Art 2- Final Slideshow

This quarter in art, I learned many different, useful skills. 
This first assignment was figures. I did three different figures, drawing inspiration from dance. The first is a ballerina. The second lady is just sitting. The last on I lady is dancing modern. 
The second assignment was the lines assign,net, where we got to choose from different options. I chose blind contour as my first one because we had previously done it and I enjoyed it. I did a blind contour of a water bottle. Thes second was a gesture drawing and the final one was a planar analysis drawing of a woman. 
The third assignment this quarter in art was where we had to use a website and use colorful shapes to create an art piece. I started off by trying to make a robot face, and from their it transformed into its own art piece. I added bubble and many things as such. 
Next, is my space drawing. I wanted to do a city, drawing inspiration from where I lived, Philadelphia. I included the streets, sidewalks and tall building to match with my theme.
Up next is texture drawings. I drew three different cups, all incorporating the different textures and shadings i learned from the link in the assignment. 
My next piece of art is my value drawing assignment where we were given the option to draw still life, so I drew a still life of two objects.
Last is my elements of art piece, where I took all of the things I have arend this quarter and put them all into one peice of artwork. You can see textures, and shadings, colors and shapes, everything I learned this quarter.
Overall, this quarter in art, I have many great takeaways that I can use in the future. 

 

Printmaking - Malcolm McCreary

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  • ​My element is Iodine, and has the atomic number 53
  • Iodine was discovered in 1811 by the French chemist Barnard Curtis. The usage of Iodine is mainly medical, reducing thyroid hormones, and killing fungus, bacteria, and other microorganisms such as amoebas, there's also types of iodine that can treat radioactive accidents. 
  • The greek origin of Iodine, or, iōdēs translates to "violet colored", which gave me the idea to make a flower "a violet" that had crystallized traits considering that iodine in solid form is like a chunky crystal.
  • I started with making sketches of crystal-looking flowers, I took samples of the shape of Iodine to try and make the chunkier or more crystal-looking petals. 
  • If I did this again I'd try to focus on making sure there wouldn't be creases or folds in the styrofoam print so that things looked neater. 
  • My favorite part was actually printing the designs since I've always enjoyed printmaking and getting to see how your design turns out. 

Justine Koffi/ Indium in Phones




My element is Indium and the atomic number is 49. Indium was discovered in Germany by german scientists. Ferdinand Reich and Hieronymus Theodor Richter founded it in 1863. The scientists were actually looking for thallium in zinc ores, but they found an indigo line in the samples spectrum. That is why they named the element indium.


Indium can now be found in transistors in a lot of technology, It can be found in phones, computers, televisions, and more. That is why i chose a cell phone to be my image for this project. Indium isn’t that abundant and it isn’t found in that many things, but a cell phone is one of them. I was going to do a television at first, but I thought a phone would be more interesting.


I made three sketches, a phone, a tv, and a computer. All of them looked pretty basic, but I chose a phone so I can decorate the lock screen and make it more interesting. I made four prints, surprisingly, all of them turned out great. I’m keeping two to myself and two to Ms.Hull. I should've made it more colorful, I wanted to do like an ombre, but I didn’t.


Overall, I liked this project and how hands on it was.


Q4 Art Reflection

During the fourth quarter of art we learned about all the elements of "art." Line, shape, value, form, texture, and color, we had seven different assignments each of which to highlight one of the elements. Me personally I never really sat down and just admired art but once I learned about all the different elements I now find myself just noticing when the elements come into play in the real world. For each of my assignments I just searched through google and found an image that reminded me of myself and the tried to replicate it. I really enjoyed this quarter it showed me the finer things of art like how the smallest detail would make the biggest change.

Week 8 - LINK • Artist's statement

Through this last quarter of the year in art class, I have created; Line drawings, Texture drawings, Illusion Drawings, Value Drawings, Figure drawings, and Digital shape drawings. All of the above are the elements of art, and for our last assignment, that is just what we created. We took of the elements of art and put them into one picture.  

 Week 1, we created 8-10 figure sketches, and a final figure drawing in addition to the sketches. A figure drawing is drawing of a person, we a drew people from the provided pictures on canvas. One of the most challenging parts of doing this assignment was trying to make the limbs of the person that I was drawing proportional to éverything else. Sometimes the shoulders were wider than the hips or the legs were too short/long. Being that we don't draw figures that often it was definitely a struggle to make my human look relatic. In the end my figure looked more like a cartoon character than an actual person. However I took away accepting that my drawing needs work, and with practice my work will get better.

Week 2, we created 8 drawings, including pictures of anything, as long as each drawing incorporated different types of lines. One of the most challenging things about doing this assignment was making my drawings look creative. One thing I took away from line drawings was that lines can actually be complicated, believe it or not.

Week 3, we created a digital drawing with shapes. One of the most challenging things I took away from creating a digital drawing out of shapes, what making my final product actually look like something. In the sense that my digital drawing doesn't just look like a bunch of random shapes, in random places. One thing I took away from this assignment was learning to create a drawing that only contains shapes. It is something that I don't normally do, so it felt a little weird.

Week 4, we created an illusion of space of drawing. One of the most challenging parts in this assignment was picking witch illusion I was going to draw. Making sure that whatever I chose would take up all the space on my paper. One thing I took away from drawing my illusion, was even if you pick a ¨Simple illusion¨, making your illusion look the way your illusion is suppose to look like.

Week 5, we created 21 texture sketches, and then a final texture drawings. One of the most challenging things about this assignment is making the different types of textures look like what you were trying to draw. If it didn't, it would just look like specks of random dots. I definitely spend a good amount of time making sure everything exactly how I wanted. One thing I took away from drawing textures was, if your texture isn't clear, that determines how your picture will be perceived.

Week 6, we created a value drawing. A value drawing is a drawing where you can see the difference in how the light is hitting certain objects. Which would require you to shade certain parts of your drawing. One of the most challenging thing about this assignment was making sure I got the direction of light right. Because the direction of light lets the viewer know the setting of you drawing. One thing I took away from my value drawing was that it is fairly easy to shade, you just have to make sure you catch every detail of what your drawing.

Week 7, which was mention briefly above, we created an elements of art drawing. One overall challenge was incorporating all of the element that were already hard to draw individually and create one picture out of them.  


Ghost World

“Mark! Mark! Wake up!”

He groaned as he was shaken by his colleague and  friend, Alex. He finally sat up on his bed, fed up with the saking and asked,

“What is it? What’s so important that you had to wake me up at-” He looked at the clock. “-Four thirty in the morning?”

“I woke you up because there is something you need to see. It’s not exactly an emergency, but you need to see it before it’s too late!”

“What is it?” he replied in a more interested voice.

“You need to see it for yourself, but I can understand if you’re too tired to come to the observatory!” he said in a sarcastic tone.

“Alright, fine. Let me get dressed first and then we’ll head to the observatory. Okay?”

His friend smiled, and left the bedroom with a chuckle. Mark undressed himself and replaced his pajamas with a pair of khaki pants, a tee, and a lab coat. He put on his boots and went to refresh himself in the bathroom. Ten minutes later, they were on their way to the observatory to see what Alex wanted to show Mark, and let’s just say, it was strange.

When they reached the observatory, they got out of the car and went inside.

“I haven’t moved the telescope ever since I found it.”

“Is it really necessary to do a guessing game Alex? Just tell me what in the world you found, alright?”

“Ding Ding Ding! You guessed it! I found another world, or a planet, rather.”

He received a disappointed and annoyed look from Mark.

“That’s it? I thought this was going to be bigger than that! We find exoplanets all the time. What’s so special about this one? Is it another hot jupiter, or another water world, or perhaps even a diamond world?

“How about a rainbow world?”

Mark looked p at him in surprise. “What? Did you say rainbow world?

“Yeah I dd. When I first saw the planet, it showed a red tint and glow in it’s atmosphere. Thinking it was another rogue planet, I moved on. However, hours later, I decided to take another look at the planet since I wasn’t finding anything else and the planet glowed a blue color, and it was bigger.”

“Wait, so the planet changed color and it got bigger?”

“Yes, but I figured out that it was getting bigger was because it was coming towards us.”

“Mark swung his head  to face his friend. “Is it going to hit us?

“I can’t tell. My calculations show that the way that this planet is moving is completely erratic. Why don’t you take a look for yourself.”

He climbed up the steps to the telescope and peered into it. Dots of twinkling lights were everywhere the eye could see. Mark looked through the telescope for a solid ten minutes until he finally stepped down and said, “I can’t find the planet you’re talking about.”

Alex stared and laughed. “You’re joking right?”

“I think I should be the one asking you that. Mark crossed his arms in front of his chest, waiting for an explanation.

“I swear, I saw the planet.”

“Well, if you did, it’s not there anymore.”

“Let me take a look, but I don’t see how it’s possible to miss it.”

Alex climbed up the stairs and stared into the telescope. “It’s right there!”

“What?!” Mark quickly climbed up the stair again and pushed Alex out of the way to see through the telescope. Again, he stared into the telescope for a long time, but still couldn’t see any sign of the planemo. “I still don’t see it Alex. Are you sure you see a planet?

“I’m being serious with you. How can you not see that. It’s glowing yellow now!

“Ugh, you must be delirious.

Love

“Dammit what the absolute universe did I do,” bellowed Christopher through the slur of his baby pink braces. He looked into the sky and saw the thousands of people who floated above him.

He watched as the seemly departed bodies only blinked. But soon his gaze was forced on something else. He heard the running of a young child, the foot falls became faster and heavier with each passing second. Christopher looked into every direction looking for anything that could be making the noise. He looked up once more to see the bodies start to blink faster as their lights begin to dim. He shivered in the darkening city as he seen a body begin to float down. It was the body of a child no older than seven.

Even though Christopher was at least twice this young child’s age, he knew it was best for him to sprint. He refused to take the chance he be killed. He ran in the first direction that would take him, the only way Chris knew he was moving forward was seeing contrasting bodies illuminate the sky. The only things he heard was the heaviness of his breathing, a second set of footsteps, and a muffled yelling in a high octave voice. But Christopher ran until he couldn’t anymore. Stopping to lean against a green brick wall, Chris believed he was safe. Until he heard the voice of the young child right behind him.

“Dad!” yelled this young child, “Daddy, please stop running, I need your help!”

“Kid, I’m not your dad,” contested Christopher “I’m fourteen!” Christopher was finally able to straighten out his back against the wall, regaining his breathing, but remained with his knee slightly bent just in case he had to continue running.

“ You are my dad. Your name is Christopher Spencer Montgomery. You father’s name was Spencer. You never knew your mother, and your dad never said her name. You were born June 11th, 1993. You married my mom, Pamela on August 18th, 2024. And you became a dad, March 3rd 2027 to me, dad. I’m Spencer,” cried this young boy as the redness of his face started to diminished as he started to catch his breath. As his face began to calm you could see each freckle appear as if from magic, but could also see each individual tear fall from the child’s green eyes. “Dad, I’m Spencer”

“ Okay, okay Spencer don’t cry. Please don’t cry. I’m only fourteen, while that’s my name and my birthday, I’m not your dad. I can’t be, I haven’t even lived those dates that you named. 10 minutes ago I was in 2007. I’m not your dad,” begged Christopher as he final unbent his knees and removed his back from the wall. He began to take a step closer to Spencer. He still didn’t know if this was the best decision, but he felt to bad for this child who was confused. He slowly cripped toward Spencer, who looked like he couldn’t stand anymore.

“ It’s me daddy. Please remember me. Mommy need you to find her,” Screamed Spencer with every he had left to offer, as he fell to his knees he let out an ear shattering whimper. The bodies of light seemed to be attracted to him as Spencer was the brightest thing with the city. Each beam of light bouncing off of his head, showing the beauty that lies within each strain of hair,  his hair was a reminder of the burnt orange sunset over Camra Bay, it was warm and it tumbled over his shoulders like rusty water. Camra Bay was where Christopher and his father would have a ice cold cider while they would walk along the bay. It was one of Christopher favorite memories of his father.

With each step closer Christopher expected this child who claimed to be his son to turn into this carnivorous monster. How do I have a kid? I can’t. I’m fourteen. What if this is all just one bad dream? It can’t be, I was in the basement when the room went black and I ended up here. Where am I? How many steps to I take before this thing tries to attack me? “Spencer, are you okay?”

Tears had seemed to engulf spencer. He could barely hold his head up must less complete a sentence. He just sat there, with the lights continuing to beam on his head he seemed have a hallo. Spencer didn’t resemble a monster. He looked as if he was being chased by one. As if his nightmares had finally came to life. But even with in all of this he was still able to lift up his head enough to shake it no. He was hurt. He was scared.

“It’s going to be okay,” pledge Christopher, “ I promise.” He took his final step towards Spencer. He stood no more than six inches from Spencer, while still shaken with fear Christopher crouched down to Spencer height. He began to lift his arms to place them onto Spencer’s shoulders. Seeing Christopher no more than six inches in front of him Spencer decide it was his time to caper into Christopher arms. Spencer had hoped this would bring back his father memories of him. It would make him remember all the times he picked him up. The nights he would carry him to his bed after watching a movie together. All the times he carried him in to the house to place a plaster on his knee or his elbows. The many of times he picked him up when he cried. But it didn’t bring back his memories. All it did was frighten Christopher. Christopher picked Spencer off of him to place him onto the ground where he once sat. Christopher slowly back up to the wall he once leaned on. Trembling he looked above him to the bodies as their blinking slowed down and the wailing cries of a child got louder.

“Dad, please remember me!” shouted Spencer through muffled cries.

But I’m not his dad! Would it make him happier if I claimed to be? I just want to be back home! Back in my bed, back in to my normal life. I rather be at the mall with my sister as she tries on a million different outfits than be here! I’d even let her choose a few out for me to try on just to be out of here.

Just as Spencer’s words broke through his cries a body fell from the sky. A woman no older than forty.  She didn't fall with the same graces that Spencer floated down with she was thrown like a fallen angel, her halo was removed when she hit the concrete ground below her. She also didn’t seem frightened. She looked as if this had happened to her before. That this life had been her usual. She peeled her body from the ground and began shouting names. “ Alex, Jordan, Lizzie!”  Four eyes blinked as to assure her that they were still floating above. And one set was missing. “ Jordan!” she called again. But the skies remained calm. No eyes moved.

What is going on? Why is she shouting his name. Who is she? Damn how often do people just fall out of the sky? I have to be dreaming. How did I get here?

“ Spencer please calm down,” said Christopher.

Spencer who had managed himself into fetal position whimpering sat up slowly to the horror in Christopher voice.

“Wha..at’s the matter, Christopher?”

“ There’s a woman. She screaming names. Why is she doing that? Are those her kids up there? How did you guys get up there?

“ This all happen because of you!”

What do you mean?” Replied Christopher.

“ You created this world. You thought you were creating a solution but you made a problem.” Spencer had finally gain back his will and stood up. No longer being forced on to the ground by is own sadness. His eyes seemed to darken from their bright green to a hazel. He stood at three inches taller than before. He no longer looked like a sad seven year old but a angry eleven year old.

“What do you mean I created this world, I’m one person I couldn’t do this much damage on my own.”, said Christopher as he looked at his hands and seen the dirt that sat stiff underneath his fingernails, he questioned all of the little events in his life, that could affect the future.

“ You wanted a world of love, something you were basically incapable of, now and then. Dad, I mean Christopher, you once loved me, or you will one day love me, but that how I was able to come down,” said Spencer. “ you loved me enough to bring me down, but only the person with the most capability for love in each family is able to stay down here, but they can bring people down with their love, but sometimes the person with the most love for their family will change. And sometimes that person has a hard time proving they love the other person enough to bring them down. They can die of loneliness down here.”

“ Jordan!” said this woman who not even ten minutes ago fell from the sky, but now she was over her knees with tears as hot as fire rolling down her face waiting for a noise to come from the small thing that sat in front of her. Thirty-seven inches in length, forty-one pounds in weigh the body in front of her did not release a single sound, it didn't move a single inch, it just sat as if it has stared into the eyes of medusa. The soul was missing from the body. The child was gone!

“Jordan! Ale..ex, Lizz..ie! He’s gone!” she cried into the sky, before she fell to the child’s chest waiting for a single breath to find its way out. The world seemed calm once again, the only noise was the soft tears that continued to stream. Her breathing stayed steady through all of her tears like she had experienced this all before. As the tears continued the eyes to began to blink once again. Allowing down two girls, with beautiful hair streaked with warm reddish hues and butterscotch. Their eyes stained of the color of hot chocolate on a cold winter night. They looked like the kindest angels as they floated down with arms intertwined and tears drenching their clothing. They looked as if this world had hurt them to many times.

“Mom! Mom..my! Why? Why daddy and now Jordan? Mom!”, said the youngest of the girls as they landed softly onto the floor. The took small steps over to their mother, never removing the lock between their arms. As the approached their brother came closer they seemed to lose the strength that once resided in their legs. They collapse where they stood.

“Come on we have to make sure that they are okay,” said Christopher. For once he didn’t seem scared but concerned. He wanted to truly make sure that they were okay.

“Now you want to make sure she’s okay! You didn’t care four years ago when Alex got sick. You sat in the basement and continued working on your project! Don’t act all high and mighty now.” Said Spencer with as much attitude as he could physically allow out of him. He never broke eye contact with Christopher.

Christopher gave back a confused stare. Not knowing how to even respond. He let out a sigh, looked at the cold ground that he stood on and walked over to the woman. “ Ma’am are you okay? I mean of course your not okay but is there anything I do to help you.”

“ Get the hell out of here, Chris, this is a family matter. And you made it clear that we weren’t family a long time ago!”  She no longer was only filled with tears but with hatred. Her face went from a pale pink to a red like the most beautiful rose around. Her tears seem to crawl back in to her eyes as to force herself not to cry in front of him. He wasn’t worthy of her tears.

Taken aback Christopher took three heavy steps back. As he stared at this woman wonder how she knew his name and why she hated, he heard the faint words of Spencer behind him, “ Aunt Georgie it’s going to be okay. Lex, Liz it’s going to get better. Jordan loved you but he was only four he didn’t know how to show it. The world choose the wrong one of you to keep down here.”

Georgie!  It’s Georgie! Did I cause her to come down by thinking of her.

“ Georgie? Is it really you? Are these your children? What’s going on?” said Christopher as he waited to be thrown from this nightmare. He thought he must finally be waking up.  

“Spencer you’ve gotten so grown on me? What’s the matter with you’re idiot father this time?” Said Georgie through broken tears and an angry stricken voice.

Spencer leaned his body to be at his aunts ear level and whispered “ He’s not him of now. I used dads regeneration machine to bring a version of him down. I know it needs love to work so I thought of all of dads stories. I guess the strongest one was of him as a teenager.” Georgie through her body back against the wall, defeated she couldn’t understand how this world became the way it is. She looked at her younger brother for a shear reminder of what the world used to be.

“Christopher,” Said Georgie as she picked herself up from the ground she once sat on. As she began walking she said his name one more time waiting for the world to collapse in front of her, finally ending all of the misery she had faced throughout in the past few years. She became face to face with him she looked deeply into his eyes, she lifted her arms to his shoulders and placed her head onto his chest listen to each unsteady heartbeat it was like trying to skip rocks with an rough rock. She said the only thing she needed to say, “I loved you so much.” She left her knee and proceeded to kick Christopher as hard in the groin as she possibly could.

A faint chuckle leaves the lips of Spencer, he hunches his back forward making sure no one can she him laugh. A high pitch noise leaves the mouth of Spencer as he hunches over he places his hand over his mouth to avoid the embarrassment of the first crack in his voice. He's grown again, six more inches and about three more years. He looks to be about fourteen.

As he spiraled onto the ground he let out an exacerbated scream, “Dammit! What was that for Georgie?” he felt the throbbing as if he had a second heartbeat in his lower half this one was more steady. It was like the quick but perfect rounds of a ceiling fan on its highest setting.

“Christopher you were supposed to love me but you've couldn’t.  Christopher, seconds into the world you created I was thrown into the world of the unloved, just like any trash you thrown into the garbage. I was forced to illuminate the skies like all of those who really weren’t loved or weren't cared about Christopher. You were my little brother you were supposed to love me, cuz I loved you, and I guess I still do even if I don't want to. You had Spencer to love you, Even got Allie to love you by all the grace of God because no other woman would have loved you like she did. she was able to keep you down here for months but somehow you became the biggest heart and it sent her and spencer upward. All you cared about where your ideas for this future but so many people didn’t want this.” said Georgie. You could feel her heart sinking lower with word she spoke, the slowing of the beat like a drummer coming to the end of the song. You heard the exhausted like lied within her with each sucken breath. Like her heart could stop at any moment, as if she could lay there as cold and as dead as her son.

“Georgie, I love you. No matter how many times I didn't show it, I always loved you. No matter how many times you drag me out of the house when I don't want, I loved you and I still do love you, you're my older sister. And no I didn't have a choice in beginning but I grew up, and I realized how important you are to me. You are the mom that we never had. And while I don't remember this world I'm ready to start helping. And, Spencer I'm sorry I don't remember being your dad but it is time for me to step up and prove to you, that I can learn how to care. That a 14 I'd be more of a man then I am in this world.” said Christopher as he climbed his way back to a standing position. Hands still remaining close to his lower half to ease the pain that was caused only seconds prior. Once he stood he puffed his chest and stood up as straight as he could to show that he was serious. But a single rolls down his face like a frozen icicle refusing to fall from the frozen bridge.

“How do you expect to do all this you don't even remember mommy” said Spencer who had fought so hard to remain quiet throughout the exchange of father and aunt. He looked exactly like christopher in this moment, the only difference was that he was taller then christopher with and had lighter hair. He stood strong and still.

“The entire time I've been here I've just been scared. I don't know what was going on. This world was different from what I knew but I seen that I have to change it. And I must try, but I will need to change it now but in my own timeline as well. But first I will have to get to know the story of your mother and after I get to know her hopefully I fall in love with her. But I want to go back to 2007 and I want to fix everything that I am because this world is like this because the way I am or the way I become,” said Christopher. The bodies that lied over head seem to agree with this fact they began to blink brightening the city from it’s once dim lighted glow.

Okay but how is it my fault that they glow? How do they change their brightness? Mood lights up in here.

“ Mommy would have loved to hear you say that,” said Spencer through tearful eyes that held forests between them. They grew brighter just like the bodies continued to do. He spoke as if this was a scripted piece for him to speak. He seem to sink back into the seven year old who was searching for his father and missing his mother. His height seem to diminished, his voice no longer cracked, he was just a boy who loved his mother. “ Mommy this amazing woman who loved you more than you would ever know. She spent nights watching you sleep, just because she couldn't believe how lucky she was, to love a man like you. She was so grateful to have married a you. Every time you rang the phone ,mom would continue to stand by it even minutes after you hung up. She said it was it was because she was replaying the conversation so that she never forget your voice. She loved you through all of you hurts and pains. Her name was Allison but when you were seventeen you started calling her Allie because you knew how much she hated it. But she fell in love with the name because you were the one saying it. She fell in love with you because you were kind, caring and loving. And that was all you wanted in the world was for people to love each other. You and her knew the happiness you brought each other.” Spencer seem to know this story like it was the back of his hand, as if it was recited at the dinner table as the prayer. And he was so proud to repeat it back. With his chest puffed and hands on hips this was his favorite song to sing.

“Christopher, you created this invention to show people a love like yours. You never thought that people couldn’t open up like Allie. You believed that no one would spend more than five minutes in the sky because everyone has someone who loved them. Originally that was the case but couples got into arguments, parents and their children stopped talking, and the world became a grave place. When you seen this you neglect Allie when she needed you most. And she was forced to float above you, because she shut her heart so much she forgot how to love.” said Georgie with her back against the war, her poster slouched. Her heart finally raising from her stomach to her chest.

“She sounds amazing, and I sure I didn’t ever mean for this to happen. Guy’s I’m so sorry,” Christopher raised from having to puff his chest to be full to having to a full chest. He was no longer a small fourteen year old boy, but a forty year old man. “ She sound beautiful I’m so happy to know one day I’ll get so lucky.”

“ Why not know that you’re lucky now?” said a small voice as it floated down to the city that was filled with lights from each passing body. Allie was a small woman, but as beautiful as could be. Rose tattoo peeking through the edge of her tee shirt, walnut shell colored hair that fell perfectly at her collar bone. Eyes that told many stories through their green rays. But as she float a foot from the ground, Christopher was thrown back into the reality he once knew as 2007. To meet her in a different rode.


Printmaking-Londyn Edwards

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My element was gold (Au) with the atomic number 79. Gold is considered the most malleable metal of all in addition to being a good electricity conductor that doesn’t tarnish and alloys well with other metals. The element Gold was discovered in America in January 1848 by James W. Marshall. This finding resulted in the 1849 California gold rush. Gold has been being used for centuries with its earliest uses being in the crowns and headdresses of Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs and Queens. Today, it is commonly used in jewelry, as money, in dentistry and medicine, electronics and technology, aerospace, and for medals and awards.
I got the idea for the imagery I chose by trying to think of things that had the potential to be made out of gold. Immediately, jewelry came to mind, but Ms.Hull advised for us to think outside of the box and eventually, I thought of the fact that many of the awards given at prestigious award shows are either dipped in or made of 24k gold. I started out by researching a little bit about my element to find out some more things I may not have already known. Second, I brainstormed different ways to represent gold and solidified my ideas by researching if the symbol was actually made of gold. Next, I narrowed down my ideas to one and began sketching it out in my sketchbook. After that, I minimized my sketch, inverted it (so that it was backwards), and transferred it to a 4x6 piece of tracing paper. I imprinted my design into the printfoam and began to roll paint over my design. Finally, I pressed my paint covered printfoam onto a piece of paper and pressed the foam down so the paint would transfer.
If I were to do this print a second time, I would spend less time trying to sketch out a design. It took me a while to sketch out my design, only to realise that it probably wouldn’t fit within the size constraints so, it made me start printing a little late meaning my printing process was a little more rushed than it had to be.
Ironically enough, the part of the project I liked the most was brainstorming and sketching out ideas of what I could do. I was excited to have the element gold because it was a pretty easy element to find symbols of since gold is really popular and very familiar to our society but, it was also really interesting to try to think outside the box for something atypical to represent the element. I came up with a few ideas, and even had my friends give me some ideas, then it was time to sketch out a final design. Sketching was enjoyable because it gave me time to focus and despite all the noise usually in the room, it gave me peace of mind to think and focus on the way my pencil was gliding across the paper.

Justice for Ricky

It was the year 2020 when America turned it into chaos. We lost WWIII and President Randall Thump was killed by a North Korean missile that stuck his plane while making a visit to China. From there as years went on the poverty rate increased rapidly across America. Criminal rates were outrage, becoming harder for the government to control. People murdered in the streets day and night, every day. New drugs were being introduced in the black community, killing more than 4x a dozen of young children every month. Bank robberies increasing every year. It was getting even harder for families to even survive in their neighborhoods.
    Until the American government made a deal with Professor Edwin Xeno. He was a billionaire from France who owned Tech Life industries back in his hometown. He provides the world with newer and better technology changing it forever. Professor Xeno offered the American government with a program called “X 101,” a robot police force that runs 24/7, putting the law back into action. Since this program is worth millions the government made the decision to place X 101 only in the Southeastern of the U.S. That’s where most crimes happened. 
I remember when they first came. It was the year 2034, sometime in June. In Atlanta Georgia. About 12 o'clock in the afternoon, me and my brother Ricky was walking down the street on our way back home from a party close by. 
“Bro that shit was crazy, as soon as we heard the cops pull’in up, Mir was out. He was like . “ayo the ops”. Everybody dropped they bottles and was gone.” Ricky said with excitement, out of breath.
“Yo, that was too funny though” I replied laughing out loud.
“You think they saw us running Tre”
“Bro, how you think they gonna spot us when the whole party ran too? Plus those pigs don’t care anymore, I don’t even know why they were out there.” 
“Ard” Ricky replied looking down, turning his head to the side.
I stopped him to the side of the wall and gripped his shoulders. 
    “Bro listen, whatever happens, trust me, I promise you, I’ma have ya back no matter what, I got you. It’s tough out here, so we need each other, ard.” 
“Yeah, I feel you”
“Let’s go home!”
 Next thing you know a cop car pulls up right beside us.  “ Oh shit what the fuck is…” My heart started racing. Two walking machines with a police printed on their chest and an “X” printed on their head, came rushing out the car, didn’t say a word and shoved Ricky and me onto the wall. “What the fuck yo, we ain’t do nothing,” I said as they held us stuck to the wall.
 “Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right….” as they continued speaking at the same time, Ricky looked at me and started to nod his head. I shook mines back no. Everything went in slow motion after that. Ricky managed to break away as they tried to put the cuff on him. “Ricky”, I yelled out for him. I knew exactly what was going to happen next. As he ran down the street, the bots turned away from the wall, pulled out there guns and shot Ricky dead instantly. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Ricky was my only brother. We took care of each other ever since ma'am started drugs when dad was killed by the police a few years back. Now my lil brother. I broke a promise I just made to him and it’s no fixing that. How could I let this happen?
    They placed me in holding for a couple of days until my court date. The found weed on me as I was getting arrested. I didn’t really care about that, I was dead on the inside. I didn’t care what would happen to me at this point. I continued to blame myself for his death. I wish I could have done something at the time. But those fuck’in machines. They killed Ricky for no reason. We would think the world would be different but it’s all the same. There’s no justice for us.
    My court date finally came. “All rise,” The officers said. I stood before Judge Willis as he sentenced me. I faced down as he spoke.
“For trespass on private property, possession of 5 kg of marijuana. Your penalty will be held as a felony to the subsequent offense, and the murder of Ricky Baker.
My body jerk back, I grew goosebumps all over, my heart started to beep quickly.
“ I plead you guilty, and sentenced you to 50 years in United States Penitentiary Atlanta”
“What?” I interrupted the judge. It was quiet in the courtroom. 
“Excuse me?” Judge Willis leaned forward and said. “ Boy don’t you ever speak out loud in this courtroom ever again.” 
“ You’re accusing me of killing my own brother? Those machines shot him dead and left him there in cold blood.” I was feeling pain in my body.
“That’s a warning Mr. Baker.” He shouted.
I started breathing heavily and walked up to the Judge stand. “ Nah fuck all that. I’m tired of this shit.”
The two guards grabbed me and struggled to pull me out the room. 
“I want Justice for my brother Ricky Baker, for my community, for black lives. I’ma make sure this system gets shut down.” I yelled out as my voice faded out the courtroom. 

It was my first week in Prison. The whole system was now run by the X 101 program. The program was intelligent enough to run on it own. There was not one human guard to be found, they were switched out ever 24 hours with different bots and kept that rotation. It didn’t feel real at first, these bots came out of nowhere and started running the whole city. I couldn’t imagine how it looked back at home. 
 I met up with a couple of old friends I knew who been here for a couple of years now. They never expected to see me. I stayed with them during my time there, they didn’t get into any trouble. 
I wasn’t going to waste my time rotting away in prison. I stuck with my word and found Justice for Ricky. I couldn’t do it alone. It took me about 6 years to plan it out and get the word outside of the prison. Some people I needed to get the job done was either killed by the X machines or placed in prison along with me. It became a little tough to work out. 
One late night, I was laid in my cell, haven’t slept all night, when an X guard came up to me and opened the cell gate.
“Follow me!” It said in a deep-toned voice.
I stood up and followed it down to the front gates of the prison. There waited on the road was a 1989 styled Cadillac limousine with tinted black windows. I had an idea of who it could be, or why they needed me. The bot walked me over to the car placed me in handcuff before putting me in the car. A French man in his late fifties sat there in his all-white suit and smiled. There was a different type of robot who drove the car, we headed towards the neighborhood. 
“Hello, Mr. Baker.” He said with the same smile on his face.
“You must be wondering who I am or why are you here right now, am I correct?”
I stayed silent.
“Well, I am Professor Edwin Xeno, I am the one who owns the X 101 program.” 
    ….”What do you want?” I said softly and calmly. 
    “Let me show you something.” He pulls out a tablet and shows me a video of a black man who set a car on fire, yelling “We want Justice for Ricky Baker.” The X machine tells him to stand down. He then tries to pull out a gun and gets shot up by the machines. 
“Is this your idea of Justice Mr. Baker?”
“What are you talking about”. I replied
“Listen, Mr. Baker, I have eyes and ears all over this city now, in and out of this prison. If you don’t stop this now, it’s only going to get worst.”
“Take a look outside.”
We drove through the city of Atlanta. Passing through streets blocked off by tall gates, and X machines patrolling almost every block. I even saw about three dead bodies lying there as if it was normal. The city became a prison itself. 
“What have you done to this city,” I said as a tear fell from my cheek. I clenched my jaw and stared deep into his eyes.
“No Mr. Baker what have you done. All the riots, incarcerations and deaths you’ve caused to these people Led me no choice but double up the enforcement, with a 24-hour watch.” He took a deep breath.
“ I could have been killed you after I seen how success ya plans has gotten, but I wasn’t gonna let a nobody like you make my creation look like shit… So I fired back.”
At this point, I wanted to take these handcuff around my wrist and choke him to death.
“Now tell me, how are you now going to find Justice for your brother, this community, or black lives? 
Slowly he moved closer to my face.
“You have nothing left.” He whispered in my ear.
I had nothing to say to him. If I was too, I’ll probably be dead right now trying to kill him. He disrespected me, my brother, and my people. I couldn’t let that slide that easy. 
We pulled up back to the front doors of the prison. The same X machine took me out the car. 
“Oh and Mr. Baker?”
I looked in the car before the door closed. 
“I watched the recording of my machines killing your brother.”
“If you know the truth, then why am I still in this hellhole?”
“To get problems like you off the streets.”
The door closed automatically, and he drove off.
I was furious, I felt the boiling hot lava burning in my body. I wasn’t gonna let him win. It was my turn to fire back even harder. 
    10 more years have passed, I’m 35 years of age now. It’s been 5 years now since I’ve broken out of prison. Many sacrificed their lives to get me out. They knew I’ll bring hope to the city. Things have only gotten worse. The X 101 force has spread around the southeastern region of America. I’ve realized there’s no going back to how it used to be. We are now at war. During my time out, I’ve created a party, we called it “The Anti-Automaton party”. Citizens all over America are seeing how wicked the program is. There was no point for a peaceful protest. Many made the decision to joined the rival group and fight the system before it gets even stronger. We’ve strike multiple of their X stations in past 4 years. We started with the closest one, a few miles outside of Atlanta. Just as I promised I gave my city peace and justice. We made sure every last one of those machines was dead and never to be seen in Atlanta again.
 Everywhere we went, we provided nearby community who suffered from the X force, helping the poor get back up on their feet. Many joined the group traveling through the southeastern region saving more lives. But that wasn’t enough for me, I wasn’t satisfied. I wanted something deeper. I still felt like I wanted justice for my Ricky, more like revenge. 
We took everyone we could get, with and without a vehicle. Every weapon we had was loaded and prepare. Armed and ready for the mission. We headed towards the main base where Professor Xeno stayed. It was the highest armed station in America. Where he had newer and upgraded X bots ready to be sent out. We showed no mercy. We pushed forward until we couldn’t anymore. There were flying X jets destroying our tanks, trucks and killing more than 30 men a bomb. I’ve seen my closest friends die right in front of me, I had no choice but to surrender. 
I raised my hands in the sky with nothing in them with a couple others. The X bots lined us up and we watch  Professor Xeno walk up to us.
“Mr. Baker, I always knew we would meet again someday.” He walked back and forth looking at us all. I sat there on my knees with not one drop of energy left in me.
“With me standing up, looking down at you as a failure.” 
“Now, I see you’ve tried so hard to get what you wanted for many years. So I’ll make you an offer. I’ll let the rest of you live and you work for me. Tell the world, X 101 program is not a threat, but it is the future, and it will save the world. Or I’ll kill you myself now.”
I took the strength I had and struggled to stand up. I looked Professor Xeno in the eyes with my chin up.
“Bury me in the ocean with my ancestors that jumped from the ships. Because they knew death was better than bondage.”
 Professor Xeno pulled out a gun from his side and pointed it at my head. I looked up to the sky and smiled. Most may think I failed during this journey, but I’ve shown the world to never give up what truly means to you. This is only the beginning of what’s to come.