Link to Tumblr Art Blog

http://rodriguezbl.tumblr.com/

Week Fourteen- "Sleeping Rivalry"

Sleeping Rivalry
Oil Paint
2010

Craft
I started using pencil just to outline the features I wanted to portray in the kitten and dog. Then I used oil paint to expand on those features.

Concept
It started with an adorable photo of a kitten and dog sleeping together. I just drew from that photo and was able to create this.

Composition
The kitten is darker than the dog so compositonally your eye is drawn to thew kitten because of size, placement and contrasting colors.

Week Thirteen-"Holding Hands"

Holding Hands
Pencil
2010

Craft
I used pencil on sketch paper.

Concept
This is the more cartoony version of me holding hands with Joshua ( he's wearing the watch). We both love The Beatles and that song just seems to match this moment.

Composition
My intentions were to draw the eye to the hands where the heart sits.

Week Twelve- "Red Lips"



Red Lips
Oil Pastel
2010

Craft
I used oil pastel and I smothed it into the background using my hands.

Concept
They are kissable red lips, an idea I received from listening to Katy Perry's I Kissed a Girl.

Composition
The eye is hinted to look towards the lips and even in the center of the lips because of the change in color.

Week Eleven- "Exploding Happiness"

Exploding Happiness
Pencil/ Oil Pastel
2010

Craft
I started with pencil, drawing the the dome and the things inside it. I then added the ballerina for she is the subject of this piece. After I added pastel to change the mood.

Concept
This idea of an exploding dome was taken from a classmate in Art Major Seminar. I drew from his piece to make a more positive piece.

Composition
The brightness of the yellow contrasts with that of the red and black, but not as strongly as the pencil on white does. The eye is drawn towards the center of the dome.

Week Ten- "Flower after Sunset"

Flower after Sunset
Oil Pastel
2010

Craft
Oil pastel was used, and I also use my fingers to mix the colors onto the paper.

Concept
This piece was inspired by Georgia O'Keefe's interpretaion of a sunset called Red and Orange Streak. I used the colors she used in her painting to create another flower of my own.

Composition
I want the attention to initially be directed to the center of the flower and for the eye to expand to the outer parts of the flower into the different colors.

Week Nine- "Flower 2"

Flower 2
Oil Pastel/ Acrylic paint
2010

Craft
I used oil pastel for the flower and metallic, acrylic paint for the background.

Concept
It's simply another flower that I designed on my own. An image presented itself in my mind and I went with it.

Composition
The background is supposed to draw your attention towards the center where the flower is.

Week Eight- "Flower1 Josh 2"

Flower 1 Josh 2
Oil Pastel
2010

Craft
I simply used oil pastel for both subjects. The first subject is a flower that I designed myself and the second a cartoony version of my friend Joshua Gralewski.

Concept
There's not much to say about the concept of this piece. It was just an image of a flower I pictured in my mind alongside someone who was on my mind.

Composition
The flower obviously jumps out and that is exactly what I wanted. I created this piece hoping the eye would catch the flower, its contrast against the empty space of the background and Josh's eyes sort of hinting at it.

Week Seven- "Rawr for Adrison"

Rawr Sketch
Pencil
2010



Rawr for Adrison
Pencil on Cardboard
2010

Craft
I used pencil on carboard because I needed to try out a new media and cardboard works out pretty well for a drawing.

Concept
I created this piece for my friend Adriana Stanton. I have recently started modeling or at least building up my portfolio and she has been my photographer. So, I decided to take a picture on my own for her portfolio because she does photo editing and graphic design. I developed the idea into a self-portrait kind of thing and came up with "Rawr" because I am literally growling as I'm taking the photograph.

Compositon
I believe compositionally your eyes are drawn to my eyes because of the contrast between them and the rest of the portrait. However, I initially set out to draw attention to my mouth because it emphasizes on the "rawr".

Week Six- "Bleeding Heart for Boy"

Heartache Sketch
Pencil, Pen and Colored Pencil
2010



Bleeding Heart for Boy
Acrylic Paint, Oil Paint, and Fabric Paint
2010

Craft
I used a small 3.5x4 canvas, acrylic paint for the heart, oil paint for the cracks in the heart and the background, and fabric paint for the blood and background. I chose to do a mixed media piece because it seemed to go hand in hand with the concept of this work. The pieces represent something said or done while that love was in effect and the different paints also represent, in an odd way, the mixed feelings I have towards "Boy".

Concept
The idea here was to show the effect of the love shared with "Boy". Basically, girl meets boy, girl falls for boy, boy tells girl he loves her, boy lies and breaks girl heart over and over again, girl is left with a bleeding, broken heart that somehow still belongs to "Boy".

Composition
I wanted to draw attention towards the dark hole in the heart showing where the origin of the cracks began. I want people to interpret that hole in several ways. One being a bullet to the heart.

My latest portfolio

Week Five- A Piece for Someone Else

Autistic Graffiti for Quan, 2010
 Pencil Drawing/Colored Pencil on Sketch Paper

I started with sketch paper, because I was in my sketch book trying to come up with some kind of image for this concept.  I immediately thought of how I might rebel against my peers or family if they couldn't understand me; that's when I thought of graffiti art. It's always been considered a taboo especially for adolescents. I used pencil to first draw the the letters being spray painted, and the can. After that I began drawing the brick background. To bring in some color, I chose colored pencils; blue, orange, yellow, pink, green and purple for the word "autism". I used several shades of brown for the brick background. I used purple and grey for the spray can. 

Quan Henderson is a close friend of mine that loves writing poetry. Quan asked me to create an image for his poem "Picasso's Love Child". In the poem he talks about a young autistic girl that has an innate artistic talent, but struggles to find herself because no one can see past her disability. I wanted to show a rebellious side to the art of the autistic girl; it's a way to show herself in a new light and create a voice for herself and make that voice heard by everyone that does not see her abilities. The word being spray painted on the brick wall is "autism". Graffiti is a creative outlet that some people use just to rebel against a specific concept, or idea that they disagree with. 

Week Four- A Piece Inspired by a Previous Work



Previous Work- Genocidal Love

Awareness on  my wall:)
2010, Oil Paint on Canvas Paper

I used 2 different colors of oil paint. I used red, and black to create Awareness.   I used 2 different sized brushes, both being bristled, one was small to paint the word awareness and the other was a medium sized brush to paint the background and the ribbon. 

The first thing I wanted to accomplish with this piece is to draw the eye of my audience to the bright red ribbon, the word in itself is not as important as the actual ribbon. The ribbon is a symbol of HIV/AIDS and it represents the struggles  an HIV/AIDS victim must endure. I want people to realize how important safe sex is, and that it can affect not only yourself but others. Life is a gift, so don't take yours for granted.



Week Three-Portfolio Images

Self Portrait 2010
Pencil Drawing

Doodle 2010
Pen Drawing

Genocidal Love 2009
Pencil/Marker/Colored Pencil Drawing

Awareness 2010
Oil Paint/Pencil

Sunflower 2010
Oil Paint/Pencil

PLove 2010
Oil Paint/Pencil

Dancer 2010
Oil Paint/Pencil

"All You Need Is Love" 2010
Pencil Drawing

N.E.R.D. 2010
Pencil Drawing

Peace:) 2010
Pencil Drawing

Floral Bottle 2010
Pencil Drawing

WeekTwo-Portfolio Spread

Envelope-before

    On my second day in my art seminar class I was forced to show how poorly I keep my portfolio. Honestly I had never even tried to create a portfolio until I was told to bring one in for class this week. I didn't have much artwork to make a portfolio so I had to make ten new pieces. It was so difficult because my mind was blank; all I could think of was doodles. It sounds strange but that’s how my mind works. I couldn't think of anything amazing or worthy of a portfolio. I saw random images of peace signs and flowers, so that’s exactly what I drew. After creating crap for art, I had to figure out what to put them in. Of course my thoughts on this were just as lost, so I grabbed an envelope, one without the nifty clasp attached.

My Drawings

    It was rather embarrassing being the only student in my class that had this envelope with ten pages of recent drawings. My teacher actually gave me some real advice, he didn’t criticize me just for having a poor portfolio, and he said “he didn’t have great expectations, but next time he would”. Once he told me how to improve my portfolio, I felt more comfortable exposing my work to my classmates. It was an experience I will probably never forget. So, I took Professor Peck’s advice and changed how my portfolio looks. I put a stiff, folder inside a zip-lock bag and my ten drawings are stacked on top of the folder. For now I think that my portfolio is appropriate, until I’m told otherwise or until I come up with something better, artistically speaking of course.

My Portfolio- After

Week One-INTRO

I have always loved creating art. My medium has mainly been sketching or drawing and I was introduced to painting at a very young age. It was exciting and freeing, a way to escape into my fantasies as a child. My biggest problem has been trying to create my vision through my artwork. I feel like that's every artist's major dilemma, making their ideas come to life through art. The artist may feel confident in his skills but then once his work is exposed to the eyes of a critic that confidence changes, it may increase or decrease, depending on the critique of his pieces.

I'm not a very confident artist myself, but I have faith that St. Xavier is the right fit for me. My classes are small and interactive. Some teachers are scary because their main objective is to challenge you and help you exceed your own academic expectations. Others are inviting and force you to think way deeper than just the surface. This is the type of learning experience a young aspiring artist should surround himself in. I can gain confidence just from the non-artistic learning values I obtain from St. Xavier.

I feel at home here, like I belong to a family striving for academic excellence. It's truly inspiring. I chose St. Xavier University to build and grow on the artistic abilities I already have. The college experience I receive from St. Xavier will be greater than I ever imagined.