and added a background that I did take myself of a leaf. I edited the leaf- messed around with the levels, saturation, curves, color balance, and brightness/contrast. I also changed the segment of the picture that lies directly behind the Foshay building to a lighter brightness just to add a little more of an appeal. I then added font- bent it and added a background to it, that once again, was an image that I had taken.

Weathering Away Foshay 

Mixed Media

By: Sarah E. Walsh Oct. 23rd 2010

 

This image was done using sketchbook paper, a pencil, watercolor, acrylic, cotton balls, and a little bit of rubbing alcohol (for spot affects). 

This idea was just there... I really love silhouettes and bold colors, so I used that idea. Even though the Foshay Tower is weathering away... as with everything of this Earth, it is still adored by many, and has been restored and kept alive.

Artists Visual Stimuli of the Foshay

Mixed Media

By: Sarah E. Walsh, Oct. 24th 2010

 My favorite medium to use is a simple pen followed by coloring with watercolor. This is what I used in this picture. I wanted to come up with a really creative artsy concept of the Foshay Tower, and that is what I used for this image. Since the Foshay Tower was build in 1929, just a few months before the stock market crashed, and the Great Depression shortly followed the construction of Minneapolis's largest skyscraper at the time, I added a quote from Calvin Coolidge about the great depression. I also added a little money jar. I wanted to incorporate some sort of history in this image. 

Note *A lot of my ideas develop as I hold my pen to the paper and start with a circle. The rest follows randomly by images in my head that outline what I have drawn. Abstract is intriguing in my eyes, and that is what naturally comes to me a lot of the times when I am drawing.

Metaphors

A small reflection on the first two chapters of METAPHORS We Live By, by GEORGE LAKOFF and MARK JOHNSON.     

  Honestly, I found myself a bit lost when reading Metaphors. I understood the main point that metaphors are a part of everyday language, but the way in which the book is written seems geared towards extreme cognitive thinking very knowledgeable people. For example, using words such as mundane, pervasive, contrary… it’s very tough vocabulary for me to understand unless I have a dictionary right next to me to look up the words that I do not fully understand. I do have to admit though, prior to reading the first two chapters of Metaphors, I was not aware that metaphors were used as much as they are in everyday language. Also, when I think of the word metaphor, I think poetic imagination- as the author Mark Johnson states. But metaphors are also literal. For example, like the book states, Argument is War and Time is Money. These are not poetic, but rather literal and are heard as common terms in our everyday life.  

Site Example of Metaphors:

http://www.saidwhat.co.uk/spoon/metaphors.php

How Can Metaphors be Helpful with Design?

 I remember hearing somebody in class talking about their confusion on how metaphors can help you in graphic design. They pondered on that questioned… and I am not sure on whether they ended up finding a connection between the two or not. Here is a good website, http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art1674.asp  that discusses how metaphors are a huge help with web design (think design in general!).

A well written artists statement.

Sadly, before being asked to find an artists statement that was written well, I always thought that an artists statement was just a quote made by an artists. After trying to find one, I found out that this 'thought' was wrong and that an artists statement was in fact a little more than just a quote! It is the background to an artist and his/her work. It explains why an artist does what he/she does. How they got into their work, how it is good, what they like about it, what does it communicate, what medium is used, what their influences are, how their work come about and so forth.
I found it very hard to find artist statements! Maybe I was looking the wrong way… In the end I ended up finding a couple, and one that I found to be well-written was Martin Langford's...

I don't set out to produce art about one subject or another. I'm never without a sketchbook to hand so I am constantly drawing and sometimes the drawings are left in the sketchbook and other times they develop into more in-depth ideas and detailed images.
I didn't set out to be an environmental artist or to create artwork relating to social commentary but as my portfolio developed and people started to review my work, the descriptions started to emerge and I began to notice a pattern I hadn't intended but am now please with.
My work tends to focus on the environment, the evolution of man and his material wealth, the development of bigger and bigger cities, more and more people, cars and industry on the planet and the consequences this has on nature. Some reviews have labeled my work as 'black humour' but I always try to depict a positive message too - the persistence of nature in recapturing what once belonged to the earth.
At school, the only class I really paid any attention in was art. I simply wasn't interested in anything else and I think my obsession with depicting the monotony of the work place and work force started there...
Some of my subject matter is about people's daily routines and a comment on human nature. And since I've always been a fan of mafia films - a new strand of work seems to have emerged depicting a very 'human' and 'school playground' side to mob life.
None of it was intentional - it all developed and evolved over time. People always ask for my artist statement so I needed to do one but I've never liked to explain a certain piece of work - if you've made a picture and that's how you wanted it to be - hopefully it can speak for itself and whatever it says to the viewer - it's the right message because there isn't a wrong and a right message. Each person takes something a little different from the same picture and I'm happy with that.
Influences
My influences are first and foremost everything I see, feel and experience, but I've always loved comic books particularly work by Harvey Pekar and Robert Crumb. I love architecture particularly Art Deco. The artists I most admire are John Martin, a mezzotint artist from the 1800's, Winsor McCay a cartoonist and animator who created Little Nemo, Escher and Lyonel Feininger creator of Kinder Kids. I grew up watching films such as Metropolis, Flash Gordon, Star Wars and Brazil.

                    -Martin Langford

He explains how he gets his ideas for his work, how it came about and why he does what he does, what his work does well, what he communicates through his work, how important it is to him, and his influences.

My first Business Card design!

Created Oct. 5th, 2010
I created a couple of designs for my business cards, but decided that this was the best out of the batch :)

Some inspiring/influental artists!

Here are some artists who's work I find very appealing and inspiring. I love their styl of work and looking at their work inspires me to improve and continue on my path of creativity. There work, whether it be mediumwise or stylewise, influences me creatively.

1.       Kaitlin Wadley
 http://kaitlinwadley.com/gallery.html
I love the mixture of mediums that Kaitlin Wadley’s uses for her work (it looks like watercolor, pencil, and colored pencil. This creates a lot of contrast and vibrant colors which appeal to my eye.

2.       Felipe Aguirre
http://www.felipe-aguirre.com/
Felipe Aguirre’s work is amazing. His usage of light and dark contrast is what creates depth to his artwork. I am a huge fan of contrast and this guy knows what he is doing. His paintings are so good!

3.       Courtney Billadeau
 http://billet-deaux.com/home.html
I like how Courtney Billadeau doesn’t use black lines to outline what she is painting…. She uses solid colors of the objects without outlining them. I really love her completed paintings that consist of no white at all. The no white, and no black outlines draws my attention. She is also VERY good with her human figures.

4.       David Bowman
http://www.bowmanstudio.com/
There is something about simplicity in photography that captures my attention. I love how David Bowman uses seclution and simplicity as his main element in his photography. When I look at his photography… I can imagine myself in his pictures, staring out into the vastness. It takes me out of this world- I like that.

5.       John Derian
http://www.johnderian.com/index_home.html
I am very attracted to vintage and antiques, and that is John Derian’s work in a nutshell! AND, you can find some of his work on plates, cups, and serving plates at Target. How awesome is that! My favorite is the coffee cup with butterflies on it.




6.       Jeff Thomas
http://www.azuzephre.net/azuzephre.net/Home.html
Jeff Thomas’s work of Pon and Zi has a dark ironic look and humor to it. The characters that he created are simple yet very appealing to my sense. I have enjoyed his work for the past couple years. I also love the style and medium that he uses with the blending and shading. When I see his work, it makes me want to create little characters of my own.



7.       Cami
http://www.camellie.com/
I am not sure what the word that I am looking for is… but I love how Cami’s work consists of beings with different colored skin, things coming out of their mouths, stomach’s hanging out, and idiotic looks. It’s dumb, but entertaining and fun to me. 

8.       Renee French
http://reneefrench.blogspot.com/
Renee Frenches pencil sketches are simple medium-wise yet detailed skill-wise. It’s something that I look at and find myself getting the urge to just sit down and do up a pencil sketch of my own. You can almost always find a piece of paper and a pencil anywhere! I like that.



9.       Nitah
http://www.nitah.deviantart.com/
Nitah’s dark watercolor is very appealing. I like her style too.


10.   Scott West
www.myritual.com
Scott West is WAY talented! First time I saw his work was during a Cloud Cult show. How he uses acrylic, with the shadowing, color, and skill…. Just look at it and you will want to create art.



11.   Olga Konoschuk
http://www.artolga.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi
Usually I am not a big fan of expressionist paintings, but I find Olga’s usage of bright vibrant colors very appealing. Her paintings also take on a very textured look as she uses thick amounts of paint. It’s very appealing.

12.   Belinda Eaton
http://www.belindaeaton.com/
Ok, so there are artists who have skill, and artists who have talent. Belinda has MAJOR talent. Her work amazes me! It inspires me to want to continue in my creativity to get better.

13.   Josh Heilaman
http://www.friskeemedia.com/joshheilaman/
Josh Heilaman has an amazing style of work. It’s sort of sketchy, vintagy but is original and colorful. The colors and style run very well together.

14.   Salvador Dali
http://www.dali-gallery.com/
Salvador Dali… classic! What did this guy dream and think of? His work is so bizarre, intriguing, interesting, and amazing. I am a bit jealous with how talented this guy was.

15.    Aaron Crawford
http://www.aaroncrawfordart.com/
Aaron Crawford’s bold lines and sketchy work influences me to sketch up some artwork with a pen and some watercolor. His work is sweet!

Finalized Edited Balloon Killer Poster

Made a couple spell check changes and font size changes.