What is Art?

In the modern world, art can be anything you want it to be. Art can be something of beauty that incorporates all the elements of art, or it could abstract or an unusual image that is supposed to symbolize something. At art museums they even have murals with nothing but a phrase on it, and this too is art. I think that art should be something that moves you. It should take time to create and have detail and meaning. It should something fun to look at. It should have meaning, but I don't think that should be the only thing in the artwork, like abstract artists do. It needs to be a blend of beauty and meaning, both to the artist and the public.

Artist Inspiration

Lorraine Wilson Papas

My Aunt Lorraine was an amazing artist who loved to paint. All of her artwork was made before she was 27. After that, she suffered from Multiple Sclerosis and didn't have the hand control to paint. She married and had two children. In 2004, the MS finally won the battle she had been fighting all her life. She died peacefully in her sleep.

We have her art hanging all over our house and it looks like we

purchased professional artwork. I feel inspired by her because she was a family member and I knew her personally. Her artwork makes me try to succeed in my artistic endeavors as well as she did, and she makes me want to keep getting better at art.

Stonehenge

For this project, I made a clay model of stonehenge. I incorporated many skills in making this project. I had to make the clay sculptures, cut out a base, and make a paper-glue-and-water paste to imitate grass. You can see several elements of art, including space, texture, contrast, rhythm, and unity. I hope to take this to art fair.

The Last Leaf

This project was inspired by the oncoming of fall. The water drop has a tiny Earth on it. I did this to symbolize how the Earth is falling into turmoil and a dark period, much like winter. I wanted to show the blend of colors, but I tried using acrylic paint instead of watercolor. I think the project turned out well, and I liked how the colors blended in the background and on the leaf. I did well at showing texture and many colors. I'm proud of the way this project turned out.

The Elements of Art and Principals of Design

The elements of art are lines, shapes, forms, colors, values, textures, and space. These are the basics things that must be in every piece of art. Also, all objects in life display at least one of these elements. They are an artist's buildings blocks to something spectacular.

The principals of design are balance, contrast, emphasis, patterns, rhythm, and movement. If elements of art are the elementary parts of art, the principals of design are the secondary. They aren't necessarily in every object, but they are the things that make art beautiful. They make us want to look at the piece again, to do a double take. In other words, they are what make art, art.