Inclusion Design

For this project the goal was create a piece to submit to the Maine Developmental Disabilities Council with the focus being inclusion of ALL people (including those with mental and physical disabilities). I thought this was a really original prompt and I was excited to work with it. I first brainstormed and thought about what inclusion meant to me. I settled on the idea of "birds of a feather" as we are ALL "birds of a feather". That phrase reminds me of community and the connections that bring everyone together.

I chose to take my phrase pretty literally, first by drawing a feather and then drawing the birds on top of it. I used different types of birds, including a bird with a broken wing to symbolize people with physical difficulties. I struggled with representing those with mental disabilities in the birds. I focused on the different types of birds to show inclusion. I purposefully chose to depict these birds in different colors. I started by sketching the birds, then outlining them in fine point pen, and then using watercolor to add color. For the background, I used watercolor first and then used a fine point pen. For the background, I chose to do a light wash of blue. I didn't think that was enough, so I added flowers to keep with the nature theme, and then added falling feathers to connect to the overall phrase. I then added the text, in cursive because it is very light and simple. I also painted the feather in different colors to symbolize that the community supports all.

I'm happy with the way this turned out. This was definitely more upbeat than my projects have been recently. I don't normally work with so much color but since this prompt should be associated with bright colors, it pushed me out of my comfort zone. If I were to do this again, I would add a border and also figure out a creative way to represent those with a mental disability. Overall, I am pleased with my piece.