Cassandra Leopold

Stop

2011-10-13T19:19:00.000-07:00

I love the possibilities of narrative in this photo. Remains of a ranch? Manifest Destiny? Commentary on failed expansion? Discuss! Really just a nice pit stop on my recent road trip in Central Califronia.

Homework for VICOM: Patti Smith Page

2011-09-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

Although I usually try to draw unknown people I have a homework assignment where I need to make a homepage for a musician I like. So I did my best to sketch out one of my favorite pictures of Patti Smith for a flash interaction. I can't get her face (as is usually my problem-but this time it was more out of since she is so well known it would really confuse people and annoy me). I think the clothing and body language are really successful and I love sticking to a black/gray/palette! Next is making the actual home page. Now I must listen to Horses 40 times in a row.

I've Got the Blues

2011-09-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

It's been a rough week so I decided to try get into more free hand drawing and I think it conveyed my mood fairly well. I am happy to see progress and proportion in my sketches. Although I think I need to look at more "at rest" body images to get a better grasp of slumping and hung heads/shoulders. Funny enough I would wear this outfit if I had it.

Movement Study

2011-09-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

The more time I have with a Wacom I like it. Although it is still shaky, I am starting to get what I want from it. My drawings are starting to have a certain style. The coloring-in layer is fast becoming my favorite as it brings the depth/shadow I want. Although, I like seeing my original sketch faint in the background as it is a bit violent and shows where I started.

Holes in Rock

2011-09-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

I camped in Tuolumne Meadows, tucked in the furthest North East corner of Yosemite (also the most removed from tourist thankfully). For my morning, I had the delight of climbing a very easy series of rock to sit smack in the middle of the mid-size waterfall descending into our camp's river. As a sat I started noticing soft holes carved in the rock (which must of eluded me before my pre-morning coffee kicked in) which were carved out by previous water flows. In fact, they were rather deep and still contained water, although stagnant. I took a multitude of snaps, but these were my favorites.

When I see solid materials (like ancient rock) improved by a gentle negative space it makes me think what could be done to external skins of buildings. How amazing would a tall concrete skyscraper or even warehouse look with delicate holes permeating its skeleton. Maybe it would be all the windows or tiny "skylights" leaving intricate patterns of light on the floor. Or maybe the holes cold be angled as such so they could harness wind throughout the landscape to power a building built on it. I know architects use holes/circular forms already (obviously) but natural ones curving in and out of the exterior hasn't been pushed enough.

Rethinking Spaces

2011-09-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

Early on in our recent road trip to Central California, I screamed to stop for this former drive-in movie theater turned recycling center in the small town of Lompoc. Obviously the sign is a photographer's wet dream-rust filled with hand painted letters. But what struck me was the brilliance, be it happenstance or not, to use a space already laid out for easy entry access/parking and compartmentalized sorting areas. It wasn't developed as much as I would've liked (as what I could gather from behind the security fence), still having the cracked concrete and weeds, but it had a great deal of promise. I think these kinds of new small businesses can really save old landscapes or architecture.

Fallen Sequoia in Yosemite's Mariposa Grove

2011-09-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

The twisting lines of the white trunks on the bottom and the jagged edges of the sequoia roots made me want to capture this image in Yosemite. The zigzagging of the trees achieve the rule of three in there rather well I think. I am having a hard time dodging out the center part of the root without having some ugly ghostly streaks. I cut the shape out using the magnetic lasso tool and made a new layer, set my dodge tool brush to soft edges/lighten properties/35 percent opacity. I then played with the Layer Properties-deciding on Lighten (again)at 25 percent and Transparency at about 50 percent. I also used a modified Infrared BW filter in Photoshop. It isn't done in my eyes, need to watch a few more tutorials for proper dodging technique. But it has some positive composition points and contrast pop that I am pleased with.

Drawing on Wacom Practice

2011-09-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to practice my drawing more and become more familiar with the Wacom tablet. I think translating my physical drawings into digital ones should prove interesting. There are so many differences (feel of pen directly on paper vs paying attention to where the anchor point is to start drawing on screen, drawing and erasing vs drawing in layers, and even the general overall look of the piece). I do very much like the ability to color sections in seamlessly and have the ability to play with them in Flash to give an alive feeling. I find this practice very meditative and practical for developing my sketching and composition skills.

I took some screenshots to show the layers I made (I had to do a few layers/passes to get the body to look in per portion and still I feel it needs a lot of work). The bottom layers have light choppy lines; the top layer I could finally trace out the shapes I wanted using the bottom layer as reference, but still a little wobbley. I have always had a hard time with faces and so I feel the weakest part is her face. Perhaps some facial studies are in order. Otherwise not bad for first time around.

Know Your Fellow Artists

2011-05-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

Graham Caldwell's glass, steel, epoxy sculptures (in particular this mobile:) makes me think he was influenced by Calder (Similar to this animated jazz-like piece ). Caldwell's creates collections of shapes with a slick modern twist. He is familiar somehow (the livelihood and color palette reminds of Calder), but it pops with more futuristic forms.

Know Your Fellow Artists

2011-04-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

I am really impressed by the work of Amy Watson (which was recently highlighted on The jealous Curator). When I went to her site I found her artist statement even more brilliant. She calls her work a study of the "relationship between interior and exterior spaces often exploring the notion of hidden or imagined worlds." I often find this is the thing I seek in my photography and installation pieces. Also her exploration of marrying 2D and 3D elements and working within her means is well achieved in these works.

I love how her work looks like mutated gem toned rubix cubes that have come to life.I know if I saw these in a gallery I would be told not to touch them, as I would be leaning over to do so.

My favorite piece is her Untitled "bow". I am usually not a fan of bows, but when made in this dominant way, with all the almost stained glass "cuts". It is far from cute. It has stature and grace.

You can see her work at www.thejealouscurator.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/amy_watson.jpg

The critic on the block: - A&E

2009-03-05T16:07:00.000-08:00

The critic on the block: - A&E

Wallpaper Images for Milwaukee Art Museum

2008-08-11T18:54:00.001-07:00

Images for the Cedar Block Event at Milwaukee Art Museum

2008-08-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

My two partners Walter Klim & Sonji Hunt.
Utlizing wine(blood bathish), measuring tape and nails

Glass & Clay

2008-07-05T08:54:00.001-07:00

More plexi glass experimentation...
Ton Harris in his glass pieces mask
Me in clay...which is a little too thick?

Portrait Series 4: Jason

2008-07-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

Jason was an excellent participant. Even going so far as to rub his face in some questionable
Suave shampoo that had been left in the Craft Centre.
This series is going to make me invest in sone plexi glass because it takes such a dutiful beating.
Learning how to instruct scanees is difficult. Only passing along what happened to work and then playing with it seems to be the formula.
Very happy to see his skin tone and facial hair come in so crisply.

Portrait Series 3: Kelley

2008-06-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

Added Bubble wrap, dyed guaze and silk screen.
Also Kelley's hotness.

Moving Pictures

2008-06-06T18:24:00.000-07:00

I was asked recently what happens when you move mid scan.
Here are some examples:
1. body parts get rounded out (ghostly) or fragmented (like my nose image)

2. you can appear to be in multiple places by racing the scanning light (quick movements can supply great narratives like my hand punch/cup/stop image or slow movements like Walter dragging his hands turn out amazing too.)

Lipstick & Eventually Honey

2008-06-05T21:27:00.000-07:00

Laid out a transparency and tried to make the most marks I could with the lipstick
to determine how faint a trace the scan could pick up. Also curious how
honey would look. Think I need more honey and more gels.
Also a seductive quality is nice to see.

Portraits with New Scanner

2008-06-04T21:48:00.000-07:00

Just unpacked Epson 4490 Scanner and had to break it in.
Movement is sharp! and eerie.
I do like, however, the resolution change. Before I needed to amp up the Contrast and Hue in Photoshop to get the shadows I wanted. Now it occurs naturally. And I can crop larger images down and create new narratives.
More to come. I have to think where to take things next...

Portrait Series 2: Brian

2008-05-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

I became increasingly frustrated by the lack of "true black" in Brian's scans.Used Selective Color for the fix. I'm pleased with the emerging appendages from the shadows (nose,eye).His scans made me aware that a higher resolution is needed with darker hair.

Portrait Series 1: Sarah

2008-05-02T19:13:00.000-07:00

Salt trial

2008-05-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

Unholy mess of messes!
Test run for texture scans using sea salt and plastic wrap (to save what is left of scanner).
Too touchy to do portraits so for now I used the motion of my hands. Left little grains all over...
Had to use cloth backdrop over hands so salt could be seen-maybe pepper next time?
Only scratching surface here.

Hyper color

2008-05-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

Amazingly I only hyped up the contrast here.
Although I lost my teeth in the process!

Scanning With Gel Transparencies

2008-05-02T18:46:00.000-07:00

Experimenting with left over transparencies. I discovered only with something behind them do the gels actually read as "color"
otherwise they are completely invisable. Overlapping colors produced nice change, but had a hard time positioning pieces to make sense narratively-work in progress...