An anxious mind is like a gray fog that rolls in slowly over dark waves and settles into a thick layer of swirling thoughts. The fog consumes everything and from the helm of a tiny sailboat, it is impossible to see through or to find a way out of on one’s own. The dense mist confuses and strips away reality, revealing a tidal wave of fear about to crash any second and a daunting, rocky cliffside waiting if one decides to turn back. Then, out of nowhere, a light pierces through the fog like a beacon of hope, bringing clarity and direction.
The mind carries around an ocean of anxiety and that’s the imagery that I wanted to portray in this project. I began my process by sketching 8” squares and portraying imagery through four-sided shapes and figure ground. I also used three process squares to test out how layering horizontal strips of different shades of gray would create a foggy look, and to practice composing the lighthouse. As well, I tested different ways of applying the tape, finally settling on multi-purpose cleaner and paper towels. I also experimented with sand paper behind the back strips of fog to create an even more unclear picture so that nothing could be seen clearly behind the background squares.
For the project housing, I chose a wooden board with 7 horizontal slots cut into it and thin, black cut-out waves were nailed to the front to create the ocean look. The final scene is spread out from the cliff on the left to the lighthouse on the right to represent a rough sea with no way to turn back and a beacon of hope in the distance that cuts through a layer of fog. The panels as a whole demonstrate the idea of figure ground by creating an entire wave and cliffside out of negative space and smaller, straight-cut pieces in a mosaic fashion. Additionally, the boat and lighthouse illustrate stable figure ground but have gaps in them that create an element of closure. The layered fog strips create a reversible figure ground by blending the stripes together. I chose to show depth in the project as well by placing elements in the foreground and background and allowing for the fog to be seen behind the darker figures such as the lighthouse, wave and cliff. In regards to scale and balance, I made certain elements seem very large and daunting and then the boat was made very small to show the helplessness the passenger feels. Furthermore, the lighthouse and cliff both frame each side and provide a balance to the piece through their similar size and position.
Overall, I illustrated figure ground, depth and scale in my final solution to represent the anxious mind from my narrative and to show that people, passions and faith can be the lighthouses in our lives that pierce through the fogginess of anxiety and provide hope and clarity.
