This unit was all about self discovery and reflection. The goal was to think about my life and ask myself “Who Am I?”. I thought about how all the little parts of my life came together to make me who I am. In English, we wrote a college essay that really delved deep into our pasts and experiences-how these experiences affected us. This essay would determine what colleges would think of me. In Digital Media, black and white and color mandalas that encapsulated my values and identity. Film tied it all together with a reflections film-a video essay-about figuring myself out, and what the future might bring. It all started with a brainstorm of “essence objects”. These essence objects are objects that I cannot live without and would not be the same without.
Below is my list of some of my essence objects:
My collection of plastic knives
My collection of cat related memorabilia
My computer, full of all my important files
My cat, Banana
My unicorn pillow pet
The pins on my backpack
My water bottle(gotta stay hydrated!)
My LED light
My clothes
My camera
My phone, and subsequent charger
My heart shaped sunglasses
Mandala
The Mandala project was a project where I learned how to use Adobe Illustrator to mirror images into a certain number of slices. I would draw into one slice, and then it copied over to every single other slice. I drew things that I felt like represented me. I included cats and bananas and other quirky little things that I enjoy.
Artist Statements:
BW Mandala: At first I was sort of experimenting with cool shapes and imagery. I soon added the symbolism of how on the outside people have superficial interests, and sometimes wear their hearts on their sleeve. The inside is being guarded by layers of darkness and other things.
Color Mandala: For this project, I was inspired by my cat, who is named Banana. She is a large part of my life, and brings me comfort. I included other things that represent me, such as my sunglasses, and frogs(which are something I find cute).
Laser Engraved Mandala: This project is an extension of the black and white mandala. I created a black and white mandala, and chose to have it laser engraved onto a pizza board. I had a little bit of trouble uploading the photos to the computer, but I figured it out and was able to finish the project. I would have wanted the lines darker in some areas, but that is out of my control.
Photoshop Art
I learned so many new skills and techniques in Photoshop through this unit. I learned how to add filters onto images to make them look like watercolor paintings and how to composite images on top of each other. I also drew a couple of things using photoshop. I valued this experience because I can take it with me in the future to create more interesting things in Photoshop.
Artist Statement for Photoshop Pastel Painting: For this project, I took a photo of myself, and added blood in photoshop. I was inspired by the Halloween season, and the movie Beetlejuice. Painting over the image took quite a bit of time, but it was rewarding. If I could change it, I’d probably put more time into the finer details. Overall, I really like how it turned out, and how it looks.
Artist Statement for Photoshop Watercolor Painting: Before I started this project, I was not confident in my drawing abilities, but throughout, I found out that drawing is quite fun, and very possible! I took a picture of a squirrel a few months ago, and decided I wanted to recreate it in watercolor form. I am proud of how much the squirrel looks like the reference picture I used, and how visually appealing it is. I learned a lot more about the keyboard shortcuts on Photoshop and mastered the use of the brush tool.
Artist Statement for Photoshop Watercolor Effect: I chose photos that I’ve taken that I like, and wanted to see in watercolor form. If I could change it, I would choose more landscape shots, or nature shots instead of people. I learned a lot more about smart objects and filters in photoshop.
Photoshop Surreal Art Artist Statement: This photoshop composition was inspired by my world building story from English. I encountered a few obstacles, such as getting the quill to cover the text when using the multiply blend mode or removing the text from the pages of the book. I learned more about Photoshop and combining images through this project.
College Personal Essay
In English class we wrote essays, in which we took the prompt “Who am I?” and translated it into a written piece. I revised this essay many times, and eventually used a version of it for my Common Application for college. I feel like I answered this question well enough for the word limit I was given. My life, identity, and the lessons I’ve learned have been put into this essay with a lot of heart. Initially while writing this essay, I did not want to reveal too much, but eventually, I decided that I wanted to let go of any limits. My edits included changing the story up a little bit, restructuring, and wording it more concise and adding my own voice.
Film Video Essay
In this unit in Film class, we turned all the little thoughts in our head into a film. We took all the brainstorming from English, and used it to help form a story in video form. It was almost like another college essay.
I filmed this entirely on my own, setting up a tripod in my bedroom. I used the lighting in my room, and natural lighting from the sun. A script was written and recorded on a Tascam audio recorder prior to shooting.
Throughout this unit, I valued being able to work on my own to create something to encapsulate myself and my own identity. It was one of the only projects in this class where I really did every single aspect alone.