Shapes

Geometric

Geometric shapes are the most basic shapes we recognize. They consist of squares, rectangles, triangles, circles, and other rigid lines or definite forms. The picture above shows those basic shapes and characteristics.

Natural

Natural shapes are shapes and objects found in nature. They range anywhere from environmental objects such as trees, clouds, flowers, and bodies of water, to the animals pictured above. 

Abstract

The pictures above are abstract because they consist of random patterns and objects, but they are still pleasing to look at. Like organic lines, abstract shapes make you ponder what you see. I think these are successful abstract photos because for the most part, you cannot figure out what you are looking at. These patterns come from objects, but instead of focusing on what the objects are, the patterns are what draw your attention.

Non-Representational

Non-Representational shapes are like abstract shapes in that they are not clear objects. Even though viewers can probably guess what each picture above is of, they are successfully non-representational because only I know where each picture was taken and what the whole object is. For example, you can probably tell that the top left picture is of a building, but only I know that it is the at&t building in Nashville that  I think looks like Batman. 

Lines

Horizontal

Each photo above has elements of horizontal lines present. The wooden cottage and railing encasing the walkway that leads to it make horizontal lines. The closet door at the top right shows horizontal movement, the white fence that separates the grass from the beach is horizontal, and in the bottom picture taken on Long Lake in Michigan, the horizon created by the trees in the sunset is horizontal to the lake and the skyline.

Vertical

Something that all of the pictures above have in common is that they are all of a building of some sort. The walls, windows, doors, and overall framework of each of these structures is vertical.

Diagonal

In these examples of lines, the diagonal lines are successful in serving their purpose. Each line supports some sort of structure, or is what makes the object useful.

Organic

I think my favorite types of lines are organic lines because they go against what is normal. I find the pictures above really cool because they form something pleasing to the eye. The curve of the St. Louis arch, the sculpture of the spoon and cherry, the design on my Kavu bag, and the outline the sidewalk creates around the grass outside of the Student Learning Center all make me contemplate what I am looking at. When something stops and makes you think, it is successful.

Structural

The four pictures above are of buildings because they show structural lines best. The two beams in the top left picture support the ceiling in a library, the curved line in the top right makes up the structure of the St. Louis arch, the walls and arches in the building in the bottom right support the entire structure and the windows within the facade, and the columns in the front of the Student Learning Center support the roof of part of the building.

Implied

Implied lines are some of the most difficult lines for me to notice, but they exist everywhere. The road in the top left picture ends in this picture, but it is implied that the road keeps going. In the picture of St. Louis in the top right I can see implied lines on the exterior of some of the buildings, but also in the streets. There are lines and a median in the street, but they do not continue the full length of the street. We just know that those implied lines and median are what separate the different directions of traffic. In the pictures of the buildings at the bottom of the collage, we see implied lines that travel up the sides of both structures. Even though there may not be a clear/visible line, we can picture lines going up the exterior.

Points

The photos above represent points within their surroundings. Each picture has something that my attention immediately goes to. My eyes are drawn to the symmetry of the reading room at the University of Michigan, the boat on the water, the large "A" on the wall in my room, the chandelier in the ceiling of the library, the pink and yellow clouds in the sunset, and the curve at the top of the arch.

Unexpected Beauty

Cultural Beauty

The picture above was taken by one of my good family friends at the pier on Tybee Island. I think this picture really reflects the idea of cultural beauty because of what you can see. The posts holding the pier up are perfectly symmetrical, the ocean water runs under it and looks very placid in this photo, and the way the sun hits the water looks almost magical. Most people, including myself, find this scene very beautiful and calming.

Unexpected Beauty

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=traffic+in+atlanta&num=10&um=1&hl=en&biw=1120&bih=582&tbm=isch&tbnid=3XTrv9o2jDdhyM:&imgrefurl=http://atlanta.curbed.com/archives/2011/12/08/atlantas-traffic-is-actually-not-that-bad-but-dont-tell-the-tea-party.php&docid=18lN0mdYtkFKAM&imgurl=http://atlanta.curbed.com/uploads/atlanta%252520traffic%252520.jpg&w=772&h=579&ei=4Gk2ULa3CIP48gSFsIGwAQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=447&sig=117037530494855118279&sqi=2&page=1&tbnh=111&tbnw=172&start=0&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0,i:93&tx=91&ty=44Chaotic beauty

The picture I chose for unexpected beauty is a photo of traffic in Atlanta. For people like me who are from a Atlanta, or a big city like Atlanta, there is nothing beautiful about being stuck in big city traffic. However, when you look at the picture, it gives off a sense of beauty because of the head lights and tail lights you can see and the buildings in the background. Sometimes when I ride in the car in Atlanta at night, I find myself noticing how pretty the city looks even though it is not the first thing or place that comes to mind when I think of beauty. I think this photo is aesthetically pleasing because of all of the different elements such as light, dark, and the shapes present.

Interior Designers

My favorite interior designer firm is Marc Michaels Interior Design, Inc. They produce a wide variety of different styles for houses, and each style looks put together incredibly well. I love that in each style they create, there is a sense of warmness and coziness to the rooms.

http://marc-michaels.com/

The Links I Chose

I posted links to my profile that I think give you a glimpse into what I like and where I spend my time when I'm on the computer. I have a variety of websites I like ranging from design websites like PBteen, to music websites such as Pandora. My favorite website that I posted a link to is Pinterest because of the variety of things it contains. It has food recipes, design ideas for every room of your house, crafting ideas, and it even has clothing outfits you can "repin" to express your style. I like that it gives me the opportunity to see creativity in many different shapes and forms, and really help me form my own style.

What is My Style?

I can't choose one category to describe my style because I am drawn to many different looks. I would say that one style that I really like is warm and cozy. I like looking at houses that are designed to look homey and inviting. I love to see wooden floors, stone walls, big windows, and comfortable couches, along with incandescent lighting to give a room more of a cozy feel. I like to see warm accent colors in rooms because I think they can add a little spunk to an overall look. I like the rooms in the pictures I have posted because they look warm and inviting with brown and the pops of color.

What is Interior Design?

Interior Design is an outlet for people to express their ideas and visions for living spaces in a creative way. It is a fun concept because it involves combining colors, shapes, and patterns to make a room complete. I like Interior Design because it is almost like a puzzle. You piece materials and ideas together to form one whole picture.