Project 1 Sources

For the first part of my project, I decided to choose four images that represent places that I have visited.  I thought this would be the best way to compile a "self-portrait" because each place I chose means a lot to me and has helped shape me into the person I am today.

My first image is entitled "Dark Eddy, Delaware River" an ektacolor photograph print by Joe Maloney.  I chose the Delaware as one of my four places because I have spent a considerable amount of time on the Delaware River throughout my seven summers as a camp counselors.  I have many memories, good and bad, about the time I have spent on the Delaware.  Though not all of my experiences have been positive on the river, the negative experiences have helped me become a stronger and smarter person.  I particularly liked this print because it was very vivid and clear, as opposed to the paintings I found.  I also like this picture because I feel connected to it.  Though a lot of places on the Delaware look identical to a different spot 50 miles downstream, it's cool to think that I might have come across this exact spot.  

My second choice is an iconic image of the city of Philadelphia.  The painting is appropriately entitled "Boathouse Row, Fall View".  It is an "iris print" or giclee by Elaine Lisle, an artist native of Philadelphia.  Boathouse Row, located on the Schuylkill River, is a beautiful and unique landmark of Philadelphia that I enjoy passing on my way in and out of the city.  I picked this image because it also incorporates fall, the season I enjoy most in Philly.  Finally, I picked this image because I wanted to represent all the time I spent in Philadelphia before I came to St. Mary's and how it has shaped me into the person I am at school.  

My third image is an oil painting by Walter van Ed Prescher entitled "Paris-Bridge over River Seine" (cice 1962-1968).  This painting represents a trip I took to Paris several years ago.  hazy Though it was not an extremely long trip, it helped me gain a worldly perspective to which I still hold on today.  Though there are many images I could have chosen of Paris, The Seine, or even Notre Dame, this one caught my attention.  I chose this style of painting because it is most representative of my memories of Paris.  Because my experiences in Paris are the least clear out of my four images, I chose represent this through the cloudy aesthetic of this oil painting.  Though many people would be able to tell that this is an image of the Notre Dame and the Seine, it is not as clear as a photograph or painting of a different medium.  

My final image is an acrylic painting entitled "San Antonio Riverwalk" by a Dallas artist named Janice Howell.  This painting represents a trip I took to San Antonio with my lacrosse team three years ago.  This trip was important to me for many reasons.  It was the first time I really got to know the people on the team and it was also the first time I had traveled to the South.  My experiences with both new people and new places was exciting and intimidating.  I picked this painting for a couple reasons.  First, it is painted by a native Texan.  I think the style and colors of the painting show that it was done by someone who is familiar with the area.  I also chose it because it reminds me of a lot of the art I saw while in San Antonio.  Overall, it was the best representation of my trip and the things I experienced there.