​For this project, I didn’t choose any verbs because I already had an idea for a video. I came up with this video idea when I had a panic attack one day and realized I didn’t know how to describe to my dad how I felt. I’m not very good with words, so I the closest thing I could come to was that there were bees and insects in my head, clouding my thoughts, and as much as I try to ignore it, it just gets louder, debilitating, and I have to confront it. I have a hard time explaining things with words, and I’m no filmmaker, but I feel like I’m more efficient in explaining things like this, visually. I wanted to show what severe daily anxiety felt like. I wanted it to be somewhat abstract in that way. To make this video, it was pretty simple. I filmed a few shots of the dead grape ravine in my backyard, as if someone had just appeared there like in the beginning of a dream, confused and alone. Each scene with the ravine gets more and more chaotic and panicky, so I just waved the camera around, ran in circles with it, and probably concerned my neighbors in the process. For the bees, I actually happened to have a video I took of a cluster of bees from June, so I just used that. To film the shots of myself, I had a horribly misorganized set up of half my room moved to one side, pictures taken off my wall, and a tripod and lights shakily set up on my bed. For the bottle of dead bees, I have an odd interest in collecting things and that was just something I had conveniently laying around. I filmed it all by myself. I actually re-filmed the whole thing a few days after the original because I didn’t like it. I hope I got my idea across in the video, and I hope that it doesn’t just seem like some random dumb video. I’m personally pretty happy with it, and it’s a big deal to me because I don’t feel very secure showing my weird art ideas, especially if my face is in it.

​I based my soundscape off of my dreams. I often have dreams and nightmares when I sleep. One thing that I think a lot of people can relate to is that it’s hard to capture the essence of a dream, since just writing down what happens in it doesn’t do it total justice. I thought this project would be a good way to try to recreate the feeling of my nightmares. To get inspiration and “visit” this “place,” I looked through my notes where I record my dreams. I also listened to some of the provided sound artists. I think my final piece creates a feeling of anxiety and dreadfulness, and is generally uncomfortable, which was the goal. To create the soundscape, I recorded sounds that made me feel uneasy and combined them together, and threw in some Garageband sounds with it. It was mostly just experimenting but I had a general idea of how I wanted it to go. I think it was really satisfying to be able to make the feelings on my nightmares more tangible. I’m not very good with words or at explaining things so I never feel like I can totally communicate an idea, so whenever I try to explain my dreams I don’t feel like it’s understood, but through using noise to express it, it did a much better job. I didn’t like how confusing Garageband was and not totally understanding how to do certain things but that’s something I could probably figure out through using it more.

For my mural I chose to use the empty side of Ellicottville Brew Company. I considered a few different locations but decided on this once since it's so large and tall, and many people see it regularly. The wall is extremely bland and boring, just like Fredonia. Many people from Fredonia have Italian heritage, so I chose to make the wall look as if it was taken right out of an Italian street. I think it could give Fredonia more of an identity. Italian buildings often have bright colors, use a diverse palette of colors, have lots of flowers, and have things like statues and other art built right into them. From my experience in Italy, I chose to use a bright yellow to really liven the area. It's eye catching and would definitely make people stop and look. The green shutters and door and all the flowers make huge contrast between the mural and the rest of the building. People in and out of Fredonia would start talking about the mural which would attract more people, which I think Fredonia needs. I think it could also inspire other businesses to be more interested in murals as well. Fredonia just gets so depressing sometimes, it could be nice to have a bright pop of energy, especially during the winter. I want the viewer to feel like they just turned down an Italian street, and to feel a bit more positive. I think Fredonia needs more personality and energy, and this mural would accomplish that.

While taking both sets of pictures, I had to look closer at my surroundings and actively look for things that would make interesting photos. Most of this was done at my house, so I did a lot of looking around inside and outside and got a better appreciation for the place I live in since I got so many nice pictures from it. The first set of pictures was a lot easier since there was no categories for them, and I just made up my own theme for the pictures. It was easier to make them feel like they all belonged together. The second set of pictures was more difficult because of how specific each one is, especially the name one, which I feel like didn't turn out that great. The first set of pictures was more enjoyable because of being able to make my own theme for them. The second set of pictures did make me think harder and be more analytical about my surroundings which was interesting but not quite as enjoyable. My favorite image is in the first set of photos of the side of my barn with the overgrown garden below it. I really like the texture of the worn out wood and how there are so many variations in shades of blue. I also really like the picture I took of my mom through the stained glass heart because that was pretty creative and I don't feel like I'm a very creative person in general.

 I'm Alisia and I'm a sophomore Drawing and Painting major with a minor in Art History. I have four cats. My favorite movies/tv shows are Interview with the Vampire, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Mr. Robot, and Pulp Fiction. I like watching movies, hanging out with my cats,  making soap sculptures, making art in general, and going on walks. 
I decided to go to Fredonia for drawing and painting because of how convenient it is and because one of my main passions is art. I've been inspired by a lot of artists as I develop my own style. Some of my favorites are Laura Callaghan, Phil Anderson Blythe, Ivan Smith, Polly Nor, Keith Haring, Isaiah Zagar, and David Shrigley. These artists all have defining characteristics to their art, something I think I lack and hope to have someday. Their tone is obvious, some of the artists are so chaotic and erratic, and others are just soft and subtle. The viewer can see the purpose of the art, whether it's to make a statement or just to make people happy. I also like that their art is usually confusing or obscure, which is ironic because my art is currently very plain and realistic.
I hope to develop my art further and to just be able to learn and grow as a person and artist at Fredonia. I also hope in the future I can relocate to a bigger area like Buffalo and be able to travel more. :)