The Memoir Jacob Eriksson 9/15/12

It all starts with a canvas. Every Mona Lisa, every Last Supper, every Starry Night. It all starts
with an idea, an inspiration, a role model. How does my masterpiece start? When does my masterpiece
start? These questions are the biggest and most obscure pieces to my puzzling future. But of course,
before diving into the murky, unexplored waters of the future, examine the structure that encapsulates,
forms, and most importantly maintains this mystery pool. Examine the past.
My parents are both right handed. Their siblings are all right handed. Me, my sister, my cousins,
at least on my mother's side, all left-handed. If that isn't luck I don't know what is. Luck brings me to the
real purpose of this jumble of odd messages with no real substance. My parents are not the most artistic of
people, and this may mislead people when they meet the parents of the esteemed artist that is my sister. A
painter, a drawer, a prize winner and an artist with art immortalized within the public domain of Richard
Montgomery High School, she leaves some pretty big shoes to fill. Much like her, I took an interest in the
art world. Naturally, I got lots of encouragement after deciding to pursue an artistic future as well,
although I was not so enthusiastic about the idea of tedious pencil-work as I had long shied away from it.
This was ever since the days I first learned to write and always smudged the writing with my left hand as
it trailed the granulated hard graphite left behind by my sloppy handwriting. I would always leave a less
than pleasant chicken scratch sprawled across the page. No, the idea of a clean, crisp, never failing,
autocorrecting canvas was the path for me. I am, of course, speaking of digital art. Blending paints was
much more tedious than I would ever enjoy, knowing I would never be on the level of Bob Ross, whom I
used to watch intently at the age before I really knew what he was talking about, and just enjoyed the
soothing voice and vibrant colors. Technology has always been my friend, and it is easy for me to adapt
and learn how to navigate an unfamiliar program. It seemed like the right idea. Of course, I never really
had the opportunity to experiment with different tools that technology had to offer. Well, that is until my
first year of high school arrived.
I knew this was my chance, this is where it would all happen. I could finally get the tools I needed
to get started on building my future. Of course, this also meant all the other boring arithmetic and sciences
that sort of came as a package. Eager to get started in the technological world, I started working with the
design classes available, notably, Introduction to Engineering and design. . The concepts were easy and I
excelled in the class my first quarter. Naturally, there were those who struggled, and when they couldn't
do it, they asked me. I was not reluctant to help, but it really set my work back and I found myself helping
others with the same problem over and over instead of doing it on my own. Next year would be different I
told myself, and that it was. This was the summer that my sister won a five hundred dollar prize in a
county wide competition with a hand drawn portrait of me as a child. It gave me an extra boost because in
all technicality I had won an art contest. This was not the first of contests, as my sophomore year brought
to light the craftsmanship of my freehand and sculpting techniques in foundations of art. The only
problem this time was that I was too picky about my first assignment. I ended up spending way too much
time on the sketching and not enough on the painting. In fact, it still lays unfinished somewhere under the
rubble of miscellaneous objects tossed carelessly in my room.
The next project for the recycling club had already sparked an idea in my mind. To create a
sculpture of entirely recycled materials was the goal, and success was the only motive I needed. The
twenty five dollar prize was a mere bonus. The plan was to construct a panda using only the Arizona Iced
Tea cans from the Seven-Eleven just down the street. Admittedly a big project, but I knew it was what
had to be done. The first step was to put it down on paper, just a simple sketch, to get the idea. Next to
fabricate a body structure so that the strips of metal could be layered on top of a solid surface. This was
the toughest step. . Molding this morbidly obese teddy bear of a construct into the piece of art I had
envisioned would take up the majority of my working time. This lead to the deadline hours, the hours in
which the best of me comes out, possibly because I'm a chronic procrastinator. Nevertheless I was ready
to embrace the open arms of victory at whatever the cost. As it turns out, that cost was approximately ten
dollars, a sleepless night, and more cuts than I would have liked. Finally the creature was completed. I
had something to show for my hard work. I knew once everyone got a look at my Venus de Milo, I would
have that victory. So it was, I had won. With a victory of almost half the votes in a contest of maybe
twenty or so people, I was the victor. Leave it to my sister to outshine me as she finishes her extravagant
wall sized mural a few weeks later. It didn't matter whether or not she had succeeded however, because I
had too.
The final chapter of this segmented recalling of my artistic past has linked with the beginning of
my artistic future. I step into the classroom of my junior year, my digital art class. This is where I will
learn the true wizardry behind my aspirations. Off to a good and simple start, each assignment is tailored
to teach you the tools and functions of everything. The only problem is the unsuspecting side swipe of a
free assignment that is thrust upon us newcomers. Here dangles the opportunity to let your inner beast run
rampant across paper and I am at a loss for ideas. Only the best inspiration comes from family as I bring it
up at dinner. The idea sparks like flint on steel and I know just what to do. Unknowingly the conversation
has ignited the fuse for my first piece, bringing out all these insignificant memories that piece together a
beautiful concept that must be seen. . I sacrifice lunch and free time to work on and finish the masterpiece
my masterpiece the one that represents the start of my future as an artist. This is now only the
beginning but I know great things await and I have all the potential in the world by my side.