Final Project

I'm gonna say it is kinda hard to write about my final project, but I am gonna give it a shot.
For our final project, Billy decided to change the format to a fun project that incorporates food.  We had to incorporate food into art, whether it be an edible artwork, a drawing of food, or a food sculpture.  I was all over the place with my thinking, not really knowing what to do.  I had some ideas at first, making my favorite dish and focusing on everyone enjoying it, or making a more artistic piece that may not be edible.
I started out thinking about baking some cookies.  I was going to try to incorporate some important events during the last ten or so years.  The idea would be to have a cookie that looks like the twin towers, maybe one that resembles Barack Obama, and another that looks like the every popular ipod.  I had some good ideas but in the end I figured that it would be too tough to pull all that together.  I didn't know how I would make the cookies resemble the figures or events.  So I changed my plans and made an awesome frog.

  

This is the frog that I based my project off of.  I googled "food art," and saw this picture and it looked really cool.  So, I went to the grocery store and bought the necessary materials, an apple, grapes, carrots, spinach leaves, and rice to put it on.  I started by cutting the apple in half, and then carefully cut out the body of the frog using a sharp knife.  Next, I carved out the sides of the frog, shaping him to look nice.  Then I poured lemon juice on the apple, since it would be in the fridge for the night.  Next I cut the carrots to resemble webbed frog feet.  I found a square tupperware container and poured the uncooked rice into it.  I pulled apart some spinach leaves and layed them around the outside of the container.  I layed the carrot feet on the rice and placed the apple on top in the right position.  Next I found some toothpicks and pulled out two grapes.  I put the toothpicks through the grapes and into the apple and shoved them all the way in to keep the eyes in place.  That was the final step, and then I starred in amazement at my beautiful frog.

I don't really have a reason as to why I made a frog for my art project.  I wanted to make something completely out of food and I came up with this idea.  Though I wouldn't eat it, especially the uncooked rice, it is completely edible, technically.  I wanted to make something that was appealing to look at, and so far I have gotten some good comments on my frog.  My frog is one of my better looking art projects, if I do say so myself, and I hope everyone enjoys the donuts I am bringing in to eat with my frog!

Art Event #1 SMP Art

I decided to take a look at the art projects that students have prepared for their SMP projects.  The gallery was set up inside of Montgomery Hall, and displayed the work of many senior art students.  I must admit that I have never really been to an art gallery, but from what I can tell, the gallery was very well set up.  I didn't go to the opening show of the gallery, instead just walked through on my own and analyzed a couple pieces I was intrigued by. 
The first piece that I analyzed was by a student named Allyson Moore, titled, "Vintage Values."  When I first saw the work I thought that it looked very basic, just a cardboard cutout with glitter.  But once I stood in front of it I began to become very interested in the way that simple design was able to have a major meaning.  The small amounts of cutouts and glitter did a fantastic job of showing emotion in the face.  I would normally feel that the kind of detail I could see in the piece would require a detailed form of art, but the placement of the cutouts that surrounded the face integrated the feelings that the person in the piece must have felt.  I was able to look at the piece and feel major emotion in the piece.  I found it interesting that my mindset regarding the complexity of the piece was able to change so quickly from first glance. The artist did an astounding job of showing emotion without an intricate amount of detail.
The next piece that I looked at was by Allie Snyder, an oil on panel piece called, "The Missing Child."  I think that one of the most important parts of Allie Snyder's work was the wood panel that the art was arranged on.  She took out a child in each piece, and illustrated the emotion of the "empty" child through the emotions of the people that surround the "empty" child.  Also, she did a good job incorporating the emotion through the scenery.  Her piece on the far left, where the children are looking over the edge of what looks like a bridge or a small building.  You obviously cannot tell the emotion of the missing child, but the other child and the scenery set the mood.  You can see the theme of the piece without an integral part, one of the people.