The reflections project at Freestyle finally gave me an opportunity to take a break from writing fictional stories and documenting the experience of others and allowed me to open up about myself. Throughout this project, I was able to use several fine arts (and academic) mediums, such as a film, a personal essay, and visual artwork, to give insight into my life and my values.
The months I spent on this project were some of the most valuable experiences I’ve ever had. Taking the opportunity to look back on my life and appreciate my accomplishments and growth made me realize how far I’ve come. Over 17 years of life, I’ve encountered immense challenges, met new people, seen different parts of the world, and set on my goals, and those experiences are all worth celebrating. The reflections project was a tribute to my roots as I continue to blossom as I enter college.
visual values (MANDALA)
At the start of the school year in August, students learned how to use mirror imaging in Adobe Illustrator to create their own Mandalas. The purpose of the mandala was to visually portray your core values while maintaining beauty and originality. For my mandala, The Guiding Hands, I decided to reflect upon my value for religion, as I feel that staying religiously connected throughout my life has helped me grow and stay self-aware. I also decided to incorporate clashing themes, such as fire and water, or the sky and ground, to emphasize my value for balance and harmony.
The second part of the Mandala project was bringing our digital artwork into the physical world. Students were given a variety of mediums, but I chose to have my Mandala laser engraved onto a pizza board. To me, food is a language of love. Around a year ago, my family bought a pizza oven for my birthday, and ever since, it has been the catalyst of many family gatherings and joyous occasions. The decision to make a pizza board stays true to my character and is now the centerpiece of attention every time we have people over for pizza.
Digital Mandala (B&W/Colored)
Pizza Board Mandala
Mandala Reveal Build Video
Creating the laser-engraved mandala was a process that expanded my appreciation for art and taught me that every piece has its own personal meaning. When it came to my mandala, seeing my own digital work brought to life was truly mesmerizing. When given the option to engrave my artwork, I chose to do it on the pizza board because my family owns a pizza oven which I use consistently. Ever since we got the oven for my birthday, I have used it to host pizza nights for friends and family. I consider cooking to be a labor of love, something that ties people together, so I felt that it was very thematically on par with the ideals expressed in my mandala. I am sure that the next time that I have others over, this pizza board is certainly going to turn a lot of heads. Moving forward, I can’t wait to create even more artwork that is personal to me and pushes on the bounds of my creativity.
Photoshop Artwork
During this unit, I was able to use the skills I developed in Junior year and learn how to use photoshop to create digital artwork. We experimented with watercolor and pastel painting as well as compositing. I valued the opportunity to use photoshop in such a creative way, compared to last year when I was just learning the basics. The process of creating digital artwork truly allowed me to push the bounds of my creative freedom and bring my imagination into reality.
Pastel Painting
Creating the pastel painting showed me the beauty of digital painting, an art form that I was previously unfamiliar with. The process of taking a real-world image and bringing it into the digital world, where there is no cap on your creative expression, is truly profound. Using a Wacom Table to paint resembled using a real paintbrush on a canvas, which resulted in this piece being very relaxing to make.
When creating my piece, “The Sleeping Dragon,” the original image I used was from our annual freestyle trip to the SFMOMA, a very exciting day that’s all about community and celebrating creativity. I thought that this image of myself and Jensen sword-fighting outside the MOMA perfectly captures what freestyle’s all about: thinking outside of the box, making our own rules, and defining your reality.
Watercolor Painting
My inspiration for The Meadows came from the famous artist Bob Ross, who would paint realistic landscapes in his show, “The Joy of Painting.” Unfortunately, he passed away on July 4, 1995, but his work lives on. Watching him work was almost rejuvenating, and seeing how he would turn a few strokes with a paintbrush into mountains, trees, and rivers was mesmerizing. With my digital watercolor painting, I wanted to utilize his art style to capture the same feelings of relaxation and beauty. As society continues to become more technologically advanced, art becomes more digitally immersed. You can’t undo a stroke with a paintbrush the same way you can in Photoshop by hitting Command + Z. I think it’s important to pay homage and respect to the innovators of art so that we can understand how far we’ve truly come.
Watercolor Effect
The watercolor effect project helped me further understand the implications of Photoshop. Being able to transform real-world images into digital watercolor paintings is a skill I would love to continue using. I would compare it to using a polaroid, which people still use today for aesthetic purposes; it helps us see the world around us through a different lens. I choose to apply the effect to nature-immersed pictures because I feel like a majority of us don’t recognize the beauty of the world we live in. Unfamiliar regions, states, countries, and even new worlds remain unexplored; we need to pay more attention to the art that naturally surrounds us. Infinite inspiration is within our grasp.
Photography Compositing
Photoshop Surreal Composition
The surreal worldbuilding composition project was based on our prompts from English. Radices Arboris tells of a world where the majority of humanity has forsaken the Earth, as their destructive habits have made it unsuitable for sustaining its billions of people. Among those who remain on the planet, there live the upper-class scientists, who use life-enhancing technologies to gain immortality; they use their power to rule the barren planet through strict policy. They force everyone to breathe using artificial air, hence the gas masks. Earth is also home to the nomads, who make up the majority of the population. They are poor folk who don’t have access to modern technology. Fighting against the chaotic environment and lack of sustenance, the nomads are barely able to scrape together enough to survive. Earth’s remaining population will soon come to pass as well, this is until Lucas, a nomad, miraculously discovers an unnurtured tree sapling, which has the potential to re-establish life. Working against the scientists, Lucas must uncover an ancient past in order to bring hope to the future.
When creating this piece, I composited over 20 images, some of which were 3d rendered, in order to create the world which was described in my story. I used techniques such as color-balancing and painting with light to make everything look like one coherent image. I think that the process of compositing is extremely effective when done correctly and can help bring my imagination into a visual medium. I hope to continue to use this skill well into the future so that I can bring more new worlds to reality.
Film Production
In my film elective class, we approached the reflections project by creating a self-narrated film that was exactly two minutes long. The emphasis of the project was to describe a prominent trait/experience that defines our character.
I decided to tell the story of my value for love. In the film, moments of intense isolation serve as a representation of the emotional disconnect that helped me appreciate the beauty of love. The moment at the dinner table with my family accentuates the once-strong connections that I had severed. Towards the end of the film, going out with my friends served as a symbol for finally opening up and embracing those around me.
Throughout the creation of the video, I went through multiple rounds of filming, outsourced actors, and utilized equipment such as a tripod, dolly, and gimbal. I composited all of my footage and vocals in the post-production editing stage. My intention was to showcase honesty and openness in order to reveal a side of me that isn’t normally present. This project’s process taught me that when we show each other our true colors, that’s when we can learn to understand and love each other.
Reflecting on reflections
After having completed the reflections project, I am truly grateful that I was able to open up my senior year in such a fun and interactive way. Between English, Digital Media, and Film, I was able to broaden my skills significantly, not just as a student of the fine arts but as an individual. This project was a great catalyst for growth. As we go on to 2023 and take on the narrative unit, the work I’ve made in this first semester gives me the confidence I need to succeed moving forward.