Balance

   
Tuesday, April 19th

     This week, I painted on tree bark. I have a forest in my backyard so I went back and took a piece of birch bark off a tree to use as an impromptu canvas. This is a scene from my friend's cabin in Montana:

In class we were told to focus on the IB learner profile trait of balance, defined below:


Balanced: They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others.


     This in mind, I thought about what art in my life means to me. Art is a stress reliever, especially when it turns out the way you want it to. Many people see art and use it as an escape from their busy lives and stressful work loads. However, I tend to use art not as an escape, but as an enhancement.



     When I have a night of hard homework that will take me hours to finish (thanks teachers who plan together and put all my tests on the same day... just kidding☺), I take a break by painting a quick piece or sketching in my sketchbook. Doing this helps me achieve balance emotionally and intellectually. It's amazing how refreshed I feel after and it is loads better than taking a break to check my phone.


     That is another big belief of mine and it's something I try not to do as much. When I stare at my phone for more than 20 minutes, my eyes get messed up and blurry! That's one reason I don't like using my phone a lot, but another is that it distracts from real life.

     Art can be a reflection of your feelings, emotions, what you see, or a message you want to convey. Constantly checking your phone distracts not only from real life, but you are not as closely in touch with your emotions, making it much more difficult to achieve balance in your life.


Here is a simple pen and ink watercolor I did representing literal balance:

"Spring" Break

Tuesday, April 5th

     Spring break came and went this past week and I created a quick watercolor and took some photos on my trip to the zoo. The Toronto Zoo had many animals and I took so many pictures that my phone died. These 3 photos are 3 of my favorites because of the way vivid colors showcase the beauty of each animal. They are also interesting to me because each one is of an animal that does not typically make a lot of noise. In this sense, the photos convey a sense of serenity and intrigue.

Eastern Smooth Green Snake, Toronto Zoo

Blue Crayfish,Toronto Zoo

Jellyfish,Toronto Zoo

     Before we actually traveled to Canada, I made a watercolor at home. I had the idea after spending a night with my sister at one of my favorite little chill coffee shops downtown. She wanted me to draw her face, but instead I drew just a quick sketch of her eye. I ended up hating it at first so I vigorously scribbled it out. The dark lines showed my anger and after taking another look, I realized I could make something from my frustration! This is the sketch I made simulating my earlier scribbled out one:

 

    

    I wanted to work with a medium I don't use often so I chose to create a more finalized piece using watercolor and calligraphy pen. I used the eye of my little sister for this watercolor because she has green eyes. When I finished the eye, I was VERY reluctant to draw permanent lines over top of it, but I decided to follow through with my idea. I'm happy I did so... take risks, people! :o

     To me, the meaning of this creation was: 

     In life there will be confusion; there will be difficult times. The beauty comes when you are able to sift through the confusion and find your inner balance. When you are able to see through the rough times, you can find yourself alongside the good in the world.