Project 1 Response

1. How do you feel about the overall outcome of this piece in relation to your art making process?
1. i like this project a lot as i feel that there was a nice concept behind it which is something that i like in my pieces that are not just observational practices, i feel this makes it stronger as a piece.
2. In what way did you integrate your personal art practice into this project?
1. my personal practice is very centered round self reflection and self portraiture and i let that influence the concept behind this project and the imagery within it.
3. How did you challenge yourself creatively, conceptually and/or technically in the making of this piece?
1. As someone who has never used photoshop it was very gratifying to create an entire fabricated space. i was really proud of how i used the brush tool to create a lighting effect around the candles as i created the wallpaper. 
4. Were there elements that made the completion of this piece either more difficult or felt not challenging enough?
1. I felt that it was difficult to me to make it look very realistic as I have yet to feel very comfortable in photoshop, there are just a few tools I know how to use.
5. Reflect on the project critique: was the feedback you received helpful? Be specific about why or why not.
1. I really liked the critique as I was able to hear a cold read on my piece. as i know the concept of the piece thats all i can see, but hearing that people read it as pressure to be ideal rather than an issue of idealizing myself is very interesting and makes me wonder how i could do it differently to make it read more as i wanted to. I wonder if it reads as a pressure to be ideal just because that is a more common theme and if i have to make it more obvious so as not to read that way.
6. Please share any other thoughts
1. I don't resonate with photoshop as an art making medium really at all. It feels very detached and i would rather make with my hands. With that said, I am pleasantly surprised how proud I am of my project's outcome. Also, there was another student in the class whose name unfortunately I can't recall, who talked about her self portraits in her journal/not knowing herself/ etc, and that made me think on how I can feel more inspired by photoshop as a medium with used with others (such as the other student's drawings from her journal).