Art Composition

Artwork used with permission by artist Diana Cumberland Stupniski Composition can be defined as a means of selecting appropriate elements and arranging them within the picture space to communicate the artist's ideas, and feelings effectively to the viewer. Placing elements you have selected within your painting is very important. Composition can create either a strong and interesting piece of work, or a weak and confused piece.

You want to have your composition to combine *forms and space to produce a harmonious whole and meaningful statement.

When you see a really great piece of art'it didn't just happen. It was not the result of throwing together objects, or filling the background with detail. It is the result of careful planning, without that, the viewer could be left feeling confused and unsatisfied. A well-composed picture will leave the viewer feeling satisfied, and create an urge to see more.

Every artist approaches any given subject differently. One may like the more romantic approach, while another may want to portray it *realistically. Another may choose to work with different *textures to create a *mood or atmosphere with *contrast for the viewer. Composition allows you to say what you want to say.

In composing your picture, you decide what you want your main point of focus to be. Each artist may see the same thing, and each could choose a different point of interest. These forms that will be your point of interest could be made larger, clearer, stronger, brighter then they may actually appear in real life. Less important forms will be smaller or less distinct. *Perspective is very important!

Through composition, and having a main focal point, the artist can actually control which part of his picture the viewer will linger over. Once a definite focal point is established, the viewer can be lead either directly or indirectly through the art. The use of light and dark contrasts will also emphasize the center of interest.

Before painting, the artist needs an idea. They must determine subject matter, and compose the subject manner in a way that is going to be the most effective. What kind of mood is going to be created? What emotions are going to be evoked? What content should be in the picture to capture the viewer, allowing them to grasp what the artist has envisioned? Will anything in the picture distract the viewer, and should it be moved, or removed? Is this the very best composition for this subject? Is the *proportion correct?

Once the artist has thought through various questions such as these, it is time to put the ideas to paper. Rough sketches are used to ensure composition is correct, and that the picture captures the feeling the artist is trying to convey. Sketches should be kept simple, broad, and not contain a lot of detail. Once the artist feels they have captured the effect, focal point,*rhythm and design and feeling they want to create for the viewer, the sketches can then be transferred to the final work of art.

The 4 main elements of composition are:

*Picture area: This is the surface within the four borders of your picture that is used for the drawing or painting. The picture area will help you determine placement of objects, and how big they should be.

*Depth: This is the illusion of distance or a third dimension. Depth creates a three dimensional effect, making objects feel closer, or further away. The finished result will not appear flat on the paper or canvas if depth is created.

*Line: The line or direction the viewer's eye takes to go through the picture. The objects or forms within the picture should lead the eye to the focal point. When art is viewed, most people will begin in the bottom left corner, and continue through the picture to the right. A good composition will not allow the viewer to keep going right, all the way off the page. The viewer should be lead back into the painting in a flowing motion.

*Value: This is the lightness, or darkness of an area, or a shape within the picture. It is also used to create the over-all feel of the picture.

ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION & AESTHETICS Text of a Lecture given by Hadiza during an orientation of Prefect at Command Secondary School, Kaduna, Nigeria. These are two different but closely related topics with a very wide scope. I will only attempt to treat them as they relate to us as a boarding school. The dictionary meaning of these words is not really different from their every day usage. The environment refers to: a) A surrounding b) Something that surrounds c) All the conditions, circumstances and influences surrounding and affecting the development of an organism. I would like you to note particularly the 3rd definition of environment. Sanitation: is the science and practices of effecting healthful and hygienic conditions through the use of measures such as drainage, ventilation and good water supply. From the above definition, we can simply say that Environmental Sanitation is the science that tries to show the principles and laws of beauty in art and nature. Put simply, aesthetics means beautifying our environment. (Source of definitions: Websters Unabridged Dictionary). I will concentrate more on environmental sanitation than aesthetics because a clean and healthy environment needs only a little effort to make it beautiful. Our environment could be internal or external. The conditions and influences that affect our development could be external to our body or internal. External conditions i) The food we eat and the water we drink ii) Our clothes, beddings and towels iii) Our hostels, classrooms and offices

iv) The soil around us and the plants and animals dwelling in it v) Our skin surface. Internal Conditions vi) Our food tract starting with the teeth ii) Our cells, organs, tissues and systems such as circulatory, excretory etc. We are healthy when all these systems are working in harmony. How is environmental Sanitation related to our health? Why is the government taking such an interest in the condition of the environment to the extent of: (i) setting aside one day in a month as a cleaning day a few years ago. (ii) Having bodies such as FEPA and Public Health Authorities at various levels of government? It is not only the Nigerian government that is taking such an interest. Every single country is doing, so and even at global level through some organs of the UNO such as WHO. The state of the environment generally dictates the health of the individuals in it. Generally ill health is caused by: a) Unhealthy surrounding b) Unhealthy habits c) Insufficient and unsuitable food d) Invasion by disease causing organisms. UNHEALTHY SURROUNDING Examples are I) Overgrown bushes around the hostels and classrooms which serve as a hiding place for dangerous animals and a breeding place for mosquitoes. Malaria remains a serious illness resulting in loss of man hours particularly in developing countries. Bushes are also used as toilet by a number of students. ii) Blocked drainages with dirty stagnant water for mosquitoes to breed and disease causing germs to multiply. iii) Dirty bathrooms, toilets blocked with faeces and sanitary towels. Unswept and unwashed hostels, dining hall and classrooms. iv) Dirty clothes e.g. underwear, socks, uniform, nightclothes and beddings. These serve as a habitat for germs.

v) Dirty skin this is particularly suitable for the growth of organisms because of the warmth provided by the person body temperature being around 36.8c.

UNHEALTHY HABITS Examples of some habits exhibited by us which can bring ill health are: I) Leaving our beds unmade in the mornings. When a bed is tidied, dirt is brushed off and air is let in between the bedclothes. ii) Keeping the windows closed during the day. Light and air discourage the growth of germs. Windows should therefore be opened during the day. iii) Hiding wet clothes and towels under the mattress. Fungi and other pathogens will breed in them. iv) Not brushing our teeth at least once a day with a good toothpaste and chewing stick. Food particles lodged between the teeth will decay along with the teeth. You also deprive the teeth of needed Calcium and Fluoride which is present in all good toothpastes. v) Eating with dirty or hastily washed hands thereby introducing the bacteria in your hands and under fingernails into the food. vi) Opening a tin of milk or sardines, eating half and leaving the rest for later use but actually to indirectly allow enough bacteria to accumulate before you eat it. vii) Bringing food from the dining hail to the hostel in an uncovered plate and eating it 3 hours later. viii) Dropping used sanitary pads directly into the toilet bowl or right on floor instead of wrapping it with a newspaper or other suitable paper and putting it into a dustbin with a lid. The sight of such pads puts one off food for hours, not to mention the stench ix) Passing urine and faeces around and inside the hostels, classrooms and other buildings. Many human disease germs are passed out with faeces Hence if it is not properly disposed of, these diseases spread quickly e.g. cholera and typhoid. INSUFFICIENT OR UNSUITABLE FOOD I will not dwell on insufficient food because the stage you are now is that stage when you eat all day long. Food is hardly sufficient for you no matter the quantity. However, eating a balance diet keeps the doctor away.

What foods are unsuitable? I) Stale foods which will likely contain bacteria. Examples are soups, jollof rice, snacks prepared the previous day. These should be warmed adequately to kill pathogenic organisms present. ii) Tinned food especially where the tin has a slight bulge. The bulge suggests that respiration is going inside the container leading to production of C02 now trapped inside. iii) Food, partially cooked with a boiling ring especially meat and fish and indomie nodules . These may contain, apart from bacteria, the developmental stages of worms. iv) Sweets and chocolates. They stick to the teeth and encourage the growth of germs which ensure tooth decay. v) Alcohol this interferes with the working of the body, and can lead to death. It poisons the body even in small quantities. vi) Drugs not recommended by a doctor. vii) Cigarettes the Surgeon General says cigarette smoking is very dangerous to health, and smokers are likely to die young. Smoking is banned in public places in many countries. viii) Dirty fruits and vegetables e.g. mango, guava, carrots, cherry, banana and lettuce. Wash thoroughly before eating.

INVASION BY HARMFUL OR DISEASE CAUSING ORGANISMS Disease causing organisms are mostly bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa and worms. These cause disease such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery (bacteria), malaria (protozoa), measles (viruses) scabies and ringworm (fungi), filariasis (worms). These organisms are all around us but will only multiply in conditions such as those we have discussed under unhealthy surroundings, habits and unsuitable foods. That, however, is not an exhaustive list as bacteria and germs will grow anywhere there is a substrate. Some substrates are more suitable than others. The most suitable are human and animal faeces, decaying refuse, stagnant water, cooked food, food particles around the teeth, milk and milk products, dirty human skin. How do we get invaded disease causing germs? Transmission of disease could be by direct contact with an infected person like sleeping on the same bed or wearing the same clothes. We can also inhale germs through the air we breathe in or the water we drink. Or it could be by vectors such as housefly, rats, cockroaches, mosquitoes which all thrive in a dirty environment. Other methods of transmission are not within the scope of this paper.

The housefly alone is linked with the transmission of about 100 human diseases such as cholera, typhoid and dysentery. Its hairy body and mouth parts are well suited to carrying pathogenic organisms. It has indiscriminate feeding habits and can travel great distances like between the toilets and dining hail or hostels. It is discouraged only by a clean environment. How do we keep our environment clean, healthy and beautiful? We must all be willing as individuals and members of the community to play an active part in keeping ourselves and all other members in good health. The following provisions must be made in all houses and classrooms: a) Good toilet facilities; b) Good drainage system; c) Regular supply of clean water; and d) Enough windows to allow proper ventilation. Other requirements are: a) Brooms, Scrubbing brushes and long ceiling brooms; b) Dustbins with lids c) Incinerators d) Mops with mop holders e) Disinfectants and antiseptics e.g. Izal, Dettol. f) Cutlasses and hoes

We all know how to use the above.

The hostels and classrooms should be swept as many times as may be desirable daily. The refuse must not be left in front of the classrooms or hostel but taken to the incinerator. Windows and ceilings must be dusted daily. iii) Bathrooms and toilets must be washed with disinfectant daily after rush hours. Dilute as follows: 1part disinfectant to 10 parts of water. iv) Wash hostels, dining hall and classrooms at least two times a week with water. Wash with disinfectant once a week

v) All bushes around the school should not be more than a few inches tall. vi) Farming should be done at least metres away from all buildings by staff and Agricultural Science students.

The cheapest form of beautification is through the planting of flowers and trees. This should be done indiscriminately but in a planed fashion. The land should be landscaped. The plants/flowers should be carefully selected to avoid poisonous ones. Fresh cow dung should not be used as manure because of the vast number of bacteria contained in them. The dung should be collected weeks before use and kept aside to allow it decay. It is advisable to plant herbaceous perennials like Canna lily or shrubs like Hibiscus which will survive from year to year. Trees planted can be whistling pine, masquerade trees and Eucalyptus. Shrubs and trees should be pruned regularly. During the raining season, the flowers need no watering. However, they should be watered twice a day during the dry season to prevent withering. When we keep indoor plants, they should be kept where they can get enough light and air. The pots used should be the porous type. They need to be placed on top of another container into which excess water can drain. Plants and flowers should be pruned regularly to give the desired shape and effect; and also to discourage animals that may wish to live in them. It is better to treat the facilities provided as if they are yours. If we all do that, then they will last longer. Everyone should avoid writing on the walls, doors and ceilings of hostels and classrooms. Bulletin Boards should be well maintained. Beautification is not the effort of one prefect but of all prefects, all students, all teachers and any other member of this community. Live by example, apart from ensuring that you sensitize those around you on the need to have a clean and beautiful environment.