High Museum Picture

-Me standing outside of the High Museum during my trip there last month. My tickets and paper will be turned in during class-

Meet This Artist I Know

I have known Brooke since we were 13, and she keeps adding more types of art to her talents. We started off as middle school musicians, playing the clarinet together. Since then, Brooke has been a writer and an actress, has painted, drawn, made pottery, jewelery and wire sculptures, and will probably soon be making clothes and designing cars. I wouldn't be suprised. :) Here is one of her paintings:

*Note her use of cool and warm colors to draw attention to certain aspects of the artwork

My Photographic Eye

photofriday challenge: Home

My Photographic Eye cont'd

Free Post - Artsy Things in Las Vegas

Immense, symmetrical architecture.

The Altanta Airports.... um, interesting vegetable art. This is a kinetic carrot sculpture. (the bean spins)

The sky in the miracle mile shops is painted to look like clouds. When you walk beneath them, they look like they are floating by you.

Modern architecture of the fashion center.

Poetry Slam - Cowboy Poetry's the Beautiful-ist

Good Bye, Old Man by Baxter Black
_________________________________

Somewhere deep in the old man's eyes a mem'ry took a'hold.
It fought the ageless undertow that drains and mocks the old.
I wiped a dribble off his chin, "Pop, tell me what you see?"
"It's all the boys I rode with, I think they've come for me."

Unconsciously I checked the door. "It's nothin' but the wind.
You better try and git some rest, tomorrow we'll go in."
"Is that you, Bob? I can't quite see. Yer mounted mighty well.
You never rode a horse that good when we were raisin' hell."

"Lie down, old man. There's no one here." "No wait, that looks like Clyde.
He helped me put ol' Blue to sleep. Why, hell, he even cried.
Now don't forget to check the salt, them cows'll drift back down.
Well, I'll be damned, there's Augustine, he worked here on the Brown.

"When I hired on to buckaroo...But that's been fifty years."
The old man squinched his rheumy eyes, I dabed away the tears.
The boss had told me he was old, had seen a lot of springs.
I bet ya if you peeled his bark, you'd count near eighty rings.

We'd rode the last three summers here together on the rim.
Just he and I, for puncher's pay. I'd learned a lot from him.
But now I'm settin' by his bed, uncertain what to do.
I ain't no good at nursin' coots. I'm only twenty-two.

"I reckon that I'm ready now. My friends are set to go.
They've got an extra mount cut out that's just for me, I know."
"You've got to stop this foolish talk! You shouldn't overdo!
Pop, all you need's a good night's sleep. You'll be as good as new."

"Don't make it complicated, kid, cut a pal some slack.
The saddle on that extra horse...that's my ol' weathered kak.
I'm comin' Bob, I'll be right there." He winked a misty eye
And tried to reach up for his hat, then died without a sigh.

I'll tellya, man, it freaked me out! I dang near came in two!
I'd never watched a person die, especially one I knew.
I tried to say a little prayer but all I knew was grace.So
I just said, "Good Bye, Old Man," and covered up his face.

I poured myself the bitter dregs and stood out on the step.
Alone I listened to the night, as still as death, except,
I thought I heard above the coffee sloshin' in my cop,
The far off, easy, pleasured sound of old friends catchin' up.

This Music Video is a Work of Art

Train - Drops of Jupiter - this video makes you feel
like you've been to all of the cellestial places the song
describes.

Drops Of Jupiter lyrics - Train lyrics

Drops Of Jupiter Video - Train Music Videos

Music Videos by VideoCure

My Favorite Artist

Leonid Afremov is my favorite artist. If I could have a gallery
in my home of any one person's art, it would be his brightly
colored, impressionist artworks.

My Self Portrait

I have always been a little jealous of the 

actresses in big poufy costume dresses,

so here is my formal Victorian self portrait!

My Favorite Artworks

Art and Human Behavior

Art can be created to fit human behavior, such as the Johnson Wax Building on the left, which was created to be a soothing, productive workplace, or art can be of human behavior, and inspired by it, as the picture below is. Art is a human behavior, just as breathing, sleeping, learning, among millions of other things.

My Blogroll

http://learninghorses.blogspot.com/

http://www.thriftydecorating.com/

http://www.productreviewsblog.com/

http://archidose.blogspot.com/

http://www.blogtoplist.com/rss/materialism.html

I'm Having Another [American] Catharsis

A man and his wife own a small business that is failing. They are not pulling in enough money to pay their one employee, so they take a chash andvance to give him his check. With the leftover cash, the struggling entreprenuer upgrades the wireless high speed internet in his home, his wife goes out for a manicure and pedicure, and they each eat out three times that day (as they do most days). This situation makes me wonder - how many people who loose their homes never give up their $200/monthly direct tv bill? I'm willing to bet the percentage isn't very high. Our country is so materialistic, and people try to live so far outside of their financial comfort zone, that people will loose their homes and wish for a bailout before they cut back on spending. Cheap and frugal and negative words in our American culture, and that is sad in a time when being a little thrifty could save homes, and therefore loans, and therefore banks and the people they employ. The mindset of these spending addicts is insulting to those of us who handle our lives responlibly.

Art and the Human Condition

The human condition is that we are a group of beings that ask the same questions of the world (Why are we here? What is the meaning of life?) and are all subject to the same basic biological rules. (birth, aging, death, hunger, thirst, etc.) This is portrayed through art in the paintings, sculptures, movies, buildings and many other items that humans create. Anything the reflects feelings, poses a question, or shows the need for creature comforts (such as decorated sheets, curtains in homes, the plates we eat off of) is a product of the human condition.

Art and Human Nature

It is in human nature to create art, or art would not exist. Art provides insight to pieces of humanity that cannot be taught or enforced by culture. The creations fueled by emotion, reaction, and instinct - as opposed to art taught and supervised in a classroom, are what will show future generations that we are all connected by our shared nature.

Art and the Human Struggle

People use art to convey the struggles they face in life. What is the Human Struggle? The struggle to achieve, to be successful, respected, in some cases just the struggle to survive day to day. We struggle with the feeling of being trapped, for recognition, to be understood, to be at peace with life. Everyone faces different struggles, and that can unify humanity.

The Art of this Cultrue

Mayan ruins outside of

Belize



The Mayan civilization fell, but the story of their culture continues to be told through their paintings, sculptures, and architecture. Most of their paintings and sculptures depict the gods the Mayans worshipped, as well as the sacrifices they made to these gods, or showed a scene in which the leaders of the civilization received visitors with gifts, as the painting above does. In my opinion though, their rich and unique architecture is what shows the strength of the Mayan culture. They constructed massive pyramids to house their temples, and these still stand in the jungles of Honduras and throughout Central America. Mayan art is a memorial to their culture.

Graffiti Beat

This old restaurant off of Thornton Rd. is sporting graffiti above the roof and on the front and side walls. While I do not believe all graffiti is automatically art, it is art in this case. The artist used form and value in his painting, creating more than just letters and words. This graffiti is word art!

Columns for extra credit

Corinthia Columns at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas

My Right Brain, My Left Brain

Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz The higher of these two numbers below indicates which side of your brain has dominance in your life. Realising your right brain/left brain tendancy will help you interact with and to understand others. Left Brain Dominance: (5) Right Brain Dominance: (12) Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz

I got Twelve right brain points - which is higher than I expected, since I'm great at step by step things like math. This test takes into account small things that I've never considered before - like how we move our heads or give directions, and I those added up to show that I am very much a right brained thinker.

I'm Having an (Angry) Catharsis

Spring Semester 2009
Description Charge Payment Refund Balance
Activity Fee-Spring $37.98
Art Fee - Spring $10.00
Athletic Fee-Spring $99.36
Athletic Complex Fee-Spring $40.02
Campus Comm Center Fee-Spring $72.00
Health Fee-Spring $83.00
International Educ Fee-Spring $2.00
UG Tuit 08-In State-Spring $84.00
Technology Fee-Spring $50.00
Institution Fee $100.00
Transportation Fee-Spring $51.00
Tuition-In State-Spring $720.00


Term Charges: $1,349.36


It's about that time when we start registering for Summer classes. I was figuring up how many classes I can afford to pay for, and pulled up this semester's bill for comparison. Looking at this reminded me how FRUSTRATED I am to be paying such an outrageous amount of money for TWO classes. The education system makes it so difficult to obtain a degree! I'm charged an athletic fee? For WHAT? I don't play sports, nor am I a fan. An athletic complex fee? I do not have TIME to go to UWG's gym because I have to spend every spare moment WORKING to afford tuition! A health fee - to pay the campus doctors wether I see them or not. A transportation fee. FIFTY-ONE DOLLARS! I could hire a cab every day to take me from class to class for the price I pay for the priviledge of riding the campus bus. And campus representatives believe we should feel so LUCKY to have all of these resources!! It would save me hundreds of dollars to do without. The fee that really gets me, though, is a new one for this semester. The INSTITUTION FEE. Of course. What establishment of higher education can survive without receiving their INSTITUTION FEE? Another one hundred of my dollars. I have asked many departments exactly why this fee is needed. What does it go towards? The closest thing I have encountered to an answer is "operating expenses". This is not satisfactory to me! Operating expenses can be saved by making less copies, printing fewer emails, not leaving the company vehicles running when parked. There is no excuse for the school to demand extra cash that I struggle for, and have no reason backing it. Clearly the administration is unconcerned with the number of students able to return to classes and finish the education they started. What a load of BULL!

Diorama Drama II

This Diorama evoked a strong emotion in me:














The diorama in which everything was made in China made me angry. While jobs are being lost in the United State, other countries are building jobs for their citizens by producing American flags! That makes everything in this box about as un-patriotic as it can get. Companies are opting for cheap labor rather than supporting our country. These items should be made in the U.S., where we can benefit.





This Diorama taught me something I did not know:


The diorama saying - 510,000 Infected


Condoms - Free


Sex - Mostly Free





I knew that unprotected sex was a widespread issue, but I did not know that the number was so high, and I do not understand why. When so much is available at health clinics and high schools, I don't see a logical reason for anyone to risk themselves for sex.



This Diorama was very Creative:





This is a very creative portrayl of a world divided. Splitting the planet in half, with the panther and KKK between the halves, gives this diorama anger and real drama. It is one of few in the class that really impressed me.

I have something to say about this diorama:
I'm not sure if the diorama of the beach chairs, labeled "Great concern for global warming", was meant literally or sarcastically. Either way, I got a laugh out of it, because I agree with what it says. I'm all for being concerned about the environment, and doing our part to make it cleaner, but who doesn't love more warm weather?

The message in this diorama could be considered propoganda:
The anti-abortion diorama could be considered propoganda. It seemed to have the goal of influencing our opinions as oposed to just informing us on the subject. The harsh pictures the box was lined with, as well as the messages "stop killing" and "save babies" were aimed to have an impact on our beliefs and decisions.

Dance

A list of dance varieties might go on forever. There are so many different movements humans use to provoke feelings of excitement, happiness, sadness, or tell a story. From fast paced, gravity-defying break dancing to the sharp, passionate flamenco, dance is art. Whether painstakingly choreographed or created on the spur of the moment, dance can inspire all
of us, and teach us about the experiences, feelings, and cultures of others.

Art on Youtube 2

This is art and also a great V-day idea. It shows that anyone with a creative streak can make something that not only tastes great - but is gorgeous too. Art takes all forms, even food!

I Love This Piece of Architecture

This piece of architecture is great!  It was built by Curtis W. King in 1970, and is so fun and unexpected.  The entrance staircase raises and lowers electronically, so that the owner can deny access for security and get the feeling of living in a real flying saucer.  The thing I love most about this house is where it is located.  It was built on the side of Signal Mountain, Tennessee.  Affluent people in neat, proper, traditional homes are the majority of the residents on the mountain, and the Saucer House fits in so awfully in this setting that it is perfect!  My grandparents live on Signal Mountain, and throughout my childhood we made the long weekend drive from Florida to visit them.  Driving past the Saucer House was always the part of the drive I looked forward to the most.  It adds a quirky element to a place I otherwise view as dull, and is a valuable piece of architecture to myself and many others.

This Film Is A Work of Art

Children of Men (2006)

This film is a work of art.  It produces feelings of fear, despair, and hope in it's viewers.  The audience is taken on a journey through a war torn future, where the world is falling apart and values have crumbled.  The idea that this is a plausible outcome for our world is terrifying.  Just as our hearts harden towards the evil in this film, though,  the good in the characters gives us hope.  From the deep plot, to the characters that move us, to the dark, mournful aura and well chosen music,  Children of Men is a work of art that required the collaboration of many great minds.

Fashion as Art

Fashion is filled with

artistic elements. Without color, line, texture, and a designer's creativity, we might all be wearing white hospital gowns! All of the different shapes and patterns, the material mix of silks, cottons, wool, and even garbage (see picture below right), work together to create a unique piece of art to wear! Like more widely recognized art mediums, there are different fashion styles. Couture is the fine art of fashion, while some fashion resembles folk art, tackles a social issue, resembles nature, or is made to convey emotion. Add endless varieties of hairstyles, accessories, makeup and shoes and the final product is art.

Art on You Tube I

Freestyle dressage is a choreographed event in which horse and rider preform to music. The result is a beautiful dance, which is the most impressive artform I have witnessed. The training and teamwork required for this level of dressage is beyond rigorous, but the result is to make the near impossible seem effortless. This video is long but well worth watching. Enjoy this peek into what I love!

Diorama - Animal Testing

I had the idea for this diorama while working in the back yard with my husband last weekend. I pulled the chainsaw lubricant out of our storage room and read on the label: PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO ENGINE OIL HAS BEEN PROVEN TO CAUSE CANCER IN LABORATORY ANIMALS. I couldn't believe we were using a product that had been tested on living things! Goodness knows what else in our household has caused animals to be poisoned or get cancer or go blind. I hope this project will inspire my classmates to pay more attention to the products they purchase.