The Beautiful Arboretum

I wasn't sure what to expect when I got the email about class in the Arboretum. What I knew for sure was that I was excited for a field trip and a change of scenery. I have never been there, only driven by it so I didn't know for sure what it consisted of. The day was perfect for looking at nature. There were pure blue skies with only spots of white. The air had a chill in it but it was no match for my Northface jacket and the strong sun warmed me. I looked around and couldn’t wait to explore.

When I got closer and closer to where we were meeting, I was pleasantly surprised. The structure we were standing under was eloquently built. I looked to the side and saw a beautiful garden of endless colors. I saw every flower I could have named and numerous that I have never seen before. I decided to walk through this way first. The sidewalk went in a square around bright green grass with an interesting sculpture in the middle. On the other side of the sidewalk were all the flowers. I couldn’t see a single open space that didn’t have an explosion of color coming out of the dirt. Some of the flowers were generic ones I have seen many times, but other ones were so interesting I caught myself staring trying to figure them out. As I kept following the sidewalk, I came to a small wooden bench surrounded by ivory. For some reason it struck me as so beautiful I had to stop to take a picture. It was very simple but that is why it appealed to me. The simplicity of the bench combined with the intricate flower and leaves surrounding it contrasted so nicely together. Behind the bench all I could see was pure green grass and more trees. It was a beautiful scene that I would definitely go back to appreciate.

I have always loved nature. Hiking in the early fall and late winter has always appealed to me. I loved the way the leaves change color and painted the trails in orange, yellow, and brown. My favorite part was walking through the areas that didn’t have a very distinct trail and that you would have to climb on top of rocks to get across. This was one of the reasons I really liked the Botanical Gardens. I think nature is so beautiful and I had no idea that there was such a place that was so accessible to me at school. I think this is a great thing to have at a college. It gives students an outlet when things get stressful. They can have an opportunity to go and see something beautiful. A part that I really liked was that from almost every angle around the garden you could see the mountains in the background. You really get the feeling of being in the valley when you look around and see mountains everywhere. It makes me appreciate the beauty of my school and makes me feel so lucky that this is my home.

Affirmative Action

Affirmative Action, 1987

Jerry Kearns

Acrylic on canvas

This painting first caught my eye because of the size of it. It was one of the biggest ones around and stuck out immediately. The background of the painting is a red and yellow distorted city scape. The red and yellow greatly contrast the woman who is painted in black and white. She is forcefully digging up and shoveling what seems to be manure. Although she is doing this dirty work, she is still wearing a feminine dress and heels. The expression on her face is one of anger and determination. The shading on her body shows strain as she is struggling to shovel the manure. There is a cartoon-like essence to the painting. 

This painting is all about a social argument. By shoveling manure in her dress and heels, she is showing that woman can do anything a man can do and still be feminine while doing it. Affirmative action was big in the 60's when it was released to ensure that people of all race, religion, and culture have the same opportunities to get jobs. This painting was done 20 years later, however it is still very relevant. In this case, the artist is suggesting there is unequal opportunities between men and women at the time. For example, women could not get hired as easily as men, and even if they did, they still got paid less for the same work. This piece is making a strong social and political argument to the fact that men and women were not treated equally in the work place.

This piece of art speaks directly to my emotions. It is one of the things that drew me to it. I first noticed the woman and the expression on her face as angry. Being a woman myself, I immediately related to her and wanted to know about her struggles. I could feel her pain of being treated differently because I have experienced it myself. It is not fair and makes me angry to think about. It is a good use of pathos because I can relate to the subject in the painting.

The artist created credibility in his painting because he was not afraid to paint something that had a lot of meaning behind it. This piece of art is controversial and Kearns still wanted to get the message out there. Upon doing some research, I found out that Kearns has had many exhibitions all around the country for the passed 30 years. That shows that many people know about him and want to see his work. 

I think that the claim in this piece is that women and men are equal in everything that they do. It is possible for a woman to do any job that a man does. I think that the artist supports this by painting this image of a woman shoveling manure. He is showing that although she is feminine, she can still do the dirty work of a man. I think this painting is very convincing in showing the equality that men and women have. When I look at it, I see a strong woman and it inspires me to be the same.

I really enjoyed my experience at the museum. It is good to see art every once in a while and having it on campus and so accessible is great for the students. I liked the variety of art in the museum. Between the paintings, sculptures, and modern art, there was something for everyone to appreciate. I have been to a few museums and although this one was small, it still had a lot of interesting things to look at. I would be interested in going back to see what new pieces of art are being presented. It is nice to feel cultured on campus and appreciate beautiful art.

Analysis: My Course Blog

     This is my first ever experience with blogging. I tried to explore all my options of designing my blog to make it represent me. To begin, I chose my background. It was not a very difficult choice after I saw the beach scene. I knew as soon as I saw it that I wanted it to be my background. The beach is very important to me. I have been going there my entire life and have so many memories swimming in the ocean and playing in the sand. When I was younger, my family and I would go for our family vacations, and as I got older, I started going with my friends. The beach always bonded my family together and created so many memories for my friends and I. For me personally, the beach was always so peaceful and anytime I am stressed out, I can think back to laying in the sand, hearing the waves crashing, and feeling the sun penetrating my skin.

     The next part of the design I chose were the fonts. I wanted something that was cute and girly. I knew for sure that I didn't want any plain, boring fonts that I have been using for the past six years to write all my school reports. I think the fonts that I chose are fun and original, mirroring my personality. In addition, the color scheme I chose is light blues and greens. Those are some of my favorite colors and really show who I am. My whole room at home, and my dorm room, all have that same color scheme so I felt it was appropriate to apply it to my blog as well.

     The name of my blog, "My PSU Blog", shows that I am considering myself part of the Penn State community. I am officially a student at this wonderful school and feel proud to represent myself that way. Especially in a time of turmoil, it is important that the students don't lose faith and are not ashamed of being a Penn State student.

     I feel that my blog is a great representation of who I am. I believe that if anyone who truly knew me went on my blog, they would know immediately that it was mine. This is evident in the beach scene that is in my background because I love to spend all my time there. It is also shown in the color scheme I chose because those are all my favorite colors. In addition, the fonts are fun and girly, like me. I am very proud of what my blog looks like. I know that since I enjoy how it looks so much, I will be more inclined to write posts on it. I hope everyone else enjoys the look of my blog as much as I do and they will want to read all that I have to share.