Advanced Art & Design

Final Reflection: 

I have seen significant improvement in my artwork when I compare it to my freshman and sophomore years in foundations of art and 2D design, as well as looking at my work from the beginning of junior year. One area where I have made immense strides is in my use of contrast. Previously, I tended to use very watered-down gouache and watercolor because I was afraid to take risks and step outside of my comfort zone, fearing that bold and vibrant colors might ruin my artwork. However, I started to take the feedback I received from my classmates seriously and applied it to my work, as seen in my second sustained investigation. I discovered that high contrast creates a more dynamic and visually striking piece. It captures the viewer’s eye and makes certain elements stand out, making the artwork more engaging and memorable. Additionally, I have made significant progress in experimenting with materials beyond gouache, which I was initially more comfortable with. This year, I have challenged myself to explore a variety of materials that connect to my projects. For instance, in SI 4, I utilized shells, plastic pieces, and beads to add texture and depth to my work. In SI 6, I experimented with burning the edges of the paper to create a dramatic effect. In SI 7, I integrated a fish hook to add an element of surprise and complexity. In SI 8, I mixed vegetable oil into the paint to achieve unique textures and visual effects.  I have focused on improving my technical skills and understanding of different artistic principles. 

Reflecting on my work that I created this year, one of my strengths has been my ability to incorporate and play around elements of art and principles of design. I mostly focused on my use of line, pattern, and color to guide each of my pieces, but also had fun playing with shape, emphasis, contrast, and movement. Additionally, my ability to take feedback and adapt/change my projects is a significant strength. Initially, I was hesitant to use bold and vibrant colors, sticking to watered-down gouache and watercolor. However, after receiving constructive criticism from my classmates, I began to push the contrast in my work. My weaknesses would include my poor time management skills. I never quite anticipated how long some of the pieces might take me, and I often put projects off. This led me to feel extremely rushed the night before, and I often missed deadlines. This led to many of my pieces feeling unfinished, not coming out the way I wanted, or too simple, which is reflected in a few of my pieces towards the end of the year. 

My biggest challenge this year was coming up with ideas for each project. Often, thinking and sketching out my ideas would take up entire class periods. I aimed to create pieces that highlighted as many aspects of climate change as possible. However, I eventually ran out of ideas and decided to expand my inquiry questions to include both the positive and negative effects of climate change. This shift provided me with a wider variety of topics for inspiration. The idea generation worksheets we received in the second semester were incredibly helpful, allowing me to brainstorm and prepare multiple ideas for future projects.

Something I am most proud of this year was sticking to my theme, and creating art based on a real social issue that I am very passionate about. I care about environmental issues, especially climate change and I wanted to explore using art to create awareness and ultimately impact change. This issue is important to me because I look around and see so much beauty and inspiration in nature but there is also an undercurrent of worry and sadness. I think I did a good job dedicating myself to highlighting the urgency of climate change and the need for immediate action, and feel my artwork served as a visual narrative, depicting both the beauty of the natural world and the positive human impact, as well as the stark reality of environmental degradation.

Looking ahead to the future and over the summer, I want to keep creating artwork that spreads awareness of social issues. While I do love creating environmental art, I believe my next step will be creating political art similar to my Scholastics "American Dream" piece. This shift will allow me to address a broader range of topics that are equally important and urgent. I want to push myself to improve my technical skills overall, as well as stay on top of deadlines and find time to work on my pieces. I also feel like I am very critical of myself throughout the process of creating and when I am finished with my work. I am going to try to stop being overly concerned with perfection in my art so I do not inhibit myself from experimenting and take risks and do not lose the motivation to keep creating the art I love. My goal is to continue with art classes my senior and beyond so I can continue to enter contests in the future, and continue to create artwork that reflects my own personal interests and issues important to me