Digitalized Capstone: http://babcockcapstone.weebly.com/

Mentor: Mr. Herman (Digital Photography and Digital Video Teacher)

Summary: My capstone is a journey to discover what a “Lexy Babcock” looks like through analyzing different genres and elements of famous photographers. 

Abstract: The idea derived from my love of photography. After seeing a project last year that related to photos of Philadelphia, the wheels started churning. I knew that I wanted to work with photography for my capstone. I first played around with the idea of creating sculptures made of photographs that I took, which turned into a photo-gallery event. That became the goal: presenting myself in a photo-gallery night. When I finally was able to let go of my focus on the final product, I started to focus on myself and photography. I decided that I was going to figure out what a “Lexy Babcock” photograph looks like. I researched photographers that I admire in various genres of photography. I decided that I would look into elements they use and in a way mimic them. I’ve struggled with equipment, finding models, securing locations, etc. The challenges I’ve faced that made the process worthwhile. The photographs that I took will be in a photo-gallery event on June 6th.

Bibliography: 

Source 1: Alessio Bolzoni

Bolzoni, Alessio. N.d. Photograph. Alessio Bolzoni Web. 30 Jan 2014. <http://www.alessiobolzoni.com/>.

When I was looking into editorial work, I came across Alessio Bolzoni. I picked him out as someone to be inspired by because of the way his models are. He’s known for putting his subjects in weird, structured poses and sometimes creating patterns out of models. I’d like to try this because it’s completely different than the other candid, natural photographs I’m also going for. 

Source 2: Alfred Eisenstaedt’s work & bio

Eisenstaedt, Alfred. VJ Day, The Kiss. 1945. Photograph. Life, New York. Web. 30 Jan 2014. <http://life.time.com/alfred-eisenstaedt/>.

When studying photographers, I had to include Alfred Eisenstaedt. He’s famous for his candid photos, most specifically “VJ Day, The Kiss.” Everyone has seen this photo. I want to be able to catch moments like he did. Moments that everyone can appreciate. I’m hoping that as I continue to study him and his work, I will be able to find a way to catch these moments without interrupting my subject. People tend to be different with a camera around so I’m using his secrecy as an element that I want to mimic.

Source 3: Exit Through the Gift Shop Documentary

Exit Through the Gift Shop. Paranoid Productions, 2010. Film. 30 Jan 2014. <http://www.banksyfilm.com/index.html>.

I chose Exit Through the Gift Shop to put on my bibliography because it goes along with me finding my niche and my brand. Banksy, an infamous graffiti artist. He has a clear style, an anonymous outspoken street artist. His work is consistent and it’s something that I can look to for inspiration. I’m hoping that after seeing this documentary, I’ll notice a pattern in my work.

Source 4: David LaChapelle: Heaven To Hell (GO)- David LaChapelle

LaChapelle, David. David LaChapelle: Heaven To Hell (GO). Cologne: Taschen America, LLC, 2010. Print.

I’ve chosen to look at LaChapelle’s work because he is currently one of the best photographers. He uses a unique theme in every one of his photoshoots. Many people want them to shoot him because he’s so over-the-top. His avant-garde, colorful style is what draws me to his photos. He likes to push boundaries and take risks. I’m going to mimic his use of Color Saturation and Avantgarde style for a photoshoot. My photoshoot is going to contain people looking as if they’re in space with funky colored clothes and over the top makeup and hairstyles.

Source 5: Peter Lik’s personal website that contains his work

Lik, Peter, and . N.d. Photograph. Peter LikWeb. 30 Jan 2014. <http://www.lik.com/>.

Peter Lik has absolutely beautiful landscape photos. From the beach, to forests, they are all colorful and leave you feeling like you’re there. Many of his photos are perfectly centered and structured. Most of his photos are cut to look extremely wide, and without a lot of length. This idea helps guide the eye. I’m going to take up this idea, but add my spin of an urban environment. I want to achieve that natural beauty and color where it’s unlikely to see it.

Source 6: Terry Richardson: Terrywood- Terry Richardson

Richardson, Terry. Terry Richardson: Terrywood. Bologna: Damiani Editore, 2012. Print.

Like David LaChapelle, Terry Richardson is also a very desired photographer. He shoots all of the stars. What I love about him is that there is a very distinct style that he has. I admire his consistency. I want to study his photography to possibly discover what my person niche is. His photos tend to be very raw. His models, no matter who they are, look completely in their element. Bringing out natural emotion is something I’m hoping to do when I practice portraiture. He also tends to use a plain white background. It allows the person looking at the picture to focus on the person, less than everything else. Although his photos aren’t always up-close and personal, there’s a very intimate feel and everything is always well lit. Nothing’s hidden or left to figure out. I’m going to use this idea of blunt portraits. 

Source 7: Tips and Advice for new Photographers

Rowse, Darren. "11 Tips for Beginner Photographers."Digital Photography School. N.p.. Web. 31 Jan 2014. <http://digital-photography-school.com/11-tips-for-beginner-photographers>.

I cited this source because it’s important for any type of photo. It’s a list of tips and tricks for people who have little experience in photography. It’s important for me to remember these because they will help my different photoshoots. It will help me keep from forgetting important elements such as: clothing, lights, other equipment, people, or a product. I picked this website over a few others I saw because I felt like it was more useful than others. This one talks about basic necessities. Some other sources were too detailed and overwhelming. This is the only helpful one. 

Source 8: Cindy Sherman’s Cindy Sherman: The Early Works

Sherman, Cindy, and Gabriele Schor. Cindy Sherman: The Early Works: Catalogue Raisonné, 1975-1977. Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz Verlag, 2012. Print.

Cindy Sherman is easily the coolest photographer I’ve ever studied. All of her photos contain the same model, herself. She puts herself in all of these crazy costumes and becomes millions of characters. The idea of self portraiture is scary unless it’s a selfie. By studying her work, I want to develop a set of photos of myself dressed and posing as multiple different characters. I think this photoshoot and studying her will help me to put myself in the place of my models. I’ll be able to understand what they’re feeling and how to make my photographs and connections with people better.

Source 9: The Wade Brother’s website containing all of their work

Wade, Lyndon, and WadeDavid Lindsey Wade. N.d. Photograph. The Wade BrothersWeb. 28 Jan 2014. <http://thewadebrothers.com/>.

After checking out the Wade Brother’s website, I noticed they had a variety of work. They worked with many different companies to do their ads and commericials. I was going to use them to study editorial; commercial things, but I came accross one of their personal projects. It was called “The Birds,” which I soon figured out was designed with Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds in mind. Their version is very dramatic and creepy, but it’s very original. I’m going to use their use of mimicry by showing my perspective on Disney Princess’ storylines. They also use pops of color in their very dark and creepy photos. I might take up this idea and make it my own. 

Source 10: 30 Pictures from the past

Wain, Alex. "30 Unique And Must-See Photos From Our Past." So Bad, So Good. N.p., 30 May 2013. Web. 30 Jan 2014. <http://sobadsogood.com/2013/05/30/30-unique-and-compelling-photos-from-our-past/>.

All of the photos on this blog post are from important moments in history that were captured in photographs. I’m looking at them for inspiration for a photoshoot. I want to do something with a black and white, vintage style. These photos are candids also so I’m hoping to incorporate that also. I’m thinking about mimicing the idea of famous photographic memories and create my own memories in history with sets that I create. 

(Chapters 9 and 10.)

Group Members:

Lexy Babcock

Goldie Robins

Jessica Maiorano

Gabby Santaniello

What Our Group Discussed:

We discussed chapters 9 and 10.

How We Discussed It:

We went through chapters 9 and 10 in order. We spent most of the time trying to discuss the chapters to understand what the author was saying. We gave a nice little conclusion to the book and our new perspective on statistics.

Any Points of Conflict/Disagreement In Discussion:

During our individual reading time, we all had a difficult time understanding these last two chapters. We had to explain the information to one another.

Questions:

Because of the fact that like each of our podcasts are twenty minutes and we split them into four, we don't have any questions for this section. 

Group Members:

Lexy Babcock

Goldie Robins

Jessica Maiorano

Gabby Santaniello

What Our Group Discussed:

We discussed chapters 6, 7, and 8.

How We Discussed It:

We went chronologically through chapters 6, 7, and 8. We brought up examples from the text and outside sources. We researched articles and presented and discussed them. We also discussed an article provided for us by Mr. Miles.

Any Points of Conflict/Disagreement In Discussion:

We've never really experienced conflict within our podcasts. We continue to explain ideas and examples to each other and talk out any misunderstandings of the reading.

Questions:

We didn't have questions for this one, we just needed to include an article that contains a misleading draft from each one of the group members. We also discussed an article provided by Mr. Miles.

Lexy's Article:

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/12/20/3078461/9-climate-charts-2013/

Goldie's Article:

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/27/sat-scores-and-family-income/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

Gabby's Article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2013/12/11/how-gun-control-is-losing-badly-in-charts/

Jess' Article: 

http://www.climatecentral.org/gallery/graphics/its-official-2012-is-hottest-us-year-on-record

(Chapter Three, Chapter Four, and Chapter Five)

Group Members:

Lexy Babcock

Goldie Robins

Jessica Maiorano

Gabby Santaniello

What Our Group Discussed:

We discussed Chapters 3 to 5.

How We Discussed It:

We mostly stayed in chronological order and went through each of the following chapters: 3, 4, and 5. For each chapter, we tried to pull out some different ideas and examples from the book. Some individual group members picked out things that others didn't notice. 

Any Points of Conflict/Disagreement In Discussion:

We mostly agreed. We had a few points of discussing an idea to better the understanding of another group member. 

Questions answered:

1. Choose one of the quotations inside the front cover and discuss how it relates to the Introduction.
2. Put the second paragraph on Page 18 (“A river cannot….”) into your own words.
3. Which kind of “average” (statisticians call all three “measures of central tendency”) would give me the best way to compare the performance of two classes of a required math course? Why?

*ALSO, We are going to include the articles in the next podcast with chapter 6 discussion. 

Group Members:

Lexy Babcock

Goldie Robins

Jessica Maiorano

Gabby Santaniello

What Our Group Discussed:

We discussed the Introduction, Chapter One, and Chapter Two.

How We Discussed It:

We started from the beginning which meant starting with the Introduction and went in order to Chapter One and then Chapter Two. With that, for each 'section' we talked about we pulled out quotes and examples and really what we individually and as a group got from it. 

Any Points of Conflict/Disagreement In Discussion:

No. As a group we really agreed on our thoughts and what our take away was from the reading was have done so far. 

Questions:

There were questions that were discussed in the podcast which then we were able to answer and discuss further as a group. 

I personally am a fan of selfies in some aspects. For one, you get to decide how you want to present yourself whether that be by getting the perfect light, picking your good side, hiding a flaw you're self-conscious about, or making sure to show off something. That may seem like lying and shallow, but that's why selfies are so popular. You get to capture yourself exactly how you'd like. In my first selfie, I'm with my godson in my living room wearing a Babcock Country Club shirt that my dad got everyone in the family. I think this photo is a perfect description of how I want people to see me, and how I portray myself. I love that baby with my whole heart and soul and I'm so proud to be a Babcock. That picture is home and represents what I love. My second "selfie" is a sketch of a Nikon with a sketch that I recreated from an actual selfie I took on my camera. I chose to draw me within the screen of a Nikon because photography has become a huge passion of mine. I want to be represented with it. I see the world through my viewfinder. The selfie I sketched is one from a recent trip to London, England. I love to travel and I think a picture of me making a dumbface in a selfie is another country pretty much sums me up. I'm silly and adventurous. I love that picture, and I will always remember that day. My last "selfie" is one of my brother and I. We were in one of our last days down Ocean City, Maryland. We go every year so this location has a lot of sentimental value and memories attached. I chose to include a "selfie" with my brother because he's my bestfriend and the fact that we have the same stupid facial expression captures how comfortable we are, and how we're basically the same person. 

Overall, I like to take selfies that I'm going to be happy with later and that capture a moment that I want to remember with a person that means something to me. Selfies are less about sole photos of me, and more of my interactions with the people I care about in my life.

Our group’s topic was teen entertainment. We started out brainstorming ideas for PSAs, posters, websites, etc. Our original take on this topic was looking at it on a serious level and targeting business owners to drop age restrictions and encourage the creation of new teen-friendly places and events. As we were sitting there working on a dry, boring campaign, we realized that we missed out on a huge thing: a teen entertainment campaign should be entertaining! From there sparked so many ideas from each of us. 

The first thing I suggested was calling our campaign “enterteenment,” which my group members thought was absolutely corny, but I didn’t care and it stuck! Without really trying to, I took over team leader. I totally didn’t mind taking on this role and wanted to bring everything together. To do this, I created a wordpress blog. This became our website and the medium that brought all of the components together. 

Since enterteenmentcampaign.wordpress.com because my baby, I could do anything I really wanted with it. My goal was to create a place where teens could find cheaper concerts, upcoming events, teen-friendly places, cool videos, and maybe some interesting news articles. I wasn’t very concerned with the appearance of the site, more of how user-friendly it was and how easy it is to navigate through the site. To do this, I set up a homepage where every single post would be located, starting with the newest. I included a search bar in case a viewer was looking for something specific. 

I made categories, which are located on the side, so that viewers could break down the posts into smaller groups. From March to July, each month received its own category page where upcoming events were posted. You can mostly find concerts within these sections. I also posted a link to a song by the artist, ticket price, a link to buy tickets at, the venue it was going to be at, and the date and time. Another category is dedicated to teen-friendly places in Philly. Each post is about a different location in the city and why that place is ideal. I even included some suggested activities, stores, and food places to check out. The last category was videos you should watch, which is where the videos Willie made lived. I also was hoping to include other cool videos, but only wound up putting up one. The posters that Gabby created can also be found on the blog. 

Although Willie, Gabby, and I took over three different components of this campaign, we worked very close with one another; constantly suggesting and tweaking each other’s work. Willie and I decided that our slogan was going to be “Maybe you should get out more.” Gabby and I worked on some poster ideas. They also both helped me make final decisions on the blog. 

There are many more things and ideas I have that I wish I could have implemented. After discussing it with others and mulling it over in my head, I’ve decided to continue this campaign and website. Hopefully, it will expand and I’ll be able to use it as part of my capstone! 

This article is from philly.com, a very popular website for Philadelphians to learn more about sports, news, entertainment, etc. Philly.com is also a very reliable source for local news. In this specific article, the author wrote about Mayor Nutter opening a new Juvenile Justice Center. The reason I chose this piece of news was because I wanted to learn what Philadelphia offered to teens. I wanted to investigate where bored teens would go when everything “fun” is illegal or has an age restriction. I’m using the Juvenile  Justice Center as an example of the city attempting to give troubled kids a place to go, which will be interesting to argue.

Mayor Nutter, City Officials Open Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Services Center. 

Like the first source, this blog post goes into detail about the Juvenile Justice Center. The reason I wanted two sources on this topic is because this specific source isn’t as reliable as the article on philly.com. When using a blog without a notable author, it’s better to have another source to compare it to. However, this blog post includes direct quotes, which I could use to support my thoughts and opinions. Also, blogs tend to biased; therefore, I’ll be able to compare and contrast my thoughts with the author. Although it covers the same topic, this source is different than the previous one. In this source, there are more specific quotes and facts about the actual building, while the philly.com article explains more what the building will lead to in the future.

CNN Wire Staff. Philly Mayor: ‘No Excuses’ for Flash Mob Attacks. CNN Justice, 2011.

CNN is a well-known source for news, both local and global. This article is about Nutter’s reaction to the flash mobs. I found this piece really interesting because it included direct quotes from the Mayor. I feel that the quotes could really help support my idea that this is a very serious issue because of the way Mayor Nutter spoke about the attacks. The article also briefly touches on the rules of the curfew. As a philly teen, I have strong feelings about the curfew and believe that other teenagers would too. Using the information from this article, I will be able to speak about the curfew from the point of view of someone who it applies to.

Goodman, J. David. Philadelphia Fights Violent Flash Mobs With Curfews. New York: 

The New York Times, 2011.

I have used the New York Times in many of my classes and to support many of my various projects. I can say with confidence that it’s very reliable. This source is also about how Flash Mobs lead to the city-wide curfew. I really enjoyed using this article because it included further information and videos from Mayor Nutter’s speech. This article will support the idea that violence will lead to repercussions; however, those consequences only make teens rebel. I’d like to use this source, along with the others, to support this idea of a vicious cycle. I’d also like to pin blame not only to places that create age restrictions, but also those who enforce a curfew that teens aren’t very fond of.

Philadelphia Flash Mob 2011: The List Keeps Growing. New York: International 

Business Times, 2011.

I’m not exactly sure how I will use this source yet, but I felt like it was very interesting. This source comes from International Business Times, which I believe is pretty reliable; even though they don’t put first name, last name of the authors. The content of this article is basically just accounts of different flash mobs. I thought it be interesting to include exact accounts of different attacks, instead of just talking general about said attacks. Also, under the general stories and dates, there are urls to other websites that contain more information. This will be useful for our project because we will be able to be 100% factual in our statements and ideas.

Drue and I knew we wanted to create a sign made completely out of lights. We were stuck between many symbols like: a bow, an anchor, an infinity sign, a heart, and a cat face. We decided that an infinity sign would be easier than the other choices and also look really interesting lit up. We find the infinity sign cute and wanted to make a sign that we would want to put on our bedroom walls. In a more deep, metaphorical way, we find the infinity sign to represent the infinite possibilities in life. 

Walking through room 307, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I didn’t expect the World History and English classes to be quite what they were; the curriculum was filled with new cultures, places, and experiences that shaped me as a student. My perspective has changed, along with my opinions. I was exposed to a whole different way of teaching. This consisted of interactive trials and scenarios, dancing, and freedom within the classroom. Over this school year, we’ve covered numerous topics. I hope to pull together my entire year and what I’ve learned into two general statements: the ability to express one’s self allows for freedom and culture molds humans into unique beings.

When writing my general statements, I thought about the different projects I created. I began to think of my favorite ones and noticed that each of them allowed me to express myself. To sum up how these projects affected me I came up with the general statement: the ability to express one’s self allows for freedom. We took part in a poetry unit, which allowed students to express themselves. I wrote many pieces, but noticed a pattern within my writing. Every one of my poems stayed true to my life and was very raw. By this I mean, I write with feelings not with thoughts. In my ode poem, Ode to the Worn Out Sneakers in the Corner, I compare my sneakers to myself: “we're bent up, and used up. / days have made us weak./ all we have left is to,/ sit in the corner.” (My Poems) This poem allowed me to become free of my past experiences and share them with the reader. I wanted them to be able to feel the words I was saying by comparing them to an everyday object.

The Art in the Open Festival was an amazing and quite interesting experience. After splitting up into groups we were able to come up with our own performances. This self-created performance allowed us to express whatever feeling we wanted to convey. One of my group members, Helen said in her reflection forum, “ I was expressing my opinions on my piece through movement and it came naturally.” My group chose to design a dance showing a prison break and one of the prisoners breaking free. As the freed prisoner, the routine made me really feel free. The site-specific performance was freeing in itself; it was a chance for everyone to let go of their self-conscious mindsets and move around in new and weird ways. We became free of the boundaries that kept us all separate from each other. (Art in the Open Wiki)

A creative project we worked on all year was our plays, which we submitted to Philadelphia Young Playwrights. This was not an easy task. It took months to complete and we had to reach a deadline. I struggled with my topic because I branched off into a whole new world, literally. Every other student wrote about realistic problems that spread across the entire world; however, I wanted to take my play to a whole new level. I wrote about a human-like alien, Vara, who is sent to Earth to help humans in need. Writing The Stranger allowed for me to express my love for Science Fiction and for writing stories. I became free of the worry of what others might think. I wrote The Stranger for someone like me to read. (The Stranger)

Our classes were very geared to experiencing new cultures; especially in World History. We explored England, Germany, Poland, Haiti, Asia, Nigeria, and many more locations through our units and assignments. After taking this class, I can say that I’ve learned that culture molds humans into beings. To elaborate, culture is an important thing to know and take pride in. We did many activities concerning culture; however two stuck out to me the most: the language autobiography and the body biography of Edwidge Danticat.

            The language autobiography was one of the most difficult assignments I’ve ever written. It challenged me to look at what my culture is and the language that I speak. Yes, along with everyone I speak English; however, I thought about my culture and everyday vocabulary that reflects who I am today. In my language autobiography I mentioned the power of words on human beings, I said, “It’s language like this that puts guns to heads, ties ropes around necks, pops pills in throats, and slices a pure wrist.” This was my favorite line because I believed so strongly in the power that negative words have on people. The reason this paper was so difficult is because I never really thought about my ancestry, traditions, or culture. It gave me a chance for self-reflection. It was important that I wrote this paper to better understand myself, and the person I’ve molded into over the years.

            The second culture project we created was a body biography of Edwidge Danticat. Danticat is a famous Haitian author. We created a body and included words that remind us of her and quotes from her stories. Drawing the body biography helped me to look deeper into Danticat’s culture. It helped me to understand her life and words better by reflecting what meant the most to her. My body biography can be found here.

            My year with Mr. Block in World History and English was unforgettable. We were pushed into a corner of the room to understand what it felt like to be a holocaust victim, put into groups to see the lack of justice within the French Revolution, and became one of Hernando Cortes’ men to understand their point of view. It was a year full of understanding myself and understanding lives of people I could never know. Being in touch with my culture has made me comfortable with who I am. Expressing myself has helped me to gain freedom in sharing things about myself. 

Dear Warren  Pop  Grandfather  Stranger,

It’s a shame when I have to cross out such personal/ informal names, but what am I supposed to write? I don’t know you; you don’t know me. You don’t fit under those crossed out nicknames because those names are based on love, family, memories, and all the things you’re not. Did you really think that you could just step into my life after 15 years of not existing?

-Signed, someone you’ll never know

Each and everyday I hide behind a lie

in hopes that they can’t judge what’s inside.

There’s no need for them to pity me

or treat me any differently.

We all have a past that we’re entitled to hide,

a little piece of us we wish would just die.

It controls every part of you,

and you have no idea what to do.

Your mask keeps you going;

there’s no use in anybody knowing.

All you can do is try to let someone in

because once you do that, your life can begin.

Let’s just say that it was a breath of fresh air walking out that door.

Discovering My Own Life

Adventure is defined as an unusual or exciting experience; however, I personally think it’s more then that. Experiences change and shape people. My life is full of adventure; I love to move through life unplanned and on instinct. It brings me joy to discover new things unintentionally.

Books help me discover places I thought I would never get to see, especially autobiographies. I recently read, “If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t) by Betty White. You’d think there was nothing significant about it, but when I look at it, I see way beyond the plain white background. From the start, I was hooked. It seemed as if every time I turned the page, I was running through doors. The doors would open up to another time, place, event, in her life. When it was over, I would grab the next knob and the process would continue. Through 252 pages, I could vividly picture each moment, each emotion, each breath she took.

Angela Carter once said, “Reading a book is like rewriting it for yourself. You bring to a novel, anything you read, all your experience of the world. You bring your history and you read it in your own terms.” It’s funny to think how much life parallels to reading. Through books, you can discover a whole new world or even look further into a world that you are missing out on. Every book I have ever read took me on its own adventure; however, I was really leading the journey myself.

I’ve been on journeys beyond any text I have ever read. My life is full of exciting adventures, especially with my cousin Charlie. He and I decided to visit the mall on a rainy Saturday afternoon. It started out with our first steps off the bus into the shallow puddles of rain. Once we walked through the door, we had unspoken agreement to head to the comic book store.

           One of the escalators was broken and we could not stop hysterically laughing as our imaginations ran wild about why it was in that condition. After the comic book store, we ran around yelling movie titles and artists to each other in FYE. Nothing compares to when we scrolled through posters, making comments on each one. The best part was the fact that we were the only ones who understood our jokes.

The mini adventure in FYE ended with a purchase of strawberry candies. The mall looked evacuated with an exception of a few small groups of teenagers. Charlie and I began to move down the row of stores looking for something interesting. Since the building was close to silent with the lack of people, I could here the roaring thunder; it echoed throughout the bare, plain, white walls. As I pressed on, down the glimmering tiny tiles, I could hear little pitter-patters. It seemed as if the rain was falling right next to my ears. I started to glance up at the skylights taking note of the splattering tears of a storm and the electrifying light, which shined throughout the second floor.
           I have seen plenty of thunderstorms before, but none like this. It was as if the lighting was coming right for us and the dark, mysterious clouds were only intimidating this mall. We kept walking, chatting, and laughing. Our bonding was interrupted when we came across the Halloween store. We turned towards each other and said in sync, “I cannot wait till Halloween!” While we went into detail about my Halloween costume, we came across the bookstore. I decided to pick up an autobiography; I searched past different musicians, politicians, and celebrities to come across, “From This Moment On” by Shania Twain. As soon as I looked at the picture of the brunette country legend, I remembered when I grabbed my hairbrush and sang her songs on the glass coffee table for my “audience.”
           With that purchase, we ate and strolled through the mall. Traditionally, we always sit for hours talking about everything. We are not ones to break a routine; we grabbed a bench and relaxed. As we talked about personal issues, feelings, and secrets, I began to imagine this bench turning into a bubble of trust that only we knew the entrance to. This bubble was unbreakable with a million protective shells containing our deepest conversations. While we were getting wrapped up in each other's lives, we almost did not notice the puddles beginning to submerge through the roof in spots around the entire mall. We did not even realize the fact that half the building was pitch black and the room seemed emptier then before. Apparently the power went out and the only reason we could see was the lightning peaking in and emergency lights. So even though it started out as a regular rainy Saturday, it turned into a memorable and eventful day that I will cherish forever.

Through that mall experience, I learned more about the bond Charlie and I had. I never took the time to notice how alike we are. We love the same shows, movies, food, and music. Of course, family isn’t the only way to experience life or discover new things. Friends have a way of opening your mind to whole new experiences, leading to tons of new adventures.

It was a Saturday morning; Karly and I were heading off to the Arden Theatre in Old City. After hours of becoming someone new and immersing in imagination and creativity in our acting class, we opened the big wooden doors. The exposed sunshine was warm on my face, which added to my happiness. At this point it was about eleven in the morning and Karly and I had an hour to kill. Instead of waiting around forever on the cement steps, we went looking for adventure.

Across the street, I spotted a comic book store. Faster then a cheetah, I ran across the street as if I was playing Frogger. I was greeted with a life size Spiderman welcoming me to this new land. Each wall was covered from top to bottom with colorful covers and victorious heroes of all shapes and sizes. There were so many characters throughout the store; they all screamed, “Pick me!” While looking for the perfect one, each one tended to take me on a different kind of adventure.

After leaving the store, we came to Second Street and looked from left to right. Where to go, where to go… From the corner of my right eye I could see Soho Pizza. After pointing it out to Karly, she remembered being there before. We crossed the street on a search for a great slice of pizza. When you walk through the narrow passageway, you can see the small, yet warm environment. My nostrils filed with the smell of pizza sauce and freshly kneaded dough.

While admiring the autumn colors and empty tables, I almost didn’t hear the man behind the counter. “What can I get you?” he asked, looking confused at the fact that I was staring into space. After ordering, Karly and I sat and ate. I couldn’t help but notice that the guy behind the counter continued to make excuses to come over to our table; as if he wanted to start a conversation but couldn’t. Let’s just say we made a new friend that day. Together we realized that this would be a regular Saturday routine for us; every week, we’d look forward to the weekend.

It is important for me to remember these times when I sat down with a good book and when I enjoyed the company of others because without these individual mini-scenes of my life, I would not be where I am now. Adventure has really shaped my love for new things such as: language, cultures, places, food, etc. It has also taught me to keep an open mind. For these reasons, I will continue to encourage others to take the time to stop thinking and planning every moment because sometimes while in the midst of all the stress you miss out on a lot. Every day is a new opportunity to learn and get everything out of life.

The Dotted Line 

A woman sits down with an application and swallows so that it’s seen very well.

Well this is it. I can’t stand to watch my daughters lose out on everything because their mother can’t support them by herself.

She takes a deep breath showing her exhaustion from the problem she’s dealing with. Well, I guess I should start looking over this.

She begins searching the application in front of her.

Job description: Oversees the repair and maintenance of pipelines. Verifies pipeline safety. Responsible for scheduling and repairs of maintenance. Coordinates with other management staff to ensure efficiency in preventive maintenance and new pipeline installation.

She pauses to collect her thoughts.

Seems easy enough. Let’s get to the important part, the salary.

She begins again, search the document.

Okay… yeah… here we go…

She finally recognizes the section she’s looking for.

If employee completes the above tasks without issues, said employee may make up to a hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year.

She gasps out of pure shock.

This would make everything easier on us. There has to be some catch.

She again scans the document.

It’s important to take note that signing on the dotted line abides you to this contract stating that you will go off to live on site for two years. Two years? Two years without my girls? I guess this is what it came to. It’s crazy because here I am, about to sign on this dotted line that could fix everything, and I’m still debating whether or not to. I can’t stop thinking about the research I did on the first Keystone Pipeline. TransCanada predicted that it would leak once every seven years, but it leaked twelve times in the first year. I have two huge issues with this information. One, I’m going to be part of a company that lies and cheats to get what they want. Do I really want to help destroy? Two, the people who let it leak, most likely had my job. Maybe that’s why it’s available now.

She nods her head no while stating: Everything is telling me not to sign the dotted line…but I have to.

She finally signs the document.

Handcuffed To My Beliefs

Handcuffs are placed on a woman wearing an environmentally friendly t-shirt. She is proud of what ever she just accomplished. The police officer walks away mumbling something.

In an aggravated voice she yells: Oh yeah I bet you’re sorry!

She is seated where someone comes to question her. She begins to calm down.

You’re asking if I’m upset at the fact that I got arrested?

Laughs to herself

In a stern but caring voice: You’re kidding right? I wake up every morning and tell myself, I will do anything to help the world that I’ve been blessed with. Ever since I was child I have always been told to respect the environment. Science class always taught me that plants were living organisms too. Don’t they deserve a chance? I think so; therefore I joined dozens in front of the White House today. The reason I joined them was because all I kept hearing from TransCanada was that pipelines are the safest form of transportation when compared to other forms and rarely leak. When they do, they only leak a small amount.

Her face changes from serious to somewhat confused.

Wait, so they don’t really leak, but when they do… it’s a small amount? Well isn’t it easier not to have leaks at all because when it does leak, carbon dioxide is released from this dirty oil.

Her calm voice turns to aggravation again.

Is it really worth it to kill the little bit of beauty we have left? Also, it’s safer compared to other transportation methods, but that doesn’t mean it’s right. Look, it’s simple. People need to realize that we need to protect what we have. Since I’m aware of the limited amount of Earth we have left, I will continue to stand and protest in front of The White House. I’ll continue getting arrested. I believe in this. And I intend to fight for what I believe in.

Don’t Trace It Back To Me 

A Texan woman enters with a brief case.

Honey, I’m home!

We now see her at the kitchen table. She is facing her husband who is unknown and unseen to the audience.

My day? It was quite interesting.

She giggles to herself.

You remember the pipeline we saw on the news? Ya know, the one that they’re planning to start up in Canada and end down here in Texas?

She stops and listens to him.

Yeah, the one your cousin Derek was protesting for in front of The White House. Well today, the company came into our firm. Yeah, my little firm. Apparently, they needed some sorta safety waiver so ole’ Bruce gave it to me. I reckon he finally noticed my hard work and put me on a big important case like this. So anyway, they come in asking for this waiver to allow them to use a thinner steal and to pump at higher pressure.

Her face becomes surprised instead of content.

Can you believe it? They’re already tryna cut corners! Well then, ole’ Bruce told me that my job was on the line if I didn’t write up this here document. I couldn’t believe it!

She starts to look ashamed in her story.

I wanted to say no. How could I, though? I hardly know anything about this pipeline. Who am I to say that’s horrible? I mean Derek was telling me last week how the carbon dioxide from this oil is deadly and the whole environment is gonna be screwed up. But, this man that came in today told me how many jobs are gonna be available. And just think, now we won’t have to get everything from those foreign countries. Well, I’m not gonna decide what side I’m on so I just told them to make sure that the document didn’t trace back to me writin’ it.

She begins to smile at her husband and giggle.

Stop it, I’m not a bad person! Enough about my day, watchya make for dinner?

In the cutout, it was easy to notice the negative space after you have the necessary pieces. The parts that aren't occupied by the pieces, are considered the negative space. This project was more simple because it consisted of only cutting and pasting pieces; however, the drawings had to be sketched out. In the drawings, I focused on the background behind the objects. Having the orange paper set up as a backdrop assisted me throughout my process. 

Noticing negative space, allows an artist to develop observation skills. It helps an artist to focus on the main image and then go back later and add details. 

Seeing in negative space enhances drawings because it allows the viewer to establish what to focus on.