Journal Entry from Visual Dialogue

Why/how is composition important in affecting/creating our response to a painting?

Nighthawks, (Edward Hopper, located in the Art Institute of Chicago)

The composition in Nighthawks greatly influences our reaction to it. With the use of contrast, in colour, lighting, and shapes, many viewers of the painting see loneliness.

According to an Edward Hopper website, we are shut out from the scene by the glass. So not only do we perceive the characters to be lonely but we are also secluded ourselves. Also, the fact that we don’t see an entrance is also meant as a barrier to the interior of the diner.

We also feel eeriness, or a foreboding due to the lighting contrast between the interior and the night outside. The inside of the diner is brightly lit, and that light is spilling into the dark night creating ominous shadows. Yet the lighting is still balanced. If you look at the bottom left corner, the cement is brightly lit which is balanced diagonally in the upper right corner, where the light source is mainly coming from. 

Also, the strong geometric shapes that make up a lot of the composition in Nighthawks appear balanced. According to thefreelibrary.com, “the angular lines are balanced by the diagonal row of buildings in the background.”

As the National Gallery of Art website states, “Nighthawks is a composition of contrasts held in balance.” I agree with this completely. I feel the loneliness in this painting, and I’m also left with anticipation because I feel like I’m looking at the calm before the storm. The contrasts do work in harmony, but I’m left with a feeling that that harmony is soon to be disturbed. 

I miss school.

Why?

Enough said.

Beautiful people.

I took this photo for a photography assignment. The assignment was to take an editorial photo, then make corrections on it so it looked like it could go right into a magazine. Well let me tell you, Miss Stacia Franz made my job easy.

IPP aftermath.

Well, now that it's been a couple weeks since the IPP Presentations Event, I feel like I can finally blog about how it all went.

I don't think I've ever had a crazier two-and-a-half days ever before in my life. With that said, however, I also don't think I've ever had so much fun. There is definitely always room for improvement, but this post isn't so much about what I wish I'd done differently, it's more about sharing a few moments I had throughout the IPP experience.

First, I want to take a moment and thank our super tech guy, John Pura. I'm not sure how Jasmine and I would have pulled this event off without him. Here is a pic we took together about five minutes after the event concluded.

Next up, our advisor, Dean Cooper. Probably the best advisor we could have hoped for. We had some crazy ideas, and he always let us roll with them, of course, we got a few "hmm, okay girls" looks. He really made the experience fantastic, and taught us a lot.

Then we had the support system of our fantastic CreComm bffs! It's really their talent, and the caliber of their projects that made the event what it was.

Of course, the venue didn't hurt either...

Here's a very attractive pic of two of our three hosts. Jeremy Giacomin and Jérémie Wookey. You can tell why we chose them.

I spent most of the event in the control room, pretending to boss the tech group around, even though they were brilliant and didn't really have need for me. These people were awesome, plain and simple. And the experience showed me that I really do like being in charge.

Finally here's a pic of my lovely co-planner, Jasmine, and I. Let me tell you, we had an absolute blast planning this event. I hope we work together again in the future.

I know the IPPs feel like they were months ago now, but it was such a huge part of my life for the past year that I kinda miss having it to think about. Life goes by too quickly sometimes. We're now in the final stretch of school, and many of us, I'm sure, are wondering just where the time has gone.

I miss planning the IPPs, but I think a huge part of that is that now I can see the finish line of school, which unnerves me a bit. The IPPs acted like that comfortable veil I had pulled over my eyes.

IPP Planning - Yikes!

For the next month and a half, I'm gonna use my blog to document my experience planning the IPP Presentation event with Jasmine. A lot is going on, and planning is really in full swing. Also, any CreComm interested in the progress of the IPP's can just read this and have an idea of where we are.

I've known since last year, about this time, that planning the IPP Presentations for this March would get a tad hectic once February started. But it's funny, no matter how busy I anticipated this time, looking at the to do list in front of me is a bit daunting (understatement of the year).

I'm pretty confident that every single CreComm has this same feeling, to a degree, of "oh my goodness, there's less than a month till my IPP's due!"

This is when the last year-and-a-half of the CreComm course load is about to pay off. No need to get stressed. Like Jasmine and I did yesterday, make a timeline. Break up all your tasks and give yourself deadlines. All the sudden, that HUGE list turns into a couple things to do per week.

At the moment, we're finalizing the money details. The last of the sponsorships are being contacted, and prizes are being secured (who doesn't like a door prize?)

Also, just a heads up to everyone, that we are having an after party at Shannon's Irish Pub on March 11, right after the presentations conclude. The after party will be a great way for all of us to let loose after the monster of work associated with our IPPs.

Jasmine and I will be visiting all the majors on Monday, to update you further, and to answer any questions.

Great weather for a social!

Question: How do you make a blizzard happen in Winnipeg?

Answer: Plan a Hawaiian-themed social.

When Jasmine and I started planning a social to raise funds for the upcoming IPP Presentations, it was -30 degrees C. We thought it would be a great idea to call our social, "Baby, it's cold outside." Also, we wanted it to be a Hawaiian theme to warm everybody up.

Then, it warmed up. On one side we thought it would get more people out, but on the other, our title wouldn't be as fitting.

Then low and behold, today we wake up to a blizzard. Just in time. Really, we're Winnipeggers. We're probably the only people in the world who would brave the roads and snow to go to a party.

I guess what I'm saying is that I'm weirdly thankful for the snow. So tonight, be a true Winnipegger and head on down to The King's Head Pub.

The holidays are officially here.

When does the Christmas season really start? When the malls put up their decorations? When you hear the first Christmas carol of the season? Or when you have your first holiday drink from Starbucks?

For me, it started on Wednesday. I put up my first Christmas Tree of the season! I was with friends having wine, eating christmas baking, and of course listening to Christmas music.

Watch this classic holiday tune, I dare you to not be in the holiday spirit.