Reflection

Reflection

My watercolor piece features my different childhood memories of visiting my grandparents’ home in rural China. When brainstorming ideas for my piece, I found myself resonating most with the subtheme of generational knowledge because of my personal experiences growing up with grandparents who all came from small farming villages. As a result of my upbringing, I always associated nature as a vital component of our livelihoods. My grandparents had lived off the land, mainly growing apples to eat and selling the remainder for profit. This simple yet often overlooked aspect of nature is what I wanted to convey. From the very beginning, we lived off the land, with nature providing for us while we nurture it in return. In my AP Environmental Science class, we learned about the different ecological services that nature provides for us and the important role we play in maintaining these services. Researching for this piece has helped me gain a better understanding of nature’s significance in our sustainability. We have a tendency to take the Earth’s services for granted, but only by culminating the seed of knowledge will understanding and care for nature firmly take root in future generations and our family legacies be preserved. The apple seed in the painting slowly sprouted under my grandparents' expertise over the span of multiple seasons while I watched alongside, demonstrating how experience and appreciation for nature is passed down from generations.