Your Name:
Rue Wexler
Your Project Title:
“My Senior Project” is not a title! Your project title should be specific to your project.
Overview:
Art, biology, and writing. The three passions that stand out during my LREI experience. These will be the focus of my senior project, not only expanding my knowledge of these topics but I will be intertwining and expanding upon them. Not only will weaving these three areas together create something unique, and expand my critical thinking skills, it will also prepare me for my future and require me to learn and hone new skills.
I will be creating a novel of sorts, filled with hand illustrations of anomalous flora, fauna, and fungi of my own design. This will take the form of a naturalist journal, though will also tell the story of the author as well as conveying scientific research about their findings as accurately as possible.
The art for this project will be done in ballpoint pen and is inspired by German expressionism, this will challenge me to explore a new style of art, and medium. As well as sharpening my skills of problem solving and research. I will also have to study a fair amount of graphic design as the words on the page and the art are going to be working together to create the specifics of the aesthetic and message I am trying to convey. Weekly I will meet with one of my project advisors James, for advice, critique, and resources. This will help me improve my art, rather than stagnating from doing the same thing over and over. This is also important because the meetings will help to keep me from working in a bubble, which is a danger that comes with art.
The artistic part of this project also intersects with the scientific. The drawings will be illustrative but there will also be as many diagrams. For this section, I will need to learn the way that scientific diagrams are drawn and the rules dictating this practice. Science is a large part of this project, as even though my creatures are Lovecraftian in nature, I will research the science behind similar creatures and plants and emulate the science of my creations as accurately as possible. This means I will have to do a large amount of scientific research, and not only read it but deeply understand it. This specifically will be extremely important for my future, as I plan on going into biochemistry. Structuring my own studies and carrying them out will be a large part of my future education and jobs. As well as understanding scientific research. These abilities, to structure and decode, are essential and I plan on honing them through this project. I am working on getting a scientific advisor still and I am planning on reaching out to the high school science department.
Not only does science overlap with art but also writing. Besides the content of the writing my research will also be conducive in the tone of formality in which I write. As the author of my journal is a disgraced biologist, they would still retain the tone and style that a researcher in their field would have. This again will be important to my future as I will be preparing me for my own time writing in this style! I will be meeting with my literary advisor Frank for advice on my writing and help with the story. He has already shown me skills and strategies that I need to plan out my ideas, flush out characters as well as the plot! This part of my project will also include the research of naturalist journals and naturalist journal-related literature as well as weird literature and the intersection of all of these.
The last part of my project is my work at Old Sturbridge Village. This is a living history museum that is set in the early to mid-1800s, the age of early germ theory and naturalism. I have been working there as a costumed historical interpreter for years, as an intern and now as a volunteer. There I will be able to help the community as well as immerse myself in nature, the countryside of Massachusetts, a small town (which is the setting of my journal), as well as learn more about history, writing, art, and science at the museum!
Measure of Success:
Though I will have a completed product at the end of my project, this is not the true completion of it. If I have met my goals, expanding my artistic skills and knowledge, expanding my writing skills and literary understanding, my scientific knowledge as well as acquiring skills I need for my future, and expanding my abilities in terms of problem-solving, critical thinking, self-structure, and decoding, then I will deem my project as a success. If I can confidently say that I feel more prepared for college and the world beyond then I will deem my project as a success. If I feel as though I am a more well-rounded and critical person then I will deem my project as a success. The product, the completed journal with the art and tale I am telling will be a reflection of these things and the growth I have accomplished in creating it.