41 Remix: “Encapturing Nature”
Aimee Gray
Instructor Jennifer Hadley
ENG 1013.75
1 December 2021
Encapturing Nature Remix
Being able to transform poetic words on a page into something of even higher quality proves the possibilities literature harbors. Words portray literal and subjective meaning, while art can become interpretive, something to please the eye. When beginning the process of deciding what to produce for this assignment, I immediately connected it to my narrative. My narrative has been the most successful paper written this semester, and one I was willing to transform. Initially, the choosing of ideals proved simple, art would be my choice of projection.
I began by re-reading my narrative essay. The essay was practically one large piece of imagery, it described a place called Portpatrick, one from my childhood, that shaped me. I found a reference photo of its beauty and began to sketch with my pencil the outline of buildings, hills, ocean, and so forth on a medium flat canvas. This part was simple, drawing is one of my many passions, it proved quite enjoyable. Once the tedious sketching was finalized, I was left feeling blank. How would I take this to the next level? How would I make it interesting for the audience? The answer was quite clear. I decided on using watercolour paints to add life and deep dimension to my canvas. The only problem was I had never attempted to make art with watercolor.
My beginning step was to research the conditions and correct brushes for this type of art. After seeing some videos, my confidence grew. I thought, “How hard could it be?” The answer: very hard… I grew anxious about placing the brush down, what if I ruined all my simple sketch work? I wouldn’t know until I tried. Once beginning the process proved simple, the strokes of my brush were gentle yet bold; I felt joy while completing it. With the landscape drawing completed, the canvas was still lacking some power. With spark, I decided to re-look over my essay, pulling the most impactful words and lines, to later place them around the canvas. This added flair, some visual words other than art to the piece, contributing to the multimodal assignment. Finally, I placed faux flowers, beads, and other items around the canvas to include textual objects.
Ideally, I wish the person observing my project to feel a sense of natural emotion, one that just makes you wish you were able to see this place. The intended audience was originally myself, and my teacher, but after much reflection I showed many family members and peers the work I was proud of. The work targets younger teens, it shows emotion and the embarking of nature, one that is appealing to the eye. By transforming it from written poetic words on a page, to visual art allows one to have a different interpretation and perspective on the writing. I was able to portray a similar message via physical arts. I chose specific colours, ones that are neither harsh nor bold, due to the flow of the essay’s calming tone. I compared the colors appealing to blue, such as yellows and oranges. I used a simple font on the text, not to stand out or distract from the center of the project. By adding faux flowers and 3-D objects, the image looks textured and appealing to the eye.
Composing in this mode of presentation brought me much joy, I thoroughly enjoyed the creation through self-expression. During the process, I learned my skill to attempt new things and overcome things I believe I can’t do. In the early stages, I felt weak in my abilities, but after I continued my confidence flourished, and I enjoyed it. Overall, the creation of this project allowed my creativity to grow and my confidence in my work to flourish.