Thursday, May 29, 2008

Garden of Earthly Delights Critique



Although we know little about his life, Bosch was one of the most renowned painters of his time. The profuse, and now often obscure, symbolism of his works derived, it is thought, from folklore, literary metaphors and proverbs familiar enough to educate contemporaries, who could thus interpret his moral allegories. Even for us, the fact that this central panel is flanked on the left by the Garden of Eden and, on the right, by Hell, make it obvious that the moralizing artist thought about the pleasures of sex, and sensuality here portrayed. (World Art Teasures-Geoffrey Hindley)

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Critique of Stealing Saturn

Stealing Saturn
By Kathy Klimt

"Stealing Saturn" is Kathy’s first oil painting. She painted it for her husband Gustav Klimt. It was said that she wanted her fantasy of artwork of exotic women to be full of energy and determination. She went to foreign lands to search the meaning of exotic because she wanted to be able to show every possible outlook of exotic women. A lot of inspiration for Kathy was music. She describes music as her way to posses and relinquishes emotions. She studied music’s such as Enigma, Dead Can Dance, and works from Loreena McKennitt.

"Stealing Saturn" was painted using oils. The focal point of the painting is the woman’s arm and face. All the colors converge and intertwine showing the true tone of her skin and clothes. The field behind the character showed the black hole outside of the woman’s emotion. She solely fixed on her quest to, in fact, steal Saturn. In this horizontal composition, the viewer’s eyes move within the proximity of the top of the painting, then move from right to left. Kathy emphasizes the face and the arms nesting the planet close to her chest. This truly is a piece of artwork that deserves further investigation and proper analyzing.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Miles

There he sat in the dim lit room with his three best friends some dice, beer and his pipe. His is skin in a corrugation with his withering sight. All heard are the aimless words, that seem through the convexity that has become of his mouth, a never ending story, or just a simple concoction of words. His weary bones and thickset appearance made it seem almost impossible to move. Battered and beaten, all he felt was a gargantuan weight on his shoulders that made it most difficult to move. He speaks with the only responses heard by himself and anybody else who may be listening to him.

Friday, April 11, 2008

This is Me

My dreams are realistic
My nightmares are so fantastic

Sleeping on my hard cushion of a bed
I see all the people walking by but they all look dead.

It’s like my mind is open 24/7
Except on Sundays…

I watch T.V.
But nothings ever on

Just like I love to shop
But I’m always broke

I want to sky dive
I’m afraid of heights
I want to be a ballerina
I hate wearing tights

This is me I like to vent
Although it may seem I contradict myself
But it’s ok
That’s the assignment.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Concept Declaration

Fantasy: noun; imaginative fiction featuring especially strange and grotesque characters; the free play of creative imagination in the mind. I chose to do the concept of fantasy for many reasons. Has there ever been a time when you’ve just wanted to be in your own world? Some where, were you made up the rules and there was an adventure around every corner? Every one does at one point.
People are amazed by the illogical and the impossible. We’re drawn by curiosity to the things we know the least about, and can not explain. For example, when I was younger, I was afraid of the dark... Ok I’m still afraid, but I always sleep with the light off because that sense of fear has been calmed by logical thinking. I know there can’t be a monster under my bed, or a zombie in my closet, it’s impossible. Just like, defying gravity, casting spells, stopping time, and befriending a talking lion, is impossible. But we dream about the impossible because we are bored of all the things we know in the world we live in. I chose the concept of fantasy to escape this world, if only for a little while. To be able to make my own rules, defy gravity, cast spells, stop time, and befriend a lion. So this way there is an adventure around every corner, through paintings of old and modern artist’s, I can create my own world.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Narrative #2."Castle Falls" by Micheal Leadingham



Fairy Tale Trouble.

Once upon a time there were two brothers on an adventure in the secret Fire Fly Forest trying to fine the Castle of Mist...

“I know it’s around here some where...”
“Are you kidding me?! Don’t even tell me we’re lost Nikko!”
“We’re not lost Bruseway ..I just forgot the way for a second...”
“That means you’re lost! And mothers going to kill us if we’re not back fore’ dark!”
As they turned the corner around the bend of a small creek that flowed through the forest in their small little row boat, they heard a light roaring as though a heard of animals were thumping across the forest floor. Unbeknownst to Bruseway, they were about to feast their eyes upon the most magnificent sight they have ever seen.
“We’re almost there, I promise.”
“What is that noise?! You’re lying! You-“
He stopped short as they turned the corner, beyond a small grassy field Bruseway saw it, his jaw on the bottom of the small row boat, his eyes wide with excitement and curiosity. The light roaring became nearly unbearably loud, with the millions of gallons of crystal water that poured off the cliffs of the castle into a small ravine below.
“C’mon Bruseway let’s go!”
Snapping out of the inevitable trance Bruseway trips, falls off the row boat; onto the shore, getting up; not even to dust himself off, running after Nikko. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. Running towards the castle, across the field, stripping down to their nickers, and jumping off the small slope into the fresh waters below, they splashed and yelled and “woo-hoo’d” When all of a sudden millions of fire flies swept down towards the water in a cloud like drift. They stopped splashing and listened...
“Get out of the water!!!” They bellowed all at once. “You’re in danger! Get out!!”
Scared the boys jumped out of the water and ran back to the chaotic mess, that was their clothes upon the ground.
“STOP! Stay right where you are!” yelled a low rumble of words coming from the top of the castle. A black shade then smothered the sky and the ground around the boys’ feet, then whirled up and became the shape of a man standing in front of them.
He was starkly dressed, with long grey hair, and a lanky figure. He had a scar above his right eye, a big one, as if he was scratched and his aging skin drooped, making it seem to cover more of his forehead. His bony fingers lifted up and pointed at the young boys.
“You boys ...why are you boys here? Don’t you know the Fire Fly Forest is dangerous at this time of night? You should be at home safe in your nice warm beds...”
“We were just..”stuttered Bruseway.
“You were just what my poor boy?”
“We were just leaving, we’re sorry to have disturbed you sir.” Nikko cut in.
“Well now, why don’t you come inside and spend the night, I’m sure my accommodations will seem fit to your needs, and I know it is by far safer than anything in these woods at night.”
“No sir it’s ok we best be gettin’ home now, we don’t want our mother to be worryin’ about us.”
At that moment the boys felt suddenly tired and felt like they were floating towards the castle.

Then there was dark, “Nikko!!!...Nikko!!! are you there?” called out Bruseway. He was lost, cold, and hungry. He sat there shivering in the dark corner of the old man’s basement, while his brother lay on the table in the dinning room with a bright shiny apple in his mouth, with nothing but the sounds of knives sharpening on the grinding stone.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Narrative For Nick Marci's "Grain Of Humanity"


“One is beautiful, one is brilliant, and one decides all. They are the Sisters of Affliction. They sit at the only portal to hell on this earth, and they’re the only things that stand between us and all the unimaginable tortures that await when we die. It was said that many years ago before the sisters were cursed to watch over the doorway to hell, that earth was inundated with demons, and the people of this earth fled and hid in fear of being dragged down to the dark abyss that only in their worst of nightmares, they could ever imagine..
Thea is beautiful, she warms the hearts of any who may pass by her post within the Frameil Desert. Her songs woo men from miles away and they’re lured to her presence. They follow her to the portal in a trance that can only be broken one way; if the beautiful one is stabbed through the black hole which is her heart.
It is Lucifer who chooses who is brought to his dwelling. He uses Thea’s beauty to lure his slaves to his palace, then it is Alaina, the sister of choice, who decides whether or not they are worthy enough to serve his All Mighty Accursed. Legend has it that the third sister was always left out, she played no important role in the accursed's demands. Her father never even named her, for she exhibited no use for him. She was the brilliant one, she was terrifically smart but had no beauty to lore servants, and although intelligent she had no way of knowing what her own father wanted.
How did it come to be that the Lord of Darkness himself solicited his three daughters and spiritually chained them to the lone stump in the middle of the desert, who cursed them to do his bidding until the end of time? It was their mother who was to blame. She bore his only three children, and when he found out that she was one of the apostles for the only spirit which is, his immortal enemy, the Lord, she was banished from his domain and never to show her face in hell or on earth again. Ahkir was the only female apostle, of course its always the women who mess things up. She knew she was doing wrong, but it appeared that like many followers after her time made the mistake of choosing love over her God.
He saw his daughters as objects, and was disgusted with them for being born from such a ridiculous race, one not of his own persuasion. Lucifer is a mean spirit, one who forgives no one. He bears no heart or soul, and he doesn’t love. No one dares cross his Dark Lord, for fear the outcome maybe quite more sever than that of crossing God. Don’t ever make him mad at you, and do what he says, you are his follower you are his eternal servant. He may not have put you on this earth, but he sure as hell can take you off of it. Do you understand me Gesos?”

“Yes father, I think I do. To undermine God is one thing, but to undermine Lucifer is unimaginable? Right? Because God forgives? And Lucifer....”

“Lucifer binds, tortures, then kills. There is no forgiving. For some one to belittle Him, for their sake they better hope they’re banished from earth and Hell, but I wouldn’t count on anyone being as lucky as Ahkir .”

“Yes Father.”

“Now Gesos, you know the legend, go to your altar, it is time for you to pledge yourself...”

Thursday, February 28, 2008


Although not entirely obvious at first is where the sky and the surface area meet. In Time and Space it is almost hard to detect what the foreground is. Nick Marci, a small time artist born in Novosibirsk, Russia. He works as a polygraphist, web designer, and he paints fantasy and surrealistic pictures. He studied at Pedagogic University and graduated in 1996; he received his diploma in book illustrating. He's still alive and painting, and expected to spark interest in his style of fantasy art.
The medium of Marci's painting is oils. The way the shapes are formed, Marci draws attention to the movement of the subject matter. As stated before it is not at all subtle how to depict the field. The composition of the painting consists of two upright Tikki heads up close, and one far off in the distance which seems to be falling over. All three heads in a type of unreadable setting. The hue gives off an illusion of a desert, but the texture of the surface creates an almost ocean like affect. Over all the painting is confusing yet so surreal and imaginative, it makes the viewer want to look and want to understand.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

"Two Path's" Critique.

"Two Paths" by the artist, Brett X. Gamache, is painted within the hills of Italy. The medium used is oils. The subject matter consists of a woodland landscape. The movement inside the painting gives the viewer a sensory of a summer breeze through your hair and against your face. The way the oils mesh together creates a hue of shades and tones of greens.
The viewer may interpret this painting as a way of making a hard choice. The allegory of this painting, could represent a time or experience in the artist’s life where he had to make a difficult decision. The composition of the piece is very blended. Everything blends together, but the viewer can still pick out certain details, and if studied long enough the oils really come alive right in front of you. What is rendered in this painting is a problem, and the realism of the painting makes the viewer want to visit the scene and see what exactly is around the bends. This plein air painting is over all proportionate and is enjoying enough to dream and think about even when its not being looked at.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Image Critique



Gene Magritte (1898-1967), was born in Belgium. His paintings were strongly influenced by Chirico. Magritte’s paintings introduced a new wave of art which combined the misleading sort of surrealism and adding the mockery of irony. For instance The Red Model, painted by Magritte in 1935, shares a harmony between feet and shoes and acts as a barrier between reality and fantasy.

Gene’s juxtaposition of the men, in Golconde, leads to the spectator’s interpretation of the commonly used pessimistic or optimistic views of the question, “Is the glass half full or is it half empty?” This perspective is ultimately provided by the onlooker. The composition of the painting creates the mood of the art’s either dejected or euphoric apprehension. The field of the men in top hats is really more of a commonplace. The realism of the modern apartment or hotel-like building creates an elaborate fantasy constructed within an actual place.

In all the painting could be depicted as Magritte’s real life dreams or fantasies. The way he associates surrealism and modern day architecture creates a mood of absolute metamorphosis between good and bad. Gene’s way of an unrealistic event into a realistic world shows off his talents and creative imagination.