I tried mixing the orange and deep blue at first to produce a contrasting effect, but I didn't like how it ended out, so I covered it with swirls with pastel chalk.

Then I wanted to try to make an explosive impact on the earbuds. So I used a palette knife to spatter acrylic paint to produce a rough effect and make it appear as if a burst of colors had exploded.

The whole feeling I wanted to capture in this artwork was "complicated". 

My typical response to an argument in my home is to lock myself in a room and find something to do. That usually involves me doing my homework while listening to music. I use earbuds a lot because this occurs pretty often. Why not use AirPods instead of earbuds? I've come to the conclusion that I frequently use earbuds to block out the world outside when I really want to. Instead of Bluetooth-enabled AirPods, I believe that the cables help me truly disconnect from reality and fully immerse myself in what I'm listening to. I intended to communicate my feelings via the earbuds. Even though I am aware that unpleasant occurrences are taking place, I find it difficult to pretend that nothing is happening because doing so creates a "complicated" feeling in my head. Even when I alter the style and appearance of my artwork during the process, the complex feeling is always present.

On Day 1, I attempted to use two opposing colors and very rough brushstrokes to convey a difficult feeling. I first wanted to intensify the anger or rage. As a result, to create a rough edge, I used little to no water.

Day 2 saw a dramatic change in approach, but I kept the detailed vibe by adding swirls and random geometric patterns. I visited a somberer kind of complex. Although somewhat more intricate than before, it isn't as rough in texture.

On day three, I made an effort to retain the swirls, but I also added earbuds to cover the entire piece. The explosion was created to give the impression that the earbuds were bursting with music.

To produce a more explosive impact on day 4, I used a palette knife to add rough textures. The explosion was there to stop the intricate swirl that might be occurring in the back, similar to what was going on outside. In essence, I'm utilizing music to drown out the negativity (the swirls) in the background. The earbuds' vague shape is a result of the explosion, which indicates that I'm trying to escape reality (in a way). Although the textures between the two are different, I tried to utilize colors that were close to the swirls to create a unified aesthetic. 

On day five, I received comments saying that the earbuds were too ambiguous and difficult to identify. I therefore made the decision to entirely alter my plan and do something bold. I covered up any places that I felt were sloppy with black paint. I made the decision to return to employing geometric forms rather than a curved shape like the background layer. I still wanted to keep the black paint and the earlier layers in sharp contrast.

I was told to use Posca markers on the last day. As a result, I made the decision to use Posca markers to draw a distinct, bold contour of different earbud parts. To match the background, at first, I considered using only pink, blue, purple, and white for the outline. I did, however, recall that the entire point of the black forms was to establish a clear separation between the jumbled background and the straightforward design inside the black regions. Even though the environment is chaotic and noisy, my attention focuses just on the earbuds, which helps me to create a straightforward mental image. In contrast to the turmoil occurring outside my room, which is what my mind is focused on inside, the black patches indicate where my attention is focused externally. I then made the decision to employ hues (such as orange, yellow, and green) that I hadn't really used in the backdrop in order to make a distinct separation.

Overall, the abstract nature of this endeavor has made it challenging for me. I was advised not to be concerned about erasing my previous work and to come up with original new designs to overlay on top instead. But despite the difficulty, I made an effort to try abstraction. Even though the final result differs from what I had originally planned, I believe it successfully conveys the point I was trying to make.