The very first art project of the school year was to create a spiffy little avatar out of a 1 liter bottle and whatever other materials you could find. My avatar (or “bottletar” as Mr. Miller likes to call them) is a shark jumping out of the ocean. He’s made of tissue paper, tape, cardboard, and hot glue; my favorite materials.
I must admit that I don’t really think that sharks reflect my personality. I don’t prey on small creatures, I don’t dwell in the sea, and I’m not as fantastically skilled at jumping out of the water as sharks seem to be. (Seriously, they’re ridiculous. I watched a special on sharks jumping out of the ocean to catch seals during Shark Week over the summer. Crazy stuff.) But, I do think that sharks are wicked cool, and I’m finding that a lot of my art has an “Under the Sea” feel to it.
I guess this has to do with my unremitting love for the ocean and just about everything in it (except jellyfish- those are awful creatures). If I could, I would live at the beach and go surfing everyday. I also find sea-life fascinating, especially all the different ways that sea creatures have adapted over time. So I guess I automatically turn to the sea when I’m looking for something to describe myself.
Then again, maybe I’m more like a shark than I realize. I may not prey on helpless animals, but I definately go after what I want with fervor. I’m not afraid to say what I think and do what I want, and I don’t really care what people think about me. I think this is comparable to a shark’s demeanor. I may not be as cruel, but there are some similarities there. But mostly I want to be able to jump out of the ocean like my “bottletar” and like the real deal.
