Studio Art Oil Pastel Blogpost

Concept:

My concept behind this piece was that I go to the library a lot, and in the library, I always stop and admire the beautiful artwork and pottery on display. When I look at them, I always look in an artist's point of view of how I would have made the art and how I would have recreated it, which is why there is a paintbrush held on the side. I wanted to merge my love for art with my frequent trips to the library. 

Successes:

I think I was successful in my subtle color variation and layers on the vase, as well as the reflections and shadows. I also like the highlights on the metallic part of the paint brush and the frame of the table.

Challenges:

I feel it was a challenge filling up my background because I didn't want the railings to seem too crowded. Since the background was more zoomed out, it was a challenge getting the fine details. 

Feedback:

Compliments: 

My peers liked how I controlled the oil pastel to create lighting, reflection, and shadows, and they particularity liked the part where the light bounces off the vase. Furthermore, they liked the detail and color variation on the vase.

Criticism:

My peers suggested that I should have paid more attention to the railings in the background, especially the area on the far right. They said my inspiration for this artwork is conceptually harder to understand just by first look, but when explained is unique. 

My goal for next time:

My goal for next time would be to pay more attention to my background and how to fill in space effectively. 

Studio Art Pencil Drawing Reflection

Theme/Story: The theme behind this was food and family gathering, and I also wanted to depict Indian culture. In our family, vacation or holiday means eating food and celebrating our culture. I drew Indian sweets because usually celebrations or holidays are celebrated with something sweet.

Emphasis: Since food is a big part of our definition of "holiday" I wanted to make the food the center of attention. That's why most of the board is covered with the food on the plate. I also wanted to bring in contrast, so with the warm colors of the food and plate, I added a cold color, blue, for the tablecloth. The blue acted as a tablecloth but also as something that looks similar to flowing water, where the lamps are "floating" in.

Line: I had a lot of overlapping objects like the overlapping food and the plate on the tablecloth. For this, I used shadows where I tried to show the 3-dimensionality  of the objects. I feel I could work on strengthening those shadows, but I also think overlapping was a good compositional idea.

Feedback I received: My peers said that my colors were vivid, the food looked glossy and appealing, and there was a good layering of color on the food. They suggested to make my composition more random, not so structured, to make my shadows clearer, and to make the plate more glossy with highlights.

Studio Art Charcoal Still Life Reflection

Reflection

          This work of charcoal was very important because it showed our ability to draw reflective objects as well as understand concepts like composition (cropped object), contrast, and use of lines. I think this has appropriately pushed me as an artist to look carefully at a set-up in front of me instead of looking at a reference photo. Since our viewpoints and positions kept changing every day, this project taught me how to critically observe positioning. One very valuable piece of advice I learned from Mr. Laurence was that the white pencil for highlights need to be minimal, as it can easily get overdone and ruin the overall realism. I had worked with charcoal once before (in 8th grade), so that experience had taught me things like dirtying the paper, using highlights, and utilizing my materials appropriately. This experience was very unique though because we had to set the objects up in front of us and directly observe the still-life. 

Successes:

          I think I was successful at the highlights, especially the highlights of apple and glass's reflection. I tried to use the white pencil only when necessary, but the white pencil really helped bring life to the objects. I also think the composition of the overlapping objects helped because not all objects were equidistant and I also got a good variation of shadows. 

Challenges/Things to work on:

          I feel like my shadow of the candlestick could have been further refined. I could have also shown it through the glass. I big challenge in charocal work is smudging, and many times I'd wipe away a lot of my work and have to work back. For me though, my biggest challenge was getting started with a strong idea. I started off with something but wasn't committed to it, and spent about 2 blocks figuring out what I wanted to do. Consequently, I lagged behind and needed extra hours after school to catch up. In the end, though, this experience taught me an important lesson on time-management and the importance of starting off strong. I will use this as a reminder to keep my future projects on schedule. 

Feedback:

          Some feedback I recieved was that I had smooth shading and my reflection highlights weren't too harsh. They said I had strong compostion with different shadows, and my objects showed variation in shape and size. They also said I had a good contrast, with blacks against whites to define the sharp edges. But they also recommended I work on my candlestick's shadow as well as distinguish the apple from its shadow.

MY PROGRESS:

First Day
 

Second Day 

Third Day 

Fourth Day 

Studio Art- Egg Composition Pencil Drawing

Concept:

There are two eggs or "beings" of a different race together in the same basket. Above, an eagle's feet are shown. Eagles symbolize power and justice and this eagle is acting as a messenger to delivering the two multiracial eggs justice. The tag with "To: Justice" literally takes the concept of bringing something to justice and is an address for "justice". The blanket provides as a protector during the journey of the delicate eggs in their pursuit of justice. 

Successes:

I am proud of the intricate fabric I made because the fabric had many folds and places where the light fell. I also like the meaning behind my peace, as I feel this artwork is trying to convey a greater message with each element standing for some sort of symbolism. 

Challenges/Things to work on:

My success was my challenge too. The fabric looked cool in the end but required a lot of time and patience. I had to look square by square and perfectly match the complicated placements for shading. I could work on my eagle's feet and perhaps the basket, and for that, I should work on spacing out my time so that each element gets equal attention. 

Feedback:

 I was told that my contrast with the harshness and darkness of the basket with the soft, white blanket was there. I was also told that my fabric was detailed and realistic, as well as the meaning behind this piece was deep and thoughtful. My group also liked the contrast of the white and black egg which, along with the "Justice" tag, hinted at the meaning behind my work, and they liked the movement created by the fabric and rhythm of the contrasting lines. They said I could work on the realism of the eagle's feet as well as making more outlines prominent in my fabric. 

Studio Art Course Goals and Resources

Goals (Personal goal, Course goal):

My course goal would be to make sure I think outside of the box and be more creative with my art. My personal goal would be to not procrastinate so that I can complete my artwork in time.

Principal and elements of art:

Principals of art:

- Line: Line is an element of art defined by a point moving in space.

- Shape: shape implies spatial form and is usually perceived as 2-dimensional.

- Color: colors all come from the three primaries and white and black. They have three properties, hue (the color itself), value, and intensity (the pure color is of the highest intensity, but we can lower the intensity by adding its complementary color).

- Value: value refers to relative lightness and darkness and is perceived in terms of varying levels of contrast.

- Form: form has depth, length, and width and resides in space. It is 3-dimensional.

- Texture: texture refers to the tactile qualities of a surface (actual) or to the visual representation of such surface qualities (implied).

- Space: space refers to the area in which art is organized. The element of positive (the space of the shape itself) and negative space (the space around the shape).

- Perspective: Perspective is representing a volume of space or a 3-dimensional object on a flat surface.

Elements of Art:

- Balance: Balance is the impression of equilibrium in a pictorial or sculptural composition. Balance is often referred to as symmetrical, asymmetrical, or radial.

- Contrast: the juxtaposition of different elements of design (ex. rough and smooth textures, dark and light values) in order to highlight their differences and/or create visual interest, or a focal point.

- Emphasis: Emphasis refers to the created center of interest, the place in an artwork where your eye first lands.

- Movement/Rhythm: movement or rhythm refers to the suggestion of motion through the use of various elements.

- Pattern: Pattern refers to the repetition or reoccurrence of a design element, exact or varied, which establishes a visual beat.

- Unity: Unity is achieved when the components of a work of art are perceived as harmonious, giving the work a sense of completion.

- Proportion/Scale: Proportion is the size relationship of parts to a whole and to one another. Scale refers to relating size to a constant, such as a human body.

Color wheel:

The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. They are the base for all the other colors on the color wheel.

The secondary colors are in the middle of the primary colors (are made up of primary colors). They are orange, green, and violet.

The tertiary colors are made up of a primary and secondary color. They can also be called intermediate colors. Examples are red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, and red-violet.

Complementary colors are colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel (ex. red and green, blue and orange, and purple and yellow.) In a formative practice in 8th grade, we had to take two complementary colors and add a bit of the opposite color to both sides (add a bit of yellow to purple on the right side and add a bit of purple to yellow on the left side) and keep doing so in a line until we reached the middle. The color gray was formed. We concluded that mixing two complementary colors results in gray.

Your definition of art:

My definition of art is something that allows us to express ourselves in a way that can't be put into words. it reflects our personality, mood, traits, and what we hold important in our lives. Art is boundless and even though we usually associate art with painting or drawing, art can be in many other forms such as music, dance, media, drama, etc.

Health Addiction DECIDE Model

D Define Addiction Consequences	Identify negative consequences of addictive behaviours you want to avoid. Explain why? Craving for that thing again Depression when I don’t get it Rash behavior, irritable I want to avoid these things because if I don’t get them, I will feel bad about myself and it will lead to repetitive and excessive behavior
E Explore Possible Options	List 3 possible choices you could make to limit or prevent your exposure to these consequences.  discipline (limit the duration/amount) of doing something eg. exercise, eating, internet  understanding-- if I better understand what is happening to me and the scary consequences, I will be more aware Adult: sometimes we don’t realise what we are doing and an adult is important to let us know and keep us on track with our goals
C Consider Possible Outcomes	Provide 2 positive and 2 negative outcomes of the choices listed above. Positive  with the 3rd one, there will be more discipline and supervision so  it will be easier to prevent our exposure to addictive things  with discipline, we will change our bad habits Negative  with the 1st one, chances are that when we are addicted we won’t easily stay disciplined or have enough willpower to continue with our goals. With the 2nd one, that may not be the most effective because a lot of the time we are aware of what we are doing and it’s just the choice we make from a source of motivation that affects everything.
I Identify your Values	What do you value about your health? About your future? Why is your reputation important to you? I am aware that addictive behavior leads to dire consequences; in fact, anything done in excess can be bad. My reputation is important to me because my family doesn’t encourage such behavior and they teach me to make the right choices. I am self-motivated to do well and I want my future to be as positive as possible so I can progress and be a role model to my family.
D Decide and Act in agreement with your Values	Provide an overview of how you could carry out a plan to have healthy lifestyle in high school and college.. Alternatives to risky behavior: D ifferent ways to deal with stress and entertain yourself - Exercise (not to the point of addiction) Art writing/reading Music Yoga Ways to say no respectfully and forcefully  – Start off by saying no, but if things go further, then  I can move myself away and/or reach out to an adult. How to avoid high pressure situations – stay away from potential danger and don’t think that if some group of people are addicted to something, that it is common and okay.
E Evaluate Your Plan	Identify a realistic goal that you would hope to achieve to prepare you for high school/ college pressures. Stay away from groups who may influence you and be clear about the consequences of addictive behavior.  How will you know if your plan is successful and that you have protected yourself? I will know when I am able to let such a surrounding not affect me .

Health PSA- Say NO to Drug Abuse

Science Semester 2 DSLO Reflection

           During the second semester of Science, we covered two main units: Chemistry and Physics. In Chemistry we learned all about phase changes of matter, particles, Kinetic Theory of Matter, calorimetry lab, Law of Conservation of Matter, limiting Reactants, balancing equations, and more. In Physics we are learning about simple machines, levers, mousetrap cars, wheels, and trebuchets, gravitational forces, mechanical and speed advantage etc. I have really enjoyed this semester a lot because Chemistry intrigues me the most and Physics is something I haven't at all learned about yet.

Collaboration

           Collaboration is probably one of the most important skills to develop in today's world, and this semester in science we have really honed those skills. A bulk of our activities were partner activities where we've had to collaborate with each other and conjoin our ideas into a group solution. One ideal example of collaboration was when we were doing the Design to Cool Soda activity, we worked in partners to formulate a group plan on how we best can lower the liquid's temperature. I learned a lot from working on this with my partner (Sriya) because I was able to add my knowledge and she was able to add her knowledge about which materials are the best thermal conductors and insulators.

           Collaboration is a skill that applies so well to the outside world, yet this semester of Science was able to incorporate that skill into its experiments through partner work and peer review. Another activity that was good with collaboration was the Crater Lab because we worked with a partner to observe how the change in height or mass of an asteroid affects the mass of ejecta when the ejecta is different materials (rice, coarse sand, fine sand). We needed good coordination and planning to keep our procedure organized, efficient, and accurate.

Critical Thinking

           I feel like this semester's Science has really pushed us the most in the direction of critical thinking, which is why it's the easiest to write about. Collaboration and critical thinking are like the ying-yang of values in our life, which I've observed science has touched. One of the most evident activities might be the Air Pressure Demonstrations Follow-up because we had to observe the demonstrations the teacher showed and explain our thinking of how it connects to particle theory. This hones our skills to apply situations to what we're learning and critically thinking about our unit and how it applies to our real world.

          I also feel critical thinking is the basis for all the DSLO's. From critically thinking and understanding our topic, we gain knowledge and questions that shape our inquisitive Character and that we later solve with our partners, building on Communication and Collaboration as well. We also learn cultural competence because when critically thinking we are more aware and we can connect the situations in Science to our life. Another activity that showed Critical Thinking was the Investigation 3.1 Analysis Questions because as you can see we basically take our knowledge about particle theory and critically think to answer analysis questions that apply it to situations.

          All in all, I feel this semester was yet again a successful one and one that helped me build on my strengths and weaknesses as a learner. It was wonderful to learn new things (physics!!) and explore others I was interested in (chemistry!!). It is really thought provoking how Science class can cover the DSLO's that shape our identity as a student at SAS and it really makes me enjoy Science more and appreciate its impact on our life.

RLA Favorite Poems

1.  "I'm Gonna Tell God Everything" 

This poem is about the recent gas bomb attack that killed many innocent children. This poem is in the perspective of a Syrian child who knows he/she is going to die soon. 

I'm gonna tell God everything
he'll come down with his blinding light
so that they can't see
or laugh
their finger pointing at me
instead
with their hands pinned to the ground
maybe they'll feel
my family's bones soiled and drowned.

It was my birthday today
but they just blew my sister away
"foo" like a candle!
Mama had said to sleep early the night before
or she'd punish us
they'd be no celebrations, no cake
but we were punished, punished
for living our childhood
I can still see it:
her nose kept running,
her eyes wouldn't wake
oh we were punished

I just pray for the day
when Syrian children will wake to the sound of birds
not bombs
when our walls will be dipped with memories
not sobs
many children breathe, but no childhood lives

And soon, this toxic air will fill my nose too
I'll drift away from my bleeding Syria
and gently settle on the clouds with my family
at least we'll find peace
together in heaven
Maybe I can even celebrate my birthday then
with my heat going
beat
beat
beat
beat
... cause I'm gonna tell God
everything.


2. Unbought and Unbossed

This poem is about Shirley Chisholm-- first black and female to run for U.S presidency. Her slogan is "Unbought and Unbossed" and this poem is in the time of 1972. 

What is freedom?

When all we can feel is the

Burn

Burn

Burn of wounds and slashes on the back

When all we can taste

Is the bitter

Crunch

Crunch

Crunch of sandy granules between our teeth

Even now, after the 14th amendment is ratified

“No state shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property”

the blacks here sit terrified, unsatisfied

With no sign of an arriving liberty

So tell me now, what is the cost?

To live with freedom, with dignity

Unbought and Unbossed?

3. Imagine That Cozy Saturday Evening

Imagine that cozy Saturday evening.

I’ve sunk in my bed

Springy, fluffed

Just like a good cake

I’ve cuddled my blanket

A nest of spun sugar and silk

And cotton candy

Sticky and sweet

I’m dipped in my pillow

In warm melted honey

Waiting for the sugar syrup to

Intoxicate

Rejuvenate

   Drown

My pillow

While it slowly seeps through the porous fabric

And I look outside

At the pitter-patter

Melted pearls trickling against the sugar windows

Until the windows shatter

The shards pierce my skin

And I realize

The pillow was my computer

The bed was my desk

And I’ve succumbed to school.

ART 8 Photo Essay

1. Which Photo from your essay was your best? Show the photo and explain why it was your best.

I liked the Macro of a bug I saw in the classroom. I thought it was the most challenging because the bug kept moving and I wanted to capture the various colors and textures of that bug. In the end, though, I thought it was pretty cool.

1. What is a Photojournalist?

a journalist who communicates news by photographs.

1. If you could do one category ( people, place, objects, macro) of your essay again which one would you re-do and why? Show the photo

I would do people again because I feel like I haven't played as well with the originality and technique as I could have.

1. What is exposure?  Give an example of a photo you took to help explain your answer.  

the amount of light per unit area (the image plane illuminance times the exposure time) reaching a photographic film or electronic image sensor

Health- Addiction

1. Define addiction

Addiction is when the body adapts to a substance and wants that substance in an increased quantity.

2. There are a number of different types of addiction.... what are they?

Alcohol and drug addiction are most common. Other ones include coffee addiction and technology addiction, which is very common amongst people who might not think they have serious addictions. Another addiction that may not be commonly told is exercise. The happy feeling we get from exercising is a mellow but similar effect that drugs can bring too. That is why some people get addicted to exercising, but this addiction may not be as negative as the rest apart from how it can cause over excursion.

3. What are the signs and physical symptoms that can indicate you have an addiction to a substance or behavior?

Common symptoms are irritability and aggressiveness. For example, if we stop looking at our phone or stop drinking coffee, we will feel negative symptoms like cranky and aggressive behavior and a strong want for that thing. Even though I don't have a phone, I see this with my siblings after they see iPad for a long time. They start screaming and throwing things.

4. What are coping strategies and how are they used to manage and reduce stress in your life, in a way that is not detrimental or harmful in the long term. 

Instead of using drugs or other substances to move away from stress, we can use more friendly options. Exercise is very helpful in making us feel happier and stress-free, releasing a similar feeling that comes from drugs, but is subdued and not as extreme. Yoga is a good form of exercise for stress relief. Other strategies are practicing hobbies like writing, art, games, sport and others that take us away from stress. The most important thing is family. In such an environment, family helps to enliven the environment and make us laugh. Spending time and going outside is very effective.

5. How may addiction be treated?

Instead of punishing the person and further shutting them down, we should understand why they're at this position and help to get them out of the depression. Addiction is best treated when the environment is positive, open, lively, and healthy. Family and friends should be around to keep a healthy communication and relationship, and that will bring positivity. 

Cyber Trolling

     
        I've realized how it's way easier to bully someone online because we feel protected and not so scared of saying derogatory language out loud. However, if we had to say the same thing to the same person, just in a different platform, it would be way harder. We wouldn't do that. The video shows how rare an occasion is when someone bullies another one verbally, face-to-face, with an audience hearing. The message I've learned is that if we can't confront the person and abuse them out loud, we shouldn't be able to do the same online. But I also feel that most of the people who troll actually don't hate the person, they hate themselves because they see a reflection of who they actually wanted to be. Trolling should stop. The main root cause of trolling are the various perspectives on insecurity and imperfections. Everyone is imperfect or has insecurities, but it is the lens in which they see through that changes their perspective about them. We shouldn't pull someone else down because of our perspective; someone else may end up doing the same to us too when their perspective changes.

Rosa Parks

1. Why is bus segregation even a big deal? Who cares who sits in the different parts of the bus? Why does this matter at all?

Bus segregation does matter because it doesn't matter where anyone sits on the bus, but what is affected is the esteem of the people being separated. To have a special spot for only the blacks lowers the importance or value of the blacks, and makes them feel worthless and not "up to the same level" as the whites. I can connect this idea to the book "To Be A Slave", where the slaveowners had ingrained in the slaves' minds that they'd need to serve their master in order to eventually reach up to their level. 

2. Put yourself in Rosa Parks’s shoes: You’re going home from work. You have a family. A small incident arises. What do you honestly do? How far would you go? (Jail? Pay a fine? Lose your life? Explain your limits.)

If I were to put myself in Rosa Parks's shoes, I would probably do the opposite of what she did. If I had a family, work, and a normal life, I would (like many) choose the safer option to pay a fine and end the deal. I would probably not question the unjust system and blindly follow what I'm told so I can feel secure and keep my family and job safe. It's easy to analyse her courageous action, but very hard to do the same. 

3. Parks’ words are very deliberate. She says, “You may do that.” What do you think about the wording of her statement?

She said "you may do that" deliberately because she didn't want to seem like she was being forced. The "you may" sounds like she is giving them permission, rather than them forcing her into arresting her. Another thing we can interpret is that she shows how she is at a higher level in character than the driver. She doesn't argue or act aggressively like some may if they were told they'd get arrested. This shows how strong Rosa Parks was in her beliefs and that she was willing to accept whatever consequences that followed.

SAS Eagle Design

In Art class this semester we worked on a 2D-design unit focused on variation.  We explored variations of themes and many different types of media and techniques. This was my final work.

The eagle design that was based on my personal interest was about my interest in literature and books. I chose a theme of my favorite books to show how much I treasure good books. This also reflects my passion for writing books. As a 5-year-old, I have written many stories, and currently, am also thinking about starting my own novel. In the background are some of my favorite books, most of which are by the authors Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, and JK Rowling. I chose a collage format because I thought I could clearly show my favorite books in a clean format.

The most challenging part of this assignment might have been working with watercolor for one of my eagle designs. The eagle cut-out had many turns and cuts so it was a challenge to get my brush around those. Also, I attempted watercolor poppies for the first time and it was certainly hard to not to make the red color bleed with the brown interior. In the end, I just chose the simplest way to depict poppies, with a round red base and a drop of dark brown in the center. 

I really found the collage technique interesting because of its simplicity yet complexity. Collaged eagles were really cool and complex by the looks of it because of how different patterns clash into a modern design; however, the process is that much simpler and quick to make. The efficiency of making a collage drew me into making two of my eagles collages.

SS Blogpost: My Name

        The name Vainavi means gold, or the Indian goddess of wealth, Lakshmi in the Sanskrit language. My mom said she named me and was attracted to the name because it sounded nice and was a very unique name for any country. Also, the meaning of my name means prosperity and the goddess of wealth, and the Hindu tradition values the family's daughters as the small goddesses of wealth in their house. My family thought that not only did the name sound unique, but the meaning was auspicious and implied that I would bring luck and wealth to the family.