Week 10: Reflection

When I first decided to take this class, I wasn't really sure what I was getting into, considering that a few weeks before the winter quarter even started, I received an email saying that we were gonna be required to purchase a sketchbook and art materials. I was interested in learning about Chicana artists, but I didn't realize it meant that I would have to make my own sketches and drawings. I can say now that I am very grateful that I decided to continue on with this class because I learned about all these Chicanx/Latinx artists that I otherwise would not have learned about. I especially enjoyed the presentation by Ofelia Esparza because it provided direct insight into what goes on in the mind of a Chicana artist. She explained how her altares are a bridge between generations and what stuck most with me was her mentioning the three deaths, and how it's important to remember our ancestors.

One of the things that I ended up enjoying most from the class was the sketchbook. I have never been someone who enjoyed drawing but after the first few drawings that we had to do, I began to look forward to opening up my sketchbook. I will probably even purchase a new sketchbook in the future just to randomly sketch whenever I feel like it because it has been a very therapeutic practice and allows me to take that time for myself without having to worry about other stuff.

Overall, I really enjoyed learning about all these different Chicana artists that I had never been exposed to, and being able to hear about their stories and what their art means to them.