japanese garden in portland

http://onebigphoto.com/japanese-garden-in-portland/

Oh no! Under attack!

Photos taken by: Chris Wrinn

Spark

I'm really enjoying SparkPeople. I've been active on the site for half a week but it's been great. The people really support one another, the motivation is wonderful, and the site has everything one needs to make healthy choices and keep track of them. I really encourage anyone to look into it at the least. A healthy lifestyle makes a difference in a persons overall happiness.

Try it:
www.sparkpeople.com

Great Change

This is the best health site I have found. Yes I did say that I liked WebMD and I still do, but I found an even better one!

SparkPeople.com

Nutrition tracking
Fitness tracking
Weight tracking
Blogs
Recipes
Motivational groups

You name it, they got it!

Try it out!

My compilation for SA 370

SA 370 class is finnished! I got a 3.8 in the class!

Here is the last site I made for my final.
https://files.oakland.edu/users/mjbenton/compilation/

Debra Benton - Avon Representative

My mom is Awesome! She recently became an Avon Representative!

I don't know about you, but I love Avon products. The best thing is, Avon sells more than make-up and hair care products. They have jewelry, clothes, shoes, purses, watches, home products, and tons of other neat things! In this past issue, there was even a taco party platter! How cool is that!

Oh, and get this... they also sell things for children, like dresses and little jewelry.

And men! What?! Lol. Yeah. Stuff like colognes and mens body wash.

I love Avon. The prices are great, tons of deals, and the products are good quality.
Try it out. You'll love it!
If you wanna rep, choose my mom. She is so into this and she works for hours a day on her Avon stuff; she won't lead you wrong.

Debra Benton
Website: www.youravon.com/debrabenton
Phone: 586.206.1172
Email: mdb.benton@gmail.com

Also check out her face book page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Debra-Benton-Avon-Representative/176496535755264?ref=ts

My third website in SA 370

Meghan Benton
https://files.oakland.edu/users/mjbenton/project_three/

My initial theory behind the creation of this website is simplicity. That is why I choose the theme of black and white, for its simplicity and its importance in art. As it was said in the rubric, these limitations of simplicity show that, “even with few options, many great things can be achieved/created.” I wanted to show the audience that the most basic concepts in art are extremely valuable and versatile. With this theory in mind, I made it a point not to overload the viewer with too much content on any given page. I literally made a website “sketch” with limiting the color and the simple shapes.

As far the navigation of the sight, I again made it quite simple. The bar at the top gives a great means of access throughout the sight, again not over complicating it with a nonlinear theory of navigation. I also put great pride in the entrance of the website, the apple/light bulb hybrid. It simultaneously satisfies its role as an aesthetic creation and simple, using two very ordinary objects to create something extraordinary and pleasing to see. This entrance does not wholly fit with most of the sight, giving a foreshadowing of the section on gray area.

The gray area is placed at the end for a specific purpose. Though I wanted the audience to realize the power of simple figures and black and white, I wanted also to show them that through combinations of differing elements an artist could create much more. Gray is the literal translation of that theory, being obviously the combination of the earlier themes of black and white. This is the thesis to the point the apple/light bulb was making at the outset of the website. While still holding simplicity, this greatly expands an artist’s arsenal on what can be created, holding significant meaning while still concentrating on purely the aesthetic presentation.

All of the aforementioned ideas were to satisfy the aesthetic and modern requirements of the website. Black and white are stark contrasts which holds true to a modernistic theory of art. I also used the videos and pictures to help facilitate the aesthetic appeal as well. As for formalism, that is why I decided to use definitions. Between the formal definitions and the symbolic representations created by the gray area discussion, this website holds true to its formalistic requirements.

Overall, I quite enjoyed making this website for my own goals. I believe that the internet is the epitome of simple ideas coming together to create a complex system. That is what my website sought to explore. From ordinary videos and common items displayed, I show that art lies everywhere. All art is is the complex idea of combining, removing, installing, and molding different aspects of the basics; curves and lines, black and white, and formal and informal.

My second website in SA 370

Meghan Benton
https://files.oakland.edu/users/mjbenton/project_two/

The issue I focused on for this project is implementing foreign language in elementary education. I find that it is an important topic to me and I have done some research in the past on this subject. Within the site, I used the information that I found in the past to help with the textual content. This was very helpful, along with a “Did You Know?” video to support my facts. I also included a more lighthearted video on why a person should learn a foreign language; I feel this video helped to lighten the mood of the site.

It is important for the information to be presented clearly to the audience. The large bubble like images within the site contains the information on the issue. The information is presented in smaller portions, not to overwhelm and overload the reader with facts. A few of the information bubbles are repetitive on small pieces of the information in order to reinforce the important points for the audience. Simple navigation is an important aspect when the artist is presenting a stance, which they want the audience to have a clear understanding and quick access. With the navigation bar across the top of the site, located on all pages, the audience is able to reach each section relating to the issue at all times.

The images placed on each page of the site reflect the information within the bubbles. Images connect the information in a visual manner, helping the audience to remember specific facts. The images are a general idea of what each piece of information pertains too. The images and the fact bubbles are made into rollover images. This can could be seen as a problem due to the rollover images being placed in the same location as the last rollover image. However, when the link is pressed to continue the image at least flashes before changing; if the audience is curios, they can choose to move the mouse in order to see the image.

The audio file included on the index page is the only audio file within the site. The idea behind this is the audio file has chosen music that will set the mood on the site. There are not any other audio within the website so that the readers may focus on the content of the issue without distraction. The videos included in the last section have audio, though I feel it does not distract from their content only because of their. However, I believe the first video would also do well without the audio, but not the second.

Personally, the aesthetics were not to my liking, I feel that it may be slightly plain. I am quite happy with the index page, however the following pages are to uniform for me. I was unsure how to create a feel of professionalism along with child like features connecting to the fact that the issue is based on elementary children. I attempted to do this with the uniformity of the site and incorporating the playful lettering and the rainbow within the background. Overall, I did feel that the site has come together well to deliver the content of the issue clearly.

My first website in SA 370

Meghan Benton
https://files.oakland.edu/users/mjbenton/project_one/

I believe myself to be an observant person in the way that I see things that surround me. I have found that the first thing I notice about anything is its color, to me it is the most obvious to see. However, I feel that many people overlook the beauty in color and do not see the common link that beauty has because of color. I feel that the quote “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is a very true statement; people see beauty in different things and in different ways. However, I feel all material beauty has a link through color because all tangible objects have color unless it is black, white, or somewhere in-between. I wanted to create a way to show that this common link between beauty exists.

The problem with just having colorful objects is that there was not any distinction in what I was attempting to do. What better way to order them than ROYGBIV, the rainbow. I also needed to include black and white to completely create the unity of beauty. I slightly altered ROYGBIV; instead I used light blue for blue, and dark blue for indigo. I feel this change distinguished between the colors more and gave them a stronger personality.

I felt that just using colors in my project did not create the depth I was looking to include. I am very strong in my faith and I wanted to bring across my belief that God created everything, therefore he created beauty in itself. Each color is related to an idea and how it is related to me and my faith. Also, the majority of the objects I used were natural, found in nature or in there purist forms, for example, animals and fruit. I personally find natural objects more beautiful, they are the gifts that God has given us. They are not tampered with or changed; these “objects” are in their original form of beauty. I created this project to be a journey to understanding something greater.

My Italian presentation about my major: Studio Art - New Media

Ciao, mi chiamo Meghan e sono uno studente di Oakland University. Il mio principale è lo studio dell'arte. Mi piace molto l'arte così la mia presentazione sarà sui nuovi media.


Hello, my name is Meghan and I am a student at Oakland University. My major is the studio art. I really like art so my presentation will be on new media.

Nuovi media è un termine ampio negli studi dei media emerse nell'ultima parte del ventesimo secolo. Per esempio, nuovi media porge una possibilità di accesso immediato ai contenuti in qualsiasi momento, ovunque e su qualsiasi dispositivo digitale, così come le reazioni degli utenti interattivo, partecipazione creativa e la formazione di comunità di tutto il contenuto multimediale.


New media is a broad term in media studies made in the latter part of the twentieth century. For example, new media presents a chance for instant access to anywhere, anytime, and on any digital device, as well as user feedback interactive, creative participation and the formation of communities around the media.

La maggior parte delle tecnologie descritte come "nuovi media" sono digitali, spesso con caratteristiche di essere manipolati, collegabile in rete, denso, comprimibile, e interattivo. Nuovi media d'arte spesso coinvolge l'interazione tra artista e osservatore.


Most technologies described as "new media" are digital, often able to be manipulated, networkable, dense, compressible, and interactive. New Media art often involves the interaction between artist and observer.

L'arte dei nuovi media è un genere che comprende opere d'arte creare con le nuove tecnologie multimediali, tra cui l'arte digitale, computer grafica, animazione al computer, arte virtuale, arte internet, arte interattiva, la tecnologia robotica computerizzata, e l'arte come le biotecnologie.


The new media art is a genre that includes works of art created with new media technologies, including digital art, computer graphics, computer animation, virtual art, Internet art, interactive art, computer robotics, and art as biotechnology.

Nuovi media è interessante e mi piace quello che faccio.
Grazie.


New media is interesting and I like what I do.
Thank you.

Geocashing

I went Geocaching for the first time today! It was so much fun. Kevin and I found two and looked for a third, but couldn't find that one. I think we will do this more often, it's great exercise! we road around campus on our bikes looking for them all afternoon.

Geocaching is a newer sort of "treasure hunt". A person hides an object, like a small plastic prescription bottle with a piece of paper in it. That person goes to www.geocaching.com and posts the coordinates of where the object is hidden. Then another person puts the coordinates into a GPS or their smart phone and looks for the object. Once that person finds it, they sign there username on the piece of paper inside the object.

The objects are rated on the geocache website by 1 to 5 on the objects size and the difficulty of the terrain. 1/1 is a large object on flat or easy terrain and 5/5 is a micro object on mountainous terrain.

Geocashing has become very popular and there are millions of objects hidden everywhere. They can be located right outside in your neighborhood or all the way in Antarctica. Not kidding.

Check out the site:
www.geocaching.com

If you make an account, check out Kevin and mine's profile: mjbkwob

Meadowbrook Video Tour

Kevin and I went to Meadowbrook Mansion today and made a video tour!

Happy 4th of July!

Enjoying My Blog

This is my first ever blog. I thought it would be a great idea to try it out and see where it would go. I honestly didn't know how long it would last, me going on and posting. However, I really love it!

Because of the nature of this blog, I've begun looking for positive things to write about. By looking for more positives, it changes my overall experience of my day - for the better!

You should try to look specifically for the good things too, I promise that it does make a difference if you keep trying. It's such an adventure!

Find a Cause

There are many tragedies, devastating circumstances, and just downright difficult times people, animals, and even our planet as a whole must survive and deal with. The best thing that we all can do to make the world a better place is to help in the ways that we can; from the smallest gestures like showing a simple smile to a person walking past us, to going half way across the world to help build shelters for homeless children, and everything in-between.

Organizations are a great way to make a difference, donations are helpful and that is what most Orgs ask for, but not always. They know that not everyone can give money, especially in this economy. Some organizations will ask for old clothes you don’t wear to be donated instead of tossed, like the salvation army. Others will ask for letters to be written or for children to draw pictures, Christian and some other religious organizations will ask for prayers, and some will ask for you to advertise their organization on web pages like Facebook or by wearing t-shirts with their logos on them. Overall, organizations are a good place to at least begin in the quest to making the world a better place.

These are a few organizations that I support:

http://thecoloursisterhood.com/home

http://www.animalhumanesociety.org/

http://www.twloha.com/vision/

http://www.stjude.org

http://www.wish.org/

http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/

If you have any that you are passionate about, let me know and I will collaborate a list to share.

LIFE

Original work: "The Holstee Manifesto" 2009

Color edit by: Meghan Benton

"Drowning Beautiful"

Art is an amazing thing. Anything is possible through imagination. 
I found this website through StumbleUpon and thought it might give you something to awe at or at least think about.

This artist, Jason de Caires Taylor, creates beautiful sculptures and then displays them under water, for example, the ocean . The sculptures over time become part of the underwater ecosystem. The images are beautiful and almost otherworldly.

Check it out:
http://24flinching.com/word/gold-seal/inspiring-artists/drowning-beautiful/

Saints and Sinners

It was a beautiful day today. Warm but not to hot, clear blue sky, bright green grass and singing birds.
Kevin and I went for a bike ride this afternoon and ended up by the library. There is this fountain on the campus called the "Saints and Sinners Fountain" that is located right in front of the library. I think it's brilliant and beautiful. At times, the fountain can shoot water up to about 6 feet in multiple areas around the statues, like it was doing today. If you stand close enough to the fountain you can feel the mist spray. The water was a beautiful blue today and I quite enjoyed watching it for awhile.

Here is a picture of the fountain:



Fountain's Background Information:

Ground Breaking: April 19, 1976

Dedication:  September 9, 1976

Cost:  $63,505.39,  $68,000

Funding:  Received $100,000 from Josephine S.Gordon Foundation of   Detroit to commission sculpture. Money for the project was to come from capital outlay funds, the Irene C. Wellock trust, and the University's President Club, a group of individuals supporting the institution and its programs.

Consultant: Johnson, Johnson and Ray, Inc.  303 North Main St., Ann Arbor, MI  48104

Construction: Wyden Construction, Inc. P.O. Box 1111, Southgate, MI  48195

Square Footage: 25 x 50 foot oval, 7 bronze pieces, each 9' 6" high

Sculptor: Marshall Fredericks of Royal Oak

History: Craig Redfern, member of Commuter Council staged a contest for students to nickname the fountain.

More information located on this source page:

Source:

http://library.oakland.edu/information/departments/archives/art/saints.htm

Lumosity

Lumosity is a pretty cool website that my mom came across and sent to me.

"Lumosity is a subscription-based, web-based application that uses a wide range of games and exercises all with the intent to improve cognitive abilities, especially of aging people. Their website claims a membership community of more than one million."en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumosity

They give three free course for you to try. I like it a lot, I could see myself improving while just playing the trial games. The catch is, if you wanna keep going you're gonna have to pay. The prices arn't to bad but I still don't enjoy sending money.

If you're looking to improve your brain functions, this is definitely the place to go!

Check it out:

http://www.lumosity.com/

Horses sing?!

I found this through StumbleUpon and I got a kick out of it.
Singing Horses!

Check it out:
http://svt.se/hogafflahage/hogafflaHage_site/Kor/hestekor.swf

Talk about Tweeting

Radio wire is often used to make bird nests. What station do they listen to?

Bird Song Radio.
It's a station that only plays bird sounds.

Check it out:
http://www.birdsongradio.com/

Most Amazing Time Lapse Video

I found this Video while I was on StumbleUpon ( http://www.stumbleupon.com ). 
This is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. 


"Just sit back and enjoy. It's simply stunning."





The link:
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/9guNPY/shuttersalt.com/blog/most-amazing-time-lapse-video-milky-way-ever-made-seriously

Italian

I'm taking summer classes right now. A Studio Art class and an Italian class. This is the first time I've ever attempted Italian. It has been going really well though and I'm picking it up quite quickly. I'm about to start the second session tomorrow and I'm very excited.

My mom came across this one website not to long ago where you can learn a language for free. I joined to help me with my Italian and it has been awesome. Not only has it been helpful, it's been fun. So if you're attempting to learn a language or just looking for something new, check it out: http://www.busuu.com/

Songs

I woke up from my nap this afternoon to birds singing outside my window. 

Life on a Canvas

I have had this thought in my mind of how to look at life for a while now and I haven't been able to find the right words to explain my thoughts. I was searching the internet one night when I came across this website. I found this article that a guy named Eric wrote and I think it's brilliant. I feel this completely explains my thoughts exactly and I would like to share it with you too.

"Let’s imagine for a moment that your life is like a big canvas, as wide as your imagination can stretch it. 

You have all power to change the picture that is displayed on that canvas. You can splash some brilliant colours, you can refine some area, deepen some shadows to give more depth and contrasted relief to the overall picture.

It is as simple as that.

Well, is it? Not really you would say. My life is not only mine to change and steer, there are so many of these external factors that constantly hinder my movement. 

What if it really were your own? 

Let’s take that canvas. You have yours, and other people have theirs.
The snare you see, is that you tend to believe that everyone paint on the same canvas. 

In a way you do share the same canvas. But you each paint on your own. Your canvas is like a transparent layer overlaid on everyone else’s layer-canvas. 

Now, what appears to you is that you have no power over the overall picture because everyone is projecting their colours onto their whole canvas. Be it their actions, or their emotions and feelings.
And you have the power to do the same, on yours. And it will reflect on everyone’s other canvases. 

And that is where the fun starts.
The superimposition of canvases is the overall picture, and at times can seem messy, dark, overwhelming to change. But each one of you has the power to change it. 

Some would like to erase everything, and coerce others by bidding them their own rules. Yet, they are only painting their own layer. So, some have been very sly, and have convinced others to give away their unruly and expressive and at times erratic artful painting, so that they can achieve a pretense of order that pleases them. 

Now, everything seems temporarily rigidified onto these layers. Artful expressions are denied, for what is acceptable is the continuation of what has been done successfully for years. But careful attention has to be paid, for the painting desires to change constantly. 

One thing that is important to acknowledge is that, there is communication that goes beyond the words and rules decreed, a more powerful and instantaneous way to communicate through the huge pile of transparent colourful layers. It is through example and inspiration. 

Imagine for a moment that you have drawn a house. That house can be dully bland and lost in the middle of a suburban area. But instead of focusing on others’ houses, you decide that you want to add bright fuchsia flowers on the window sill. And you paint them, in these areas where noone has been focusing before. 

And as you paint with all your inner joy and sense of fulfillment, you feel all around you a steering of attention and diffused curiosity. You can only see the overall canvas, and not the other painters. And you are very focused on your delicate flowers. 

And soon, you discover that popping on a neighbour’s windows, someone has painted bright lunar white gardenias. And another blue hyacinths. And another, coral red rhododendrons. And very soon, the overall picture reshapes itself, and butterflies pop in to go with the flowers, and bees spread in your flowers, buzzing all along…
Such is your power. 

Everyone responds to the energy you project outwardly on your layer-canvas. The resulting picture constantly moves and reshapes itself as a living creature. 

You only have to express what’s passionate in yourself, and everything will move and shift. 

We all want to believe that our lives are special.
But are we truly prepared for what it would imply —that our lives are the fruit of a loving intent and have the power to change everything? 

And now, what do you want to paint?"

Written by ÉRIC

Source:
http://elikozoe.net/articles/the_opencanvas_of_life

 Something to think about.