Ashley R.

Artist's Description

War has taken a vital role in the lives of many Canadians both young and old. All of us suffer, and most of us are never heard. Has anyone stopped to consider how those fighting to keep us free feel? Their perspective on war differs greatly from us who stand on the side lines. No one will ever know why war is wrong and cruel if you haven’t been placed in the shoes of a travelling soldier. I may not understand to a great extent why things are the way they are, but I feel that this issue needs to be addressed.

My art portrays this thought by the mixed message of peace and war. War may be a powerful tool but peace will always come out on top. We all want peace in this world but not one of us has made a big enough impact to achieve this need. In order to find peace we need to outweigh the pros and cons of what war brings to the table. First off, why are we seeking to destroy some other ones foe when we, ourselves don’t know the bigger picture. Is the argument going to be solved with war or can mankind find a more peaceful way to solve situations such as these? War doesn’t bring anything good into anyone’s lives. Many say well soldiers fight to keep us free- no one should have to fight. Our world was free before the war.  The only thing we’re doing is breaking the peace.

I chose to make a mixed media display to show my thoughts and feelings towards war because like each different piece, there are many differing opinions to just one thought. My opinion differs from others but to me I’m speaking great concern. We all need to just stop and listen to the voices from the stained battlefields and learn the message Mother Nature has been keeping locked away for so many years. Mistakes are mistakes and there’s always time to fix them, but at the rate war is extending we don’t have much more time. War is winning the battle over peace when in reality peace should be thriving. It’s destroying many lives and the little time we have left to fix the situation. If everyone just took a few minutes, stood back, and thought. Could they really pick out anything good war has to offer? I know I can’t.

My main focus for this project was the soldiers. The one’s up front and centre. These guys are the people who hold the key to our future. Not because they’re protecting us from the war, but because they know what it’s like. They know why it’s wrong and they know what the consequences for these actions are. We can’t get the message from every crying whisper the soldiers send our way, but just one should be enough to change our perspective and feelings towards such a gruesome event.

In conclusion I feel it in my heart that the earth be at ease, we don’t need to be bold and fight. We need to rekindle our nation because who we are is what we stand for. Do we really stand strong and free, or do we stand free from a fight we are following? Some will lead and some will follow. Whatever it takes, we need to believe. Believe that we have a fighting chance to bring back peace.

Erica S.

Artist's Description

In a perfect world no one would care if people were different. But the world isn't perfect, and there are reoccurring conflicts related to sexual orientation that I think need to be addressed. Many people find it difficult to speak up against identity-related bullying because it is often seen as a socially acceptable way of teasing or joking. To LGBTQ youth, the anti-gay slurs in most cases are seen as being offensive. The terms "gay", "fag", and "dyke" are a few terms used in prejudice towards the LGBTQ community. Many would say that these terms are not offensive because they are legitimate words used to describe the orientations, but these words become offensive when they are used in negative ways. A study shows that 42% of queer youth had thought of suicide at some time, and 54% of suicide attempts occurred before parents knew of the youth's sexual orientation. My piece of art is called Because it's Wrong. This is appropriate title because it relates to how many people view homosexuality;they see it as being wrong. Sexual orientation is a motivation for hate crimes, and this needs to end. Because it's Wrong relates to the contest theme "The Right to Speak the Responsibility to Listen" because it shows the pain that homosexual youth endure because their words aren't being heard, and I hope that through this piece people may listen. I myself have been ridiculed because of my orientation, so I thought that a piece on anti-gay slurs would be appropriate because I can easily relate to what is being said. The materials that I used to complete this piece were paper, sketching pencils, pencil crayons and chalk pastels. On my art piece, I also used a poem that I wrote about my feelings on the topic to help portray they message of the piece. The use of gray scale and colour contribute to how people see being gay. Most see it as black and white; being good or bad. I added the colours of the rainbow because they are the colours used in the LGBTQ flag.

Rachael G.

Artist's Description

The title for my artwork is "Listen Up". My title reflects on the idea that listening is a skill. It can be hard to find the right words to say but it can be even more difficult to pause, open your ears and your mind, and truly be willing to pay attention to someone else’s thoughts and ideas. That there is a time to speak and just as importantly, there is a time to listen. 

I used a calligraphy pen and ink as well as acrylic paint on a clay board to create my artwork, "Listen Up". To show depth, I used layers of organic lines varying in thickness and length.  To achieve a range of visual affects with the ink, I applied different amounts of pressure to the pen. The background is dark, filled with many colours; this represents the wants, needs, and ideas of every person getting lost and confused without anyone listening. In contrast, I created the beam of light by selecting a small range of bright, warm colours, which represents enlightenment. The lines near the base of the light are fairly short and cluttered and then stretch and spread out as they reach up. The distant light coming through the two background sections suggest that there are other people who are beginning to open their minds and listen, breaking up and dissipating the confusion coming from all of the undefined voices.

There are many mouths and many words in my artwork.  They take up most of the space and are piled up in a heap.  They are Everyone.  They are the many voices exercising their right and their need to speak.  They take up so much space because they need to be noticed; if they go unnoticed they go unheard.  The figure at the top in the distance is a listener.  This person is aware of the speakers and is listening.  The listener is physically in the light and is enlightened. Each of the mouths has a voice.  Each mouth is aware of itself only. Each one is isolated by its own noise, yet wants to be heard by someone.  They each need someone and Someone is there.  What it comes down to is that Everyone can’t do all the talking. For genuine communication and understanding to occur, Someone has to be there to listen.

When we listen we have time to reflect and think we have time to process our ideas and consider our responses.  An ability to listen complements our ability to speak because it gives our words more informed depth.  The person who listens is taking it in, discovering new things, getting the message, participating in a personal and private way.  This person can be enlightened. This person can go on to do great things, to be a good friend, to contribute to world.

It is important for people to speak their minds, to share their views and communicate with one another.  Listening is a silent skill that is often under-valued and overlooked, but it is just as important an aspect of communication as speaking is.  If we are not listening, we really are not caring.  How well we listen shows our compassion and how much we respect them.

There is nothing as rewarding as being able to help and comfort a friend in need, or as joyful as sharing a good laugh, celebrating an event or having a good conversation with a friend, relative, parent or stranger.  In many of these instances it is not even what we say, but how we listen and engage with the other person or people that make us feel good.  Genuinely listening is part of sharing.  It helps us develop our relationships and makes us more interesting.  If we have been tuned in, we have a better chance of connecting with those around us when we get our turn to speak.