Theme:

When thinking about my concept for the mural thumbnail, I wanted to create something that speaks to people when they walk by it. They don’t need to immediately know what it is or means, but it still gives them a universal understanding of the sense of peace I'm trying to convey. The world is made up of layers, from nature, to people, to cities, everything is built on top of each other and blend into each other. Throughout my process, I built upon different layers to connect to that concept. People can be cruel to each other and the land they live in, the layers represent Earth's challenges. If we work hard to connect our impact on the Earth by blending these layers with our own experience, to own our shared responsibility, we can create an opportunity for collective change so the world can become sustainable.

Process: 

I first started with an alcohol-based marker base layer of blue swirling lines and shapes, resembling different landforms depending on how it’s viewed. This ensured a sort of ambiguity that I carried out through the whole creation process.

I then brainstormed different ways I could add to my base layer. I integrated a way of showing parts of the Earth, and ecosystems such as the Caribbean coral reef, the Alaskan kelp forest, Specific coastal wetlands, and more that were under risk due to things like deforestation, climate change, overexploitation, and pollution. I mapped out loosely where each of them were geographically and used that as a starting point for where I would put each color, pattern, and texture. I then drew up an outline of the map of the world on top of my last layer using a white paint pen. I thought this would give people a better understanding of the message I'm trying to put across. If people can identify the map of Earth on the mural, not just shapes and pretty colors, they can start to understand the message I'm trying to put out. Am I just creating layers? Or am I creating a bridge, an opportunity to rebuild. The artwork may look undisturbed, but it’s actually created from a representation of disasters. A depiction of how a person's perception of feeling peace differs from what’s occurring in reality. I want to make people aware of the false sense of security that they are feeling, and instead see the world truthfully. Your peace does not equal the Earth’s peace. Take a closer look and stop ignoring the signs.

Concept Development:

The current sketch is intentionally very abstract and ambiguous. However, to further develop my concept to a large scale mural, I would take inspiration from previous artwork I’ve created, specifically integrating my use of text throughout an artwork, which I would incorporate in my final mural by replicating a collage effect using stenciling and color to highlight the layers I’ve incorporated. I would experiment with different materials and processes to achieve depth and highlight some of the ecosystems I've represented.