so in this project, i started off with deciphering who i am as a person.
NATALIE CHENG –
introvert
enjoys quiet time alone
emotional
bubbly
outgoing
enjoys travelling
amateur photographer
there were lots of pre-planning and research that i had to do before starting on the execution of the project.
from those traits that i discovered about myself, i came out with some rough initial equations during the earlier start of the project –
me + quiet alone time = refreshed
me + photography = a happy me (and because i have new content for my portfolio)
me + travelling = eye-opened, knowledgeable me
me + clouded in emotions = cloudy / blurry / blue me
then the tough part arrives…
i wanted to break away from the normality and direct way of approaching this project. instead of being something that i like, or being “my favourite animal / food”, i wanted to approach “me” in an abstract, conceptualized and have in a deeper meaning to it.
….. but i couldn’t think of any.
this project started to get really difficult and brain sucking. it was tough to think of something that symbolizes me yet tell a story about my personality.
so i thought, i thought, and i thought hard.
i started to list out the things that i like.
NATALIE CHENG ENJOYS –
food
flowers
photography
styling
cooking
travelling
so from these points, the most apt subject that i could work with that also holds a symbolism to things would be flowers!
also, since this is a colour project, i could definitely play on the colours of flowers to tell my story.
hence, i came out with this concept of me being the different type of flowers in different settings that holds a symbol of importance as well.
me = flower.
white chrysanthemum + funeral = me crying, drowning in sadness
sunflower + graduation = me happy, joyous
red rose + date = me feeling infatuated, in love
pale muted colored lilies + wedding = a bloom of new life
i was inspired by one of my reseached artists, Pam (refer to previous post) on her usage of illustrations + photography for her paintings.
i was also inspired by mostly exhibition works like these
since this project is super open to mediums, i thought of using real flower petals to represent “me” as a flower. i also wanted to use photography in my setting, and a mixed of both for my final outcome.
however, shirley said that it is a bad idea because the flower petals will rot and it won’t be a pleasant sight after 🙁 she also mentioned that taking photos of the settings will be a challenge (eg, funeral), how will i able to capture it in the right manner to suit what i want to communicate. she also told me to think about my concept harder and bring it higher because it currently doesn’t represent me.
ARGH. i wanted to rip my hair apart for the next few days because IT IS SO TOUGH TO CRACK THE BRIEF IN MY OWN SUBJECTED MANNER.
(but never give up)
so, its another round of research and thinking.
i am going to keep my flower concept because it is okay. but how am i going to improve it to keep it relatable to me? okay, i remembered that my original initial equations are good. so i will combine them both together.
the tough thing now is to relate flowers as a symbol and back at me.
there are 4 seasons – spring, summer, autumn and winter. i thought of a really good idea to use this concept of time to represent me as a person whom grows overtime as time passes.
SO. i did a research on what each season symbolizes.
SPRING
The cycle of life is beginning.
Youth & childhood.
New life emerges from plants. Rain nourishes new life.
Buds, flowers, birds, butterflies, sunshine…all good.
Think: A fresh start. A new beginning. Rebirth.
Another transitional season, spring is a time of phenomenal renewal. The earth reawakens from her slumber, and explodes with new life. In our own lives, Spring can be symbolic of starting new projects, sewing new seeds and coming forth with new ideas. This is also a time to contemplate health and physical well-being too. Be refreshed and prepare for your soulful debut!
SUMMER
Life is in full swing.
Young adulthood
Energy & vitality is abundant.
In a word – ‘PARTY!’ And our host is the sun whose presence is fierce and utterly forthright on the scene. Days are longer and the rays of the sun dissolve all shadows in our lives. No hiding, no secrets, no darkness. Summer is a time of light, joviality, expression and wholehearted action. To be sure, this season is symbolic of the vitality inherent within every heart.
AUTUMN
Life is reaped and winding down.
Middle age.
A time to count one’s blessings.
It’s a season of transition, it embodies a culmination – it’s Nature’s ‘last hoorah!’ before retiring into winter’s slumbering mood. This is a hustle-bustle-boogie down month as preparations are made. Autumn is symbolic of the activity inspired by the fire-glo radiance of the changing foliage we see this time of year. This is a time of taking stock of all the bounty and provision we’ve been afforded. A time for itemizing our blessings and recounting our joys.
WINTER
Life is dormant or dead.
Old age & death
It’s a season governed by the recluse, the hermit. Activity gives way to dormancy. Life is still, indwelling and silent. This is a time of introversion, contemplation and going within. Symbolic winter invites us to quiet the mind, still the soul, and crystallize our inner workings. This is a time to ice skate through winter whites as a means of gaining purity and clarification.
research info extracted from
http://lzmarieauthor.com/seasons-in-literature/
http://www.whats-your-sign.com/symbolic-meaning-of-seasons.html
then i realize that my original equations are able to tie to the 4 seasons!
spring = a new life
indecisive me + friends making decisions for me = able to think clearer and breathe
this symbolizes me as a person whom make decisions that enable me to grow as a person.
summer = energy and vitality
me who has the passion for photography + photography-ing = a very energetic and happy me.
i get super energized when i take photos because it develops my skills and passions and i enjoy what im doing. also i get new photos for my portfolio!
autumn = middle age, which can represent knowledge, wisdom.
me who loves to travel + traveling = knowledgable, eye-opened me
i definitely learn heaps while traveling. the people, culture, the city. it definitely makes me grow as a peson and widens my horizon of knowledge.
winter = death
emotional me + alone time = depressed me
i realized that i need people when im having one of those days. however if im left alone when im feeling super emotional, i’ll feel really crappy.
AND MY CONCEPT WAS APPROVED.
so i emailed shirley with some quick initial sketches and these were her comments.
i took some time after to work on them.
here are some of my final sketches.
also i took some time to work on the colour palette.
i researched on the colour palette for the different seasons as well.
okay that’s it for my research phase!
the next post will be on my execution process.