Expressive Painting

The goals of this afternoon were to become in tune with emotion in songs and poems and to represent the feelings we heard, through our own visual art. Learning to be aware of what’s around me and displaying themes through only black paint and white paper was challenging. As I went on, I became engaged in my paintings. I created pieces with emotion.


The staff then layered songs and poetry on top of each other. To me, trying to filter songs and poetry from one another was the most strenuous part of the afternoon. The challenge the layering created was similar to the difficulty of solving a jigsaw puzzle or a crossword; I wanted to continue, but it was overwhelming and frustrating. The layering made my art more scattered. It became harder to communicate the emotions I felt. I wish that I had been able to focus on one emotion instead of two. Instead I was more focused on the challenge than the actual art I was creating.

We ended the afternoon exercise by reflecting as a group on the experience. We touched on the layering of the music and poetry. We all disagreed on whether it was helpful, or if it disrupted our art process. We also talked about how the experience would help our overall art in the future. For me, the painting helped me learn how brushstrokes can be related to emotion. It also showed me that I have to make the best out of the materials I am given. 

-Victoria