For the conceptual unit, the main focus was on the question:<\/p>\n
“How can I use unconventional forms to express myself?”<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n
To answer this, we explored the world of abstractedness and visual metaphors. We took risks in our poetry and art and expressed a given statement in our own aesthetic. Through this unit, we were able to learn many of the adobe programs and develop our skills in them to be used in our later projects.<\/p>\n
Overall, I really enjoyed the conceptual unit because of the poetry unit in English as well as the new knowledge I obtained for both animation and photography. I learned to really value abstract art and metaphors and have learned to look at all sorts of new perspectives in regards to my own creation of art, problems, and life in general. It was a lot of fun to learn the programs and develop my artistic skills and creativity. I hope to continue using what I learned in this unit to create new concepts in the future.<\/p>\n
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English: Poetry<\/h2>\n
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I am exploring the feeling of\u00a0overwhelmed<\/span> through the experience of flying<\/span><\/strong><\/em>.<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Photo Haiku<\/h4>\n
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Given the concept statement above. My first task in English was to create a photo haiku. It was challenging as I had no idea what I could possibly use to mean flying and how it can be overwhelming. I eventually chose to make flying as a metaphor for succeeding. When you succeed, you can become overwhelmed with joy or with expectations. And that is what I chose as my main theme for the remainder of the unit.<\/p>\n
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Free Verse Poem<\/h4>\n
Below is my free verse poem from english. We created many poems using our concept statements and this is the free verse that I created. I tried portray a child with high expectations from their parents who, although succeeds, feels overwhelmed by all of the pressure. I honestly feel like I could have done a better job, but this has taught me that I have to practice using and creating visual metaphors.<\/p>\n
Restrained<\/strong><\/h4>\n
A seedling.<\/span><\/p>\n
New to the world<\/span><\/p>\n
They begin with sadness.<\/span><\/p>\n
Bright eyes smile down upon them<\/span><\/p>\n
Anticipating the future of a being which cannot see<\/span><\/p>\n
the future or the present.<\/span><\/p>\n
Which cannot speak, cannot think.<\/span><\/p>\n
A porcelain child.<\/span><\/p>\n
Like a dandelion<\/span><\/p>\n
whose seeds are blown by the wind,<\/span><\/p>\n
so that its legacy may be carried on<\/span><\/p>\n
and they may grow.<\/span><\/p>\n
They continue the treacherous climb to reach the stars. <\/span><\/p>\n
People watch them their every action.<\/span><\/p>\n
Pick them up and blow their seeds away,<\/span><\/p>\n
But under the pressure, they begin to wither and remain dormant.<\/span><\/p>\n
Unaware of the flood ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n
Chaotic thoughts fly around in the empty room where they stay.<\/span><\/p>\n
Shriveled and choking for oxygen<\/span><\/p>\n
Drowning in their own tears<\/span><\/p>\n
to say what they want, do what they want, \u00a0and pick themselves back up from failure.<\/span><\/p>\n
For if they don\u2019t, the flood will surely kill them.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Spoken Word Poem<\/h4>\n
\u00a0<\/strong>For english we were tasked to write a spoken word poem. This time it did not have to be based on our conceptual statement and could be about anything which we chose. With mine, I talked about the thoughts which come to me at night, mostly the memories which come back. I often think about my childhood and miss it dearly because I feel like it escaped me far too fast. I am quite proud of this poem because it was my first spoken word poem and I tried very hard to make it rhyme and have a nice rhythm.<\/p>\n
Night thoughts <\/b><\/h4>\n
At night, I close my eyes<\/span><\/p>\n
The sound of my mom\u2019s voice <\/span><\/p>\n
washes over me<\/span><\/p>\n
Singing softly<\/span><\/p>\n
You are my sunshine, <\/span><\/p>\n
my only sunshine<\/span><\/p>\n
Telling me that all is fine.<\/span><\/p>\n
Feel her gentle fingers petting my head<\/span><\/p>\n
Reminding me that she is here.<\/span><\/p>\n
I smile, reminiscing<\/span><\/p>\n
A nostalgia I wish to return to<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I open my eyes with tears<\/span><\/p>\n
Falling down my face<\/span><\/p>\n
As I realize those days of peace<\/span><\/p>\n
Have finished their lease<\/span><\/p>\n
And have disappeared without a trace.<\/span><\/p>\n
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My past<\/span><\/p>\n
Was never meant to last<\/span><\/p>\n
But it returns at night to haunt me<\/span><\/p>\n
Like the ghosts I feared lurked in the dark<\/span><\/p>\n
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I close my eyes and remember the times<\/span><\/p>\n
When I was alone but not lonely<\/span><\/p>\n
When, even with my family, it was all me, myself, and I<\/span><\/p>\n
I, who occupied myself with card games and barbie dolls<\/span><\/p>\n
With two hands and a mind that did it all<\/span><\/p>\n
I both won and lost<\/span><\/p>\n
Was the villain and the heroine.<\/span><\/p>\n
And as the days went by I continued this way<\/span><\/p>\n
Until I could not choose between my left hand and my right hand<\/span><\/p>\n
The heroine or the villain,<\/span><\/p>\n
Who would win?<\/span><\/p>\n
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This past only reminds me <\/span><\/p>\n
that I have never felt lonely<\/span><\/p>\n
But then it brings a fear<\/span><\/p>\n
That no one can hear<\/span><\/p>\n
An abstract thought<\/span><\/p>\n
That no one has fought<\/span><\/p>\n
When my thoughts abandon me<\/span><\/p>\n
And I become just bone<\/span><\/p>\n
My name engraved in a stone<\/span><\/p>\n
When I am truly, alone.<\/span><\/p>\n
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My heart now pounding,<\/span><\/p>\n
I go back thinking<\/span><\/p>\n
To my mom\u2019s singing<\/span><\/p>\n
To calm this ringing<\/span><\/p>\n
Inside my head.<\/span><\/p>\n
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I think, it is funny how I do not like the sunshine now<\/span><\/p>\n
How I would rather shroud it in the clouds<\/span><\/p>\n
And cover all the light<\/span><\/p>\n
Because it is too bright<\/span><\/p>\n
For this world of darkness<\/span><\/p>\n
Where a girl will look into a mirror<\/span><\/p>\n
Grimace at what she sees<\/span><\/p>\n
And think, \u201cis this as beautiful as I can be?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
A world, where all sunshines are covered by the rainy clouds<\/span><\/p>\n
Because it is easier to hide in the words \u201cI\u2019m fine\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
Than to shine.<\/span><\/p>\n
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And I think about now<\/span><\/p>\n
Have I made my mother proud?<\/span><\/p>\n
Will the ones I love stay by my side<\/span><\/p>\n
When the thoughts that I hide<\/span><\/p>\n
Break through the clouds.<\/span><\/p>\n
And is there a life where I can allow my light<\/span><\/p>\n
To shine bright<\/span><\/p>\n
Without the rain<\/span><\/p>\n
Emerging from the pain<\/span><\/p>\n
In this strife we call life.<\/span><\/p>\n
Will I one day, <\/span><\/p>\n
Be remembered in a way<\/span><\/p>\n
Where people knew me<\/span><\/p>\n
For who I was<\/span><\/p>\n
And not who I could be. <\/span><\/p>\n
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And all these late night thoughts<\/span><\/p>\n
Remain for naught<\/span><\/p>\n
As no amount of thinking<\/span><\/p>\n
Can stop my time from shrinking<\/span><\/p>\n
Since life moves on<\/span><\/p>\n
And no one has won<\/span><\/p>\n
Yet.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Design<\/h2>\n
Transport<\/strong><\/h3>\nA blue and red penny board for childhood and youth with a dark shadow to make it cooler and contrast the usual heat and exuberance of summer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Our first project in the conceptual unit for design was to take a picture of something with wheels. However, there was a catch. We could not take the photo from eye level. Therefore, I chose to take my photo from slightly below the board. I attempted to incorporate depth and leading lines into my image. I also tried to give it a calm mood rather than the usual excitement and thrill that comes with skateboards. I did make the mistake of not paying attention to my background, however, I am working to remember that. Overall I am proud of the final product because it was my first time using photoshop and really doing any sort of photography.<\/p>\n
Artist Statement:<\/strong><\/h4>\n
The object I chose to use was a penny board. I chose it rather than the regular skateboard because it is less common and is more colorful which adds to its uniqueness. I placed it on the ground and shot it from ground level, slightly beneath it, to focus \u00a0on one wheel while trying to create a sense of depth with the leading line of the board. I also angled myself to incorporate the other wheels behind it. As for lighting, I went on the shaded side of the board rather than the lit side due to the fact that I thought the sunlight caused the colors of the penny board to be too bright and preferred a darker foreground in contrast to the lighter background. I wanted this darker mood in order to make my picture more calm and juxtapose the energy that comes from riding a penny board. <\/span><\/p>\n
Concerning Photoshop as a whole, I now fully understand the importance of shooting in RAW since JPEG condenses my photo causing me to lose information in my pixels making it hard for me to edit. As for actual Photoshop editing, I learned that while some blur can help to create a nice effect, having too much can hinder you in Photoshop due to the fact that it makes it hard to select parts of the picture. I also learned that the background of a photo is an essential piece to pay attention to as a background can distract from the actual focus point. Therefore, I increased the contrast of the picture so that my object pops out more, which will make the background less distracting. In addition I have learned that Photoshop is beneficial in making the picture less of an eyesore, because it allows you to change the time of day in the picture with a change in lighting adding a different mood. I used this knowledge by desaturating my picture and overall lowering the lighting so that the colors were not so vibrant and change the time of day to later in the afternoon. To emphasize the calm mood which I wanted to create I used my knowledge of content aware filling in order to eliminate the blemishes on the trucks of the board in order to make it appear cleaner which is associated with harmony.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Visual Metaphor<\/strong><\/h3>\nIn this photo, I wanted there to be a sort of chaotic feel. Humans, like sponges, are able to absorb the challenges which fly at us. However, there comes a point where we become so overwhelmed by these challenges that we cannot hold anymore and end up bursting. We are beings which run towards danger, feeling the adrenaline, But when danger comes flowing towards us, we are easily smothered<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
For the conceptual unit in design, we were challenged to photograph our conceptual statements using a visual metaphor that was not cliche or obvious. I will admit that I felt very stuck in this project because I did not know how to portray my conceptual statement without being too obvious because “flying” encompasses many cliches. I am not very satisfied with the final product because it does not look very interesting or eye-catching and does not seem to hold a deeper message despite my attempts to do so.<\/p>\n
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Artist Statement:<\/strong><\/h4>\n
I am exploring the feeling of overwhelmed when flying<\/span><\/p>\n
The objects in my photo are a painter\u2019s sponge, water, and paper stars. \u00a0In my photo, the water and the stars simply fall onto and around the sponge, like a waterfall, drowning the sponge. I set my camera at a low shutter speed to capture the motion of the stars and chose to shoot at eye level with the sponge in order make the stars which fell in the foreground look as if they were smothering the sponge. I created a light source on the side of the photo, so that the light would reflect off of the water and make it visible to the viewer. As for the background, I chose to place the sponge in front of dark leaves to add contrast between the yellow of the sponge and the paper stars. I also used the leaves to diffuse the water in different areas around the sponge to make the water seem like it was surrounding the sponge and overwhelming it more.<\/span><\/p>\n
The sponge being overwhelmed by the stars ultimately represents us as human beings becoming overwhelmed by the freedom, adrenaline, anxiety, and fear that comes from flying. The sponge is able to absorb the water like we are able to embrace the freedom and excitement which we feel when achieving the impossible. However, it is unable to absorb the stars which are the fears or apprehensions that may hold us back from flying. We fear not only falling, but also the heights we will reach, and can become so overwhelmed by this fear that we retreat and remain grounded. Thus, in the process of flying, we become overwhelmed by these contrasting emotions. <\/span><\/p>\n
In Photoshop, I practiced using the pen tool as well as making and saving selections. I used the pen tool in order to make a precise selection around the sponge, so that I may add the underwater photo filter onto it. This emphasized the overwhelming aspect of my photo as it gives the impression of the sponge being submerged in the sea and drowning. I also made use of inverting the selection to desaturate the surroundings, while increasing the vibrancy of the sponge, and using the burn tool on the edges of the sponge to create more contrast.<\/span><\/p>\n
Our very first project in animation was to create a zoetrope or phenakistoscope and then turn it into an animated gif. As a beginner in animation, I was scared and yet excited about this project. In the beginning, I was unsure about whether or not my drawings would turn out the way I wanted them to. However, I can now say that I am proud of the outcome of this project. I am proud that I was able to create movement despite my inexperience and that, although simple, my piece ended up being quite elegant.<\/p>\n
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