Response to an artist; Hokusai

I've done a blog before on The Great Wave by Hokusai, which is my favorite wood block print ever.

I really just love Hokusai in general, his style is so clean and crisp yet is able to capture action and beauty. His collection of Views of Mount Fuji really show his concentration and dedication to seascapes and landscapes. The fact that he was so engrossed with Fuji really fascinates me.

Both images are from the Views of Mount Fuji, a seascape and a landscape. I love how he was able to incorporate a warm color scheme with the cool colors of the seascape and include them in the same collection.

Research of personal intrest

I found myself looking at articles related to psychology while also attempting to find a blog to post... when this article fit into research of my personal interest.

The following article describes the effects of child abuse on the brain, in teenage years up to adulthood. The article takes in the very physical aspects of the brain and how certain brain organs differ from an abused child and a non abused child, personality effects are also discussed.

This article hits at home for me, being a child that was abused. It akes me wonder if the way I act and the things I do have all been altered because of the actions that took place when I was a child. Knowing the things I'm more prone to as an adult is a bit frightening to me... but what can you do?

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8081369/the_effect_of_child_abuse_on_the_brain.html?cat=25

Response to a contemporary artwork

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Smith Catholic Art

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/2-immaculate-heart-of-mary-smith-catholic-art.html

I can't post the photo directly to this post, but follow the link above to see the painting. You can click on the image to high resolution zoom.

This painting shows depth and dimension of Mary, though she is placed on a flat background. Her extending arm and face are very realistic and soft against the organic, bright background. The typical halo that is usually found around Mary is almost secretly placed within the background, shown by a lighter yellow than the rest of the image.

The "Immaculate Heart" is very modern looking, almost tattoo-ish. The draping of the fabric, shown with jagged lines and sharp block shapes of color is much more digital looking than the face and arms which look hyper realistic.

"Smith Catholic Art is a family art studio and apostolate begun in 2001. It is in part a response to Pope John Paul II's 1999 Letter to Artists and is our endeavor to make visual some of the beauty and richness of our Catholic faith. "