Baroque Period

The Baroque is a period of artistic style that focuses on the effective depiction of motion and details. It is as if its goal is to effectively put images and paintings into action by applying techniques and styles that will enhance it as a whole. This period began in Rome, Italy and spread to most parts of Europe. Baroque is a word derived from the Portuguese word, Barraco, meaning "unregularly shaped pearl". It gave birth to most treasured pearls of Western Arts. This Period is basically known and recognized by the presence of 5 elements, namely: Motion, Space, Concept of time, use of light and drama or theatricality. It was a very vivid picture of how eager artists are to produce more realistic and dramatic artworks that would define the western arts. For me, the most striking characteristic of Baroque Art is the way artists tend to give motion and emotions to their piece of art. They really paid attention in putting details that surely did contributed a lot to make their goal a success.

The image above is the portrait entitled "Las Meninas" by Diego Velasquez. For me, this masterpiece is beyond amazing. Ironic, isn't it? The painter is supposed to paint the picture of the princess, yet, he preferred to paint the whole scenario of the princess' preparation. The painter gave us a chance to see the picture as if we are exactly there. Like we are actually part of that special day. I was amazed when I first learned about this and made me salute the artist even more for he really did a very realistic, captivating and stunning masterpiece. Baroque art, as I see it, is relevant to the present expression of art in a way that they both aim to be convincing. There are intricate details and the techniques used are highly anticipated. Even in the presence of modern technology such as photography, modern art still aims to be as realistic as it should be in any way possible.

Baroque art influenced me as a young artist because it opened my eyes into so much more possibilities. Imagine, I learned that moving pictures are not only possible inside Harry Potter's realm, but with imagination, motion can also be applied in paintings and sculptures. Because of the richness of talent, perseverance and dedication of the people of France, it replaced Rome as the center of art in the world. Because of this, the world was more exposed to new and continually growing innovations in the field of arts. It goes to show how blessed we are to be able to do such amazing works. As a student, I think Baroque arts influenced me by convincing me that anything is possible. Things or situations may be harsh sometimes, but there is hope. If we really have the heart to succeed and we have faith that we will, then it is possible. Baroque art opened my mind that hard work really does pay off.

Rebirth

The word Renaissance is a French word meaning new birth, a name given to the movement in Europe. For me, I think this particular era is one of the most influential period in the history of arts. Why? Because it was the rebirth of the classical art. Paintings during this era was full of symbolism. Subject of the artworks were not limited to Christianity, but it revolved around different point of artistry. Different artists have their own special way to convey their creativity. Although the Renaissance saw revolutions in many intellectual pursuits, as wells as social and political upheaval, it is perhaps best known for its artistic developments and contributions of such artists as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, who inspires the term "Renaissance Man".

Humanism was the defining intellectual movement of the Renaissance. It was based on the belief that the literary, scientific, and philosophical works of ancient Greece and Rome provided the best guides for learning and living. And humanists believes that the New Testament and early Christian authors offered the best spiritual advice. The life and work of Leonardo da Vinci is highlighted as one of the most important people of the Renaissance period. Leonardo da Vinci was to further perfect the aspects of pictorial art that had preoccupied artists of the Early Renaissance, in a lifetime of studying and recording his observations of the natural world. His adoption of oil paint as his primary media meant that he could depict light and its effects on the landscape and objects more naturally and with greater dramatic effect than anyone had ever done before, as demonstrated in the Mona Lisa.

For me, Renaissance art influenced me because of the styles and techniques that the artists used in their paintings really did have a great atmospheric appeal to these artworks. Their masterpiece serves as an undying piece of inspiration for artists around the globe. The use of light and shadows that definitely created a huge impact on these paintings are highly appreciated by the modern generation  Their artworks are simple, yet it conveys large and meaningful messages to its viewers. Someday, I would want to create my very own masterpiece that would connect to the personal feelings and emotions of its viewers. I want to inspire other artists as well through crafting every single resources I have.

The Renaissance is studded by the names of the artists and architects, with their creations recorded as great historical events. - Arthur Ericson

Christian Art

Christian Art plays a very vital role in my life. Why? Because I am a catholic. A daughter of God. My faith molds me into someone I am right now. Because of my faith, I was able to accomplish tasks beyond my expectations. Early Christian art covers a lot of history about Christianity. Before, Christians are slaughtered and murdered because of what they believe. But in spite of this, in spite of being hated and hunted down, they still found courage and strength in prayers. They hid underground through chambers called the cubicula. These were small chapels where early Christians worshiped and prayed for their dead. There are certain artworks that can be seen in Catacombs such as the Good Shepherd in the catacomb of Saints in Rome. Good thing Constantine abolished the rule of forbidding the Christians to live. The Christians adopted the Roman Architecture in building churches and basilicas.

It was amazing to know how carefully planned Cathedrals are. There are parts of it that have a specific function. A church, in the other hand, is a building in which the public sacrifice of the Mass takes place. It is headed by the Priest. Here in the Philippines, there are Churches like the one above, the Binondo Church that are considered a heritage and historical in our history. They played an important role during the times of war because it is here in these churches where people his themselves and their families to avoid the shoot outs. These churches are still highly anticipated in our country, perhaps because most of us are Christians. These Churches signifies the strength of the people in times of disastrous events that we experienced in the past.

Nothing beats the strength prayer gives. It is our way to communicate with our savior. Christian art depicts how rich Christianity is. There are artworks lent to represent how people value their religion. Christian art affects my style in making art by inspiring me to offer everything I do to our God. Without Him, I would be nothing, well, we would be nothing. Given this unique talent in art makes me so thankful. That is why I'll make sure to develop it further so that I can share it to others across the country and across the world. It was great to actually know how artists devote themselves to their beliefs. Their creativity was evident in spectacular churches, basilicas and catacombs.

Time Travel

The Ancient Art is probably one of the greatest treasures in history. By these artworks, we were able to visualize and fancy how rich their culture is. It doesn't only depict the natural creativity of men, but it also depicts their lives before. The things they do to survive, how they hunt, how they organize a government and how they learn to be more civilized men after some time were shown in their cave paintings and sculptures. They were the ones who pioneered art. Because of them, art was given importance and value. Prehistoric Art showed us how brilliantly gifted people are. As early as the stone age, people from the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic age were able to paint on walls and carve figures of animals, humans and gods and goddesses. They even originated architecture through the construction of the Stonehenge located in the United Kingdom. Different races of men have their own beliefs and customs. Egyptians believe in reincarnation or afterlife. That is why they built tombs and pyramids for their pharaohs in belief that they will go back to life. Today, the great pyramids of Egypt are exceptionally adored by different people across the globe. Come to think of it, the Egyptians were able to engineer perfectly shaped pyramids  in the absence of modern technology. Sumerians had their own system of writing called cuneiform. Architecture was nourished through the construction of different temples and palaces. Ancient Art basically is a creative way of portraying the history of people because they used art to represent their traditions, beliefs and their everyday life.

The Classical Art revolved around humans because Greeks believe that the human beings were the center of the universe. During this time, the people discovered geometry or the use of shapes in representing the subjects of their artworks. They used art to draw the daily life of the people during that era. In Dipylon vases, a burial procession was painted. They used these Dipylon Vases as mark or tombstones for the dead. Greek Pottery also showed us that during that time, women were into pottery, basketry and weaving. Jars were built in a delicate manner to ensure its quality and then these jars were painted with scenarios of their daily lives. Architecture was enhanced. They were the ones who developed an architectural format which was used as the basis in building temples. In fact, there are three styles of orders namely the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian Order. These styles can be seen in their temples just like the temple of Athena in Parthenon. The classical period aimed to narrate the victory of the Greeks over the Persians at Salamis. The Sculptures show movements as seen in the Diskolobos sculpture. It is as if the sculptures really move. In this era, what I admire most is the development of architecture. The temples were perfectly built in recognition of the Greek Gods and Goddesses. I dream to step into those temples one day. I want to personally see how magnificent classical art is. 

Knowing such facts about Ancient and Classical art made me want to go back in time. These works of art are far beyond amazing. Because of these, history was made. It clearly showed people how impossible things can happen through art. Doing realistic art is difficult. It needs to have a lot of details for it to look more realistic to the viewers. That is why I admire these two eras for they showed an exceptional style that helped us figure out how they lived back in their time.  It showed how far we can achieve if we pursue and work hard for something. This facts only show us that art is limitless. It is everywhere. We can be artists in our own ways. Doing artworks inspired by these eras will be challenging. It'll be difficult. But if we really want to, we can. They did and so are we. If we really have the passion, then we can be great artists just like them. These eras influenced and convinced me that art has a more broader meaning than just stoke of colorful lines. These periods were the foundation of the creativity and innovation. These artworks truly are priceless treasures of time.

Warped!

Choosing between options is hard. Decisions, they define who we are. It define the way we think, we act and generally what kind of persons we are. So, if you`ll ask me to choose between realistic and distorted art, it`ll take me some time to process that idea. To be honest, I really don`t know what to choose between the two. Its because the idea of realism and distortion are way too opposite. In realism, we tend to exactly copy even the slightest details of our subject whereas in distortion, we try to give a different approach to our subject. These styles are directly opposite from each other. Just like the illustrations above, you can observe how different realism is compared to distorted art. In realistic style, the main objective of the artist is to illustrate his or her subject as if it was photographed just like Victor Rodriguez did in his stunning realistic painting of a woman. On the other hand, in Distorted style, the artist aims to make a masterpiece so subtle that the viewers will have to feel and conceptualize from the hidden meaning and message of the artwork.

As an amateur artist, I want to explore different styles. I want to know what kind of art I can excel in. In this case, between realistic and distorted art, I would probably choose the distorted art. Why? Because it portrays the artistic view of the artist. It reveals his or her emotions during the process of making art. It is unique and one of a kind. Many artists can do the same realistic art, but not the same distorted art, simply because each person is different from each other. No person in this world is directly the same as the other. That makes distorted art limitless. An artist can do whatever he or she wants to do in his subject. He can freely change the appearance of his subject for it to look more attractive and one of a kind. That is why I appreciate distorted art more. Because it gives every artist a definition. A difference. A style in which he can be recognized and known for.

Doing distorted art reflects the creativity of the artist. It shows how he see things in a different perspective. His use of color, strokes and techniques imitates the creativity within him. And by means of art, he can freely express his ideas and share them to the world. With a simple color manipulation, he can give people different guesses or concepts about its meaning.It connects people to each other. I honestly appreciate both realistic and distorted art. In realistic artworks, I admire the details and the coloring techniques of the artist while in distorted art, I appreciate its exclusivity. Art is amazing. It changes people and it changes lives. For me, art is all about freely expressing one's thoughts and emotions in a creative way. I think that's what's important.

On the Spot!

Last Thursday  November 29, 2012, there was an event called the PRISAA Laguna. I was not aware of this certain annual sports development program. That program answered my question, why are there lots of people on varsity outfits around the LPL campus? I was curious that day, but actually proud somehow. Because our school will proudly host this huge event. Then we were asked by our professor to watch the program and then we were given a task wherein we have to draw the happenings we witnessed a while ago. It was shocking, actually, `cause I don`t have any idea on what to draw in that blank piece of paper. Then I decided to just draw the ever amazing Lyceum Spartans Dance Troupe in appreciation to their breath-taking performance that they presented in front of different people across Laguna. That was nerve-wracking. Seeing amazing people showcasing their amazing talent.

Well, I can say that I enjoyed what I did. I was contented with my output. I was inspired to do that activity because I was surrounded by my friends who happen to be awesome artists as well. We teased each other`s work a lot, but that`s just for fun. That is how we stay positive all the time. Just laughing and having fun with the simplest of things. I learn a lot of things from them and I am very eager to share my knowledge to them too. Doing impromptu art is challenging because you`ll need to come up with a bright ideas as fast as your brain can. It is challenging because it`ll squeeze out the creativity out of you to do the best you can in a limited space and time. But I can also say that doing impromptu art is fun. Because we were able to immediately think of ideas to put into our papers. We were able to finish the activity with such limited resources. We were able to illustrate our creativity.

Art has been and always will be my passion. I expected a lot of drawings and illustration activities when I decided to take AB Multimedia Arts as my college program. Doing art is always fun! Especially when you`re surrounded with people you are comfortable to be with. Also, its been months since the last time I draw something with full effort. So doing traditional art again feels incredible. I want to further enhance this gift. This gift that was lent to me by our savior. I want to learn a whole lot of things from my professors. I am looking forward for tomorrow. Because I know that tomorrow is gonna be better.

Art will take us everywhere. I believe that. 

Rebirth of Art

If you`ll ask me what era is the most influential in the field of arts, I would probably say its the Renaissance. Why? Because it gave another definition to arts. Because of it, people suddenly gave importance to arts. Also in this era, three of the world`s most eminent painters of their time were globally recognized. These were Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael Sanzio and Michelangelo Buonarroti. It is in this era where arts bloomed. Arts, Music and Literature were given such attention. It showed how important art is and the vital role it plays in history. It is regarded as the "rebirth" of the ancient arts. As time goes by, artists adapt the developments in art. And there appeared different styles and techniques used by artists all around the world to come up with a new way if expression. Because of this era, artists discovered new and better ways to improve their paintings and sculpture. This era proved to be a period in which great transformation of the artist as they occupy a higher place in society, for art became more then just a craft. It is in this time where arts were revived, where people were captured by the beauty and mystery of our world.

Leonardo da Vinci was regarded as the "Renaissance man" due to his exceptional contribution to arts during this time. Although there are a whole lot more artists who contributed to the development of arts during this time, it it undeniable that Leonardo da Vinci was the most celebrated painter of them all. I personally admire him because he used art to express himself, his emotions and his religion. He showed his belief through his paintings and sculptures. Some of his world class works include the "Mona Lisa", "The Virgin of the Rocks" and "The Last Supper". Leonardo clearly understands the usage of line perspective as seen in his works. It is also in this era where techniques were made to bring up something unique in piece of art. An artist from Florence named Giotto was one of the first painters to paint in his own new style. His works depicts human emotions and the bodies look solid, and the background had perspective. Michelangelo was also regarded as a "Renaissance Man" for he is not only an artist, but also a sculptor and an architect. He is also a religious person. He is the one to design the dome of St. Peter's church in Rome.The ideas and techniques used by Leonardo, Giotto and Michelangelo were copied and improved by other artists around the world.

For me, Renaissance brought change in this world. Without it, arts and crafts would never bloom as it did back in time. Thanks to these artists who strive to improve arts for they did a really great job. Their life`s work will be given such huge acknowledgement. Because of them, people appreciated arts. It gave arts a chance to improve itself. A chance to show the world how important it is to express oneself. Without arts, this world is but a boring and plain dimension. The works of art of these artists will forever be treasured in our hearts. Surely, the renaissance shaped the world we have today.