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[cearratrottier]

Part 1:

Conceptual Goal:

When creating this piece it was important for me to capture my life, right now, at twenty years old, in $75,000 of debt. I choose to create a classroom blackboard, full of significant events that have happened this semester. The first is the blackboard itself, I currently am in Field Block One, where I take on the role of a first-grade teacher from 7-11 am on Mondays and Wednesdays. Over the semester I have begun to see my growth both with my art and teaching. In teaching I have learned how to be patient and understand that things may not always go my way, this has shown in my art as I have allowed myself to have more creative freedom. 

Aesthetic Goal: The second piece of my art is the “star student” This is a tandict I used in my FB classroom, that I want to use in my future classroom as well. This allows me to express where I am and how I will continue to bloom in my classroom. Finally the “book of the week” this book, “Our Class is a Family” is the first book I ever received for my future classroom. When I told my parents I wanted to be a teacher they were not on board but I chose it anyway. Sophomore year, after my parents realized I was in this for the long hall my dad wrapped this book and wrote a message on the inside of it. The book will always hold a place in my heart and remind me of where I started when nobody believed in me. 

Course Inspiration: Finally I chose to make my background black as if it was on a chalkboard when reading the quote “However, while black is often linked with endings, it is present at the start of things too.” (262). This symbolizes the beginning of my journey, where I stand now, and how far I have to grow. I plan to put this into my classroom to remind me to enjoy the little things.

Conceptual Goal: I created this piece for my Clinical Block teacher, who has been my greatest mentor this semester. She lives on a farm and loves nature, and reading. It was very important to me to bring these elements into her painting. I also added her “Best books” (a system she has of all of her favorite children’s books) onto the tree to make it more personal. I enjoyed making her this painting and I know she will enjoy it!

Aesthetic Goal: My goal for this was to create a colorful yet aesthetic, which is why the bottom is more of a still life while the top is fun and colorful! I used paint for my background and a white marker to write out my words, I then traced it with white paint to make it stand out! I used magazine clippings from scholastic book orders for the books!

Course Inspiration: "One problem is our modern world, filled as it is with spot-lit rooms and backlit smartphones, overloads us with blue light at odd hours of the day, which has negative effects on our sleep patterns" (Page 179). Opening a good book is one of the best things we can do for our mind and body, this leads to a better sleep schedule and overall better health!

[cearratrottier]

People often think that the word “love” is something you say to someone when you have no words to describe how you feel about someone or something. However, over the past 5 years, I have realized that that isn’t true. 

Love is good and free and messy, and UGLY. Love is something we all experience in our life. I had just gotten out of my first-ever relationship and I thought my life was over and I never deserved to be loved again. (I was 16 lol) My grandmother had come to my house while my parents were on a trip and I was moping around as one does after a breakup and she told me “You are still worthy of love, even if you dont feel like it”. At the time I did not think much of it but as time went on I relized how much that quote stuck with me. Love is messy but love is also amazing and everyone deserves to feel worthy of that. <3

I chose to put my note on the quiet floor of the lib!

Attendence:

“However, while black is often linked with endings, it is present at the start of things too.” (262)

When reading this passage the idea of endings stuck with me. People often assume endings are a bad thing, the end of a life, the end of an era, or even the end of a relationship. However, when you stop to think about it each ending starts a new beginning. Without endings, we would not be able to grow as a person we would be stuck in a moment of time forever.

[cearratrottier]

Homework:

The background of my college is pink and purple. I used a lot of cool colors in my drawing so I wanted to brighten it up a bit! My still lives include my mirror (which I tried really hard to not be in the photo when taking it lol) My letter board that says “lets day drink”, a candle that smells amazing, my fake plant, and my jewelry box! I used a sharpie, crayon and pencil in my mediums. I printed out my collage items as I wasn't home: I chose to use aquafina, as all over my tiktok it has been a debate if aquafina or dasani is better, clearly you know my choice. Madewell logo because it was 40% off today and my group chat was going crazy over it! Morgan Wallen, my best friend Alyssa and I were supposed to see him this summer and then he canceled his show (don't get me started on that!) I decided to morph him with a guitar as I was listening to “ ‘98 Braves” when I was printing these out and finally Lululemon as I feel that is a brand everyone knows the logo of. My drawings are my water bottle, the plant that sits on my coffee table and the crayons I was using! I feel that all of these put together not only represent me but give a good idea of the “college girl essetic” I have been trying to portray!

Attendance:

“Most people would, if asked, say the connection between the Irish and Kelly green has to do with St. Patrick.” (The Secret Lives of Color, pg. 222). This sentence stood out to me for so many reasons. First, I was saint patrick's day for halloween and my moms name is Kelly. However, after further evaluation, to me this quote represents people creating stereotypes, when the two and two have nothing to do with each other. For Instance in my drawing the crayons and the plant, however many people would categorize them as things that were in my living room when i drew this. Showing that we as humans need to dig deeper before jumping to conclusions. 

[cearratrottier]

This week I choose to draw my roomate Catherine. My friendly critique was to create more of a college girl assetic and look into Caudia Bitran, who I LOVED! After looking at some of her work, I saw one piece of Spears in a hat, and it repreesented to me how edgy she was at the time (which I loved). I encorapted that into my piece, using tito's hat (very college lol!) I choose to incorporate a dramtic backround that was very 2023 with the opposite colors on the wheel. I also chose to draw my portarit from a diffrent angle to challenge myself!

Friendly Critique: I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your kindness, genuineness, and down-to-earth personality. I highly recommend checking out an amazing artist named Claudia Bitran! Their website is www.claudiabitran.com. I think you'd really enjoy their Britney Spears portraits, which could inspire you to find ways to make your subjects feel like they are rooted in 2023. I want you to lean more into a college girl aesthetic.

Attendence prompt: "Our current queen, perhaps bearing the stigma in mind, vetoed blooms of this color in place flower arrangements" (171). Bearing the stigma truly stood out to me in the quote, as i feel that everyone has something that translates to a stigma. The fact that the queen was able to turn something people frowned apon into flower arrangments, which people stigmitze as love truly spoke to me!

[cearratrottier]

Activity 1: I chose to draw my best friend and roommate Alyssa. We met just before freshman year and we are now jrs! Though she is small her personality is big! I focused on her beautiful brown eyes and long black hair. My favorite thing about her is she always is having fun and knows how to lighten the mood in any situation, she also gives the best advice! I am so lucky to have her in my life <3

Activity 2: I did my sculpture outside of the hickey! With the end of the semester coming up I know everyone is on edge (at least I know I am.). I decided I should make a heart, as I know everyone needs a little love right now! Plus where else to do it then where everyone at Bonas goes!

Activity 3: A few of my roommates (tech 4 but we count 6!) and I painted window Suncatchers. I set up our cute table, full of everyone’s fav snacks while we watched Toddlers and Tiaras (which we are all currently binge-watching.). My roommates Alyssa, Catherine (not shown) Adrianna, Evan, and Mason (not shown) decided we had to add a little paint to the nightly binge! 

[cearratrottier]

Elephant Facts: 

1. Elephants are the world’s largest land animal. (source: National Geographic)

2. Elephants Are Excellent Swimmers (source: TreeHugger)

3. Elephants will die without their trunk. (source: TreeHugger)

4. Elephants may feed for up to 16 hours a day. In the wild one animal can consume as much as 600 pounds of food. (source: Elephant Conservation)

5. Elephants purr like cats do, as a means of communication. (source: Elephant Conservation)

Consumerism facts:

1. TV: Over 275 million TVs are in the United States homes. (Souce: TLC)

2. Google Classroom: This website was introduced as a feature of Google Apps for Education on August 12, 2014, however in 2020 uses doubled in the US. (souce: UMass Amherst)

3. Iphone: The I in iphone stands for internet and was designed that way in 1993. (Apple Scoop)

4. Wine: There are four types of wine however over 11,000 wineries in the United States. (The Wine Economist)

5. Stickers: Stickers have been around since 1935. That’s when inventor Ray Stanton Avery created the world’s first, self-adhesive label. (National Geographic)

Attendance prompt:

“As well as power, red has baser associations with lust and aggression.” pg. 136 This quote stood out to me as red is on two different ends of the spectrum. On one hand when we think of red we think of blood, and death. Either losing a loved one or facing your own death it is one of the hardest things humans will have to face. On the other hand red represents intimacy, and falling in love, one of the most exciting parts of life. I work in a flower shop and we sell over 500 bouquets of red roses on valentines day, however when we do funeral angaments we often create boquets with white and red flowers. Thus giving the color red two life milestones, love and death. 

[cearratrottier]

I chose to draw flowers around my skull. When I was 7 years old I became very sick and almost died, doctors said that if they didnt bring me in when they did I would have died in the next 24 hours. I was admitted to the hostpial and on my walls there was a mural of flowers. Long story short as I nagagated my new life with type 1 diabetes and staired at the flowers on the wall for days on end fighting to make it though. Whenever I see a daisy it makes me greatful of how lucky I am to be alive. While death is inteviable I am thankful everyday I get to spend another day on earth.

[cearratrottier]

Before I die, I want to have dinner in the eiffel tower. I am very fortunate to have gone to over 13 diffrent places outside the county, however Europe is a place I have yet to explore. This summer I have a wonderful oppournity to live this dream. I drew the eiffel tower and the beautiful trees that surround. Believe it or not there are only three floors on the tower! I hope to do a lot of things before I die, but this would be my number one.

[cearratrottier]

Homework

1. My zodiac sign is Gemini.

2. The color associated with that sign is yellow “which lifts your spirit and triggers curiosity and brilliant thoughts” (Freedom Moses). I have always loved the color yellow, so it was cool that it is associated with my sign! The animal associated with Gemini is a deer due to the “insane amount of energy, they are fun & intelligent creatures who aren't afraid to put themselves out there.” (TRUSTED TELLER) I chose to just put part of the deer in my sketch as depending on the situation, I’m okay to be myself while in others I am shy. 

3. Gemini is connected with the planet Mercury which is the first and smallest planet in the solar system. 

Attendance

“(Is pink a luxury color?) when it was discovered Monoprix was selling a pack of five disposable pink razors at $1.93. A ten mack of blue disposable razors, meanwhile, cost $1.85. The phenomenon has come to be known as the ‘pink tax.”” (117) This quote sood out to me as this has been an ongoing issue for as long as I can remember, pink things have always cost more. In this example, the pink razors cost $.38 per unit while the blue razors are only $.18 per unit. This is something we as a society need to be mindful and fight against. 

[cearratrottier]

I grew up obsessed with giraffes.  when I was 7 years old I was diagnosed with Type one diabetes, my parents promised me when I out of the hospital we could go to Disney World. When in Animal Kingdom, one of the giraffes had just had a baby and I loved it. I came home from the trip and went to my school library and checked out all the books I could find about them! While my art may not be a perfect giraffe print, infact it looks more like a cheetah; however two things stuck with me. 1. Giraffes coats are like fingerprints, no two are the same. 2. Female giraffes are taller then males, this specifically stuck with me as I was always one of the tallest in my class, it made me feel that even if I was taller, I was as powerful as a giraffe. 

(1) I have two core childhood memories about orcas. Free Willy came out in 1993 when I was three years old. I remember Michael Jackson, the global superstar of the moment, did the theme song for the movie, and it was a sensation of a film that lasted well beyond its release date. I can still hear and visualize the opening scene where Jackson is on stage singing "Will You Be There." The film had a profound impact on me, and at a very young age, I could recognize how harmful orca captivity is. I remember going to SeaWorld when I was seven, and it haunted me to see the orca entertaining the audience in such a small environment. As I've grown older, I've realized that I strongly support the movement against keeping orcas in captivity. It goes against their natural way of life, as they are meant to swim up to 40 miles daily and not be confined solely for profit. These magnificent creatures have incredible personal strength and a strong sense of community. Their communication within their pods is unique to 

each group, which is why I created this artwork to honor them.

Being that I was born in the early 2000s (2003) Halloween Town was the biggest movie on Disney channel. 20 years later it is a family tradition to have popcorn with orange-white chocolate drizzled on top and watch the movie with my brother (16- who thinks he is way to cool for it) and mom.  

(3) I was born in 2003, The Columbia disaster happened, when NASAS space shuttle was destroyed in space and killed 7 astronouts. I never knew about this until I was researching for this project, I feel that this is something that should be talked about as it cost 7 people their lives. 

I can still remember it like it was yesterday, I would put on Justin Bieber and give my mom a concert of the whole My World 2.0 album, when Baby came on it was my time to shine- when the lyrics “when I was 13, I had my first love”. I remember thinking I was going to fall in love and never stop. Truth be told I fell in love at 14 and it wasn't how Justin Bieber could have ever sang about it. It did however play on repeat for 5 hours though my breakup two years later, a full circle moment. 

"the color or the fruit, need wader no longer" (89)

This quote symbolizes that two polar opposite things can be catorgized into one category, it is not until they leave the group that they get to be truly themselves.

(Homework for 9/18-9/26)

[cearratrottier]

Solidago Gigantea- the yellow plant; this plant grows in wet, shaded environments (which makes sense that it was in the woods) It also spreads rapidly due to the seeds in the flower!

Traveller's-joy- this is the hydrangea looking plant; this plant is toxic to people (ops!) it grows in a wet soil environment and is often chosen for greening processes.

Appalachia False Bindweed: the leafs (the flower got gross lol) This plant is ALSO toxic to people, it has arrowhead shaped leaves and only grows 2m tall. They are identified as a weed, but do flower in white, pink and yellow.

*this information was from the app PlantIn*

"Blonde, Lead-tin yellow, Indian yellow, Acid yellow, Naples yellow, Chrome yellow, Gamboge yellow, Orpiment, Imperial yellow, Gold" (62).

I love this quote! My favorite color is yellow, and I have blonde hair which drew mw to it! However to me this quote symbolizes that although under one umbrella they are all different. Just like at Bonas, we are all different but still a Bona!

[cearratrottier]

"It is the best possible sign of a color when nobody who sees it knows what to call it" (32).

This quote stood out to me due to the complexity of it. Drawing the idea that some colors may be so rare or unusual that they become something truly special.

[cearratrottier]

Hey, my name is Cearra Trottier! I am a junior, and I go to Bonas for childhood education! In my free time, I like reading, hanging out with friends, and skiing! I have never taken an Art class and look forward to expressing myself through art!