marijoycapstone

[marijoycapstone]

This video wraps up my capstone journey in UHWO ACM, what started as a rough concept that turned into a meaningful creative process that challenged and helped me grow. From reimagining ancient mythologies through visual art to navigating creative blocks, burnout, self-doubt, and finding balance as an artist and a creative. 

Thank you for being part of this experience.

[marijoycapstone]

Project Update #7

The last stretch of my capstone project was mostly finishing the digital art work as well and finalizing the last few videos. These last moments really emphasized  how important it is to take advantage of the time you have to work on this project. 

I ran into some unexpected challenges with the final piece. I’m not exactly sure what caused it, but I hit a bit of an artist’s block. I kept changing my mind mid-render, but luckily, since it was digital, I had the flexibility to shift directions more easily. Compared to when I had to do it on the acrylic paintings. This last piece actually helped me confront something I’ve struggled with for a long time which is knowing when to stop. I have a habit of endlessly tweaking a piece, always feeling like it’s not quite done. But because of the time constraints in this project, I had to learn to recognize when something is finished and let it go.

Looking back, this capstone has been a real growing experience. I’ve not only improved existing skills like painting, illustrating, writing, and editing, but also picked up new ones. Like learning self-direction and time management. At the beginning, I constantly second-guessed myself, which I’ve come to realize is part of the process. I faced hurdles such as creative blocks, burnout, and moments of task paralysis, but instead of avoiding those challenges like I normally would, I had to work through them. Oh and I’ve finished the digital art and have posted them on Tiktok (Mythic Moon Lore) as well as Instagram  (@mythic.moon.lore_art).

[marijoycapstone]

Project Update #6

This past week has mostly been focused on editing videos and recording voiceovers. After finishing all the traditional acrylic paintings, I spent some time sorting through the footage, writing scripts, and putting the edits together.

Now, I’m currently working on the digital art pieces. I’ve also started posting some of the videos and artwork on Instagram (@mythic.moon.lore_art). But one thing I’ve noticed is that the written context, like the mythology background and reflection, can get a bit lost in social media captions. Because of that, I’ve been thinking about creating a dedicated website or online gallery to house everything more intentionally. That way, both the visual and written elements can sit together more clearly and cohesively. Of course, that depends on how much time I’ll realistically have to put it together.

[marijoycapstone]

Project Update #5

I’m a bit behind my initial plan, but overall, I’m still making good progress, even if I need to pick up the pace a bit. I won’t lie, there have been moments where I’ve felt overwhelmed trying to juggle everything, especially realizing I’m not exactly where I pictured I would be by now. Creating 10 fully rendered art pieces is already a challenge, but adding in the filming, documenting, editing, and writing about the myths and cultures has made the workload even heavier. On top of that, the research aspect is extensive, I want to make sure I approach each myth with respect and accuracy, avoiding appropriation while honoring the cultures they come from.

There have definitely been moments where the weight of the project has hit me, but at the same time, I’m learning so much. Managing my time, finding my pace, and improving my technical skills along the way has been a valuable experience. I’m grateful to have this opportunity, even if it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster.

During spring break, I got a burst of motivation and decided to focus on finishing all the traditional pieces first. I’m hoping to finish those up by the end of this week before shifting my focus to the digital ones. I’m also planning to start posting some videos and finished pieces soon, excited to finally share some of the progress!

[marijoycapstone]

Project Update #4

I’m still in the production phase, which includes rendering the art, researching, writing, and documenting the process. Lately, I’ve also been organizing all the files and footage I’ve recorded and I quickly learned that 4K might not be the best format. The amount of footage is starting to pile up and the files are pretty big.

On the more chaotic side of things, I keep finding paint in unexpected places which is part of working with acrylics, or maybe I’m just extra messy. I’ve also caught myself wanting to make changes to pieces as I render them, which is much harder to do traditionally with acrylic paint than it is digitally, where I can just tweak things easily.

Research on the mythology has also been a bit overwhelming at times because of the amount of information and also making sure my sources are reliable. It can be a lot to sort through. I am looking to organize the information in a more practical way.

In the coming week, I’ll be focusing on completing more pieces while also planning out the videos for my portfolio. Hopefully, I can start editing some of them soon.

[marijoycapstone]

Project Update #3

I’ve been deep in the rendering phase of my project these past 2 weeks which means lots of drawing, sketching, and painting. Focusing on a few myths at a time has helped, but I also have to be mindful of the overall time limit for this project. That means figuring out how much time and effort to dedicate to each piece without falling behind.

I have also been documenting the rendering process, which has come with its own challenges. Getting used to recording and capturing my work while painting has been an adjustment, but it’s getting easier as I build the habit. Alongside the rendering, I’ve continued researching and drafting notes on the mythologies.

Time management is still something I’m actively working on, especially in this phase where each step whether it be research, recording, or rendering demands a different kind of focus. Juggling all of that alongside other responsibilities is an ongoing challenge, but I’m learning to balance it.

Moving forward, I’ll be finishing the rendering and recording of my art pieces while continuing research and write-ups. I’ll also start editing and posting both the process and finished works on the platforms I’ve chosen ( Instagram and Tiktok ).

[marijoycapstone]

Project Update #2

Over the past two weeks, I’ve been deep in the sketching and drafting (research and artist notes) phase for each myth. Initially, I tackled multiple myths at once, but it quickly became overwhelming, with multiple sketches for each piece. My sketching process itself is loose and messy,  like visual brainstorming. I found that trying to juggle too many at the same time made it harder to focus. Personally, I prefer to start all my sketches on paper with pencil, even for the digital pieces.

One of the biggest challenges right now is time management, like balancing this project with other responsibilities. I’ve also been feeling a bit of artist burnout, which has made it harder to stay motivated. To counter that, I shifted my approach and started focusing on just one or a few myths at a time. That’s helped make things feel more manageable.

I also realized I forgot to mention in my last update that I created accounts for posting the finished art pieces on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube (just in case the TikTok ban goes through).

Looking ahead, I’m currently working on rendering a few pieces in acrylic, which has been both exciting and challenging. I’ll continue refining these works while also keeping up with research and sketching. Even though I’ve hit some blocks, I feel like I’m finding a better rhythm and I’m excited to see how these pieces come out. 

[marijoycapstone]

Project Update #1

Since the start of the semester, I’ve made some decent progress on my project. Using a random number generator, I selected 10 cultures as the origins for the mythologies I’ll be reimagining. I also created TikTok and Instagram accounts to showcase the digital portfolio once it’s ready. After finalizing the cultures, I began narrowing down specific mythologies and decided to focus on the theme of love. It felt like the perfect choice since it branches into other universal themes like creation, death, perseverance and betrayal.

The research process has been extensive and more time-consuming than I anticipated. Some mythologies are less documented, making it challenging to find reliable sources. Beyond that, I’ve been going into the cultural and artistic traditions behind each mythology, as well as analyzing existing artwork inspired by these myths for comparison.

Another challenge has been deciding on the artistic direction. I want to honor each culture’s traditional styles while keeping the overall portfolio cohesive in design and aesthetics. It’s also been tricky choosing the medium for each piece, which one to do digitally or traditionally, since both approaches have their strengths and can express different aspects of the stories.

Currently, I’m in the sketching phase, though the research is ongoing and will likely continue throughout the project. While I’m slightly behind schedule, I feel confident that I can catch up. Overall, I’m excited to see how these myths and stories come to life visually in the coming weeks.

[marijoycapstone]

Hello Everyone!

My name is Marijoy, here is my introduction video on my capstone topic : Ancient Mythology and Modern Visual Art, and a little on what I am working on for my capstone project.

A past senior capstone that caught my interest is Alexis Decker’s capstone Innovative Creativity: Redefining Creativity with AI. As an artist I find AI technology's relation to creativity and the art community very interesting and polarizing. I understand that many people may have strong feelings and concerns when it comes to AI in the creative realm. Alexis's research addresses both the tension and the opportunities that AI technology provides the art community. I find her conclusion compelling on how AI shouldn't be viewed as competition or a replacement for human artists but rather as a tool or enhancement to work in collaboration with.