In the image I created, I aim to capture a moment of deep reflection and awe as a young woman stands on the edge of a cliff, looking out over an autumn landscape enveloped in fog. Set in the fall, this piece highlights feelings of solitude, change, and introspection as she gazes into the vast, misty expanse ahead of her. The combination of natural elements like drifting fog, moving clouds, and falling autumn leaves represents the transition of seasons, highlighting both the beauty and the fleeting nature of change.
This transformative composite portrait by Ashley Dinning depicts her facing out over the edge of a cliff. She is looking down at a small stream surrounded by autumn trees that expand over hills into the horizon. Fallen leaves are floating by and a light fog rolling by, as are clouds in the distance. It does have a captivating mood of serenity, the same feeling you get when you’re actually sitting alone in nature.
ReplyDeleteThis portrait initially tells me that Ashley is a fan of nature, and maybe even hiking as this view would require some of it. She is dressed in preparation for this activity with sneakers and the shifting of seasons from summer to fall. The weather being just cool enough to be comfortable in shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt. In terms of personality, I get a sense that Ashley has an active, energetic side of her and another thoughtful, calm side. I gather this from her reflecting deeply in the portrait out in nature and how she proposes an active lifestyle. This portrait could be portrayed as a desire or dream to visit a specific place, however, to me it’s a more attainable one and not too far of a stretch.
Sufficient visual cues were provided for me to interpret the environment and tone of the portrait. To me, this portrait is more interpretive in terms of leaving me wondering about what Ashley may be reflecting about. Could be about life in general, the place she’s in, or something completely irrelevant. Whether this was purposeful or not, I think it allows the viewer to relate to it more and put themselves in her shoes. However, this is a portrait, so if the compositor wanted to make a more defined statement for themselves, hinting at what they are thinking about would accomplish that. Although Ashley herself is not transformed in the portrait, the environment around her is transformed. This definitely makes a statement about her hobbies and interests.
Moving on to motion, this portrait has several elements we can evaluate. This piece was described to represent the beauty and transitioning of seasons. Therefore, the motion of the fallen leaves and the fog highlights the presence of fall. Fall in general has this nostalgic feeling to many people, often triggered by the smell of the air, feeling of the breeze, and watching the leaves blow away. The moving elements help trigger that feeling of nostalgia and put us there in that environment. I think another moving element like the tops of the trees could take this a step further. Otherwise, the motion was executed well and fit the portrait effectively.
Like I previously explained, fall is one of the most loved seasons within our culture. The feeling of fall approaching in the air and how it makes us as humans feel is often a shared experience. Many big holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving occur in the fall, exciting times for many. The weather is warm with a cool breeze. This portrait is highlighting these feelings and the serenity of the transition from summer to fall. Ashley described it perfectly, “highlighting both the beauty and the fleeting nature of change”. Us as a culture knows the beauty of fall and how its temporary for several short months. This portrait in a bigger picture could represent how people love to stop and take in this temporary season, reflecting on the memories of past years during the same time of year.
Overall, Ashley created a serene moving portrait that displays the fleeting beauty of fall and the changing of seasons. This portrait could be making a statement about Ashley as a person who loves nature and these specific moments in time. Or she could be speaking to a larger audience of people who share this similar feeling of nostalgia during this time of year, as these elements are very much relatable to each individual viewer personally. As Ashley is reflecting in this scene, we as viewers are also taking in the scenery and possibly even reflecting ourselves.