After I finished painting both the canvases and looked at them side by side for the first time under natural sunlight, I was awed at my own creations. They had turned out even better than I had imagined. As I compared the two pieces, I could see the slight differences in tone, color, and techniques between them and realized I had accomplished my goal. This was a very satisfying feeling to me. I felt accomplished that I could define a project, set a goal, plan it out and successfully complete it on time. I looked over the criteria I had defined early on during the planning phase of my project. The two art pieces met most if not all of the criteria I had established. They also included a flavor of my own twist and interpretation.

 

In retrospective, instead of the large painting with several subjects in them, I could’ve made a few pairs of smaller paintings, focusing on only a few subjects. This would have made it easier for a normal person to see the differences between the two art forms. There were times during the project where I had to take a few steps back and reassess and re-plan. However, in spite of these setbacks, I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. I learnt not only how to plan a project out completely, learn a brand new art form but also learnt that I can achieve a goal no matter how long it may take or how many issues I face along the way.

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Future Plans

Before I began working on my personal project I did not know what Impressionism is. As an art student, I had heard about this style, but did not know anything more about it. Over the past six to eight months, researching about impressionism and talking to local artists about this style, I have learnt a lot. While learning about the Impressionism art style I have also acquired the knowledge on how to follow the guidelines of any art style. I can successfully create a painting of impressionistic art form and also add my personal style into it. I have learnt to appreciate all the art styles a lot more, because I understand the techniques and the effort that goes behind creating them. Having created two of my own pieces in this art form, I can now clearly see emotions and thoughts that are put into these art pieces. Knowing these approaches and techniques have changed me as an artist and the way I do my artwork. I have also realized that impressionistic styles and techniques have found their way into a few of my recent paintings. The research I conducted in understanding Impressionism has also taught me the proper way to evaluate a source. I know how to efficiently find sources, evaluate them and assess if the information they contain is accurate or not.

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Growth as an IB Learner

I have changed and grown tremendously as a learner during these four and half years as an IB MYP student. I am a better and more skilled communicator. Prior to joining the IB MYP, it was a challenge for me to put my thoughts into sentences and I lacked the confidence to speak to others. The MYP has instilled in me the confidence and ability to communicate my thoughts skilfully, concisely and adeptly to anyone. Being an active participant in sports and community organizations and pursuing a demanding curriculum at school requires me to properly manage my time. The IB MYP and in particular the Personal Project experience has helped me gain this essential skill and I now can to manage my time with ease and complete my tasks on time. With better time management skills, I am also more efficient and organized in my tasks.

 

Another key skill I have acquired is creative thinking and reflection. In the past, I would move from task to task without thinking much before or after the task. But the Personal Project has helped me understand the value of creative thinking and reflection. I find myself going beyond the routine and standard approaches to a task and think outside the box; to solve a challenge. I spend time to critically reflect once I complete my task, sometimes by journaling myself or by talking my thoughts out with my peers and parents. All these cumulatively have helped me become a better student and learner and has helped me continuously improve on my tasks. These essential skills will continue to guide me and help me improve myself through the rest of my academic and personal life.

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