The Rose and the Dagger
Amelia Y.
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My drawing, The Rose and the Dagger, symbolizes two warring aspects of human nature, the desire for peace and violence. I created this piece while I was going through a very chaotic time in my life, struggling to balance two different sports, school work, and numerous extracurriculars. Sometimes, I would go home and sink onto the floor, resisting the urge to scream into my pillow and instead pouring my energy into being productive and maintaining all my responsibilities. I started this artwork at the perfect time, as it became a way for me to release all my energy and stress while also representing my inner turmoil. I experimented with the idea of different symbolisms or representations of peace and violence, before finally settling on a rose and a dagger. I shaded and blended over and over, slowly building layers of graphite until I could get the right amount of depth on the scorpions. I added the scorpions as a personal element, since my star sign is a Scorpio and I've often felt like the traits of a Scorpio describe who I am better than any adjectives I could come up with myself. Human faces have also been one of my favorite subjects to draw, so I choose a face to become the vessel for the smaller elements and symbols of the drawing, helping connect them together in a natural, slightly fantastical way.
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Expressing my creativity, particularly through visual art, has always been an outlet for my emotions and feeling that I don't wish to share out loud. I enjoy experimenting with different ways of conveying hidden messages through my art, especially about mental struggles I keep hidden otherwise.
