LO1 – Identifying your own strengths and develop areas for personal growth
LO6 – Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance

 

The first session on September 9th started with a little introduction from Mr McGrath and Mrs Dinsdale on what the Memory Project is. Actually, it started with me getting lost when trying to find the classroom but let’s just ignore that.

The Memory Project is an activity that creates a connection between high school students and children in Pakistan through the giving of art. It’s not one where we go “OH, look at how we are drawing some portraits for these POOR ORPHANED CHILDREN!”. No, just no. They still go on living their lives, smiling, laughing, doing all sorts of things children do! This is about giving them something that they can call theirs when they don’t, it is about forging friendships and gaining intercultural awareness through the universal language of art. It is about creating a kinder world through art – and that is why I joined.

When I join the activity, I have to admit that I thought that we were just going to start on the drawing aspect of it right away (probably because I was very eager to stretch my fingers and draw). But we started with brainstorming and creating an imageboard on Pakistan’s culture for potential background designs.

So here’s mine. I chose a lot of scenery pictures as well as patterns that I could potentially use as background.

Also, when Mr McGrath stated his expectations that each of us will be able to draw 3 high-quality portraits by December. From my personal experience of drawing portrait, it takes very long. The drawing aspect of getting the proportions right is incredibly hard – one small shift of the eye can change the whole picture. I was also very nervous when I realized that everybody was a former fine art/graphic art student in IGCSE because I felt unconfident that I can create high-quality portraits. (I took Design Technology: Resistant Materials for IGCSE, though I used to take fine arts outside of school) But I reminded myself that I have joined this activity in order to make a change through something I love, that as long as I try my best, that is what that matters. The fact that I am surrounded by super experienced peer is a good thing as well, though I will need to step out of my comfort zone to ask for help from them (in fear that they would make fun of me… I don’t know how but that is just my fear).

In the second session, we were each given a photograph of one of the children we will be drawing a portrait for. It really touched me, how besides their name and age, they gave us their favourite colour. It’s something really simple thing, but that is why it touches me. It is something that you see in every children introduction worksheet. It’s as if it is hope, it is childhood.

So I am partnering Zain. He’s 8 years and likes green.

This is my image board slides for Zain

This is my annotated brainstorm and thinking process:

On the third session, I was incredibly surprised to find out that we would be tracing the portraits instead of drawing freehand. The reasoning behind it was that the Memory Project team emphasized artists to capture their characteristics and make the drawings as realistic as possible, also that it allows us with more time to paint rather than drawing. Though understandable, I find that it contradicts one of my main goals for joining this activity, which is to learn how to draw portraits.

However, for now, I will challenge myself with painting a person realistically – something that I have never done before.

 

The Official Website of the Memory Project