Looking Back at the Course...

At last, we've arrived at the final blog of the year. Not only does this mark the end of the 2008-2009 school year, but the end of the TGJ201 course. I can honestly say that this course has benefited me because i was able to attain knowledge and skills that will assist me with my future jobs. I had the privilege to be taught how to use various computer image-editing programs, a skill that is probably useful in the near future. Not only can i take important skills with me, but the fun pieces of art I've created.

The multiple exposure assignment was my first major project of the year. Though I was still quite new to Adobe Photoshop, I thought I had handled the tasks pretty well. I had all the ideas in my mind and everything seemed perfect; until doom headed my way. After changing wardrobe between the shots and adjusting the lights, the final 5 photos were saved onto my trusty USB. The next day, in the Communication Tech. area, I realized that the final pictures didn't make sense when put together. I grew tired of trying to put together the impossible so I decided to take completely new photos at school to finish the assignment immediately. In the end, I chose the staircase by the Art Department as my scene. I took several snapshots, all with various poses in my uniform and rushed to crop each image with the almighty magnetic lasso tool. I regret not being able to add more creativity, but with procrastination comes consequences. I feel the strongest component of this piece were the different uses of leveling and positioning on the staircase.

The circus collage assignment was another Adobe Photoshop project that i looked forward to. I approached this with much more excitement and confidence. The collage was meaningful because I was able to create a piece of art that i could personally connect to. The collage was a representation of my personality and so I decided to choose the trapeze artist because I am adventurous and daring and i enjoy taking risks. Cropping images was much easier at this point in the course as I've had previous experience. At the beginning, arranging the images was tough because I wasn't able to fit every aspect into my collage, but the result of my finished product satisfied me. I didn't encounter many problems with this project as it was quite simple and I understood the concept thoroughly. The strongest component of my collage would have to be the way i portrayed a trapeze artist by being in a swinging position to make it seem like i was an actual circus performer. Then, with Photoshop, i added a swing to my hands and it instantly looked realistic.

The vectorized pattern assignment was confusing at first because I was just introduced to Adobe Illustrator, another image-editing program. After several attempts at vectorizing, i was able to achieve a clean look for my images. I thought that Illustrator was a lot more complicated than Photoshop. My three randomly chosen objects were a spoon, a hamburger and a lightbulb. Vectorizing was only frustrating at first, but the effort to make each detail matter was well worth it in the end. After my three images were vectorized, i had to conjure up my creativity to combine all three objects to generate a pattern. After much rotating and flipping, i arrived at an unusual design that somewhat resembled an insect. I was quite proud of my pattern, as it took a combined effort of imagination and patience. I felt that the strongest components of my final art piece were the three individual vectorized objects. They looked amazing on their own and I couldn't help but marvel at the difference vectorization could make. My images were instantly transformed from dull to lively.

The eccentricK inspiration assignment was one of the most frustrating projects I've ever completed due to its inability to save onto the computer and USB! I had to redo my project FIVE times, but thankfully, i saved my vectorized portrait and pattern individually so I didn't have to restart each time it failed. After attending the seminar, i immediately proceeded to brainstorm and research a candidate proven to be eccentric and inspirational. After considering Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller, i decided to settle with Edward Norton, known for his notorious movie roles in both "Fight Club" and "The Incredible Hulk". I was content with my final portrait but it would've looked much better if my pattern had a coloured background. Also, there weren't many vectorized areas, so you could barely recognize who the celebrity was. I believe the strongest component of my project would have to be how I adjusted the size very small to make it congested, so that the white spaces in between were only partially visible.

The WeccentricK video assignment was without a doubt my favourite project of the entire course. I always enjoyed filming and editting videos, but i felt that the friendship i had with my partner Olivia contributed to most of the fun i had while working on it. Our project exceeded my expectations completely because we felt alot of difficulty creating a storyboard at first. The turnout of our project was somewhat unlike what we had in mind when we first began. After 3 weeks of filming, photoshoots, and editting, our final video entitled "Vively" (a merge of our traits lively and vivacious) was finished and in our perspectives, a perfect portrayal of our personalities. Most of the video was unscriptted and we just acted naturally as the camera rolled. We used the song "The Fear" by Lily Allen as our music and faint giggling and singing can be heard in the background. I feel that we were able to overcome every obstacle that headed our way. The strongest component of our video would have to be our concept and the various methods we used to make the video interesting and different from the others.

EccentricK!

Mary Ward's annual art show was yet another success and produced much excitement and praise amongst students, graduates, parents and every visitor who ventured through the maze of various forms of art. Not surprisingly, the Art Department managed to agree upon another theme that captured the attention of hundreds; EccentricK. Weeks before the art show opening, anticipation built within the school. At last, EccentricK was revealed to the public on May 4th through May 8 and visitors marveled at each piece. I am positive that many would agree the wait was well worth it as this year's art show completely exceeded my expectations.

I'd have to admit that I was skeptical about attending, but after the positive reviews made by the visitors, I just HAD to go experience it for myself. Thankfully, I do not regret purchasing a ticket to view the creations of our very own students as amazement fell upon me each time. As a result, I ended up going everyday for at least one period to enjoy live entertainment and read the meaning behind each idea.

Having to choose between what I enjoyed most is tough, as each section had its own type of creativity and originality. I would say that the senior fashion designs blew me away. The designs were modern, original and elegant. I even considered buying several of those dresses! As well, I enjoyed the plush toys suspended from the ceiling. They were comparable to what you would purchase at a store. The stitching was precise and created a lovely finished product. Lastly, I would HAVE TO comment on the "I Am" videos produced by the grade ten class. Each groups' various approaches to the project were humorous and fun to watch.

I will most likely return to the upcoming art shows and I am ecstatic to discover what the Mary Ward Art Department will conjure up for next year.

My Comment:
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3606309070267875959&postID=6198368466643699112&page=1

Excuse Me While I Answer My Phone...

Cellphones have reached a long way down the road of evolution since its debut as a brick. The invention of cellphones began as an accessory that was highly disregarded to a necessity acquired by every adult and teenager. From its chunky and heavy brick design to the modern day slim and chic, inevitably, cellphones are constantly evolving whether it's appearance or performance. Cellphones have virtually become palm-size computers, performing several similar tasks varying from surfing the web to video games. Though these convenient devices were purposely created so that you could use it anytime, anywhere, there is proper etiquette to using a cellphone.

Cellphone owners are sometimes oblivious to the manners that make chatting over the phone suitable in public. Everyone wants to avoid appearing as a conceited and noisy cellphone user. Here are 5 necessary rules that would apply to cellphone owners everywhere:

1. DO NOT speak with a loud voice over the cellphone while in a public place. Your conversations were not meant for the ten other people on the bus. Keep your voice to a minimum volume as it will benefit everyone including yourself.

2. DO NOT use the cellphone in the midst of a conversation with others. If you have to answer the call, excuse yourself politely. The worst scenario is if your friend was left with the awkward silence after you left in the middle of their sentence.

3. DO NOT leave your cellphone's ringtone on during a seminar, meeting, mass or library as it can disturb those and what's going on around you. Mute or switch your cellphone to vibrate to respect the silence.

4. DO NOT endanger yourself or your surroundings by using the cellphone while driving. This can cause serious consequences as the cellphone can become a distraction from the road.

5. DO NOT focus all your attention towards the cellphone during a family gathering. You're meant to be with your relatives, not texting away the night crawled up on the couch. It's not only disrespectful, but embarrassing.

My Comment:
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=4144547603988949638&postID=898058497933498382&page=1

"Everything is Amazing and Nobody's Happy"

Certainly, technology is a bittersweet invention. Its growth in our world accelerates at such an increasing speed that even humans can’t seem to keep up with it. In the video clip, Comedian Louis C.K humorously commented on technology being wasted on the most spoiled generation yet. His perspective on this topic was absolutely agreeable and helped me arrive at a conclusion: Technology has somehow altered human lifestyles for the better, while corrupting them at the same time. We've developed into individuals that rely on technology for every single task needed to be accomplished while unknowingly take advantage of it. Our generation has such high expectations and maintenance that we have reached a point where we can never be satisfied. Waiting more than one minute for a text message to be received by a friend living in another city shouldn't be difficult. As Louis C.K stated “Give it a minute; it’s going to space!"

Understandably, modern times revolve mainly around technology. Even I'd admit that I've grown careless towards the countless inventions I encounter and rely upon daily. Technology has undoubtedly brought ease to my life, whether it’s keeping my social life alive or providing me with all the research I need from the click of a mouse. As shameful as this would sound, I am an abuser of technology; I am easily bothered if loading lasts more than 2 minutes, I absolutely refuse to write my homework with the exception of math and I keep my MP3 player sacredly. After questioning my parents about the various forms of technology that existed during their childhood, I wasn't amazed to discover that the gadgets and devices we currently have weren't available back then. The demand for computers, televisions and cellphones has majorly declined since my parents' youth.

Though technology has been beneficial to our daily lives, there are certain inventions that are absurd, only managing to lead naive late-night television viewers into falling for their clever marketing schemes.

Technology has truly evolved, giving us ease in our busy lives. Unfortunately, it hasn't gotten the recognition it deserves.

My Comment:
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1524474644655315222&postID=8852608487320888556

Gaming Gone Wild!

Speaking as a 16 year old without any video games or systems existing in the household (besides a few Nintendo Gameboys catching dust in the closet) I do sometimes crave the excitement and the adventurous virtual getaways they bring. Although I would not refer to myself as a frequent gamer, a fair percentage of the youth today are. Video games provide entertainment and considering the increasing improvement of video games since the original Super Mario, teens of all ages enjoy them for the realistic graphics, challenges and action. Video games is no longer an activity to pass time, it’s practically a way of life.

Though I somewhat understand the concept behind the obsession with video games, many people would question themselves, "what's the big deal about them anyway?” Video games were originally created for one or two people, but as the development of technology increases, users are now capable of challenging others around the globe! As well, with the realistic situations video games offer, gamers are able to put themselves in dangerous surroundings without it actually affecting them. Teens enjoy role-playing and having their imagination active in an assortment of situations, whether it’s a war battlefield, a city overflowing with infected cannibals or planet Mars. With a wide variety of video game genres existing and the popular demand of video game sequels, it’s understandably impossible for gamers to trade their video game controllers for a tennis racket.

Video games appear as a negative invention to a fraction of people, but they can also have a positive side to it. Video games require skills and coordination. They not only exercise the brain and encourage the use of imagination, but there are several games that can also be educational. But regardless, it’s up to the owner’s decision when enough is enough. Perhaps the video game creators should cut back on the amount of levels as well. Trying to overcome level 50 can convert a non-gamer to a total addict!

Not surprisingly, video game usage has been totally blown out of proportion by our generation. All in all, the topic of whether video games are positive or negative is questionable; it simply depends on how often it is played. Once in a while is acceptable, but 24 hours a day is over the top.

My Comment:
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5994031626013394325&postID=573653352002991901

The Campaign Trail

Barack Obama's win in the United States' presidential election was a historical event. It marked the beginning of a new era and will ultimately contribute towards the good of the American citizens. He will be acknowledged for years to come, not only as the man responsible for bringing the promising changes to America, but as well as for being the first African-American president in the U.S.

Due to the popularity of the Budweiser beer commercial back in 2000, a new, innovative and very clever second commercial was created recently. The latest "Wazzap" advertisement was memorable and supportive of the campaign for Obama. I found it effective in persuading Americans to vote for Barack Obama through the use of humour and reality while attacking America's current issues that have negatively impacted the entire nation. Obama's message was clearly delivered through the ad, encouraging voters to support his wishes to re-shape the American society and economy. His message, a vote for Barack Obama is a vote for a new beginning, cleverly reached out to the American viewers. Though the commercial was intended for American citizens specifically, it was no surprise that the witty commercial would cause such hype among other countries around the world. It didn’t take too long before Barack Obama was globally recognized and the world anticipated a brighter future with him as president.

During the advertisement several campaign issues were mentioned; increasing unemployment, the war in Iraq, struggle for expensive health care, the fall of the economy and the increase of serious life-threatening weather conditions. It showed that the United States was at the stake of falling apart and with Barack Obama’s guidance, America will be able to rise to the top once again. I believe his idea of raising the awareness of the nation-wide struggles, Obama has prevailed and deserved his win in the election.

My Comment:
http://dianasaaurus.blogspot.com/2008/11/re-campaign-trail.html#links