Here we are once again, facing the end of another year while eagerly awaiting the genesis of another. As time races by, one must always take some time out to reflect on the events of the year past to examine one's achievements as well as one's shortcomings.
This year has exposed me to a diverse range of experiences. The year two thousand and eleven has taken me from tragedy to triumph and back.
With 2011 almost behind us, I will take this opportunity to recap my experiences this year in the visual arts.
In no particular order:
- Republic Bank - Young Artists' Canvas to the World Project
In December of the previous year, 2010, I entered into Republic Bank's Young Artists' Canvas to the World Project. Forced to paint during my end of term examinations of my first term in Form 4, this competition put my body and mind under a very large quantity of stress.
Thankfully, after a week or two of hard artistic labour between exams, as well as a very long month of tense waiting, I was invited to the awards ceremony at Republic Bank's head office.
There, I was announced as one of the seven winners of this competition. One of the champions.
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| My winning piece: The Magic of the Monarch |
You can read the entire trilogy of this story starting here.
- HOUSE M.D. Portrait
Earlier this year, at the beginning of my Easter vacation, I started a new portrait. The subject of this portrait happened to be a favourite television character of mine, Hugh Laurie in the role of Dr. Gregory House.
However, at the private viewing of Canvas Caribbean's exhibit, With an Open Mind, I was advised by my visual arts teacher to stop doing portraits of foreign celebrities. Hence I decided that since this was the last portrait of these celebrities and characters originating outside of our shores, I would be letting this one go out with a bang.
This decision as well as an improvement in my skills led to the birth of my (now famous?) graphite portrait of Dr. Gregory House.
This is currently my flagship portrait, but who knows how long it's reign as my best portrait will be?
2012 seems like a very long year filled with opportunities for me.
This portrait has been very influential in many of my successes this year.
You can read more about this portrait here
This brings me to my next achievement...
- Guide to Online Schools' Student Blogging Awards
To all of those who can remember this button, I am deeply grateful for your support, your time and your energies towards promoting my blog. Your tireless voting put me into the winning spot once again.
With your appreciation of my post on the House M.D. portrait, your tireless voting placed me into the top 10 of the competition. Then, a panel of judges selected the five winning posts based on their quality.
I was one of those five.
You can read more here
- Caribbean Beat Magazine
Republic Bank was also responsible for another accomplishment of mine, being semi-featured in the Caribbean Beat magazine. This magazine is available free of charge to all passengers of Caribbean Airlines and Air Jamaica on their respective flights.
In the article in the May/June issue of this year, Republic Bank spoke about the success of the competition and its impact on the lives of its participants and its winners.
I was elated to see that out of the seven paintings, they chose mine to display on their article.
You have the opportunity to check out this issue of Caribbean Beat magazine by clicking here
- Heritage - The Knowsley Building
With this being a year of many firsts, it was only fitting that I try to do something groundbreaking. Something that would make people talk for days, weeks, months, even years about a piece of art created by someone so new to the industry.
I wanted to make a statement that professionals need not be these larger than life, detatched individuals.
Greatness can be achieved without losing oneself to social constructs.
Individuality is key in becoming legendary.
Just look at classical Trinidad architecture.
Also, with this being my first major architectural focused landscape, I intended to set a high standard for my work. After five weeks of painstaking detail, shadowing and artistic substitution, 'Heritage' was born.
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| Heritage - 2011, Graphite pencils on paper: 22" x 17" |
As it turned out, this piece along with my portrait of Dr. House became my premier pieces at my school's inaugural Visual Arts exhibition.
- Secrets: The Inaugural Exhibition
As a student of Hillview College, I have the ability to represent my school by the way I conduct myself and the things that I do. I can choose whether to be a positive change to society or to succumb to the pressures of negativity and conformity to the social environment we exist in.
When given the opportunity to display my artwork for the public eye, I must admit that I was a bit concerned underneath all of my excitement and intrigue. However, after the magnificent experience I gained from this occasion, I have faith that my generation can rise from the ashes of Trinidadian society and construct a new reality for the future of the minds of this nation.
Secrets has been a very enlightening experience for myself as I experienced first-hand what it feels like to make a positive impact on others, no matter how miniscule that impact is.
I felt appreciated by people who hardly knew me, I became a celebrity for a week :) , I received some harsh critiques as well as some heartwarming compliments for my efforts. I experienced some extreme contrasts but I deeply appreciated every moment that was bestowed upon me during our exhibition.
You can catch a glimpse of some of the exhibition pieces here
- The Gourmet Genie
As my first clients in the sphere of Graphic Design, I am deeply grateful to the owners of the Gourmet Genie for taking a leap of faith in hiring me to create a television commercial promoting their business in Southern Trinidad.
The Gourmet Genie is a lovely little store which specializes in gourmet food items, teas, coffees, seasonings etc. They also feature 'as seen on TV' products from a variety of famous Food Network personalities.
You can find the Gourmet Genie at Ground Floor, SSL Building, 40 Sutton St, San Fernando
Feel free to visit their Facebook page
And so ends another year in our lives. Was it a worthwhile one?
The year ahead is filled with opportunities to embrace as well as those to decline.
My advice to you is to set your standards high and keep your goals in sight in the coming year.
True success and happiness is born out of hard work and committment.
Have a safe, successful and rewarding 2012.
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