Crystal Gauna ITE 326 Visual Arts May 28, 2013 Who Am I as a Visual Artist, and What Role

do the Arts Play in My Life Three of my strengths are that I have an eye for detail, I have a creative mind, and I am patient. I am detail-oriented, that is, when it comes to what I do. In other words, if I didnt know the man running by me just robbed the store I may not be a good eye witness to describe him; but when I am doing things or making something, I cant help but notice detail. Thankfully, although I am very aware I dont let perfectionism get in the way when doing noncritical things so I can be choosy about what to invest my time and energy to. I also have a creative way of seeing things. I can look at random splotches of paint and see figures, and I can come up with different ways to do things. Although I am not good at coming up with things completely out of my head, with just a little to work with I can envision an interesting character or think of a fun way of doing something. Lastly, I am patient. This is most important because whether with myself or others, I can stay calm and take the time needed to work something out. If people need help I can work with them as long as they need; or if Im working on a project, I can invest as much time and energy as is required to get it done and have it done well. These qualities are all beneficial to me as an artist and as an educator because if I have the option to do so, I can devote plenty of time and energy to creating something myself or helping others in their work so we will be happy with the results. I can also help others to learn how to open their eyes to what is around them to be inspired and use whatever material is available. My goals are to take time to practice the arts I enjoy, learn more techniques, and help others to see that they too can be artists. I still have art supplies from when I was in college 15 years ago. I was in secondary education and one of my subject areas was art. My best friend is an artist; she has always had what I consider artistic skills. Although I dont have the natural ability she has, I have always enjoyed art and wanted to learn how to use watercolors and oils. My classes were just the beginning, but since I graduated I have not touched my paints. I would like to have the time and space to use them, but I never felt I did so there they sit. I would also like to help others explore with different media to find ways to express themselves creatively. To reach my goals I simply need to set aside time to do things I enjoy just for the sake of it. Forget the house and my schedule; I just need to decide Im going to do something for myself. One way I learn is by copying drawings and paintings. So once I start making time to play around with all my art supplies, I can start trying out different techniques. I am never bored because there is always plenty needing to be done which is why its hard for me to feel like I can take out anything extra.

Although I might enjoy taking a class related to one medium or another, and it would force me to commit to practicing art for my own benefit, I dont think my schedule would necessarily allow for a set class time. I just need to find a way to make it happen. When I teach lessons I try to make them interactive and creative whenever possible; I try to encourage others to be creative and not feel inhibited by what may be required. Once I make a point of practicing the arts for myself, I will have even more of an artists mindset and I hope I can pass that on to others. Artifacts: This is a framed card from a set I bought. I really like the artwork. I also love nature, especially things related to the ocean. I have shells, other nautical items and other things from nature throughout my house, but especially in our front room. I chose this because it represents my love of nature. It also shows how I like to decorate with natural items just as they are or use them to create something new or embellish something else. I included the gel candle which my sister and I made.

This is a cabinet which holds many of the decorative items we have that represent places all over the world. For Africa we have our tribesman and the black container which is made from plastic bags. My husband, Vince, got the man on the ox and the little mask in the lower right corner; Im not sure where theyre from but the man on the ox makes me think of somewhere like Peru. My mother-in-law lives in a gated community between Tijuana and Ensenada. When we visited her once we went to Ensenada and bought two maracas; one got broken. The other two musical instruments, the frog and the bamboo, as well as the figure in the middle, are from Kauai.

Vince bought me the different colored glass bottles from Pier 1 (along with the ceramic drawers), but they remind me of when I was little, I think in second grade, and my family went on a six-week driving trip across the western US and into Mexico. I think the glass shop we visited was in Mexico. We saw them blowing glass and I bought a glass poodle which I remember eventually broke and Im not sure if its in a box somewhere or long gone. Interestingly, now one of my cousins is a glass artist. I chose this collection of items because it demonstrates my love of music and my appreciation for different cultures and their art forms. I like their bold colors and striking designs, but also the simplicity of some of the items.

I made the ceramic cave in my sculpture class in college around 1996. I wanted to recreate a scene from history so I copied actual cave paintings from different caves shown in my art history textbook. I chose to include it here because it shows my interest in history, different cultures, and their artwork. It would seem silly to me if I tried to make up my own so-called cave paintings, but it isnt silly because these are actual drawings people used long ago to depict their lives. I like

that it is something I created of what others created. It makes me wonder how they spent their time, how they stayed warm in their caves, how they made use of what was available to them, and how much simpler life was for themnot that it was easier, but they didnt have so many distractions like we have now. I also chose to include three ceramics I made using the wheel; these are three of my favorites because of the uniqueness of the glazes. The blue and tan one was the most purposeful with two different glazes; I like the speckles in it. The other two are cool because of how the glaze varies which was due to heat. Ceramics are my favorite medium. I like that you can have something in mind but you cant be sure of what youll end up with, and instead of trying to put the right color and stroke onto paper, you take away material to find your subject. These show that I enjoy not only free forms, but also uniform pieces best made with a wheel; they also demonstrate the potential variety of ceramics.

NAME:__________________Crystal Gauna_________________________________

Scoring Rubric for Self-Assessment For Who Am I As An Artist? Does Not Meet Expectations
Online posting: __ The assignment was not completed and criteria were not met for accomplished work.

Meets Expectations
Online posting in Forums and in Assignments _x_ Include your name on your posting in a .doc file in Forums _x_ Proofread your work before submitting A one page analysis that lists : _x_Your strengths as a visual artist and visual arts educator _x_Three goals you are setting for yourself as a visual artist and arts educator _x_ Steps to meet the goals you have established. _x_ Three artifacts (minimum) A description of each artifact that includes _x_ Why you chose the item _x_ What the item tells about the visual arts in your life or about you as a visual artist. _x_ Assess yourself using this rubric _x_ Post on Forums for peer review _x_ Share a statement of validation to three or more of your peers that indicates that you have read his/her entire posting and that you appreciate something specific about his/her work. Provide substantial feedback. __Name___Steevy-Rae___ __Name___Kristy________ __Name___Kassidy______ _x_Add the names of the three peers to the rubric _x_Post your work and the rubric in Assignments for instructor review.

Exceeds Expectations
In addition to meets expectations, provide evidence of how you think you exceeded the expectations for this project:

I didnt just select three objects, but I used three collections to demonstrate variety within each area. One piece may give a basic idea of my interests and thinking, but collections give a fuller picture.

Hi Crystal,

I really enjoyed reading your paper and knowing more about you as a person and as an artist and as a collector. You have exceeded the expectations for this project and you explained this well when you wrote I didnt just select three objects, but I used three collections to demonstrate variety within each area. One piece may give a basic idea of my interests and thinking, but collections give a fuller picture. I especially enjoyed viewing the cave paintings you recreated along with the figure that you created. This is wonderful and I love this time in art history. I have used a read aloud with young children, First Dog by Jan Brett, showed children cave paintings, and then had them work with charcoal on large brown paper. The outcomes were beautiful. I encourage you to share the things you love in art history with your students. They will pick up on your enthusiasm and enjoy the experiences you provide. I do hope you will choose to have your students work with clay as well. A study of prehistoric animals is fascinating to elementary students and lends itself well to making small animal figures with clay. Thank you for sharing your collections with us. With Aloha, Jennifer