Art Journal #13

part one:

5/4/22

#ExperimentationAsAPhilosophy

For me, describing the progression of my journal entries is kind of a roller coaster. I feel like it’s a mix of random thoughts and theories tested out with the various conceptual aspects of my painting. Overall, the art in my journal involves a variety of media/methods including tufting, digital drawing, dying with indigo, oil paints/sticks, polymer clay, and drawing materials (markers, color sticks, pens, and oil pastels). My first entry represented my teaching philosophy, whereas the entry that followed tested the philosophy of a prompt randomizer. Then, I returned to representational images of my experience; which in this case was evolution. After that entry, I started in on my painting and from there, every aspect of my painting was both representational and conceptually referring to a teaching philosophy. The only other entry that wasn't a painting was when I explained how I might have students ideate three dimensionally with polymer clay.

I have been told that as an artist, I have strengths in creating imagery in a non-representational way. Ever since I was a kid, I was always creating forms that didn't signify anything in particular. This always came in the form of organic/geometric doodles and little sculptures made out of silly putty. As I have grown as an artist, I have continued to create work in this way; the content/concepts have just become more complex. The majority of my journal reflects this aside from the entries that involved the prompt randomizer. I think that when the prompt is super specific, I feel more inclined to answer it in a representational way. I prefer to paint because I feel that it’s the easiest way to abstract forms. I feel that the more complex the question, the more abstract the work turns out. And when I’m trying to create something that say represents integrating social justice into your curriculum, it’s easier to make this concept abstract than it is literal; in my opinion. This is why I have chosen painting as the primary media for the art that is to be installed into the gallery space.

Just in this semester alone, I have done a lot of experimentation in my painting studio. I think that this was reflected in the art produced from my journals. I feel that at the beginning of the semester, I had somewhat of an idea for my teaching philosophy, but now, my philosophy is supported by both research and pedagogy. But back to this idea of experimentation. I’ve realized that with all of these philosophies and ways of teaching, the only way to implement these in my classroom is through experimentation. For example, TAB is a great framework, but it requires a lot of support, resources, and funding that a lot of teachers don’t have access to. I like to think of myself as someone who tries out lots of different art education theories and strategies and implements what works best for my students and my classroom; whereas before this semester, I had a specific set of strategies that I had planned on using.

My final art piece is the painting that I started in Journal #4 and continued to add to as the journal entries went on. In order to include all of my entries in the final exhibition, I have chosen to make a physical rendition of my entries. Each entry will be printed on mixed media paper and annotated in a reflective way. Words and phrases of entries will be emphasized and other parts will be edited/removed. These annotations will be accompanied by visual forms that accentuate the art that was created from that journal entry and the overall idea.

I believe that the majority of my entries were best captured within the oil painting because the different elements layer on top of one another and infiltrate into one another; just as the pedagogies/philosophies do overlap and combine together. I really enjoy how everything that I have learned is reflected within a single work. There are parts of the painting where the elements seem separate, and others where it feels like they are dependent on one another; which is representative of anyone's teaching philosophy. It also has a certain fluidity about it which represents how my understandings and philosophies will be implemented though experimentation; trial and error.

Here are the latest photos of my painting. I will be making a few tweaks this weekend before it's installed in the show. But other than that, it's completed for the most part.

part two:

5/9/22

Artist statement:

Title: Experimentation As a Philosophy

This final installation embodies all of the makings and ideas for the entirety of my art journals. While the final painting only encapsulates a part of my art journal, the physical art journal below it features annotations and art forms for entries # 1-11 (the entry for 12 was the creation for #1).

The service-learning and course experience components are witnessed in the journals in which I react to the TAB-based curriculum, BRAINY tours, and our peer teaching experiences. For example, the blue wash over the oil painting is representative of the wind that we experienced on BRAINY family day. On the note of BRAINY, I discovered that I enjoy talking to kids about other works of art and other artists. In the future, I’ll be incorporating outside art experiences in my classroom. The rammed earth lesson that I developed in peer teaching will also follow me into my eventual art education career as sustainable practices are something that I wish to keep implementing into my curriculum as well.

I think it’s interesting that when I first started to create the painting, I thought I could continue adding to it under the premise of nature as artist. But, as the weeks went on and I was learning so many other pedagogies and philosophies, it had become a piece in which different philosophies, represented by different marks, were interacting with one another.

I created a painting because painting is my primary practice and it’s something that I want to continue to grow in as an artist. Before I came to CSU, I didn’t feel well-versed in any media or medium and painting is the place where I feel like I am truly able to divulge the imagery within my consciousness. Since art education is also my passion, I found it easy to portray my thoughts and reactions with a paintbrush and an oil stick. Since there are also elements of fibers work (Indigo dying processes) within this piece, I want to frame this as a way for me to intertwine disciplines as I am familiar with so many as an art education major.

I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this assignment. I have discovered that I have a passion for art education research and writing about my findings whilst displaying these thoughts through artwork. It’s inspired me to pursue a Master’s in Art Education after I graduate.

The overarching theme of this entire experience is that experimentation is a philosophy. How a painter reacts to a blank canvas by placing one mark and then reacts to that mark and so on is how I’ll go about being an art educator. I’ll throw some philosophies out there, see what sticks and what works, and continue adapting and reacting to precious decisions.