In Design we were taught how to operate Adobe Illustrator, and after painfully learning how to use the pen tool, we made a self portrait illustration. In this illustration, we had to show our best and worst trait simultaneously. Mine was modesty.

 

Here is my artist statement:

 

The trait I have portrayed in my illustration is modesty. In being modest, I do not brag often nor do I share my accomplishments and abilities with my peers. Modesty is a generally appreciated trait, so people may like me more for it. On the other hand, being modest does not allow those people to see the real me, and they might see me as less than I am. Also, those who surround me do not have access to my skills because they do not know I have them.

I chose flowers to represent people. Sunflowers are large and bright yellow, showing off their color, or “accomplishments.” Forget-me-not flowers are small and blue, or “modest.” Contrasting colors illustrate the difference between the two types of flowers in this picture. The forget-me-not is almost being smothered by the sunflowers, showing the downside to modesty. Even if it is being choked, it is still living among them, which is an upside.