Reflection

I was inspired by previous contestants and those who decided to show appreciation for nature by drawing immensely detailed and impassioned work. But most people would use animals or plants as their main subjects, and I wanted to somehow include humans in the work, since we are responsible for all, if not most, of nature's degradation. That's when I got the idea of having someone flow with sea creatures along a current and without resistance, encapsulating a serene sensation. The idea also matched with the theme, as the goal was to find a connection between myself and nature. I chose the ocean because it was the environment I was most familiar with, and I was always obsessed with sea creatures, especially sharks, since I was young. But the person in the drawing is not me, but it was never meant to be someone I knew or ever existed. As I drew, I always hoped that anyone could see themselves in her shoes. Moreover, I chose digital art because it was a medium I was unfamiliar with, but knew it would be a wonderful tool if I could learn how to use it. There were a lot of brushes, adjustment tools, and transformation techniques that I could not use with acrylic, which I wanted to explore. I learned through the exploration of the contest theme that many impassioned projects made by individuals and local communities, like plastic bag bans in local U.S. homes or the Green Roof movement, would dwindle and fade despite the effort of hundreds. If effort did not translate into adequate results, then I wanted people to see my artwork and think whether our efforts are enough to secure a future as presented.