celeste watson

I chose the below qualities to represent myself as I think the quality that summarises myself the best is complex and intricate. I could not represent this in enough depth if I didn’t choose a wide selection of traits that stem from this idea. The other stand-out aspect of myself is my dual personality. I needed to incorporate qualities on both sides of the spectrum to outline the strong constrast within me.
MY QUALITIES:
- complex & intricate
- secretive, mysterious, alluring
- split personality
- light & dark – shadows & highlights
- happy, joyful, creative, energetic, loud, weird & passionate
- reflective, quiet, studious, analytical, perfectionist
- strong and stable despite two sides
- ambitious & time consciousMy design solution expresses the above qualities through the use of shape, colour, line, texture and composition.

I created myself as a complex & intricate shape with many facets. Despite the possibility to outweigh one of my qualities the shape is strong and stable. I am a hour glass because it is both strong geometrically yet also fluid with the feminine & alluring quality of the shape.

If I was colour I would be violet. I believe it to be a mysterious hue which is in line with my qualities. It is a combination of both cool and warm which I am too. Sometimes I’m blue yet also soft and feminine. I chose the analogous colours blue-violet, violet and red-violet to create harmony. Despite the variety of qualities which have distinct differences and opposites, I believe I am a harmonious and balanced individual. I used the full spectrum of these hues – tints and shades – to show the variety of qualities within me.

When it comes to line I have created myself in two forms: expressive and controlled. All lines create and consist within parameters as I am often reserved. I’m relaxed yet ordered and this comes through in my uses of the biro, watercolour and pastels. I used a harmonious combination thin, sketchy and buzzing with energy or smooth and bold.

I explored three textures to represent myself- sponge, lace and aluminium foil. I chose a sponge because I absorb everything that is around me and immersing myself in knowledge & my environment is something very important to me. The many facets within a sponge also represents me with the intricate nature of the texture. This is further reinforced by my use of lace. Lace is intricate, complex yet feminine. Much like myself. I used lace from a roll that was my Grandma’s and is very special and personal to me.

My composition was based upon a strategic use of space and balance. I am stable and almost symmetrical. As overall I think that I am balanced. However, within myself I am busy and buzzing with a contrast of my two core elements. Therefore asymmetrical balance would also be utilised within the hour glass figure.

The symbolism I used that was drawn from exsisting design was the infinity and ying yang logo. Although not directly referenced, the ying yang symbol was referenced in the wrapping curl and ties my two sides together. I wanted to convey a sense of harmony between these elements. I also connect with curls because my name consists of a lot of curly characters when handwritten and I identify with this. The more obvious symbol -infinity- is used to communicate the interest in time alongside the clockface top of the hour glass form. I hope that the legacy I create within my lifetime will live on for infinity.

My use of media was chosen with my qualities in mind. I started with a vector outline that I printed onto watercolour paper. This highlights how I am a perfectionist and wanted the proportions and scale to be exact for the final design. Upon the paper I placed watercolour that blend into each other in a harmonious and soft manner. This mirrors the balance I tried to create. This allowed me to add the sponge texture to represent my thirst for knowledge. Upon these initial layers I then applied charcoal and pastel to build shadows and highlights as I myself have light and dark elements. The use of electric and bright colour showed and energy within myself alongside the use of buzzing biro lines. The meandering lines created with biro show my creativity. My collaging the tin foil and lace I showed show I am a layered person – not a flat, one-sided individual. I used relief to express how I stand out and don’t blend into the background. I chose to use this mixed-media technique to communicate the multi-faceted aspects of myself.

The quality of each of these design strategies represents me perfectly as a person, encompassing each of my own qualities.