David+Levine

= To see all of my artwork go to my flickr account. =
 * "Just dash something down if you see a blank canvas staring at you with certain embecility. You do not know how paralyzing it is, that staring of a blank canvas which says, 'Painter, you don't know anything.'" -**Vincent Van Gogh**

Breadth: Lino Print

Oil Pastel 18"x24" 11"x14" Graphite

15"x8" Photography

15"x19" Acrylic on Matte Board

8.5"x11" Marker & White Charcoal

18"x24" Ink and Watercolor

18"x24" Soft Pastel

11"x14" Acrylic on Canvas

18"x24" Soft Pastel

16"x11.5" Photography

10"x16" Photography

Concentration:
 * What is the central idea of your concentration?**
 * My concentration is centered on communication and its power to connect the past and present. Artists and musicians, past and present, like Kandinsky and Chopin are timeless entities who continue to influence contemporary fine arts. In a similar sense, my relationships with family and friends influence me, and my art preserves these interactions. If there is no communication with others, I still have myself. Art bridges the gap between what was and what I now visually record.


 * How does the work in your concentration demonstrate the exploration of your idea?**
 * Visual communication begins as a form of inner-monologue and grows into a dialogue between individuals. I depict communication in its most basic form, with self (images 1-7) and then with others(8-12). I communicate both physically and verbally (image 1-6). I reflect on myself as an artist (image 7). My interactions with family and friends verify my existence in time. Images 8 and 9 are of my sister. She speaks with herself (8) and then withdraws to her environment (9). In my art, she is one with history. Image 10 depicts my friends struggling with their creative expression. Van Gogh, Gustav Klimt, Andy Warhol, and Beethoven speak to me through their visual and audible expression (image 11). Van Gogh's post-impressionistic use of color and self-portraiture influences most of my work. Klimt's use of pattern and gesture inspires my work. In the background (11) is Andy Warhol's graphic portrait of Beethoven. I feel comfortable creating among the influence of these historical figures. The vibrant colors and complex compositions of Kandinsky influence my abstraction (image 12). In this piece, I focus on the expressive music of the Romantic era and the complex and clear compositions of Kandinsky to communicate visually.

6.75"x12.5" Photography

11"x16.5" Photography

8.5"x9.25" Photography

9"x15.5" Photography

9.5"x14.5" Photography

11.5"x15.5" Photography

11"x14" Marker

12"x16" Photography

18"x24" Pastel

8.5"x11" Marker

13"x18" Watercolor and Ink

18"x24" Oil Pastel

Quality:

= __For future AP Art Students:__ =
 * ** Mrs. Goodridge knows what she's talking about, so when she suggests something, don't throw it out like it's got no foundation. Ask yourself (why did she suggest that? is it my terribly static composition? my lack of color scheme? my super ugly line quality? my etc.?) Use her suggestions to think out of the box! I'm not suggesting to just take her idea and run with it, because you're the artist; you have to make the decisions when it comes to YOUR art. But sheesh, stop over-reacting errybody! Oh, and don't misinterpret her criticism as a declaration of her hatred for your artwork... That's extremely childish, so go back to pre-school. Once you graduate, you won't have her to bounce ideas off of. Don't take her for granted... **
 * = The score that you receive from AP means very little in the long run. Don't let the score hurt you, because the people grading your artwork are doing it strictly on an //academic basis//. Creative expression is not quantifiable, so the score that you will receive does NOT judge your level of creativity. A low score doesn't necessarily mean "terrible art." In the same way, a high score won't necessarily mean that you're a "genius." These scores will tell you the academic brilliance of your artwork. You could present 24 heart-wrenching masterpieces and still receive a low score because they lack mastery of the elements & principles of art & design. Let your score (good or bad) motivate you to do even better... but don't give up. Being an artist is the fusion of creative expression, craftsmanship, and technical ability. Being an AP Art Scholar is technical mastery (and of course you MUST be creative, but just go with it). =


 * Be as honest as possible during critique sessions. It's perfectly acceptable to have your feelings hurt during a critique session, after all, someone will be (and should be) honestly critiquing your artwork for any flaws. [Hate to break it to you, but you're just gonna have to suck it up and move on]That also means YOU need to be completely honest. That doesn't make you the bad guy because you're trying to help the other person! Stimulate their artistic capabilities! The bad news brings suggestions with it, and in the long run, your art will improve. After you finish your AP portfolio, you'll miss those critiques because they initiate change in you as an artist and person. Cherish all of the positive AND negative feedback that an artwork recieves, because those critiques won't happen very often during the year (and especially not after finishing the course and graduating). CRITIQUES ARE NOT A WASTE OF TIME. In fact, when I sat the Drawing portfolio, I didn't grow until my classmates graded my artwork as "poor quality" (1 or 2). Sure, my feelings were hurt, and I was super angry at the people who graded me so low because I invested //my// time, //my// energy, and //my// emotions into that piece of artwork... But rather than wallowing in self-pity and being angry at those people, I used the suggestions that my classmates gave me to craft artwork that was more relatable, more intriguing, and more technically accomplished. Never take the easy way out! Look at your previous sketches and artwork, figure out what doesn't look good, and make it look better in the next piece of art.
 * Saying that you can't do something is just annoying. Atleast, it made me annoyed when people refused to do something because they said that they "couldn't.' The only reason they couldn't is because they never tried hard enough to be able to actually do it. So don't hold yourself back. If you can't draw something, work on drawing that one thing until you are able to draw it. Voila: what you thought you couldn't do, you now can. The idea that "art is easy and anybody can do it" is a common misconception; and unfortunately, most of you probably have been taught that art can be done without any previous knowledge. Well that isn't the case... Michelangelo and Durer weren't born with the ability to draw the human figure with such perfection. They PRACTICED like crazy. Their incredible artwork was possible only because of the incredible amount of time and energy they put into practicing. In summary: the more you put into your art, the more you'll get out.
 * ** Learn to detach yourself from your artwork, not so much that you could throw it away and never look back, but be able to put down the story behind the artwork and the emotions that the piece is founded on so that you can look at the artwork without bias. It's great to stand behind your artwork and defend some of its qualities, but don't just disregard everything others suggest, because you could be missing out on an opportunity to grow. **