Notes

What are the titles of your 3 completed works so far:

- Chinese American Dream

- Snowy Day

- Ice, Fracture, and Instability

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Write your SI statement:

How can I use negative space, composition, and color techniques to express the Chinese American experience as a journey of self-realization shaped by memory, environment, and emotional intensity across American and Chinese settings?

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Identify the questions that guide your investigation:

Idea:
What known symbols of American and Chinese culture can I pull inspiration from?
In what ways can negative space evoke feelings of loss and memory?
What compositions showcase the journey of self-realization across different environments?

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Process:
How can I show the feeling of intense passions in the artwork?
What methods will I use to depict the effects of surroundings on the mood and tone of each piece?
What symbols can I include in the setting to indicate which setting (America or China) I am portraying?

Material:
What color schemes will be utilized in the artwork that is specific to the subject?
How will I use mixed media, such as magazine cutouts, to convey a more meaningful message?
Which techniques from my inspiration artists will I use to add to my own works?

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How do your pieces show evidence of practice, revision, and experimentation?

In terms of experimentation, my sketchbook includes brainstorms on how a piece should look before I start the actual piece, and I have different versions of reference pictures that I make for each piece. I also show experimentation in the different mediums that I'm trying to incorporate into my works. I've used acrylic paint for 2 pieces, chalk pastel for one, and I'm thinking about branching into collages for my next piece. 

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In terms of practice and revision, I show this in my sketchbook as I try out different mediums. For example, I tried experimenting with different painting techniques in my sketchbook, such as layering, blending, dry brushing, etc. I also experimented with chalk pastels by blending/smudging and seeing how I could incorporate all of the chalky dust that comes from chalk pastels into my pieces. I also show revision through the different compositions of pieces that I sketch out in my notebook, and through the different compositions of pieces that I create in reference pictures.

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How does your SI express your unique experiences and ideas?

I think my SI expresses my unique experiences and ideas in a variety of ways. It focuses on the Chinese American experience and acknowledges themes such as migration and displacement, as well as the complexity of belonging to more than one place. I also want to treat identity as a journey instead of a certain subject throughout my portfolio. I want to explore how my identity has evolved across environments, and how memory and place influence self-understanding.

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Does your work demonstrate a skillful synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas? (Synthesis: coalescence/integration of materials, processes, AND ideas.)

I think I need to work on combining different materials in my work, and I think the process that I use to work will naturally change if I branch into different kinds of mixed media pieces. However, I have worked on combining different ideas in my work. For example, I tried incorporating the traditional plum blossom symbol in a traditional Chinese landscape style in my Chinese American Dream painting, and combining symbolic ideas of memory and experience with tangible settings. I also try to combine elements of art, such as negative space and juxtaposition, in my pieces.

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Are you continuously developing and documenting new guiding questions for research and investigation? If not, write about where you might start from here.

I haven't developed any new guiding questions, but I think I would begin by changing my existing guiding questions into more focused sub-questions that can branch off from there. For example, I'm thinking about new concepts such as generational distance or abstraction vs. recognizable imagery. I would also start documenting how material-based discoveries lead to new inquiries as I try new materials. 

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What have been the biggest challenges that you’ve faced so far in AP art?

The biggest challenge that I've faced so far is the amount of time that I am able to put into my pieces. I don't think it is possible for me to finish a piece every two weeks without sacrificing some sort of quality or detail in the piece. Another challenge is my experience with the different mediums that I want to use. I have very little experience in almost every medium except graphite and colored pencil. 

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What is a plan to overcome them next semester?

In terms of time management, I would try to work on pieces that are more manageable next semester. I would be more mindful of what is feasible given the time that I have, and plan accordingly. I think I was more ambitious with Chinese American Dream and Ice, Fracture, and Instability, so I would be more aware of the level of detail that I can put into my pieces from now on. In terms of experience with different mediums, I would begin by assessing my starting point on different mediums and seeing where I want to gain experience for different mediums. From there, I would start with exercises before final pieces to focus on different techniques. 

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How do you feel your time management skills are affecting your progress?

^See above^

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Make a plan for next semester:

For next semester, I want to practice different mediums such as watercolor, and think about how I want to make one of my pieces a collage. I want to create more thumbnail sketches to experiment with composition, perspective, and themes. I would also work on refining the guiding questions that I have set out for my portfolio, and think about what each piece means before creating it. 

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Write about the next 3 pieces you plan on making:

1. A piece inspired by the urban stores of China, with the urban development representing youth, and the juxtaposition with older architecture mirroring cultural roots. Narrow alleyways could represent challenges and obstacles, while busy streets represent the social aspect of knowing your identity. I would also incorporate Chinese characters to evoke a linguistic connection. 

2. A piece of a multi-generational family gathering in a living room with a mix of traditional Chinese decor and modern Western furniture, symbolizing the passing of culture, values, and language. I think a living room can push the exploration of how different environments show your identity because living rooms and family gatherings are a universal symbol of different yet similar things coming together.

3. A food-centered piece that's a detailed scene of preparing traditional dishes with the hands of multiple generations at work. I think food is a strong connection to heritage, and it shows that connecting to your culture can be more accessible than you think.