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“Secrets” by Robert Schefman

Maria Mantilla

Prof. Marchwinski

11/09/19

Going into Robert Schefman’s new exhibit, “Secrets”, taught me a lot about the process of being an artist and the importance of creating. Personally, I did not have a favorite, there were about three paintings that caused me to go back and forth. For the opening day, the area was extremely crowded as two concerts and a hockey game were all taking place. I go to the exhibit late so I did not have as much time to look around. I wanted to gain a better understanding of what I glanced over the day before so I returned the next day. Surprisingly, Schefman was there the second day too. I went half an hour before the gallery’s closing time, I was able to ask Schefman questions about each piece and the meaning behind it. He showed me the sketches that he started off with and how they altered to become the final object. I first walked around the room and gained a mile understanding of each piece. After, I asked Shefman some questions about each piece and then took another round around the room. The exhibition was inspired by about 100 letters sent to him that were people confessing their secrets.

The three pieces that I will mention are called In Love With My Best Friend, On The Edge Of The Moon and Birds Are The Keepers Of Our Secrets. Starting with the first piece, In Love With My Best Friend, is an oil on canvas painting which happens to be Schefman’s favorite piece. The artwork illustrates the back of a nude man sitting in a chair, roses and children’s toys hanging from the ceiling, and pieces of paper pinned to the wall. The story behind this painting is that a man is in love with his male best friend but their relationship is a secret to others. The blooming and dried up roses show that the relationship has been going on for a long period of time. The toys that were hanging were toys that were traditionally aimed towards young boys, objects such a plastic plane, blue toy truck, and black binoculars. Continuing onto the largest painting, On The Edge Of The Moon, this was his largest painting because it was the most common secret. This one depicts the back of a barefoot woman in a red dress who is staring into the sea as the darkness consumes the painting. This painting was created in order to share the largest secret shared by the majority, a secret that almost all Americans suffer from, depression. The darkness that she stares into takes up about half of the paper, it also signifies how lonely a person can feel. Last but not least, Birds Are The Keepers Of Our Secrets, this was another common confession sent in by others. The piece takes place on the ocean in a boat with a mattress and a bare-naked man and women as seagulls fly close to the humans. This was about secret affairs held between single and married people. I really enjoyed having a one on one talk with Schefman, I have always seen him as a teacher but never had the opportunity to see his art in person. It was a refreshing experience that I would most likely attend again. I was able to see how things I am being taught in class are basic equations that are applied to professional work. All of the paintings were oil on canvas, it reminded me of when my sister used to paint in from of me. The time it took for her to paint and dry her canvas seemed as though it would never come to an end, seeing all the oil paintings reminded me of her.

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Revised comic

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Production Plan

Due the 19th

POV: jumping around the elevator, characters

PROPS: 

https://www.amazon.com/BeliHair-Straight-Synthetic-Costume-Cosplay/dp/B07C5FNS8D/ref=sr_1_25?keywords=green+wig&qid=1572372460&sr=8-25

COSTUMES: depending on the character

LIGHTING: none

PRODUCTION PLAN:

Workdays:

In class (is possible), texting, Tuesdays/Thursdays

Organization of duties:

Storyboarding (Comic):

Maria

First Half: Getting onto an elevator to the face of realization when stuck

Stephanie

Second Half: Chaos to getting out

Refined Comic:  (SWAP FIRST STORYBOARD PAGE)

Stephanie

First Half: Getting onto an elevator to the face of realization when stuck

Maria

Second Half: Chaos to getting out

Filming: 

Nov. 9-10

At the office, cameraman: Mom?

Editing:

Stephanie: Monday, Fridays

Maria: Monday, Wednesday

Times TBD

What things that you are going to need (props, actors, etc)

Wig (to be ordered)

Where you are going to acquire these things

Amazon

Where you are going to shoot (if photographing)

Stephanie’s Dad’s office

What equipment do you need to get?

Camera (already have)

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Character drawing

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Synopsis

Grocery Shopping

Claudia Inga ran out of tea so she biked over to her local market. She goes into the Stop & Shop and makes her way into the tea aisle. She notices another girl looking at the tea and her nerves begin to unveil but she makes her way down the aisle. As she looks for her tea she notices that the girl next to her starts trembling and fidgeting with her sweater. The tea she was looking for wasn’t there but she already wasted her time so she wasn’t going to leave without any tea. She turns to the shaking girl and starts up a conversation but it gets nowhere. Claudia tries to ask for help but the girl just begins to shake more aggressively. Claudia grabbed the first tea box she saw and quickly made her way to the register.

Elevator Silence

Claudia was on her phone playing Clash Royale as she walked towards the elevator. She heads inside and goes to push the button for the third floor but its already been pushed. She turns around to suddenly notice a girl in the corner who was there the whole time. Claudia just smiles and goes back onto her phone. The door closes and it starts to move upward. “Floor one beep. Floor two beep.” Floor three? The elevator stops before reaching the final destination. Claudia looks up from her phone with a face full of anguish and turns to the other girl on the elevator. The other girl is clearly just as uncomfortable. Claudia hits the help button repeatedly and starts talking to the other girl. She could only mutter out her name and seemed to be getting tenser as Claudia talked to her. Leah was already uneasy with being in a confined space with someone she didn’t know but now she was being forced to talk. Leah is starting to get annoyed with all of Claudia’s comments, they weren’t doing anyone any good. Claudia was continuously rambling between the operator and Leah, it was exhausting for everyone involved. Leah dramatically sighs and falls to the floor, Claudia turns then starts to yell for help when she notices the door starts to open. The maintenance staff pries open the door and creates enough room for both girls to quickly get out. Claudia quickly regains her calmness and thanks the workers, she says her goodbye to Leah then goes. Leah is left there full of distress from the worse time of her life.

Notebook on the Train

It was a subway going from Harlem to Chinatown. Claudia was playing her switch to shorten the time. She found an empty seat and quickly went for the rare sight. As she started to sit she abruptly came to a halt when she noticed a notebook on the chair. She picked up the book and started to analyze all of its features. She started to flip through the notebook and saw the name “Leah” but with no last name. She couldn’t decide whether she should attempt to find the owner or just leave it on the train. Claudia gets off the train around Soho and decides to walk to Chinatown, she takes the notebook with no hope of finding the owner but possibly finding clues or a number. Claudia flips through the book and finds multiple mentions and sketches of Little Italy. Luckily that is extremely convenient for her route, she can wait longer to get her pork buns. Claudia notices that whoever Leah is, she has a strong personality, she likes to write a lot in her notebook about how she truly feels. Claudia almost reaches Little Italy when a quick but silent girl pushes by her in the opposite direction. “I’m so sorry” she calls out to Claudia as she continues with her head fixed on the path ahead. Another older woman runs after her to yell “Wait, Leah, we can just buy another, it’s probably gone by now.” I follow the older woman and ask her if they are missing a notebook which leads to an astonishing reaction. Claudia quickly ran after Leah and gave her the book back. They both don’t know what to say and part ways.

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Writing Prompts!

Knight on the Bus

Hey there!

I personally think that this is an awkward method to find someone else but I’ve really have been trying to find you for a while. This post is directed to one person and one person only so please don’t try to trick me. 

It was on a Wednesday at around 2 pm, I was taking the bus home when I noticed you sitting two people away from me. We were only on the bus for about eight minutes together. I’m sorry that I didn’t say anything, I really wanted to but I was just so nervous. I did stare for a while because I saw that you were playing Hollow Knight on your switch and not many of my friends play so it was exciting when I saw you. I pulled out my switch and started to play to hoping that you would try to start a conversation. You have brown hair and brown eyes, I’m not sure where you were headed but you had a sort of name tag on you. Besides that, I have no idea who you are or what you do but I really want to get to know you. I’m keeping your name a secret so I can guarantee it’s you. Thank you for your time I really hope I find you, it’s been bothering me.

Wishing you the best, the girl from the bus.

Missing Possessions

I divided the list into different categories.

Furniture

Armarkat Cat Tree

Purina Tidy Cats Breeze Cat Litter Box System

Sherpa® Original Deluxe Pet Carrier

Fur Brush

Variety of toys: 

Balls & Chasers

Hunting & Stalking Toys

Plush Toys

Traditional Panel Bed Frame

Bed Mattress

Two Wardrobes

Traditional DeskModern DeskOffice ChairFull Body MirrorDesk Cabinet

Clothing

At least 20 shirts

At least 15 bottoms

At least 5 dresses

At least 14 socks

At least 10 underwear

At least 8 bras

At least 4 sleepwear

4 pairs of shoes

A pair of sandals

Books

The Joy Luck Club

Never Let Me Go

1984

Matched

Ready Player One

Harry Potter Collection

Percy Jackson Collection

The Hobbit

Lord of the Rings

Electronics

TV

Radio

Gaming Desktop

Headphones

Printer

Game Systems with Games:

Nintendo Switch

PS4

WiiU

Chargers

MacBook Pro Charger

iPhone Charger 

Transportation

Bicycle

Roller Skates

Late Note

Good morning Ms. Macfinin,

I’m sorry to inform you that I’m going to be arriving late this morning. I’m running behind schedule due to some unforeseen incidents. I will be about 30 minutes late, I am making my way towards work. Thank you for your time, I’m sorry to keep you waiting.

Sincerely,

Claudia Inga

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Building a Backstory

Personal Details

What’s your name? 

Claudia Inga

Where were you born?

I was uhhh born in- well you probably wouldn’t really know since it’s more of a small town. It’s in a big city but it’s a smaller part of that. I was born in Burano Island but I was only there until I was three so I really don’t speak the language or anything.

When were you born?

I was born on April 24th so I’ll be 17 in a few months. I kind of wish I was born in the colder months or something that way there could be an excuse to stay in on my birthday. Sorry, that’s off-topic.

Where do you live?

I live in Potomac. Is that enough? Or do you need Maryland too?

What type of home do you have?

Well, it’s not really my home, it’s my parent's house. We have a two-story house. I actually have the whole top floor to myself. It's um a like a cottage type of thing but it's two floors. So imagine it with the outside with the old-timey decorations but it's bigger than what you would normally think of. We also have a garden outside, it's nothing impressive but it's there. We got a fence so I could stay outside with Cactus without him going too far.

How do you dress?

I don’t really know. It just depends on my mood I guess. I don't have a style. When I'm home I dress comfortably. If I go out I put on some effort. But if its an occasion I tend to overdress and then just feel uncomfortable about how much I stand out. 

Where do you shop?

Errr what type of shopping? Groceries? Or like clothes?

Do you have any family? Tell us about them.

My parents are my cat are my only family. My parents are really nice and we are all very close. I’ve had my cat for about three years and his name is Cactus. He is an orange tabby and he is such an amazing little guy. 

Do you have friends? Tell us about them.

That’s kinda a weird question, am I supposed to be a loner? I’m just kidding sorry if it came out as rude. I do have friends and they're all great. I have three close friends and then one close online friend. I have more friends but they are more distant but still great people.

Are you dating anyone?

...

Do you hate anyone?

...I don’t know

Do you have a job? Tell us about it, or why you don’t.

I know I probably should have a job to help prepare for college. I did have one but I started an internship for like experience. It might seem selfish but I thought it was more important for my future. I probably sound dumb but I’m not trying to be lazy I promise.

How many hours of sleep do you get per night?

Wellllll I get enough sleep to function.

Where do you sleep?

I sleep in my bed, where else?

Favorite Season?

The Winter is really pretty and allows me to stay in and wrapped in a blanket burrito.

Favorite time of day?

When the sun starts to set because it makes everything pretty.

What is your favorite beverage? Elaborate.

Favorite drink? I’m so indecisive this is going to be hard. I really like cinnamon tea and Hibiscus tea on a daily basis. Maybe Lemonade too. I can’t lie because I also really like Capri sun and some sodas too.

What is your favorite food? Elaborate.

This question is worse than the one before. There are a lot of good things in the world, why do we have to create limits about what we can like. Burgers are always good.

What is your favorite book or movie? Describe it, and why you love it. ( can be completely fictional)

There are so many amazing books out there. I can’t pick I would say any book or movie that really pulls me in and distracts me from reality.

What is your favorite music?

I really like all types of music but I guess I listen to calm music the most. 

Do you like to dance? Why / why not?

I can’t dance but I do like to when I’m alone.

Do you have any hidden talents? Special abilities?

I secretly play video games a lot. I’m actually really good and have won a ton of tournaments. If you want we can play together sometime. 

Are you tech-savvy?

I wouldn’t say I’m a professional but know more than average.

What do you treasure?

I treasure my family and moments when I can just have fun with no worries. 

What do you take for granted?

Time, I don’t value time enough as I should, I spend most of my free time playing games and staying inside. Each day my parents are growing and one day I won’t have them anymore. Cactus has even less time than me so I would be alone wishing I had more time with them. I should be doing more with them but I also want to play games to have a distraction. I’m sorry I really went on a rant. You see I just wasted your time.

What are your fears?

What happens when we die.

Being alone.

Andddd uhhh moths.

What are your hobbies?

Playing games, cooking, and reading. I have so many games that vary from Minecraft and Harvest moon type to Soul Calibur and Mortal Kombat. I also really like Smash Bros and the Pokemon games. Pokemon is kind of funny because it’s essentially the same game on repeat with new features but I still throw my money at Nintendo.

Do you have a passion?

I want a passion and I spent years trying to find one. I think I just really like playing games.

Are you a leader? Follower? Organizer? Maker? Etc?

I am a follower mainly. I tend to argue some of the actions the leader makes but in my mind. When I play games I become a leader.

Do you need the latest and greatest?

Yes, not out of the world but out of the people I know. I am very competitive. It shows when I play but if it’s at school or anything then it really doesn’t show much. I keep it in my head.

How often do you bathe?

I bathe probably every 3 days. I don’t worry about it too much.

Do you have any pets?

Duhhhh

Sorry.

Beliefs

Do you believe in fortune telling? 

I think they are all scammers. But I stay away because they intimidate me.

Do you believe in a higher power?

I don’t know, there should be one but I doubt it. I think in a perfect world there would be.

Do you believe in science?

OF COURSE, MIGHTY MITOCHONDRIA IS THE POWERHOUSE OF THE CELL!

Do you believe in justice?

I do but justice isn’t often served.

Do you believe in aliens?

As much as science.

Do you believe in ghosts?

As much as aliens.

Do you believe in conspiracy theories?

Some of them are basically facts and others are shameful.

Do you believe in time travelers?

Not really but it messes with me how some people look the same as old photos.

Does belief affect your relationships?

Some simple ones not really but if someone tries to force their beliefs on me then yes.

What influences your beliefs?

Personal experience and knowledge 

What would a world be like without beliefs?

Scarier. People would be more panicked about the small time we have

Situations

If someone gives you credit for something that you didn’t do, how would you respond?

I would be really embarrassed and try to clarify as quickly as I can.

If given a task to complete, what is your strategy?

Get it done as soon as possible so you can move on to the next part

If you are attacked by a mob of robots, how would you respond?

I would just lay down and cry. Video games are different from real life.

If you were transported back to the time of the dinosaurs, in a cave, with access to freshwater, what would be the first thing that you would do, and how well would you survive?

I would look for a weapon and go to the safest part of the cave to cry it out. I don’t think I would survive alone, maybe if I had a dino dog I could.

If you were granted a single wish, what would it be and what would you do next?

To be happy, pure happiness so I can spread it to my family and friends. I was also thinking immortality but then I would watch everyone I love die.

If you were walking down the street and saw someone who needed help, how would you respond?

I would probably help them but not say anything the whole time.

Describe your ideal Friday night.

Eating taquitos from 711 and drinking strawberry kiwi Capri sun while playing games with my friends. Cactus would have to be there too.

What would you do in a fight?

Try to get out of it and if I only have the option of getting beat or protecting myself then I will protect myself. Or try to, I would probably cry because I haven’t physically fought before.

What would you do if you could hear everyone's thoughts?

I would listen as much as I could but never confront anyone.

How many pets would you have if you can have more?

All the pets.

Where would you like to die?

In my bed, with someone I love to comfort me. Anywhere that I’m not alone.

School or friends, what’s more important?

Both, I do my best to balance them out.

[theartbymari]

Introducing Desk Silla!

The purpose of the innovation is to be an area to do homework and study. When not in use, the item may be flipped on its side for storage. The size was determined by my measurements. I built this by applying the engineering principals that I learned in High School, it was exciting but I don’t think its anything I plan to major in. It is an enjoyable experience when you are able to create a physical object out of shapes but it isn’t something I would be passionate about. I filmed a clip of the functionality of the product and was proud of the final outcome but nothing good lasts forever.

Video of its functions!

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Cat Got Your Tongue?

Meaning: 

An idiom used when someone is being usually quiet.

Origin:

No direct origin could be found but there are connections from history that could have inspired it. In ancient Eygpt, the tongues of liars and thieves were cut out and fed to cats. The Royal Navy used a whip called cat o’ nine tails that often left its victims unable or unwilling to speak for days.

Equivalent Phrase in Spanish and Translation:

I asked my Mexican mother if she understood the phase in Spanish and she was confused. As soon as I explained the meaning behind the idiom she told me that there was a way to say that in Spanish but it didn’t include a cat. She told me “Te mordió la lengua el raton” which translates to “Did the rat bite your tongue?” My aunt and uncle were also present to confirm that it is a rat in Mexico. 

Individual Words Meaning:

Cat - a carnivorous mammal (Felis catus) long domesticated as a pet and for catching rats and mice.

Got - past tense and past participle of get.

Your - of or relating to you especially as possessor.

Tongue - a fleshy movable muscular process of the floor of the mouths of most vertebrates that bears sensory end organs and small glands and functions especially in taking and swallowing food and in humans as a speech organ.

What it means to someone who has never heard it before:

I asked my nephew what he thought the phrase meant and these are his words: “I have no idea, what do you want me to think of. I can’t even think of anything it could mean. I think maybe it’s an insult or something.”

Where it is in pop culture:

The idiom can be found in music. For example, Eminem's Bad Guy has the lyrics “Surprised to see me? Cat got your tongue? Gag, Chloroform Rag[.]”

Earliest mention:

December 1859

A newspaper from Wisconson that went by The Racine Democrat.

References:

grammarly.com

merriam-webster.com

phrases.org.uk

A 47-year-old mom

A 9-year-old nephew

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My three favorites are Needs, Complementary, and Little Things.

I personally liked Needs because I enjoy the different thickness of each line. I feel that they could be their own separate things but because they are touching each other it feels as if they need each other for balance.

Continuing on, Complementary was my second favorite due to it's own balance. I felt that those lines almost had to be together. They were meant to be together and that's why they complement each other so much.

Moving onto Little Things, little things and support are actually from the same artboard. Support was more of the bigger picture and little things was more zoomed in. I really connected to this one because I felt as if the letters were barely touching except for the small line that connects them. I liked that something small could create a connection.

Those were my favorite three out of 10!

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The other seven!

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These are 10 of out 17 of my most favorite combinations. I couldn’t post the other 7 on this post. I chose these because I felt that these were the most abstract from the others. The pictures on the left have a caption directed from the notes and the ones on the right have an explanation.