The Tool of Tools.

Hands.  

We take for granted how our quality of life can be so easily affected by the use of our hands.  
The hand is the most frequently symbolized part of the human body.

According to Aristotle, the hand is the “tool of tools”.  
They represent so much from within and acknowledge strength, power, and protection.

We began this project on day 1 of second semester.  It is more than an art project, it is also a team building activity.  When we work together to create something, it means so much more than doing it alone; plastering our hands emphasized working together.  It made us instantly step outside of our comfort zone and focus on creating another’s start to their project.  It put the ‘what do I want to do’ aside, and focused on ‘what do we need to get done’ in order to begin our project.

After the plaster dried, students then focused on a theme.  
An individual theme that they could develop.  This was driven in all directions: use of color, texture, variety, and more importantly, craftsmanship.

Their use of color was identified through what they needed to have the viewer see; be it abstract or realistic.

Their textures were either visual (implied) or actual.

Variety was used in both their color choices and textures, but also their brush strokes, paint choices, collage media, and theme.

Overall, we discuss craftsmanship and working up to our ability in completing an art project.  

WE ALL HAVE A VARIETY OF TALENTS AND ABILITIES; we need to push ourselves to take another step each time in examining what more could be done and what else could be emphasized prior to finishing our project.  

What you see is Variety at it’s best.  It is the class we work in.  It is the people we are.  All of us are very different in how we think, act, and feel; yet we share one thing in common- the ability to set those differences aside every day during class and work together to accomplish what needs to be done.

Why do I write this statement:

Many times we focus on art always needing to look pretty and ‘fit’ within our standards of what ‘good art’ is.  We neglect the amount of time put in by the creator and we, very often, forget that the work is a part of that person.  The creation of art isn’t always for viewers to connect with, sometimes it is simply for the creator to let go of something.  There are times for strict technique and skill focus, but there are also times for expression and experimentation….

When I look at artwork, it is no different to when I look at people - the variety that follows the collections of art and people seem to hold many similarities.  If I judge too quickly, I may lose the opportunity to learn and understand.