Creating the stencil was much harder than I expected. My image was very detailed; therefore, it required a lot of thinking and planning to see what would serve as bridges versus rivers. This was critical so that my image wouldn’t fall apart. I started off by shading in the parts I would cut out in order to simplify it, but it wasn’t until I started actually cutting it that I was able to envision it.
Being exposed to the art of stenciling was very fascinating. It’s unbelievable how artists create art with stencils. Now that I know how difficult it is, I admire stencil art so much more.
The symbol I chose for my stencil is the Nahui Ollin which is found in the center of the Aztec calendar. “Nahui Ollin” means four movement in Nahuatl which is the indigenous language of Mexico. This symbol was first introduced to me in my Chicano Studies course. The Nahui Ollin is a fundamental concept in Aztec/Mexica philosophy, a guide for everyday life and decisions. Personally, I have tried to adopt this philosophy in my everyday life by constantly striving for balance. This has helped me maintain myself grounded.
I have always been fascinated with the Aztec calendar! I thought it was cool for you to include the ollin stencil on your front cover because it is something you can constantly look at as a reminder to live life with balance, as you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteLooks so pretty in person!
ReplyDelete