VT FINAL

I spent all morning in front of the mac in photoshop working on my half actual/half digital collage. I really love what I've come up with and the colors and images that have come out of it. There's a lot of subtle enhancements that I was able to make in the digital world that I could have not done, or would have had a difficult time trying to achieve in the actual world. I still feel like it needs something, maybe an element of an actual space, or some kind of representation of myself. But I am just not sure. I think the image works as it is, but could be better if I could just push it a little further. Anyone have any critiques or suggestions?

(p.s. I really love working this way!)

Finals & March of Dimes

Well there's only about a week left of school. I can't believe it is already the end of my last semester of college! I can't wait.

About our final project, it's coming along okay. We did an in process mini-critique on Thursday and I got some positive feedback and great suggestions. I really am looking forward to brining it into the digital realm and working o

n it...It's something I've never really associated with a 'studio' art class. It's usually paints, pencils, paper and such...however I think marrying the two will be interesting and fun!

Speaking of fun, I participated in my first March of Dimes walk this weekend. It was in Greensboro, and there were hundreds of people and supporters there. I went with my team from FedEx, I know I'm not in any of the pix...but it's because I took the pictures.

EARTH DAY 2010

Well hello bloggers!

Today is earth day, or as the emcee at the earth day festival in Foust Park stated: "EVERYDAY IS EARTH DAY!" Our campus held some earth day festivities, and since it's springtime and the sun and weather was just right...I decided to partake. I sat on the lawn of campus, ate an apple and some Oreo cookies, and rather enjoyed the half-hour break I gave myself from school work and the business of my day. Here's a little 'creative' image I created and captured just for the special day!

Keep it GREEN!

Justin

Final Project

So for my final project we have to do a collage on place. The place that I have chosen is my room, more specifically my computer screen. That's a 'place' where most of my creativeness happens and come ideas come to fruition. My professor, Barbara, and I have discussed my use of post-it notes in the collage as well. The post-it notes serve as small idea holders and capsules that keep my thoughts for me. I'm still toying with the idea and there's still a lot of thought that needs to be put into it. I plan on working on the collage to just give myself a jumping off point soon.

Just Being Honest

Well, it's been forever and a half since I've posted. My deepest apologies...not that I think anyone really reads my blog. Hey, I'm just being honest, if you can't be honest on your own blog...where can you be honest?

Anyway, update on the T-Shirt contest....I WON! Thanks to any of you reading this who may have voted, or even thought about voting. I'll let you know when the shirt becomes available.

This weekend found me mostly relaxing. The weather was gorgeous, and I had a great time with family playing ladder ball, and soaking up the sun. Project #2....our self portrait in collage, went pretty well I think. The critique wasn't brutal, and for the most part people liked it. You can't please everyone...plus...art = subjective. ESPECIALLY when it's a reflection of the artist...so I took what I could use, and the rest is left in the room. (Again, just being honest.)

That's all for now, will talk to you soon...probably tomorrow.

VOTE FOR MY DESIGNS!

PLEASE vote for my Tshirt designs! Shane and Shane ( a Contemporary Christian Music duo) have accepted my designs into their contest for YOU TO VOTE ON! There's cash and prizes up for grabs here, and not to mention the awesome fact that if I win, my design will be featured on their merchandise! So please vote for:

©2010 Justin Branch

DESIGN #1 here: http://getfaveur.com/shane-n-shane/

OR

©2010 Justin Branch

DESIGN #2 here: http://getfaveur.com/shane-abstract/

*Click on the little heart to 'show me love' and cast your vote!

(as of right now design #1 has the most votes. you can only vote for each design once, and I need over 150 to clearly win..as of right now. however, with YOUR help i'd love to get over 200 votes for one of the designs!!!! show me some love and thanks sooo much everyone!)

WINTER GAMES!

I'm really enjoying watching the 2010 Olympic games. Go team USA!

© 2010 Justin Branch

Broken Bells

I think the sound of the new musical group Broken Bells is great. It combines the talents of Danger Mouse and James Mercer from The Shins. It's warm, oldie goldie, pop infected, atmospheric, and inviting poetry. Please check it out here:

http://www.brokenbells.com/home.html

Also, the art created for the album and site are done well also. I love the color pallet and shapes. It's so great when my two greatest passions, art and music, hold hands and harmonize.

image found on google image search

A Lot of Wind and A Little Humor

Just some sketches and fun.

© 2010 Justin Branch

Variable Topics - Assignment #2

This assignment was a response to an excerpt from an essay by a wonderful artist, Squeak Carnwath wherein she talks about the desire to create and how life brings plenty of inspiration.

1/26/2010

I can relate with Squeak and her desire to create. It has always been in me as well. To translate an idea, emotion, or mood into something tangible, or to reconstruct it. However, I think somewhere down the road I lost the ability, or the awareness of the fact that I can create without rules or limits. That's the point of being an artist in many senses. Imagination and creativity. It started out that way, bringing to life non-existing things, or really using my eye to look and translate what I saw using my own language. But then it became about others styles and ideas. Instead of embracing my own creations, and artistic identity I became immersed with becoming like my favorites. Now, all, most, or some artist may go through this. But for me it has been a long, detrimental trek that has been hard to shake. Until recently.

I'm learning to be inspired but now not feeling as compelled to compare myself to others; to let go and draw that line, form that shape, and change it until it suits me. Mistakes are OK. I remember my father use to doodle, it's probably what encouraged art in me, but he had such a unique, feathery/unsure style of sketching that one could recognize as his. He was void of formal training or the temptation to copy or imitate. This was his vision. I treasure that now. The case is the same with my fiancee. She's studying to become an Elementary Ed. teacher, and one of her courses was teaching art. Her work was her own, she hated it, but it was remarkable to me. She was creating in a place, with a sense, that seems fairly foreign to me now. No doubt I'll find my style (again), and no doubt my life inspirations will find their way into it.

Variable Topics - Assignment #1

The assignment was a simple quote and our response to it:

"Art, when really understood is the province of every human being. It is simply a question of doing things, anything, well. It is not an outside extra thing."

- Robert Henri

The Art Spirit

Art is not for me. Art is not for you. It's for us both. When we come to realize that it can be found or stirred up in any one of us, then we realize it's the doing of things, the invention, the creation, the exploration of thoughts, hopes, dreams, and ideas. However, it extends past just doing, but doing it well. With thought, care, and precision. Be it scrutinizing and following rules, or shattering everything formal we hold true.

Art is not beyond us. It is created by us. Our hands, voices, bodies, and tools create it. Therefore we are entitled to an opinion of it. Art "is" us in a sense. Not beyond us.

I think that sometimes art scares people into thinking it is bigger or better than we the creators. Or we look at artists with such high regard that they somehow transcend into something greater than we are. No, they are just as lost, scared, happy, dorky, and nervous as the rest of us. The difference is they cope with colors, line, pencils, pens, paints, canvases, brushes, stone, metal, voice, body, and technology.

Cough Cough.

So I've been under the weather now for a few days: hurting neck, head, chest, coughing, stopped up...you know. I spent an ENTIRE day in bed on Sunday, nice, but very unproductive. This was a little digital sketch (which I do as often as actual sketchbook sketches) to chronicle how I feel/felt.

So It Begins

Well this little blog is starting because of an assignment. However, I feel it will be continued, and at some point not seem like an assignment at all, rather a...well...blog. The objective for this blog initially, will be to post responses to writing assignments in class (Variable Topics in Drawing). Also to house sketches, ideas, and any other bits and pieces of my 'art creating' process. So please, feel free to roam and look and comment and follow. There are many more posts to come.