Final Exam Reflection Essay

I have learned a lot while taking Art 3 this year. Due to the wide variety of types of projects we do in the class, one important thing that I learned was how to appreciate many different art forms. For example, despite not particularly enjoying wood carving, the wood carving project taught me a lot about an art form I previously knew nothing about and gave me a lot of appreciation for it. I also learned important skills, like what makes a good composition, and color theory, which have all made me a better artist. The most important things that I learned was what type of art I like to make, in terms of both subject and medium.

I have seen the greatest growth in terms of learning patience when it comes to art making. This is something I have struggled with because often when pieces don’t automatically look how I imagined, I lose motivation and don’t want to continue working on them. This is something I have definitely gotten better at this year, with projects like the woodcarving and oil painting project. Patience when it comes to art making allows me to create better art that I can be more proud of than art that is rushed.

I definitely need to continue working on learning patience and not rushing my art work when I start to lose motivation. I also want to continue improving my time management skills when it comes to art. I think this will also help me make art that is less rushed. Additionally, I want to improve at fully fleshing out my ideas before getting started on a project. I struggled with this when doing my at-home sculpture project because I committed to an idea without thinking about if I actually had the time, space, and materials to complete it. This resulted in my having to modify my idea last minute so that I ended up with something way below my original expectations.

In terms of moving forward with my independent work, I think knowing what type of art I like to make will really help me. I have learned that I enjoy painting and drawing more than sculptural art. I have also learned what types of subjects I like and don’t like. Play pages have really helped me with this. I have learned that it is more enjoyable to create art when the subject is something I actually care about, and am passionate about. I will definitely keep this in mind when choosing subjects and mediums for my independent projects next year. I will also keep in mind that I shouldn't commit to super long term projects that I won’t have the time or motivation to complete.