Reflection Essay

What are your experiences with art? Do you typically seek it out in moments of despair, or moments of joy, or both? Spirituality as defined Brene Brown “is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion.” (page 45).

“The artist is the compass which, through the raging of the storm, points steadily to the north，” said by Romain Rolland. If people could give an accurate concept of art , then it was better to say that art gave the artist a firm goal and motivation. At a young age, I did not have a deep understanding of art. In my memory, drawing a few pictures of comic and having art classes in my elementary school in China that was the closest way to learn art. Although I liked painting, I did not choose it as my major in my high school and university without the support of my family. However, fortunately I had a good chance to live and study in New York with my family in the winter of 2014. If I could not learn painting that was a kind of regret in the first two decades of my life, then I might have the opportunity to make up for this regret in after years. I was very grateful to the art to bring my enthusiasm, so I could firmly choose the art design as a new professional in QCC and have more opportunities to learn about art.

How has this artist/artwork inspired my use of media and technique within my Body Of Work Three:

In this project, I am supposed to create my “spirit animal” using personified animals and colors that reflect who I am and at the same time using the new shading and drawing techniques I learned. To create this project took weeks of preparation and months of hard work. I prepared for this project by analyzing other artist’s works to learn more about symbolism, grasped how to shade and put my ideas onto paper using lines, feathers, dots, light transitioning, and multiple other applications. Nicknamed “The Semester of The Never Ending Project,” this drawing required rough drafts, perfecting rough drafts, critiques, applying and synthesizing my new skills, reflecting, redoing, and discovering how to approach my overall finished product. Through this project, I developed my knowledge and understanding of visual arts practices and philosophies, strengthened my capacity for creative thinking, learned how to apply various artistic skill-sets that allows my ideas come to life, and increased my visual and cultural literacy. Not only did I learn from this project that “I feel things deeply,” or that I am an “analytical thinker,” but I saw on a deeper level how I am as a person. I have grown by learning that rather than correct answers and rules prevailing like in a math or science class, it is my own opinion and creation that can be approached through more than one solution and have multiple answers. I have grown an extremely deeper appreciation for art by actually experiencing the range and variety of things I am capable of and capable of feeling. Art has proved to be a new way to say what cannot be said; it has showed me that language and numbers are not the limits of a human’s perception. Overall, this project helped me see that art covers a multitude of perspectives and helped me see that small differences do make big effects. After this

Artists may work strongly from their own experience, thoughts, feelings and psychological experience which strongly influences their style, originality and their creative expression.

Innovation, ingenuity, and individuality are at the base of creativity. As a child I always thought outside the box exploring ideas in a different perspective in order to encapture the true meaning of the question at hand. Growing up in an art enduring environment certainly persuaded my passion towards visual media, as my pieces often reflected values of Dr.Seuss, Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. Whenever I felt frustrated or incapable I always relied on the ability to express my emotions throughout writing, sculpting or even drawing. The ability to reveal my inner conflicts without restraint or indignation is what allowed me to find a release in a stressful situation.

Core themes in my artwork are connections, storytelling, and language. These connections are between humans to humans, humans and nature, as well as humans and technology. Storytelling is displayed through making art based on memories or experiences, and using documentarian processes to depict stories of others. Utilizing the power of language is important to in my art practice. Wether it is done through spoke words, music, or text. Also, I pull from personal experiences and apply those to my art to offer shared experience between the viewers and me. People are a general point of interest to me. The simple yet fascinating ways that humans from around the world can relate to one another, as well as the uniqueness of their talents and abilities,

This is a Book that entails Kiki Smith’s never-seen images. The artist (Kiki Smith) gives insight to how her work was processed. And how she was moved in the direction, as far as scheme of colors and so forth. Allowing viewers to have a vivid eye on how and why she did the things she did when taking her

All throughout the early years of my life art has always played a very pivotal role, it has helped me grow into myself as an individual and has given me the opportunity to network with some truly astounding and talented individuals. Like a true aries, I have always considered myself to be a pioneer, this can be attributed to my innate need to further my education in the visual arts. It is with this yearning that I delved into various creative mediums and forms such as; painting, ink, 3D work, and photography.

Creativity is an amazing thing, it is so impactful to every area of one’s life. From taking this humanities class I have increased by knowledge of art and the different creative processes that take place. Artist masterfully place different elements in their pieces to draw one’s focus to a spot. For example vanishing points allow an artist to create an illusion

Art is personal; an expression of inner thoughts and desires, affecting the way I not only see the world but myself. In order for a person to grow they must know who they are, their aspirations, the true nature of their thoughts, and their actuality of their persona; the physicality of art has given me this knowledge. With practicing in the arts I am able to grow as a person and I am able to see that growth within me.  For with the expression of creativity, comes an outlet, an outlet of the unconscious, forming and showing the reality of the mind. This outlet releases internal emotions and helps me to find tranquility within myself. This state of mind is a supplement for my own personal problems.  Also, I am able to create new ideas, ones that help me see the world in a new light. I am able to form a relaxing and mesmerizing state of mind, one that leaves me fascinated with the world around me, along with a deep love for simplicity.  Visual arts have truly given me an insight on my own mind and happiness in my life. This is why I full-heartedly believe and practice in the arts, to find peace of mind, not in the world, but in myself.

Like many people my age, significance and purpose are concepts I have difficulty in applying to my existence. While meaning can also be wrought, perhaps in a more personal way, in individual illustrations, I feel that drawing itself does not provide me with an overall sense of direction- it is a distraction, which is arguably the opposite of impetus. However, art can be a gateway to meaning in its broader understanding through ‘belonging’. As suggested by Steger (2009), there are findings showing that “relationships with others have emerged as the most important sources of meaning”. This result resonates with me- it is my ties to other artists that provide me with an incentive to strive towards a mastery of my skill, thereby supplying my artistic pursuits with meaning.

The history of art dates back to ancient times. Artwork can be, and was, found around the world. What makes art interesting is that it can be created in any way, shape or form with any materials. It seems that the artwork can also tell us a lot about the artist. Art seems to be simply, a direct, visual reflection of the artist’s life. Therefore, one can assume that an artist’s life experiences and beliefs directly influence their art. If we look at examples from different periods of art we will be able to see the connection between the artist and the art.

The raw power of nature has always been inspirational to artists all around the world. Art is associated to what we experience on a daily basis, however it represents some kind of transformation to the everyday, to something that is not actually entirely real, it can’t be found by simply locating it, it requires human intervention. Art maybe seen as the fingerprint of our existence in the world that has its impact on things we transform through the use of our imagination.

In the first day of art class in 2nd grade my teacher told the class “Don’t just draw a picture but create a harmonious relationship using each element available to you.” These words resonate with me in various aspects of life. In art when asked to draw a simple ball, you do not just draw a circle. However, you use that as a starting point and make the image more meaningful by adding texture, shadow, space and color. In order to make any experience meaningful, we have to start from the core and slowly build a relationship.