Artwalk is Tomorrow Night

Just a reminder -- September's Artwalk is tomorrow (Thursday, Sept 20) from 5-8 PM. Just go to any downtown gallery with an Artwalk sign in front, and pick up a map, or go to the website for more info (link is on the right.)

Future dates for Artwalk are Thurs Oct 18, Friday Nov 23, and Thurs Dec 20, from 5-8 PM. (These are also on the school calendar.)

If you're interested in doing the Artwalk Scavenger Hunt for extra credit, the items needed are listed below:

• a postcard/pamphlet/or handout from any 3 galleries showing art at Artwalk. (3 pts)


• An autograph or photo of an artist speaking at any of the showings (2 pts)


• An autograph or photo of any musical performers (2 pts)


• The name of a painting being shown at Artwalk and the name of the artist who made it (1 pt)


• The name of a photo being shown and the name of the artist who took it. (1 pt)


• The name of a 3-dimensional work of art being shown and the name of the artist who created it. (1 pt)


• A piece of biographical information about an artist (artist’s statement, resume’, business card, exhibit list) (2 pts)


• The name of a “master” artist (i.e. Monet, Andy Warhol) who inspired one of the artists to create art in the first place (Ask them!!! They will be glad to tell you.) (5 pts)


• The names of 3 galleries participating in Artwalk.

Phun With Photoshop -- Funny Digital Collage

Never believe what you see in photos. :)

I took a photo of the school, but it had a really ugly sky. (You can see the photo here.) I really needed to use the picture right away and didn't have time to wait for a prettier day to take the picture, so I was stuck trying to find a way to fix the sky. After trying unsuccessfully to fix the sky by adjusting the colors of the photo, I finally decided to just erase the sky* and "glue" the sky from another photo into the background in Photoshop. That worked well, and you can see that picture here.

But, I couldn't just stop there... I was having so much fun learning new things with Photoshop that I decided to make a funny digital photo collage. I asked a willing victim... er... student to strike a terrified pose, took a photo, and cut-and-pasted him into the photo; then painted alien tractor beams from the spaceships to the ground behind him. I then adjusted the color of the highlights in the picture of the boy so it looked like a yellow light was shining all over him.

*make sure your picture is on a transparent background for this to work. If it isn't already, you can cut the entire picture and paste it into a new workspace, clicking "transparent background" when you open up the new window.

Whimsical Wire Portraits

These fun and colorful portraits were inspired by the work of Alexander Calder. Below is Calder's "Portrait of Miro":

Blotted Line -- Advanced Art for College

For this project, we studied the blotted line technique used by Andy Warhol in his early advertising illustrations:

Line Designs -- Art I and II

To prepare for this project, we studied art by Keith Haring, the Maori people, and local artist Charles Jupiter Hamilton, among others.

For a first project, I am really impressed! Way to go, everyone!

The Trial of Sherrie Levine

So, you've been reading about Copyright law and Fair Use and we've had some interesting conversations in class about using other artists' work in our own art (appropriation.)

Now we are going to further explore Copyright law by staging a mock trial of a modern artist, Sherrie Levine. Levine's artwork is well-known for her use of pop culture and master art images, and we are going to pretend in class that the artists whose work she appropriated are not happy about it and are suing. You will each be given a role to play in the trial, and must research your case so that you can present it in our mock trial. (Jurors, you will have to educate yourselves on both sides of the issue!)

All the information you will need can be found at this website:
Innocent or Guilty -- Deciding the Fate of Sherrie Levine. (Special thanks to Craig Roland of Art Junction for sharing this lesson plan!)

We go to trial on Monday, and I'll be the judge! You'd better have a good case, and argue it well in front of your jury. An artist's livlihood hangs in the balance! :)

Copyright and Fair Use

Who owns a work of art? Believe it or not, artists' images are protected by Copyright law. That means that if you come up with an idea (including artwork), your ownership of that idea is protected under our government, and that people have to get your permission to use that idea -- as long as you go through the process to get it copyrighted.

However, some use is allowed under Fair Use law, which allows for a certain amount of "borrowing" of ideas for the sake of artistic reference. This means you can sometimes use part of an image in your artwork, but not copy a copyrighted image directly into your art. It's tricky, though... the laws are getting tougher and tougher, and companies are suing artists for using their logos in their art without permission.

In other words, straight-up copying of another person's work is copyright infringement, and sometimes even referring to another artist's work, corporate logo, or mascot can get you into hot water, as well. It can also get you into trouble in my class, because I can not accept artwork that is not original. (Please see me if you want to reference copyrighted work for your own artwork -- there are ways to get permission from copyright-holders to legally use those items.)

This short video will attempt to make some (fun) sense out of Copyright and Fair Use law:


Also, here are some links that will help you get started with your first project, in which you will study Copyright law, Trademark, and Fair Use practices:

The US Copyright Office -- here, you'll find the basics about Copyright Law.

The Free Expression Policy Project -- there is a lot of info here about Fair Use, especially as it pertains to art.

Are Bullies After Our Culture -- a very interesting and thought-provoking article about the pros and cons of copyright law, and how it affects our freedom of expression in the United States. (Wired Magazine)

The FAQ About Protest, Parody, and Criticism Sites -- this site has a great basic FAQ about Copyright, Trademark, and Fair Use policy, and about what does and does not constitute a violation of these laws.

Put the Brakes on Trademark Infringement -- An article about the good and bad side of trademark protection.

You will be required to write a research paper and present it to the class about Fair Use. Please see me to discuss topic ideas. Good luck!

Special thanks to art teacher guru Judy Decker at the Incredible Art Department for all the information on Copyright and Fair Use.