Issue no.1
MODERN ARCHITECTURE Locally Grown ARTISTS Top Fantasy BOOK series Top 6 INSPIRATIONS for Writers
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Letter from the Editors Dear Reader,
Table ofContents Page 1 ....................................................
For the artists and writers, the creatively abstract and the precisely focused out there, this one is for you. We created this magazine to bring you local art and literature. We hope to show you the best that Woodford County has to offer and inspire you to pick up the pen or paintbrush for your next great masterpiece. Thank you for taking the time to read our magazine! Sincerely,
“Locally Grown” by Lauren Smiley
Page 5 .................................................... “Top Fantasy Books” by Isaac Tonges
Page 7 .................................................... “Modern Architecture” by Brad Praria
Sarah Potts
Brad Praria
Lauren Smiley
Isaac Tonges
Page 11 .................................................... “6 Sources of Inspiration for Artists” by Sarah Potts
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Jennifer Stieben
Locally Grown by Lauren Smiley
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very artist has a story. A beginning, a middle, and an end. However, some are still in the middle of their stories or just beginning.
Woodford County High School, this author’s current home, is full of talented new artists who are just starting their stories, in the middle, or even ending them. Of course this shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the great talents of Ben Durham and Damon Farmer, who came from our area. Known for a new way of creating portraits with words, Ben Durham has become a successful artist in his own right, briefly showcasing his work in the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in 2012-2013. As for Damon Farmer, some readers may recognize him from his extravagant and intensely detailed sand sculptures. His work was showcased at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010. As for our upcoming artists, few have achieved such great success but they show great promise.
Brad Praria
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onathan Bradley Praria, otherwise known as Brad, is one such artist with a great future ahead of him. Brad is a sophomore in our own Woodford County High School, and the winner of the Congressional Art Competition for our district in 2015. His art (as of 2015) is currently hanging in the Capitol and will continue to do so until next year’s winners are chosen. Brad’s preferred art style is digital/cartoon/graphic design.
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His favorite artist is John Lasseter and is inspired by cartoon characters and, namely, Pixar. Brad would like to pursue a career in graphic design (branding), or character development. When asked his advice to upcoming artists, “Practice improves it and takes up a lot of time and produces better projects in the long run. Maintaining a constant practice makes coming up with ideas easier, as well as less frustrating,” and, “If at first you can’t get it, keep trying.”
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ennifer Stieben, a senior, is the only senior in her class taking AP studio art. Jennifer is 17 years old and she specializes in painting and working with 3D (three-dimensional) materials. Jennifer believes that she was first interested in art when she was very little, about 3 years old, and was inspired by television. Throughout the years, Jennifer has practiced and developed new understandings for tools and techniques, and has created her own unique style. Currently, Jennifer is inspired by underground artists on Tumblr and by CGI artists and aspires to become a CGI artist herself or an architect. Concept art is an interest of hers and she plans to design her own home in the future and create a portfolio of her designs.
Hope Mitchell
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ope Mitchell, a sophomore, has been interested in art since her family encouraged her to pursue it when she was young. Her inspiration comes mainly from the comic genre including manga (for those who don’t know, it is pronounced “mahng-guh”) and by art on the Internet, Tumblr, and on an art sharing site called Devianart. Hope aspires to become an illustrator for comics or to work in animation.
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Gloria McClain
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loria McClain, a senior as well, hasn’t had the ability to fit in an art class since middle school and regrets this greatly. However, this hasn’t stopped her from enjoying the classes she does take and still improving in her art. Gloria’s preference when it comes to art is traditional art styles, meaning pens and pencils. She prefers to color with colored pencils or oil pastels and recently she has taken up painting. When asked her advice on practice,”...It’s like any sport, it takes muscle memory to get better, and practicing every day is worth it. Whether you make a masterpiece...or the worst sketch ever, that’s just a step towards making your next lines even better.”
Olivia Ridgeway
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livia Ridgeway, a freshman, is also incredibly talented. Unfortunately, she has also been incredibly busy lately and has not been able to devote much time to her art. However, she plans to continue making art and pursuing it as a hobby in the future.
Gloria was first inspired by her surroundings growing up. surroundings growing up. Which included the Internet, cartoons, and video games. One cartoon in particular, Sonic X, first inspired her to draw. She explained that the colorful dynamics of cartoons and visual storytelling were the reasons that she continued to draw so as to recreate the essence of her favorite characters.
Her style is traditional, along with many other artists, and she often prefers not to use color, which is not uncommon. She is mainly inspired by the Baroque painter Rembrandt’s techniques in light, shading, and realism. Olivia’s advice to other artists is to, ”Focus on what u want rather than technical stuff, then move onto technique.”
Gloria is currently working on a very extended project and hopes to finish the concept art stage and move on to getting it published soon. When asked her advice to upcoming artists, she encourages artists not to be afraid of asking for advice and using references. Also, she emphasized the fact that it’s not the tools that make the artist,
That’s A Wrap!
but who uses the tools and how they use them that makes a piece a masterpiece.
“Whether you make a masterpiece...or the worst sketch ever, that’s just a step towards making your next lines even better.”
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~Gloria McClain
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s one can see, our community is full of talented artists, some of whom were unable to be contacted in time to get them in here but I guess that shows how many we have. Each of these artists (and practically all artists) have their own unique style and personality shining through their art out to their audiences. This author is very proud of her community and all the talented artists around her. I hope they all become very successful in their art if they choose to pursue it and in any other field they choose. Good luck guys and way to represent!
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My Top Fantasy Book Series
Michael Vey: Richard Paul Evans Speaking of interesting concepts, this series is about how a bunch of kids became electrified, and then the evil Dr. Hatch tried to use them and the technology that created them to take over the world. Michael and his friends must now stop Dr. Hatch. This is a fun series filled with interesting science facts, as well as action and romance.
By Isaac Tonges
As an enthusiastic reader, I have run into a
dilemma. My reading career started with the Harry Potter series and progressed into other fantasy series, such as The Ranger’s Apprentice and Michael Vey. However, as I read, it became more and more difficult to find books that held my interest. This is incredibly boring, so I have compiled a list of books for you to read, and hopefully enjoy. Harry Potter: J. K. Rowling Based in a secret world of magic, this series follows a teenager named Harry Potter as he struggles to overcome the Dark Wizard Voldemort. I like this series because it is an interesting concept, and also because there is sufficient humor to keep me entertained, with enough plot to keep me hooked in. This is a very popular series, and you would have a hard time finding someone who has not heard of these. Although the series starts off slow, it is worth it to keep reading. An interesting fact about this series is that the Author, J. K. Rowling, actually went through and planned out EVERYTHING before she started writing, which is super cool, because that’s incredibly difficult. Inheritance: Christopher Paolini Another series with a large basis in magic is the Inheritance series. These books follow a boy named Eragon as he stumbles upon a strange rock while hunting. The rock turns out to be a dragon egg, and Eragon goes on to be a Dragon Rider and save the world. There is plenty of action and plot in these books to keep you hooked, with some humor spread intermittenly.
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The Lorien Legacies: Pittacus Lore Another action/romance series, this series follows a group of aliens after their planet and people get destroyed. With nothing but their legacies to defend themselves, they have to try to survive on earth while being hunted by the alien that destroyed their homeworld, Setrakus Ra. These books are pretty fast paced, with plenty of action and adventure, but they also have enough sap to engage a larger audience. Photo credits to Isaac Tonges and his wonder iPad.
Ranger’s Apprentice: John Flanagan A bit of a change in pace, this series is based in the mythical country Araluen and follows a young Orphan named Will as he becomes the Ranger’s apprentice and embarks on many missions as an apprentice, and on as he becomes a Ranger himself. This series is filled with jokes, action, and comradery, and I often had to stop reading and laugh while reading these books.
The Brotherband Chronicles: John Flanagan A spinoff of the ranger’s apprentice series, this series is from the perspective of the Skandians, a rival country in the world of Araluen. This series is also full of humor and action, with the bonus of being from the perspective of a different group in the same world, causing an interesting clash as the viewpoints diverge, without fully touching each other.
Lord of the Rings: J. R. R. Tolkien Speaking of saving or destroying the world, this story follows Frodo Baggins as he becomes entangled in an ancient battle/hunt for a magical ring. He must carry the ring all the way to Mordor, while being hunted by the evil Nazgul. However, the ring has a will of its own, and tries to corrupt Frodo on his way to Mordor, and it nearly succeeds. This is a very well known trilogy, and I would definitely suggest that you read these books, although they do get a little slow at times. Disc World: Terry Pratchett This series is set in Discworld, which is a pretty strange world, considering that it is a disc balanced on the back of four elephants, which are standing on a giant turtle. This is a very silly series, so if you like a serious book, look somewhere else. But if you are alright with dragons that only exist if you believe in them, wizards, and discworlds, then this series is for you.
Incarceron: Catherine Fisher Another strange and humorous series, these books are about a living prison that no one can escape from. It follows Finn, who is stuck inside the prison, but is certain that he belongs out of it, and Claudia, who is the daughter of the warden. Claudia is being forced into a marriage that she doesn’t want, so she rebelliously breaks into her father’s office, where she stumbles upon the key to the prison. This series is very interesting, with lots of plot twists and humour, and it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. Assassin’s Apprentice: Robin Hobb Now that we’ve had some strange series, a more serious series is the Assassin’s Apprentice. bhThis series tells the story of Fitz, who is the son of the noble Prince Chivalry. He has been outcast by his family, and is raised by his father’s stableman. The Shrewd king, named Shrewd, recognized that he had the Magic Skill, so he had him trained as an assassin. Fitz nears manhood while raiders ravage the coast, and his first mission looms. This series is a lot more serious than the previous ones listed, but it is very interesting, and a good read. All of these books are good, and I would suggest that you read all of them if you have time. I hope you enjoy them as much as i have, and hopefully you never run out of books to read.
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Step 1: Draw a circle (does NOT need to be perfect!)
Step 2: Add some ears and a nose
You can make it however you want! Step 3: Give your kitty a Moustache! Come up with your own design!
Step 3: Add some eyes to your cute little kitty and it’s done!
OPTIONAL FUN STUFF!!!!
Modern Architecture Written by Jonathan Bradley Praria
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M
picture
odern architecture, a growing phenomenon that businesses and homeowners of 2015 are wildly craving. Whether it be small, locally owned businesses in need of a new look, or a multi millionaire company trying to update their style. Everyone is is leaning towards what is in trend, what the latest style is, and the visually pleasing/ simplistic look of modern architecture is what everyone wants.
The History of Modern Architecture
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Following the end of World War II, the birth of Modern Architecture came to be, and once established, it remained as the most dominate architecture style for decades. The whole idea of modernism began around this time. Movements including the art, literature, and music began along with modern architecture. The modernism movement was said to be started for a number of reasons, one being a reaction to Victorian and Edwardian architecture. Both of these time periods presented It almost contradicted completely what the Victorian image was, but at the same time was appealing to the eye and a lot less time consuming. Modernism is also said to come due to the enlightenment and all the new technological advances of the industrial revolution. With new materials being available for architects to work with such as steel, glass, concrete, and iron, the new designs effectively represented the relevant political and social developments. Modern architecture followed the more geomet-
examples of modern architecture. top right “crystal palace” top left- modern architecture buisness building, bottom right- modern architecture home
geometric path by assimilating its style based of of machine aesthetics. Architects were inclined to design structures based off of its functional requirements and the materials used. All forms were kept simplistic, and all unnecessary details were banished.
What Does Modern Architecture Look Like? What does modern architecture physically look like you might ask? Well, modern architecture’s number one goal when going through the design process is to free the space from clutter. From day one, architects going for the modernistic look plan out what features are required of the space’s design, and strip it of everything else.
Some who are are radically into its design will rid their spaces of absolutely any decor. Whereas some people who favor it’s look may include modernism into their space, but include their own personal decor to express their personality. Either way, almost all modern architects can agree that modernism represents the saying “less is more!”. All buildings, homes especially, are clean, functional, and have a common simple usage; why not express that? Modern architecture in today’s form really believes that there is nothing to hide as well. Many modern structures showcase the raw interworkings of a home or building. These characteristics are made present to represent an idea of truth about the structure. Nothing is made to look like something else, because all the materials being exposed shows the honesty of the structure.
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The showing of raw materials also contributes to modern architectures love of lines. Horizontal, vertical, diagonal, modern architecture showcases more lines in its building and interior than any other styles of architecture. Broad, straight lines are represented in many structures such as roofs, staircases, cutouts, posts, beams, etc . . . While most modern architecture is based upon straight lines, organic or curved lines do sometimes sneak their way into designs as well. The following categories are some more specific areas of a household or building, and how those features conform to the modernistic style. Roofing- Roofing in modern architecture establishments are much more daring than your average craftsman triangle peaks. Instead, designers dare to have multiple roof levels, to show the complexity of the overall design. In the end, it creates a unique and uncommon silhouette. The exterior is one of the most vital parts of the design, so each is unique due to the variations in line thickness, elongated vaulted ceiling, and interesting overhangs. The house is simple, yet an artistic statement at the same time.
While modern architecture was and still is a very popular style, it has its flaws, explaining why it was only dominant for roughly 50 years. Some people did not find it appealing because of its uncompromising focus on functionality and rectilinear forms. People found it to be too cold, and didn’t appreciate its feeling in the home. Some claimed it to be too dehumanizing. For some areas this kind of design is appropriate, with its professional look, which is why most businesses (large and small) still use it. But providing spacious modern homes with a naturist feel was difficult to do when also focusing on a machine oriented design. More recently these problems have been addressed by incorporating the outdoors
WindowsModern architecture uses windows not only to have its more open feel, but to provide as much natural light as possible. Modernistic buildings, especially homes, include floor to ceiling windows and many sliding doors. If this is not the case, then often times architects will provide their clients with a well lit but higher set type of window for privacy reasons called “clerestory� windows. Outdoor spaceWhile modern architecture does still have its roots of machine aesthetics and alluding this sense of geometric-ness, recently it has been more closely associated with nature. Most rooms open up into an auditorium/ courtyard or patios to open up square footage, and so that its natural feel inside blends with nature outside.
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Apex Publications PO Box 24323 Lexington, KY 40524 jason@apexbookcompany.com
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he never-ending struggle of the writer has been, is, and will always be finding something to write about. We marvel at the authors and poets who can, seemingly, pull ideas out of thin air, put words on a page, and create a masterpiece, create the next big thing. How do they do it? How does any creator create a masterpiece? I could delve deep into writing technique: about developing characters, enriching your descriptions, creating masterful dialogue. But we both know that’s not what makes the story. Where does the story begin but in your head, before the first words are put on the page? Ideas are the backbone of writing. But that brings us
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back to the beginning, to the struggle of finding ideas that can be researched and developed into a writing piece. Here are 8 tips for finding inspiration in your life, and in the world around you.
spark of inspiration writers need. There are countless websites and blogs that have resources for writers looking for inspiration and ideas for a piece, and even classes and tutorials for honing your writing skills. A 1. Internet good website to check out is www. Simply put, the Internet is one of the carnagiecenterlex.com, which is a greatest inventions ever to induce as program based in Central Kentucky widespread a revolution upon the that is available for writers of all ages. general public. The herald of the digital age, the Internet is a treasure trove 2. Nature of images, videos, and information, As Henry David Thoreau said, “This that is constantly being added to and world is but a canvas to our imaginabuilt upon by the entire world. The tion.” Thoreau, a writer himself from Internet is, quite simply, the larg- the 19th century, was renowned for est-ever collection of human data. his transcendental ideals, which esThere is so much that is accessible poused nature as being fundamental simply by typing in a word or phrase. to living one’s life to its fullest.NaLike so many other vast collec- ture, in its enormous complexity, has tions of information and people’s many aspects which are just waiting records, the Internet can be the to be explained in some new way, just
The Internet is one of the best sources of writing inspiration.
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waiting for someone to come along with nothing more than a fresh perspective and a willingness to write. The changing colors of the leaves, the river that flowsthroughyourbackyard:allofthesehaveastory or a poem buried within them, waiting to be written. 3. Family and friends One of the hardest aspects of writing a good story, whether short or full length, is creating characters that suit your needs. It’s quite easy to fall into the trap of creating walking stereotypes or Mary Sues. Every good writer knows that the perfect character is a combination of appearance, mannerism, and his/her idiosyncrasies. But crafting the perfect combination can be difficult, especially if you have trouble creating original
characteristics. Should your character have messy brown curls, or a blonde buzz cut? Should he be confident and bold, or more shy and reserved? Does he tend to fiddle with things when nervous, or does he have a certain catchphrase?
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Rather than reading lists of characteristics that have been worn to a thread, or even lists that claim to be “original” and “fresh” (how could it be original if someone else has come up with it?), and simply copy-and-pasting them onto your own character, look to the most valuable source of inspiration you have, the one no one else can draw upon: your own friends and relatives. Often, people who complain that they lack inspiration are missing the most obvious sources right under their
nose. The uncle who spends too much time doing the down inside of our minds, and all they needed to come crossword, the cousin who can’t leave the house with- to the surface is putting a pen to paper or fingers to keys. out wearing a certain piece of jewelry; the perfect character is lying hidden amongst those you see every day. 6. Writing Prompts Writing prompts are by far one of the best ways for find4. Public ing ideas for what to write. After all, that is what their As our world modernizes, becomes more progres- purpose is. Many books are full of nothing but writsive and more technologically advanced, our diversity ing prompts, although for those who are not interestis only going to increase. Not just in who we are, but in ed in investing, there are also many websites and rehow we act, how we dress, how we interact with oth- sources online. For example, http://writingexercises. ers. When it comes to writing, sometimes all that a co.uk/plotgenerator.php provides a randomly generatlacking piece or idea needs is a little diversity that can’t ed character and plot skeleton, as a ready-made prompt. be found in your own world. How convenient, then, Writing prompts come in a wide variety. They can include that there just happen to be 7 billion other human be- paragraph-lengthpromptstojustonethematicorotherword, ings, each one unique and individual in the world. theironlypurposebeingtogiveyousomethingtowriteabout. They can be found anywhere you look, most notably public places. The surrounding world and the people in Inspiration can be found in many places, if you only it can be the perfect source of inspiration to any writer. know where to look for it. Inspiration is not just a thing that comes to those who wait patiently, or ask nice5. Practice ly. Inspiration is something you have to go out and You know what they say. Practice makes perfect. Even search for in the world around you. This applies not though there is no such thing as perfection in writ- only to writers, but to artists and designers as well. ing, practice can certainly help. When it comes to writ- Whether you are looking to write a poem for an Ening, one of the most important things is, believe it glish project, or paint a picture to give to your mom for or not, to write. With practice, you can do anything. her birthday, or even to write and publish your own You’re not being reviewed or criticized, you’re not be- epic fantasy/science fiction young adult series, ideas are ing judged; you have the freedom to write whatev- the seeds that grow into the success of a creator, and er comes to mind. The best ideas can be hidden deep without inspiration, the ideas would never be planted.
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When drawing the human form, it can become very difficult to acheive a masterpeice with perfect porportions. In order to draw the perfect face follow the guidlines below to make sure it is porportional.
EYES
Eyes should be equal length themselves as they are from mid ear. eyes should also be in center of face vertically.
ears
Ears should begin at eye level, and end around the bottom of the nose.
nose
Nose should begin at mideye level and extend to the midway point between eyes and chin
mouth
Mouth should be located at halfway point between nose and chin. The mouth should not be any wider then from mid-eye to mid-eye.
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Lauren Smiley is a sophomore at Wood-
ford County High School. She spends her time doing art related activities, watching Netflix, and playing volleyball. Lauren loves to draw and paint and hopes to pursue a career in graphic design in the future.
Lauren Smiley
Sarah Potts is a sophomore attending
Sarah Potts
Woodford County High School. She is a member of the academic team and the Y Club; in addition, she enjoys reading, writing, and doing miscellaneous art projects. Sarah hopes to graduate college and become either an author or a literary editor.
Brad Praria is a 16 year old high school
student at Woodford County High School. Brad has lived in Kentucky his entire life, and enjoys activities such as watching baseball, hanging out with friends, and playing guitar. He is also an aspiring visual artist that would like to apply his talents to becoming a children’s book illustrator or character development artist.
Brad Praria
Isaac Tonges
Isaac Tonges is a sophomore at WCHS. Isaac enjoys reading, playing video games, and programming. He aspires to be a video game designer and create games that he enjoys. Isaac enjoys swimming, and has participated in it since he was 6 years old.
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