Art Appreciation-Living with Art

I am very happy that I will finish my Art Appreciation soon by Gitte. In this art appreciation class, I have had so much learning opportunities. As the E.S.L student, I really like the museum visits and presentations because I have learned many skills. Such as creative expression, decision-making, cultural understanding, art origins/ history, and appreciating my own individuality. For example, the reading guides have helped me to provide my knowledge with a basic understanding, of the visual arts. Besides, this class is also a technology enhanced class. During the course of the semester, I have been to several fieldtrips to museums and exhibits to apply what I have learned through lectures, videos, internet and the textbook. However, Art Appreciation helped me to understand “living with art (engaging my attention, my imagination, my intelligence)”.

My Favorite-Michael Ray Charles

“After Black (To See or Not to See)” &“Before Black (To See or Not to See)”-Michael Ray Charles

As a television fan, I would pick an black-American artist Michael Ray Charles who has presented advertising or commercial paintings in the pbs.org web side. He studied advertising design and illustration, eventually moving into painting. As a viewer, his paintings reminded me that I can’t divorce myself from a past that has led me to where I am, who I have become, and how I am portrayed. Most his paintings describe ugliness, nostalgia, and violence emerge and converge. For example, I pay much attention to the one ugliness "After Black (To See or Not to See)" and "Before Black (To See or Not to See)". It let me notions what the beauty is. Besides, (“I think these images are very much a part of who we are as blacks, and very much a part of who we are as Americans.”) I learned from his interview that I should be honors to doing everything.

Art Diary #5:

“Playing, running, jumping, catching…etc.” is an important rule that it appeared us in our own childhood. I recorded this emotional scene when I saw children playing in the street. From those two pictures, there action attracted me to pay attention. Whenever, I am wondering and being afraid to join them, I see children playing in the park, street, or somewhere. I know I can’t lay aside anything. I am not a kid since I am a college student, or an adult. Sometimes, I think these children are very welfare.

Art Diary #4: QingMing Festival

I’m bound to find some better photo for my blog. I am alone with my camera anywhere today because I just want to make my blog more special. I shotted typical tourist pictures out of the bus and train windshield on the way to school. “no, no… it is bad” I felt. Suddenly, I found it when I signed into my e-mail. Since it is the traditional QingMing Festival in China, I could see those two meaningful pictures. QingMing Festival usually occurs around April 5 of the Gregorian calendar. It is people who go outside to tend to the graves of departed ones. It recorded all of my memory about my grandfather. I could not have time to perform my duty in QingMing since I am living in U.S. I am thinking how people are doing now. Mmmm… Sad, more sad, and much sad.

Art Diary #3: Harbor

Ohooo! He sang around the garage when I walked out of my house and stood in backyard. Hmm. He flew to a low branch on the tree when I watched him. After I moved closer, saying “Hi”, he didn’t retreat. Oh, I knew what he wondered for. I came to house and picked some bread back to the yard. Suddenly, he proceeded to the bread’s destination. He didn’t retreat when I moved more close. Finally, he picked up the last bread piece and flew away. After I wondered to invite him in my house. I believed you should have the harbor for this Winter and Spring. Therefore, I drew this picture called “Harbor". I should have a harbor as you my friend(Bird). What is your harbor in this class?

Art Diary #2: The Map of Chicago Train's Loop

You may not pay much attention to this map when you take a train. Today, I met a passenger Joseph who just comes from New York. In New York, there are 26 trains serving in the subway system, and each train has its own color. People easy to miss stop if you don’t know the map. As a stranger, he used his experiences to record the Chicago Loop train’s map today. He used colors to draw a Chicago Loop train’s map because this map can give him more train directions for the trip. From these two maps, he has known that the Chicago ‘L’ is a large system. In his maps, he marked down the direction’s information what he needed for. The different colors clear to show him where he should stop or transfer. Finally, he got off the orange line train in Library/Van Buren through the arrows and orange color.