A New Beginning

Fourth Portfolio Entry – “Rebirth”

Description of Piece:

The last piece of my portfolio is a picture that I drew on my computer using a graphic art program called Corel Painter Sketch Pad. In the picture is a phoenix, going through its "rebirth" and there are butterflies flying away from it, getting less detailed the further away they get. This picture has very strong colours in it, bright orange, yellow and varying shades of reds and blues. In the eye of the phoenix is a little flame that appears to be leaving the confines of the eye. I went for high contrast in this piece, making it very bold and eye catching, layering bright and dark colours to add interest.

How This Piece Shows My Achievement:

When I first started to draw this piece I knew I wanted to incorporate the two concepts, both similar, of metamorphosis and rebirth. A caterpillar goes through a long process of metamorphosis to become something beautiful and more capable. A phoenix is said to go through a process called “rebirth” where the bird builds itself a nest where it and the nest catch on fire and burn to ashes. From the ashes, a new baby phoenix is born and its life cycle starts all over again. The two connect because they both have to do with getting rid of the old and beginning anew. I feel that since I’ve entered high school, I have matured greatly, coming a few steps closer to the type of person I envision myself becoming. I feel like I started out as a caterpillar and now I’ve morphed into a butterfly but at the same time I’ve felt as if I’m a phoenix that has totally gotten rid of a past. I have come to terms with a few things that have been haunting me for a while and now I feel as if I have had an epiphany of some sort.
My first reaction to the picture was general surprise because despite the distant, sad feeling you can get by looking at the fading butterflies, you can stare into the eye of the phoenix and literally feel the passion it exudes. My personal growth has really peaked at this point in my life and I feel that I have really shown this in my art. My concepts are becoming more mature and I now think of the feelings I put into my art instead of just drawing something that looks good. There is now meaning behind a lot of my art.

What This Piece Mean to Me and Others:

This piece is really a message of motivation and passion, showing people that yes, you will turn into that butterfly, or, yes, you will be able to build a new life for yourself. Many people are looking for that extra push in the right direction to keep their spirits up and I think that this picture would do that for them. It’s a strong piece and even without knowing what it means to me, others would be able to pick up the main concept of “rebirth.” Even if they don’t realize the main concept they can look at this picture and see what it means to them and relate to it however they want. Like the determined look in the phoenix’s eye I want people to look at this picture and become as determined as the bird and stride toward who they really want to be, whatever that might be.

Applying This to Daily Life:

This work of art really does mean a lot to me. It represents the old, haunted me and how I’m trading that in for a new future that is full of possibilities. The new me, is ready for challenges and is ready to face the world with a fiery stare, showing it that nothing will get in my way. My growth as a person has impacted what I do in life because the “old me” never used to take advantage of opportunities. I always used to let life pass me by while I tried to keep up with everything. The “new me” has recently done anything to find enjoyment and fulfillment from life. For example, I was woken up by my dad to go to work with him at 5:30 am. I had gone to bed at 1 am, was dead tired and not feeling up for anything. I mumbled that I was going back to sleep and he left for work. In mere minutes after he left, I felt a sudden burst of energy inside of me and I leaped out of bed, swiped on mascara, brushed my teeth and called my dad to get him to pick me up. I ended up having a really fun day at work with him and if I had another chance to stay in bed instead of going, I still would have gone to work with him. It has given me a new outlook on life and I’m ready to face any challenge.