Inspiration Whilst Cleaning Bathrooms?. . .

I work at Khoury's Restaurant, and sometimes I'm forced to do the dirty task of cleaning the restrooms. No, this does not inspire me, not in any way at all, just to clear that up. However, this seems strange, but when cleaning the women's bathroom, I always notice the decor. In the corner, there is a vase/pot holding fake plants, and in this setting, it is really quite, well, lame. It's just some stupid decor in a bathroom at a restaurant, right? It's probably actually plastic and mass produced, but something about it makes me notice it every time. It is a vessel or vase with two cherubs on the sides and it has so much detail in the design. I also really like the shape and form to it. I think it's very elegant and classical, and it always makes me want to create something with clay that has just as many details. I see it and want to sketch ideas for a new ceramic project or leave to go get my hands dirty with some clay, not by cleaning the bathrooms. 

I know it is in such a strange setting, but i this piece of art always inspires me and puts me in the mood to work with clay, and hey, inspiration can come from anywhere or anything! 

This is a picture i found on the internet that is similar to it. I know, at first it looks very boring, and I may just be weird, but i really like it! :) 

OH NO!! Does This Photo Make Me Look Fat?!?!?

Self-Portraiture- by definition, it is a representation of an artist, created by themselves. In my opinion, the key word in this definition is the word 'artist.' I believe that in order to be a true self-portrait, authentic to the time before the camera, the image must contain some sort of artistic element. This being said, I think that ever since digital cameras, camera phones, and webcams have come to be, the artistic concept of self portraiture has been damaged. Nowadays, everyone takes pictures of themselves to post on a social network with one goal in mind: to make themselves look great, better than the next person. In my opinion, this has ruined the idea of a self portrait. Instead of having great composition, being creative and original, and made with skill and talent, portraits are becoming more or so a snapshot posed to make the person look "perfect," not realistic or artistic in any way.   Calling these internet snapshots of ones self a self-portrait seems almost an insult to real artists who spend hours of their time composing their own self portraits. The two types of self image should not be generalized under one category, self portraiture.

On another note, I think the article "Here I Am Taking My Own Picture" had a really great point about how with the age of the digital camera, people have become more comfortable with putting themselves out there and with images of themselves. Years ago, people seemed to be more modest, some people even hated to have their photo taken. Artists would go their whole career with only creating a few self portraits. Now, people want to plaster photos of themselves all over the internet. It may seem like a sign of growing confidence in our society, but in reality, i think that it shows the insecurities of us. Everyone wants to be noticed; the best way they think they can do that is is by taking photos of themselves to, in a lack of better words, show off. When looking at a self image, the question is no longer "does this photo realistically look like me," but has changed to "does this picture make me look fat" or "will he think I look cute in this photo" or "do my eyes stand out enough?" etc.

So, to sum it up, I think that when looking at a self portrait, the question should be whether or not it's a great work of art, and if not, it's not truly a self portrait, but merely a snapshot.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/19/fashion/sundaystyles/19SELF.html

Iced Lattes and Cinnamon Rolls

What inspires me as an artist? Hmm, well, not exactly coffee and pastries, as the title to this post suggests; however, the place to consume these items, a small coffee shop, has often sprung some inspiration into my mind. Sometimes when I'm in a funk with my art, all I need is a relaxing place with great art to clear my mind and fill it with art. A coffee shop provides just that ambiance for me. Most coffee shops tend to have local artist's work on display, and I love staring at all the different creations as I sip a latte, admiring their work and gathering ideas that I could possibly incorporate into a piece of my own. It's like a small art museum with no admission. One coffee shop in particular that I love to go to is the Blend. It's close and convenient, and it provides lots of inspiration for me as an artist. The Blend has such a peaceful aura, with the smell of coffee beans, soft music, and the comfort, that provides me with peace of mind and allows me to really look at the art. Most often, there is a specific artist or style featured that rotates every once i awhile.  I love when i walk in and there is a whole new set of art on display, for my viewing pleasure. I become entranced with certain pieces and inspired by some also. One artist in particular that has had work at the Blend that really makes me in the mood to create is Jean Filson. I absolutely love her art, and love seeing it on display. My favorite piece of hers is called "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" and has been on display there more than once. I could stare at this painting for hours.

http://www.jeanfilson.com/fineArt.htm

I guess in general you could just say that I'm inspired by art itself. Seeing the works of other artists brings ideas to me, and puts me in the mood to make my own art. 

What should be in my Portfolio?

I think that a very good portfolio would include great works of art in a variety of different mediums; therefore, i think my   portfolio should include my best pieces and several different mediums. By showing several mediums, a portfolio can display one's ability more accurately. 

After reading the list from MIAD, I have an idea of what to put in my portfolio, but I also found the list to be shorter than I had expected, just very generalized, but it has shown to me that i need to focus mostly on 'real life' and not photographs. I think that making a great portfolio with be stressful, but it won't be to hard to include said pieces because I'm really going to try to step out of my safe zone and include a variety of work and experiment with different medias. The biggest difficulty I'll probably be faced with will be making a realistic self portrait of myself, as I have tried before and it hasn't turned out to my liking. Nothing about the list really surprised me because I know most colleges are looking for well rounded students and want to see a broad spectrum of talent. I'm working on a portfolio in 2D as well as 3D, so i know I'm going to have a lot of work ahead of me creating several pieces in both areas. In my 2D portfolio, I really want to work on paintings and photography along with several other mediums. In 3D, i definitely want to include lots of ceramics, sculpture and thrown pieces, both funtional and decorational. I'm not sure all what colleges I want to show my portfolio to yet, but Webster University and a few schools in Chicago will be seeing it sometime soon, so hopefully I can work hard enough to pull together a decent portfolio.