Post #3

Donald Zolan, Golden Moment, 1984

       (http://www.flashcoo.com/paint/Donald%20Zolan_Early_Childhood_01/painting_children_childhood_kjb_DonaldZolan_14GoldenMoment_sm.html)


         Donald Zolan's art piece, "Golden Moment," is an oil painting created in 1984. A young girl is kneeling down in what appears to be a riverbank. She is wearing a white and yellow dress. Her hair is in pigtails and golden blond colored. She's surrounded by tall, yellow green strands of grass. It's a bright sunny day in the country. She is watching four ducklings swimming in the water. It isn't clear whether her eyes are open or closed. There's a small ripple in the water. The color of the river is dark green, reflecting the green scenery around it. 
        
         The bright sunlight shining on the girl makes the painting have a pleasant and peaceful mood. It's peaceful because the girl is calmly watching the ducks. She seems to like watching them instead of reaching over to touch them. If she did then they would probably swim away, quacking. This would break the silence. She doesn't want to scare them off. Her face doesn't seem to be cheerful nor glum. She seems relaxed. The theme is mostly a peaceful one. The girl and the ducks notice each other but without making a sound or movement. It's a golden moment meant to be cherished.
       
 The questions I would ask Donald Zolan would be:

1. Why is the girl alone?
2. How old is the girl?
3. Are her eyes closed?
4. How does she feel about having the ducks so near?
5. Is it her first time seeing the ducklings?
6. Is the river deep?
7. Does she live in the country?

Post #2 Race and Gender Criticism

       The main issue this article talks about is that women and people of color are not taken seriously as artists. The art world is mainly dominated by white males. The more powerful, wealthy artists who have a position in the socio political pyramid have more chances of having their work shown. Having power means they are worthy of being acknowledged. The decision whether to display an artpiece or not is no longer based on how and why it was made, but on who made it. We should judge artworks on their own standards instead of trying to make them meet others definition of art.  Gender and race have blocked our eyes from enjoying beautiful masterpieces. How can someone express their artistic talents when they can't even be recognized as an "artist?" What happens if an artwork presented by a woman or person of  color is more outstanding than an artwork of a powerful figure? Will the artwork be accepted and praised even though it's distasteful?

Post #1 My First Day of ART

        My first experience with art was in kindergarten. We were making a Mother's Day card. My teacher said we were going to paint our hands on a piece of construction paper. I took out my pencil in order to trace my hand. I was waiting for her to pass out the paper, but then she started calling people to the back table. Then she called my name. She told me to put my palms up and started painting my hands with yellow paint. She used a roller to apply the paint, which tickled quite a bit. She told me to place my hands on a piece of pink construction paper. After washing my hands she told me to paste my photograph next to my hands on the paper. That day, I found out that drawing and coloring are not the only types of art