Introduction and Art Lessons Response

Hey! I'm Jen... a 5th year student at UW-Stout. I am finishing up my BFA in Industrial Design and Philosophy minor this spring (2010) and will be moving on to the next stages of my life ("real" job, marriage in September, more bills, etc. ) I was born and raised in the rural area of Greenfield, Minnesota on a hobby farm - horses, Arabians in particular, pigeons, dogs, cats, hamsters, ground squirrels, hermit crabs, etc. I am the biggest animal lover I know, aside from the creator himself. My mom is an interior designer and my dad does commercial real estate, so both business folk which has also rubbed off on me in ways I'm sure.

Why am I taking Drawing III? Well... I love drawing. It's bittersweet really because nothing stresses me out more than a blank page I can't get myself to look at, let alone create a fantastic masterpiece on. Really, this is a mental game that simply boils down to e-x-p-e-c-t-a-t-i-o-n. I think that Deborah Haynes begins to unpack this box labeled "art," but I will touch on that in a minute. Back to Drawing III - I draw because that's what I do? Perhaps because I have been esteemed to think that this is a "talent" and thus I perform to receive gratification? Possibly because I am walking towards an industry that demands me to be dangerous with this skill? Or maybe because I simply enjoy the past time of making marks on surfaces, sort of an odd conversation with myself. I would say I'm not an introverted person by any means, but when it comes to me and my "work" (a.k.a. pride), I need solitude; this is one of the challenges for working openly in a studio setting. I guess I will claim this as a goal for myself, to be more comfortable working in the presence of others. Brilliant.

Responding to Haynes first few pages of her "Art Lessons," I have to say I am impressed by the determination she has set forth in chasing after her innate curiosity and interest in her surroundings. Do I agree with all she is suggesting? Absolutely not, but this is not the point of her book anyway. "Art" is one of those things that can't be fully owned or defined... it is truly unique. At least that's my opinion. I guess, art is opportunity in my mind.

I could sit an ask questions all day as to what art is, what is its origin, what does it mean, etc. Frankly, I am a visual person. Furthermore, I am very influenced by my senses in general, which plays into how I perceive and communicate in life. This is my basis for claiming myself as an "artist." It's my nature. However, I don't agree that there is a particular template or standard of what a true artist is. For me, growing up I was always "artsy." I'm sure you know the story, or are this person too. I always drew pictures and painted things, won the art contests, people just referred to me as "the artist." I truly understood myself to be elite in this world, and prided myself on this factor that I'm not sure I can even take full credit for in the first place. Well thankfully, my ego bubble got popped a few years down the road when my senior class ended up voting another girl "Most Artistic," when she only started showing her interest in art the last 2 years of her high school career. I was very annoyed for a while since I apparently depended on other people to define me, or even letting the term "artist" or "art" define me. These days, I like the phrase "It is what it is."

Well... I will be interested to read more from Haynes. She throws A LOT of material at you, lots to process... I'm sure I've missed several boats already...