Visual Journal: December 2011

My final painting was inspired by an experience I had this summer while studying abroad in Ecuador, as well as a fascination I have for bridges. When thinking about what it is that a bridge does, I was able to think about it metaphorically in relation to life. Literally the bridge is a connector between two places. Sometimes between two pieces of land while passing over water, other times simply passing over another road or in this piece, connecting two trees in the Amazon. A bridge is the physical mark that relates one side to the other to create a connection. Connections are seen in so many ways in one’s life. There are connections between people, as well as between areas of study and how one thing relates to another. Making connections throughout one’s life helps one grow as a person.

The goal for this piece was to bring across the idea of connections by way of the bridge, while also using imagery that reflects a personal experience. The bridge opens up at the bottom leading viewers in to walk on the bridge and make a connection for them self.

This piece was fun to paint but brought with it a lot of details and lines that called for patience and persistence when working on it. I would have to say the most difficult part of the piece was creating the lines for the rope bridge. So many lines made up the rope bridge and the canvas was a descent size, making it difficult to give each line the attention it needed. The background was probably the most exciting part to add in for me, maybe because it was the last part I put in, or that it brought in bright, rich colors in comparison to the few different colors used in the bridge. It was also more free, leaving more room for me to decide what forms should be put where. Though still looking at a couple of different references, the composition of the background was being created as I went. This was both fun and towards the end tiring as ideas began to dwindle.