belle's art blog

spring 2021 digital media cornell '23

[bellemcdonaldart]

inspiring animators and important readings

Arisa Wakami  - Sand painting animations on glass, textural  - Gave me a sense of freedom with what the idea of a “polished” means Jody Kramer  - Line work, textural components Paola Luciani  - Sense of narrative  - Beautiful images that tell stories Helen Hill  - Activism, socially conscious intents  - Film for Rosie (2000), Vessel (1992)  - Found footage, whimsical Izabela Plucinska  - Gave me inspiration for where claymation could go  - JAM SESSION (2005)

A Brief History of Cyberfeminism, Izabella Scott

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-how-the-cyberfeminists-worked-to-liberate-women-through-the-internet

Women’s Animation and the Creative Feminist Politics of Social Change, Vanessa Cambier

https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/womens-animation-and-the-creative-feminist-politics-of-social-change/

‘Movements that are drawn’: A history of environmental animation from The Lorax to FernGully to Avatar, Nicole Starosielski

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1748048510386746#:~:text=Environmental%20animation%20is%20defined%20here,in%20the%20creation%20of%20environmental

[bellemcdonaldart]

thank you <3

After the final crit, I was very reflective of how far I’ve come as a visual artist this semester. From mastering a various number of animation mediums, I definitely pushed myself to experiment and display work that meant something to me. My future plan is to continue bringing climate justice problems to film, ensuring the dehumanizing aspects of other mediums are removed from my practice. Art is required for change! I am very thankful for the critical and supportive comments from everyone in the class and Professor Ferro. At the beginning of the course, I would not consider myself someone who creates animations, but now, I cannot see a future where I didn’t include the medium in my artistic practice. Thanks everyone for a phenomenal learning experience!

[bellemcdonaldart]

Roots, 2021

Here is my final third animation! Make sure to listen to the audio for this one!

[bellemcdonaldart]

I installed my piece last night! And it was a success! Check out the funky visuals the dirty window produced. A passerby said it was “dope”, so I guess that’s pretty cool :)

[bellemcdonaldart]

05.10.21

transcribed from my sketchbook

The visuals are complete for my final animation! Just perfecting the audio track. I’m thinking about oral traditions of lineages of women and this aspect of family and heritage: roots. The last part of the project is the installation! I have taken out a projector from the IT desk and I am planning on illuminating the front of Goldwin Smith Hall with my final piece. Looking forward to our final crit on Thursday!

[bellemcdonaldart]

05.6.21

transcribed from my sketchbook

Beginning work on my final animation! I decided to make use of the Wacom tablets that are available at Cornell AAP IT desk. It took a lot to get used to, especially since I’ve attempted to use Ipads in the past for animation. The virtual placement of the pen is something to figure out, but it certainly gets easier with more use. I am finding it super responsive to the pressure of my hand, almost exactly how I would expect real materials would. I am using a found image of root patterns and tracing female forms on top of the root pattern. I want to find a really impactful sound to supplement the visuals, perhaps having to do with women, their role in society, or poetry about feminist topics. Thinking a lot about the intersectionality of climate justice.

[bellemcdonaldart]

Asphalt, 2021

Here is my final iteration of my second animation! Love the tactile qualities of the final product. The sound is a slowed down and reversed recording of construction on the street behind my home.

[bellemcdonaldart]

05.1.21 

Izabela Plucinska

I absolutely love the animation and narrative style of her work. She gave me inspiration for where I could go with claymation in the future.

[bellemcdonaldart]

04.29.21

transcribed from my sketchbook

I did a test today of watercolor, and I love the effect it gives me! Smearing the paint, using extra water so it condenses into droplets, or even painting it on thick almost like gouache each gave me super interesting ideas for the final rendition. Taking this weekend to finish up my final iteration of my second animation! 

I am simultaneously thinking about my third and final project. Some ideas that are rolling around in my head are roots, healing, female body, and the Earth. Word vomit and brainstorming often gives me more clear ideas.

[bellemcdonaldart]

04.28.21

Arisa Wakami

I LOVE the way this artist captures movement. I am taking inspiration from the imperfections that are embraced.

[bellemcdonaldart]

04.26.21

transcribed from my sketchbook

I have been taking a look at my second project and where I want to go with the narrative as well as the graphics. Right now, I just have a rough sketch made with expo marker on watercolor palette paper. I really love the ability to manipulate elements of the scene with just easy subtractive movements of a tissue or my own finger. It feels like a traditional method akin to digital drawing and Wacom tablet drawing. I want to experiment with watercolor and the ways in which it never becomes permanent on the palette paper. Can I make use of my own gestural use of watercolor for this animation?

[bellemcdonaldart]

My final iteration of the first project :))

[bellemcdonaldart]

My first sketches of my next project... got a lot to consider!!

[bellemcdonaldart]

04.20.21

Today I gave my artist presentation on Jennifer Levonian. I absolutely love the way she mixes the uncanny with reality with a super material medium of paper cutouts and watercolors. Here are some stills from her works:

[bellemcdonaldart]

04.15.21

I love the texture and movement that Jadwiga is able to evoke in even stationary objects!

[bellemcdonaldart]

transcribed from my sketchbook

04.11.21

I am writing today because I need to take a break from my animation work. Mental health is more important than anything, and Cornell needs to improve the ways in which it helps students that are struggling. In response to the tragedy that happened this weekend, many faculty and professors did not even address grieving process that many are going through. This is a collective loss for the Cornell community, not just for those close to him. Cornell needs to prioritize students mental health over anything, and the services available are not adequate to support the stress of this institution. I am finding it difficult to focus on my own work, and I know the entirety of campus is feeling the same.

[bellemcdonaldart]

transcribed from my sketchbook

04.07.21

I was very intrigued by Mark Grimm’s lecture about Blender. The program reminds me a lot of Rhino, which I had to teach myself a couple of semesters ago when I was working on designing a virtual reality game. I’m not sure if I would attempt to make use of Blender this semester, but certainly in the future I want to explore this!!