Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Lineolum Heart Card (Good Deeds/Paying it Forward/Random Acts of Kindness)



 
My Gift
 
 
I selected my friend Jesus as the recepient of my lineolum heart card.  He has been my friend since I was in elementary school.  I know other people since my childhood but Jesus has always been someone I can depend on with advise and friendship.  Since we started high school together this year I feel confident to face this new experience knowing that my friend is here too.  Jesus was very surprised to receive my gift he thought I was joking in the beginning but then he began to express his graditude for our friendship....
 
This is the first time that I have made a gift for someone.  Also this is the first time I have used lineolum and printmaking as an art form.  I am looking forward to making more lineolum blocks in the future on a larger scale.  I was a little apprehensive about giving Jesus my gift but I was suprised how good I felt after giving this card to my friend.  The day seemed to feel brighter and I wanted to continue my kindness to others...
 
Example of a 2 paragraph narrative above.
 
Narrative Essay components:
---essay must include a photo of your recepient.
--discuss why you choose your recepient (friendship, love, acknowledgement, apology, reward, just because)
--discuss how your recepient responded and any surprises that you experienced during the gift giving
--discuss what you learned about yourself that you were not expecting
--what are the benefits of expressing kindness with "little" gifts
 --100 pts.
--2 paragraphs (10) sentences. At least (5) sentences per paragraph
 
grading scale:
100-93=  A
92-85= B
84-77 = C
76-69= D
68--  =   F
 
***FAILURE TO DO THE FINAL EQUALS MINUS (1) GRADE POINT
 
 
 
Lineolum Card (100- points)
 
-craftsmanship 40%
Design             40%
materials and application 20%
 
Lineoleum block (100 points)
2 Paragraph essay (typed) with photo of recepient (100 points)
 
300 pts. total.
 
 
Block: 3"X3" CARVING BLOCK
 
-CHOOSE A DESIGN FROM THE INTERNET OR THIS BLOG
-craftsmanship 40%
-Design idea     40 %
-materials and application 20%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 



 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Stuffed Heart (The Heart is Primary)


 
The Heart Is Primary
 
 
   I selected my friend Jesus as the recipient of my stuffed heart.  He has been my friend since we were in elementary school.  I wanted to let him know how much I value our friendship throughout the years.  The stuffed heart has helped me to express my feelings. 
 
Making a handmade gift for someone is a new experience for me.  I have little experience sewing too.  But I was surprised that I was able to create this token with felt material.  I wasn't sure I would be able to complete the project successfully enough to give the heart as a gift.  My friend's response helped to make my project and act of kindess a success.  He was very emotional when he received the gift.  I didn't realize how much our friendship meant to Jesus.....
 
 
-The two paragraph essay is an example.
 
Narrative Essay Outline-
 
The items below should be included in your essay:
 
-Insert a photo of your receipient (person that you made the heart for)
 
-discuss the person you selected (friendship, acknowledgement, reward, duty, apology)
 
-discuss your experience during the process and something new you found out about yourself
 
-discuss the recipient's reaction and something new you found out about this person
 
-What is the value of giving gifts/acts of kindness to people in your life?
 
 
Points possible:
 
Stuffed Heart ( 100-200 pts)

-choose 3 pieces of felt using primary colors blue, red and yellow
-cut the felt into heart shapes using a paper pattern or cut into the felt directly
-sew heart and allow for space to stuff the heart prior to sewing completely around
-sew bead for decoration
 
 
 
Narrative essay (typed) (100 pts)
 
 
 

      
 
 
 

 

 

 
 






Monday, November 5, 2012

Abel Alejandre- Renderings

 
ABEL ALEJANDRE
 
My family and I immigrated to Los Angeles in l975 from Apatzingan, Michoacan, Mexico.  This experience-that of leaving one land for another, having to constantly redefine what it means to be a person, a man, a part of a community-is a central theme of my work.  The ideas of love, desire, and identity are constants, consuming me and dictating both the form and the content of what I create. 
 
Most of my work is graphite on paper, canvas, or wood.  Creating a new piece is a labor-intensive process that can take hundreds of pencils and or graphite leads, and up to hundreds of hours to complete.
 
I prefer to isolate my subjects on the surface, much like a string of islands adrift in a vast ocean.  My subjects then receive several layers of flowing cross-hatching.  Calculated lines that dance with fluidity of wet paint create the illusion of depth, or realism.
(*from Alejandre's website: www.abelalejandre.com)
 
Cross Hatching of images
 
 
 
Isolated figure with still life
(rooster part of Mexican culture iconography)
 
 
Integrating longing for homeland with skyline of Los Angeles (east)
 
 
Integration of homeland struggles following him to Los Angeles.  Birds and Aztec symbolism, male figure with "devil horns" (influences of new land?)
 
 
Integration of father (history) with Vincent Price (actor) -Abel's experience in college and symbolism of Hollywood and the actor's portrayls of evil/horror)
 

 
 
My father as a worker (hombre as label on shirt).
What is the symbolism of the label integrated with the cactus?
 
 
Memories of the travel to new country.
 
 
Art historical references along with Mexican celebrities. (Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Maria Felix)
 
 
Virgin Mary personalized.  How is the Virgin Mary stylized from the orginal images?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Virgin of Guadalupe and middle eastern references?
 
 
Drawing on non-traditional surfaces.
 
 
 
 
 
Gallery exhibitions
 
 
 
 
Abel Alejandre with Jennifer Feist and Sandra Vista December 2011
 
 
tools of the trade
 
 

 
 
Questions:
 
 
 Alejandres writes: " I prefer to isolate my subjects on the surface, much like a string of islands adrift in a vast ocean. My subjects then receive several layers of flowing cross-hatching. Calculated lines that dance with the fluidity of wet paint create the illusion of depth or realism."
 
 

1.Referring to the quotation above; how is the bird that is "cawing" in the center relate to the  bird on the right? (hint: compare the intergration of the background marks with the cawing bird-is the background a generating force taking over the birds or bird?) (prophecies-caws?)
 
2. The rooster is the center of focus.  How does Alejandre add to his realism?
What do you think is the meaning of the lines wrapped around the rooster's legs connecting with the potatoes? What is the purpose of the rooster image in the right hand corner? How does this rooster add to the strength of the main rooster? (strength vs vulnerablity (strings-lines-) )
 
3. The drawing below integrates art historical references with Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera as well as Aztec designs, movies stars in the man's head and "Mexican" movie icon Maria Felix.  If the child in the foreground was a symbol of Alejandre- what do you think his tormented face is trying to express?  (Alejandre's quote: "This experience-that of leaving one land for another, having to constantly redefine what it means to be a person, a man, a part of a community.")
 
 
 
4. What kind of "hints" does Alejandre tells us about his experiences as a man trying to "constantly redefine" himself in a new country through the drawing of his father in "Mi Nopales"?
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5. What kind of tribute to his father is Alejandre representing in the drawing below? How does the Vincent Price figure on the left (movie star/horror films) and the angry dog add to inner turmoil and the dichotomy of life ? (division , separation, difference of opinion, disagreement)

 
 
 
 
6.What kind of political statement do you think Alejandre is expressing by the grenade drawing and the draped woman? How do these images relate to his homeland of Mexico (traditions, wars) and his life in the United States?