Promise of the Future

Art project for DP Art class. Its the one art class I regret taking.

So uh...for the trimester, I chose the theme of songs which I have to tie to different cultures. For this painting I used Fields of Hope (Tanaka Rie/Lacus Clyne), American Dream (Casting Crowns) and One Day Too Late (Skillet).

The painting was inspired by what Chihaya and I were discussing one day, \"Have you noticed how we\'re being forced to grow up?\"

The hourglass was taken from \"One Day Too Late\", saying we should do what we can now; time is limited.

_{Feel the moment slip into the past
Like sand through an hourglass
In the madness I guess I just forget
To do all the things I said}

The sand ties into Casting Crown\'s \"American Dream.\" There\'s a small amount of sand in the top with the boy because we don\'t spend a lot of time as children. A majority of our lives are spent as adults and we\'re being forced to grow up faster and faster. Like with how we integrate college classes into high schools, do state testing, being taught huge topics at young ages, etc. The bottom contains the boy grown up and in a business suit looking incredibly dull or apathetic. Notice that there\'s more sand.

_{He used to say, \"Whoever dies with the most toys wins\"
But if he loses his soul, what has he gained in the end
I\'ll take a shack on the rock
Over a castle in the sand
Now he works all day and cries alone at night
It\'s not getting any better
Looks like he\'s running out of time
\'Cause he worked and he built with his own two hands
And he poured all he had in a castle made with sand
But the wind and the rain are coming crashing in
Time will tell just how long his kingdom stands
His kingdom stands}

We grow up faster because our country (U.S.) needs us in the work force and we\'re suffering pretty bad. We\'re falling behind the other countries in technology, intelligence, economics and whatever else. I believe that if possible, the U.S. would mass-produce workers/soldiers. We\'re being shoved into positions too quickly. Which brings us to the female figure who hopes for a peaceful future. A guaranteed future.

_{You laughed like a child,
Happy and carefree.
Its all familiar and yet so far,
Thats the future\'s promise for you and me.}

Background inspired by Fields of Hope video.
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Yeah, it\'s crap. I hate watercolors. I only got used to them after the mid-way though. The colors are way too bright. That\'s what I get for using Crayola, though. And I hate the background with a passion. Everything looked super perfect before I did the backgrounds which wet the figures and smeared colors, leaving icky water spots that surround the little shooting splatter stuff. Eff.

One project done, 3 more to go. And 20 something sketchbook pages in the next 2 weeks. Wonderful.

If you guys have any song suggestions that could tie into cultural themes, do share. Otherwise I\'ll have to go through my very small collection of English songs or find translated lyrics. orz

One Day Too Late (c) Skillet
Fields of Hope (c) Tanaka Rie
American Dream (c) Casting Crowns