Strengths and Weaknesses

When I decided to blog about my strengths and weaknesses, I had to stop and really think. It was easy to come up with weaknesses, but what were my strengths? In my program, I often feel like I have none. But when I thought about the kind of stuff I did before coming to Conestoga, when I was working with all the time in the world, it was easy to figure out my strengths.

I've been drawing since I was little. I've always loved it, but I gave it up for a long time because I could never make things look as real as I wanted them to. It wasn't until halfway through highschool that I learned important skills, started to practice more, and was able to fulfill the expectations that I had for myself. So, while I don't use my drawing skills often, I still have them and I'm able to use them every so often. Here are some examples that I used in my portfolio:

Images are the property of Caitlin McElroy

Then there are page layouts. Posters, ads, anything full of type and other visual elements. I don't know what it is...I just can't seem to get the hang of doing them well. If it's a photography based ad with just a product name and slogan, that's fine, but as soon as you add more, it turns into a mess. The following is a poster advertising a museum exhibit that I created. It's awful, but a hundred times better than the original (this is a redo I did for my final evaluation last semester.)

The exhibit was called The Making of Marriage Customs, and explored the history of weddings, the roots of their traditions and superstitions, and showcased bridal attire from around the world. While laying out posters isn't something I'm very good at, my problem with this particular project arose from my trying to mimic the look of my museum catalogue on a larger scale. For a historic feel, my catalogue mimicked gold embossed leather, which worked well for a book cover, but didn't translate well for other uses.

Hopefully, in time and with a lot of practice, I'll be able to start meeting some of my poster making expectations, like I did with my illustration skills.

Castle Kilbride

Image is the property of Caitlin McElroy

There are a lot of architectural marvels in the region of Waterloo, old and new, but one that I have visited recently and really enjoyed is Castle Kilbride in Baden. www.castlekilbride.ca

This Italianate style house was built in 1877 by James Livingston and named after his birthplace in Scotland. While being a beautifully built house and meticulously restored, it's inside - particularly the walls and ceilings - is of even greater interest. 

Much of the interior is decorated in a trompe l'oeil style, which is an illusionist style that gives flat, two-dimensional art the appearance of being three-dimensional. Here are some examples:

Left: An artist restores some of the ceiling work.
Right: Everything in the image, including the "plaster work" is just paint on a flat surface!

My only complaint about the visit is the fact that you enter from the back of the house, which is where a large modern addition for museum staff and meeting rooms is located. So, rather than entering through the front door and experiencing the front foyer - which has the most impressive work - the way it was intended, you enter through the back door...like the servants would have.

Jane Austen Game - Character Illustrations

Illustrated Jane Austen Characters by Florence Minowa
http://www.behance.net/gallery/Jane-Austen-Game-Character-Illustrations/4930789

When I came across Florence Minowa's illustrated Jane Austen characters, I was immediately in love. Her illustrations are beautiful and capture the personalities of each character perfectly. Darcy as a calm, regal and sophisticated man. Elizabeth as an energetic and lively woman, and her sister Jane, as a demure beauty. See them all here!

I'm a huge Jane Austen fan, and would love to design anything related to it. Combining my love of literature and my skills as a designer would be the ultimate career dream come true!

Modern Classic Paintings

Painting by Mark Demsteader
http://demsteader.com/

As I've made clear in a previous posting (An Afternoon at MoMA), modern art is not something I like, but I've recently discovered an artist whose combination of Classic and Modern styles creates something really unique; Mark Demsteader, a British contemporary figurative artist. Demsteader.com I love his work! The beauty of his subjects is evident, but by combining his realistic style with rough, strategically messy clothing and a slightly blurred haloing of the skin, he creates something ethereal and haunting. So, while modern art on it's own is just a waste, aspects of it are useful for enhancing what I would refer to as "true art."

Portrait Photography

Images are the property of Caitlin McElroy

Portrait photography is something that I only do for school, so when I was asked to blog about a successful portrait that I've taken, I didn't have many options. This is a series of photos that I took during my first year photography course for a single light source project. These pictures were taken next to a window, and a reflector was used to help bounce light onto the left side of her face.

I'd say that these are successful photos because my subject is well-lit, she's animated, and her face is in-focus. Other parts of her are admittedly not as in-focus as they should be, and some of the colours are a little off, but for a first year photography project from someone who has never done portrait photography, they turned out pretty well!

2013 Colour of the Year

Images from www.pantone.com

I'm not the kind of person who keeps track of trends - which is shameful for a graphic design student, I know - but after watching some of my peers procrastinate by creating cascading Pantone rainbows with their Pantone books, I decided to see what the Pantone colour of the year was. I'd heard that it was a green colour, but I didn't know the specifics. So, a full 2 months late, the 2013 colour of the year is Pantone 17-5641 Emerald! Learn more about their choice here.

Past colours of the year include:

Confessions

All images from candychang.com/confessions/

Once again, StumbleUpon has led me to a fascinating discovery. Over the summer of 2012, the artist, designer and urban planner Candy Chang created a public art project that "invites people to anonymously share their confessions and see the confessions of the people around them in the heart of the Las Vegas strip." Check it out! http://candychang.com/confessions/

I absolutely love this idea. Everyone has secrets. Everyone. Secrets to hide, confess, laugh about or regret. Secrets that no one knows because of our fear of embarrassment, rejection, scorn, or punishment. Secrets that only complete and utter anonymity can pry from our hearts. It is amazing how such a simple thing can completely break down the walls inside us.

The result is absolutely spectacular. It's real, raw and a little heartbreaking. When you read these cards, the uncensored truth and vulnerability of so many of the authors...it's the epitome of humanity. Each card, whether it's silly or serious, has a story behind it and a wealth of emotions connected to it. Each card could represent years, if not a full life-time of joy, love, regret, fear, disappointment, or passion. So many artists strive for honesty in their work. This is as honest and real as any art piece of art can get.