Kris Kirkeby (above), a scientific illustrator, visited the class and talked about her work.  She is an amazing freelance artist and works hours upon hours to meet her clients’ needs.  She talked about the accuracy she must pay attention to and what her work requires of her.  She also had the class do a little exercise.  She brought in different butterflies for us to draw and gave us different tips on how to make them more realistic and accurate.  Her lecture was quite interesting, and I really enjoyed the drawing portion of it.

Tying what she taught us in class to my project, the accuracy really caught my attention.  The human body has so many details to it that are vital both in the artistic and medical field.  If I were to draw the human anatomy for scientific reasons, then I would be like Kirkeby and work for a long time for a single drawing.  Right now, since it is a small project and I am not a professional in drawing yet, I just have to pay as close attention to detail as best I can.  It does take a long time and it hurts my eyes after a while.  However, I still find fun in it and push through.

The day is coming up for the creative display of our art and science project.  The class did another peer review of each other to see how far each person has gotten.  The feedback I got from my classmates were all fairly positive and they still enjoy my project idea.  They did give more suggestions about my project, but it was more for how I could make it more interactive or about the social issue.

I think that my project is doing a pretty good job right now.  I have a lot of good aspects about it, and it is not too hard to understand.  I also think the way I am approaching this project is the most effective way for people to view it as well as being a good way to use my own skills and knowledge on the subject which makes it easier.

For negative aspects, I am just hoping that my final turns out as good as I hope it does.  I am confident, but there is always that little doubt that it might not be as appealing as I would hope.  I just have to keep up with what I am doing and make sure I am just happy with whatever I present.

This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to watch a play at the Oregon Contemporary Theatre.  This play was called “Silent Sky”.  It told the story of a woman named Henrietta Leavitt (left actress), taking place from the 1800-1900s.  She was a woman astronomer who figured out the relation between the luminosity and the period of Cepheid stars.  It was an incredible play and surpassed my expectations.  I really enjoyed it and am glad I attended.

During the play, as an artist, I looked at the costumes and set-up of the stage.  The costumes were well made and matched the characters’ personas.  The stage and lighting was really amazing and well thought out, even if the space was smaller than other theatres I have seen.  My class, whom I went with to see the play, also got to talk to producers and a couple of actors.  They told us how the stage was to match the starry nights and the swirl similar to a galaxy like the Milky Way.  The actors talked of how they had to wear a corset and how limiting it was during their acting.  I could not imaging wearing one while doing the whole play.

This artistic outlook on the play helps me think about how I could approach my project.  I would have to pay attention to detail no matter how small my project turns out to be so it will not seem as tiny.  Just like the theatre.  It was a small space, but so much was put into the performance, it distracted me from the size, and focused me onto the content more.  I just need to do as much as I can with the limited resources I have and with what skills I posses right now.

In a more scientific view, I think it is quite incredible how Leavitt discovered something so huge and important with what she was given and her gender position in society.  Today, scientific discovery comes a little more easily due to technological advancements and opportunities.  I feel it a little inspiring because she worked so hard and ended up with one of the biggest finds in history.  Even though, as I said, scientific discovery can come more easily and more accurate, there is still a lot of hard labor that goes behind it in order to get the results or discoveries one wants.

For a guest lecture last Thursday, the guest, Julie Haack, came and talked about chemistry and biochemistry and how they are used when creating products.  As her example, she brought in three very different types of shoes.  One were basketball shoes (all different sizes and styles), second were slippers (term used to call “flip-flops” from where I am from), and the last were hospital booties (the ones that go around one’s own shoe).  Each of these items were made differently, but all with the same substance.  Plastic.  Each material had just been modified or changed in its chemistry in order to fit a certain need that the footwear had to satisfy.

We did a little exercise after that.  We were given different types of materials to compare along with a chart of where these materials landed on.  We had to order them from least to greatest based on durability.  After we placed them, we compared answers.  Haack then told us to look at the statistics of the materials on the back, and change the order if we needed to.  The results really surprised me.  The material I thought was the weakest out of the bunch actually turned out to be the most durable.  That material was polypropylene.  I did not think of it as durable because I based my assumption off of personal experience, so I was really amazed at how much stronger it was compared to the others.

This chemistry and biochemistry is a little hard to incorporate with my project since I am not looking into that field of science.  However, the general idea of what is made of what is something I could probably take from it.  I could go into, since I am focusing on human anatomy, how certain muscles or bones are made or what makes their structure so unique.  It would be interesting to add it in.

Now that I know how durable certain materials are, I am probably going to look at certain clothing or other types of products in a different way.  I would see which ones would last me the longest along with which ones are more energy efficient or use up less resources.  It is a bit confusing and tedious, but I think it would be a really interactive way to get more into the science of something so simple.

For my project at the end of the term, it is of great importance to include some sort of creative display or other types of visualization tools in order for the audience to become more involved with what I am presenting.  If I only displayed paragraphs upon paragraphs of research, procedures, or other types of information, it would just become a blob of boring “lecture talk”.  I want to be very creative and show that there is more to my project than just words.

The final results of my project will of course have my report and inspirations.  Other than that, I also plan to add in examples of works from the artist that relates to my theme or idea, along with a short background.  I would then add in my own artwork that I had worked on.  I plan to use images I used as reference and the results of my drawings in order to make a comparison between the two.  The audience would then get an idea of where I got my final image from and how I interpreted it.

I would also like to do a time lapse video in order to give an insight of the procedures, or the process, I took.  It would be a great way for the audience to get more involved and see how the final just started from a sketch to something more.  It is like other time lapse drawing videos.  One would only see a blank paper and then suddenly, get an image that he/she never thought would come out.  It is also a good way to tell how long I took on the project.  The time-lapse would take about 2 or more minutes, while in reality, it took more than 2 hours to do!  It would really amaze those watching.

My final project is going to be based off of a lot of visualization which is good since it will not be a factor too hard to incorporate.  When I presented some visualization to my classmates, they really enjoyed it, so it was a good sign for me to continue doing what I was doing.  I of course will add more later on, but I believe I am on the right track.

In a reading, from “The Beauty of Physics: Patterns, Principles, and Perspectives” by A.R.P. Rau, called “Maps in Various Forms”, Rau talks of the different uses of maps that has evolved over the centuries.

He starts off with the human history of maps and how each one changed, first due to many voyages done by brave explorers and sailors, until recent times when technology was going above and beyond.  Of course, back then, since lands were still being discovered, the maps of back then were quite inaccurate.  People relied on these maps to travel however, and caused problems when trying to navigate the vast world.  Today, it is quite easy to find or pinpoint even the smallest of areas halfway across the earth with just a small hand held device.

Other than just the geographical aspect, Rau points out how mapping also had taken a place within mathematics and physics.  For mathematics, mapping was used for fractals.  By taking one shape and layering it over each other, a new shape is formed, and can be morphed into anything.  The Koch snowflake was a good example.  By taking one equilateral triangle and how there are infinite iterations that could be done to something so simple.  It can also be found within the natural environment as well.  As for physics, I can explain a little on it because Rau started talking about the different formulas used and I could not fully catch on.  But he had given the main idea that initial states are mapped onto final states.  Sorry I cannot explain too much on this topic, but it was a little confusing.

Altogether though, the mapping process of everything is still evolving and getting more accurate each day.  Even if the idea of using mathematics or physics for mapping seems to be more confusing than a geographical stand point, it is an interesting area to get into or to learn at least the basics about.  I should learn more about the physics aspects so that way I can understand Rau’s explanation more and give a better summary of what he was trying to say.  It would be a good way to expand my knowledge about how the world works.

Last week on Thursday, the class had the opportunity to be lectured by Dr. Sierra Dawson of the CAATE-accredited graduate athletic training program at UO.  Dawson had decided to base her lecture on the human anatomy.  This was a huge plus for me since my end of the year project is based right around that field.  It was one of my favorite lectures so far and I really learned a lot from it.

To start off with, Dawson had us do some activities to understand the different views people had about the human body.  She had everyone draw what they believed was the human heart as well as another internal part of the human body.  She then had us walk around and talk to others about why he/she chose to draw the heart that certain way and where they remembered why they thought of it like that, including the other body member.  I found that a lot of people drew their hearts around the same way.  As for the extra body part, I mostly saw intestines.  I personally drew the skeletal set-up of the spine and rib cage.  A lot of other people’s sources on how they got these images were all similar.  Either on a social media site or just a memory from high school or previous years.

She then had us get into groups and discuss with each other about if anybody should be given access to information about how the human body works, or if certain areas should be blocked off.  My group agreed that everyone should have the choice of seeing how their body works or not.  It is not like anyone is forcing them to see it, but at least leave it open in case they get curious or really want to know anything more.

This last little thing we did was my favorite part.  The class talked about the human heart a little more, and to make it more interesting, Sierra actually brought a human heart.  I was really excited because it was the first time I actually got to see an actual human organ, let alone touch and hold one.  It was a lot more muscly than I expected it to be, and the shape I pictured it was around the same, so I was at least not taken aback too much.  I tried to study where the certain bulges were along with where the tubes connected to so I could remember it when I draw a heart again.  I felt that the interaction with it was way better than referencing back to images.  Lastly, Sierra had us act out how the human heart worked with pulses and signals.  I ended up being the blood that day because I was the only one wearing red.

As mentioned earlier, I was really captivated by this presentation.  It was good material for me for my project, and I got to learn a lot about the heart.  I was not planning on doing so earlier, but I might try and draw a heart as part of my project.  Not so sure yet, but I think that it would add something to it besides just bodies and skeletons.

I truly enjoyed this presentation and would like to hear more about this topic in the near future.  Human anatomy just interests me, and it would be nice for her to come back and talk about another aspect of the body.  Preferably the skeletal and muscle build.  Anyway, it was quite educational and fun.

In a chapter from a book by Marita Sturken and Liza Cartwright, Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture, entitled Scientific Looking, Looking at Science, it focuses on how photography was a way of communication socially and culturally within the scientific field.  A key point in this chapter was how photography was looked at in the 19th-century.  Instead of a way to capture the reality of objects or living things, it was more of a way to prove who was right about what.  Epistemology, the investigation of what distinguishes justified from opinion, of the science world was increasing with the use of visual proof to confirm hypotheses or assumptions that could only be said before.  The chapter then continues how the scientists used cinematography to analyse each frame or movement captured on film, then how the use of photography took place in the medical field.  The use of sonograms were more used for cultural affirmation about how people, based on gender, race, etc., worked back then rather than more medical uses.  Of course, as time advanced, these ideas changed and the medical and scientific approach with technology became more of discoveries and not just proving something right or wrong.

In a way, I am not too surprised with the reactions scientists had when photography first came out.  It was a way to get solid proof about certain things.  And that is how it is today as well, especially with people outside of the scientific field.  It is not easy to believe something someone says unless one has seen it with their own eyes, or gets photo/video evidence of it.  Even though it does seem a little ridiculous, it is undeniably true in its own sense.

During one the class session that was held last Thursday, the class all presented their end of the term projects.  Many interesting and really cool projects were presented.  I had to give feedback on each, and in return, I got feedback on mine as well.  As mentioned in earlier journals, I am focusing on the human anatomy and how people are all different through body structure and shape, even if they are in the same poses or facial expressions.  The feedback I got from the other students were really informative and they gave great suggestions on what I should do to improve.

Through my peer responses, I realized that they really liked my project all together.  The example drawings I presented (one example above) caught their interest and they also really enjoyed a live sketching I did.  I received a lot of positive comments and minor confusion that can be easily fixed or added to the project’s process.  The suggestions given of what I could also do for my project were around the same area.  A lot of them wanted me to do a time-lapse video of me drawing to make it more interactive which is a really good idea.  I would love to add that in to my project.

I believe that my peer reviews were very helpful and are improving my project rather than throwing “impossible” or more things to do.  This makes it a lot easier for me and I do not have to stress as much about if my project was even a good idea to begin with.  I thought in the beginning that I might have to do more in order for my project to be more appealing, but I was wrong.  I am happy that my peers supported me for it.

This journal is going to be a little different.  In this journal, I will be listing different key words or searches I will be using to help me get more of an insight on my project as well as how I can carry it out.

Key Words:

• Human Anatomy
• Skeletal System
• Body Sketches
• Body Poses
• Muscle Set-Up
• Body Structure
• Sketches of the Body
• Skulls

All of these different key words are focused on the body structure of a human since my end of the term project will be based on it.  I hope to be able to understand how the body moves and what bones/muscles move or change according to different poses.  I might even, for the skulls part, try and draw a person’s skull just by looking at their face structure.  Just a type of estimate on where the eye sockets are along with the jaw-line and etc.  I think this would be quite a huge part to my project, and I would really love to do it.  I hope to find artists as well so I can reference off of their drawings or tips they might have given in any articles they wrote.  I need to do more research on them, but I look forward to it.