AJ Meldahl Professor Pospisil 1 May 2011 Art is everywhere.

In our society it is expressed through paintings, drawings and sculptures as well as through music, dance and film. It surrounds us all in everyday life, whether or not we realize it. It is for this reason that I consider myself an artistic person. After years of learning, experiencing, and practicing art, I feel as if now it has taken on a larger role in my life. Every day I tend to notice art in both abstract and obvious places, whether it be the painting hanging on the wall in our living room or the pattern of the spokes on a new bicycle. Possessing the ability to notice art in all walks of life is a very fascinating tool. This knack to find elements of art in any setting can provide oneself with a vast knowledge of art. Art has always taken a large role in my life. Throughout my lifetime I have created many pieces of artwork using various techniques and mediums. By taking this fun/intriguing course I was able to build on my current art skills and create a handful of new pieces that Im very proud of. Over the course of this semester, I have learned, explored and revisited numerous art topics and techniques which have only improved my understanding for art. In addition to a better understanding, I have also increased my appreciation for art. Researching different techniques and mediums has broadened my horizons and provided me with a chance to see the effort, time, skill to create these various works of art. The bridge project gave me a chance to work with 3 dimensional art, in a project where detail and precision were stressed. Another project which proved to stretch my skills was the 2D perspective drawing. Overall, each and every project was a great experience and provided me with skills that will last a lifetime. My favorite work during the semester was the color wheel project. In order to create a color wheel which incorporated 3D artwork, I first started by drawing and coloring a simple color wheel. I did this by using colored pencils (primary colors) and drawing paper. After completing the 2D color wheel on paper I decided it would be an interesting idea to use pencil shavings. At first at assumed I would create a sculpture in order to incorporate 3D art into my piece, but after a little thought I realized the pencil shavings themselves would work. For every color in my color wheel, I took the corresponding colored pencil and placed shavings on top. After the first few colors I thought I would clean up all the broken tips and loose shavings, but after a close look I realized it added a lot more color and texture. This project turned out to be a very fun piece to create and Im very pleased with the finished product.