Hello everyone, my name is Riley Dengler and am from Fort Collins, Colorado – around 45 minutes North of Boulder. I’m halfway through my junior year as a Film studies student and have always enjoyed watching and creating films. I’ve been an avid snowboarder for 13 years and hope to end up producing high-end snowboard movies, if not, use my creative vision towards music videos or ad campaigns. The past two summers I have had the opportunity to intern in New York with various production companies and, in a sense, can’t wait to graduate and start pursuing my passion!
Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of writing, especially in topics that don’t interest me. Luckily, a friend of mine, also in the Film studies program, suggested this course because your writings will be on topics that are fascinating and the skills acquired will be of personal use in the future. After hearing that, I am less reluctant to take on this course, and since it’s online, am eager to start blogging! Visual arts, to me, are defined as visual works that are created through ceramics, painting, drawing, photography, video, etc. and are usually designed by the artist to be aesthetically pleasing. My Mom was an Elementary art teacher and my Dad is an architect, so I have always been influenced to create art growing up. I have experience in years of drawing, photography, and video production and little experience in sculpture and painting, but enjoy those as well. Rhetoric is the art of persuasive writing. I would not consider myself a rhetorician because I have difficulty with fluently presenting valid points that solely support my main argument, but I hope to learn that through this course. I also hope to learn how to expand with describing my opinions towards artworks and feel good about how my opinion is presented. I’m new to blogging, but hopefully I’ll get the hang of it and I look forward to seeing everyone else’s blogs!
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Writing on the Visual Arts, Spring 2012 
Hi Riley! First off, I think its awesome that you are into making snowboarding videos–they are so much fun to watch! I love snowboarding too, however, I grew up skiing my entire life. I am from Florida and so I would vacation to Park City, Utah with my family every year to ski. When I came out to Colorado for school, I tried snowboarding for the first time and loved it (despite the way my butt felt) so I traded in my skis and ski boots for a board and some new snowboarding boots! I try to get up to the mountains whenever I have the chance!
Like you, I have never been a big fan of writing…and also why I picked this class. A friend of mine who is a Studio Art major told me it was an interesting class and not your typical writing course. I saw that you said your mom is an Elementary Art Teacher; thats cool because I am in another class right now that is literally called, “Art for the Elementary Teacher.”
Riley,
I’m an avid skier but I like boarders too and I hope we can get along. I find it funny how people distinguish between snowboarding films and skiing films, as if people can’t get excited about both sports in the same movie.
My girlfriend has both parents as art teachers, and even more funny, they were my teachers in different schools in my adolescence.
Riley, what a passion to have! Snowboarding is a big part of who I am and has definitely grounded and inspired me as a person. Being able to be a part of what it is to make an epic snowboard film is amazing, and sounds like a dream come true! I feel like so many people think snowboard videos/movies are just goofy and random, and not everyone truly understands what power they hold. Although, when done right, I love that they can move people in such a strong and inspirational way. They have the ability to create a sense of freedom and livelihood that cannot be captured any other way. What a wonderful thing to be involved with! Hope to hear more about your work through the semester.
Hey Riley,
I think its awesome that your fully engaging in your passions! Like you, I’m hoping that this class will give me a step in the right direction in terms of career paths. It’s great that you have such a committed attitude to both snowboarding and film. I really watching sports videos, so if you have any recommendations, please let me know!
How great is it to have creative parentsss. Mine are a little conservative and I still find myself explaining to them why art makes the world go round lol.
Hope your enjoying the winter season 🙂