Completion: Walk a Mile
Walk a Mile
It has officially been far too long since posting on here. Life can be absolutely crazy and hectic, but it is wonderful to know that God always has everything under control. I'm going to start posting once again, starting with what I have accomplished in Drawing III and Advanced Printmaking. Here is my final, completed. And now I can begin explaining my newfound style :)
Last semester in Advanced Printmaking and Drawing III I absolutely loved working in blue. Thankfully, not because I was going through a blue period, moreso as a representation of my culture. I am half Dutch, and I think that plays a big role in who I am. I grew up in Pella, Iowa, which is like a replication of the Netherlands. Every May, when all of the tulips are in bloom, we celebrated Tulip Time, and my family participated in the festivities by being Dutch dancers. By age two, I was wearing a little Dutch girl costume complete with wooden shoes and pointy hat, and I knew how to Dutch dance and sing as well (at least the 2-year-old gibberish version of Dutch singing...). The Dutch are also famous for their delft blue designs, which is what inspired me to start creating in blue. I fell in love with the color as soon as I found the perfect blue for my prints, and from then on I was hooked (on a feelin!).
This drawing final did not turn out at all how I originally pictured it, but I love it so much more :) Another element of my art last semester was creating connections between myself and my boyfriend, who is currently in the Navy. This is a three-part series that I like to think brings us together in a small way. The left half represents myself and my Dutch culture, and the right half represents my boyfriend, and his military background. I used watercolors for the background of each piece, and then went back and added details using my fountain pen. In each piece I also incorporated the beautiful stars and stripes of our country, and the horizon line lands in the same spot in each piece as well.
This piece is titled "Walk a Mile," and I chose that title as a representation of the changing of perspective in my life. Although it isn't quite the end of the year, I can say with confidence that I have grown immensely as an individual not only spiritually, but in every area of my life. One of the biggest changes I think I've made is in how I choose to view my life in a positive light. That doesn't mean I think everything is perfect by any means-it simply means that in every situation, I try to see the benefit, or the blessing. And that slight change of perspective has made a world of difference. I can have joy in the Lord, knowing that he will always be here with me no matter what. I can also have joy in knowing that even when life gets difficult, when we go through trials they are Opportunities to develop Perseverance, which then leads to Maturity, Completion, and Perfection-lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4). I am not anywhere near perfect now, but looking back at this past year I've definitely come a long way.
There are so many different things I could say about this piece, what it means, and how much I love it, but for this post I will cut the novel short by simply saying that if a picture is worth a thousand words, I've just given you three :)
