My Angel

Every year around Christmas time my house transforms into a Winter Wonderland. The Christmas tree appears in the corner of my living room and all of the decorations spread the house with cheer. With all of these decorations around the house, my favorite can be found in the center of the kitchen table. The porcelain angel, name Faith by its creator, is a fragile woman with two wings pointing downward. Her reddish brown hair is put up neatly on the top of her head. The magnificent purple gown with green and dark purple dots is flowing all the way to the ground. The angel’s two hands are held tightly to her chest and are clasped together. Her eyes are focused straight as if she were saying a prayer. This beautiful doll is so important to me and my family because it was purchased in memory of my grandmother when she passed away about seventeen years ago. Every single Christmas it has been placed in the center of all of the ruckus and excitement. The angel is in the middle of the kitchen because it is where most of the people are found around the holidays. When you walk into the house, you have to pass through the kitchen. In a way, grandma is almost greeting everyone when they enter, just as she did when she was still here. This porcelain angel is just an angel if you don’t know the reason and story behind it. However, my whole family knows it is there to remind us of the loss and the love of my grandma so many years ago.

Blue Moons

Blue Moons is a painting created by Ray M. Swartz. Its deep and mysterious colors combine together to make a hidden meaning that must be analyzed and looked into deeper. Looking at the picture, the viewer’s eyes automatically go to the muscular white horse with the long haired blond lady lying aimlessly on its back. Staring more closely, the horse is quickly identified as a unicorn. According to Marianna Mayer, “The unicorn is the only fabulous beast that does not seem to have been conceived out of human fears. In even the earliest references he is fierce yet good, selfless yet solitary, but always mysteriously beautiful. He could be captured only by unfair means, and his single horn was said to neutralize poison." This puts a new twist on the picture because the audience quickly identifies that there is no possible way that this is a reality; it must be a fantasy. The long haired blonde lady is stretched carelessly across the unicorn’s neck. She appears to be completely relaxed and confident she is in the correct place. Her hand is draping onto the shoulder of the unicorn. The two blue moons in the far right corner are drifting in the sky of darkness. The overlapping twins seem to be holding onto one another.

Rhetorically analyzing this piece of art, there are numerous different answers to the questions floating in our minds. Compare and contrast, illustration, and irony are all used to make this picture come to life. The fact that the unicorn is from a fantasy and the woman is from reality is very enticing. Many different examples of ethos and logos are apparent in this oil painting.

This painting is so unique because the author uses many different rhetorical strategies to make his point come across. The first he uses is compare and contrast. The point of the painting is to make the connection between reality and fairy tales. It is very obvious that a human girl and a unicorn are from two completely different worlds. This use of pathos is trying to inform the audience that it is indeed possible for two different worlds. The author is comparing the fairy tale land of unicorns to the real world in which we live. The way that the lady is carelessly lying on the unicorn, shows that we could comfortably live together. We do not need to be fearful of one another.

The second type of rhetorical analysis is illustration. Putting another moon next to the moon that we believe is already there is a clever way of showing that there could be another life out there that we want to strive to someday meet. Putting the moons in an overlapping state shows that we are connected in some way. We are not overtaking the other one, so harmony could be accessible. One moon is much smaller than the other one. This could mean that the belief is much different between fantasy and reality. The smaller moon is the fantasy world. Not many people have a strong belief that there is another world out there. On the other hand, the bigger moon is taken as reality. Everyone has a belief that there is reality because they are living it.

Irony is also used in this painting. The artist was trying to use something opposite to get his point across. Putting a unicorn instead of a horse makes the viewer realize that the fantasy world and reality could indeed someday be connected. If a real horse was used, no one would think twice about the meaning behind the painting. However, allowing a human female to be so close and comfortable with a creature that we know isn’t even real, it gives us a sense of comfort and confidence that there is a possibility that we will be able to connect with a different life someday.

In this painting, the unicorn and second moon are combined to show that a fantasy world and the human world are closer than we initially thought. The blonde lady in the picture is clinging onto the unicorn very tightly, showing that another world would not be a scary place to be. Having another place to be and thinking there is some other world out there is a major possibility.

Seeing the other moon in the background is a way to show that the second world is available for the taking. Possibly, they are on another planet, where two moons can be seen. This would explain the reasoning for the unicorn to be real. The lady in the picture is relaxed and calm. This gives the illusion that there is something better for the taking. Her hand is not tense; it simply dangles on the upper leg of the white giant. Being relaxed and calm is a feeling that everyone strives to gain. It is better to be in a place of comfort rather than in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the real world. Seeing the beautiful view of the moon in the background is a way of showing the viewers that it is taking place in another place.

Ryan M. Swartz is an amazing artist that has painting for over forty-three years. He discovered his gift while he was very young. He specializes in pencil portraits and oil paintings. Swartz loves creating art work that is unique and catches the viewer’s interest. He enjoys painting animals, especially dogs.

This painting is a unique one that has made many heads turn. It is a beautiful piece of work that will be very popular for years to come. The meaning behind it is dark and mysterious. This is one of the reasons why so many people have traveled to see it. Is the meaning behind it obvious or not? Do people really believe that there is another world out there that we are all striving to become a part of? Is it possibly your after life, or is it where you are trying to go while alive? These are the many questions that are asked while looking into this painting. The only way to know for sure is to analyze it yourself, and make your own decision.

21st Century Art Work: "Feeling the Heat"

Feeling the Heat at first glance looks like a beautiful woman peacefully sleeping on a bed. The silky white sheets seem to be so comforting that she is grasping them in her hand. Her eyes are sealed shut and look as if they are unable to open because she is in such a deep sleep. Just as you begin to look away, something eerie catches your eye. You start to get an uneasy feeling about the picture. The fact that her dress strap on her left shoulder is misplaced is a little odd. The lady’s dress appears to be riding up much higher than it should be. It is almost as if someone just threw her onto the bed. Perhaps she had too much to drink and she is passed out. Or maybe she took a drug and is now reaping the worst outcome. She may have overdosed on a simple drug such as Tylenol or Advil, or maybe she took a much worse kind, such as Cocaine or Heroine. There is even a slight possibility that someone else gave her the drug and left her there.
Another possibility is she may have died. A peaceful death may have been a possibility. Hopefully she just lay down to take a short nap before going out for the evening. However, it could be a nap that she never wakes up from. The alternative to this is she was murdered. The fact that her arms are draped around her carelessly and her clothes and hair are messed up is a little disturbing.
The perfect white sheet she is laying on can also mean some significance. In today’s society, white symbolizes something very pure. For example, women wear a perfectly white wedding dress to let everyone know they are in their first marriage and are very pure. Because of this, the mystery women seems to be very pure and happy with her life. It could mean that she was very loved and well taken care of. If she was murdered, it could mean that someone that was very jealous of her could have done it.
This painting by John Waterhouse creates some interesting points and topics. There are many ways to look at the picture. Different ways of interpreting it is what makes it so interesting. My view on the topic can be completely different than yours. It keeps and makes are interesting and fun.

Free Write: Christmas

Christmas, my absolute favorite time of the year. No more school, lots of family and friends constantly around, snow, and of course, presents. It is the time of the year when most of the traditions are set and upheld. I can’t wait until the first snow hits the ground. Nothing is better than running out on the fresh snow on the ground, making sure that your footprints are the first to touch the flawless snow. My friends and I always go sledding down our huge hill at my house. We spend hours upon hours outside in the freezing weather just to have fun. This has been a tradition since I could remember. I also am excited for all of the big Christmas light displays that go up. Every year my mom, dad, brother, and I always take a trip from my hometown, Schuyler, to Lincoln to see the lights. We have done this since I can remember. Every year on December 23rd, my family leaves my house at five o’clock. We drive to Lincoln and pick somewhere to eat. Then we drive around and look at all of the lights. We normally end at the Animated Christmas Lights. They are hand-made, nothing pre-built. It is one of the prettiest things I have ever seen in my life. Another Christmas tradition I love is spending all the time with my family. Everyone from out of town comes back home. We spend numerous nights laughing and talking about the “old days.” Christmas is truly one of the most special times of the year. It is when everything feels right once again. You can re-connect with all of your family and friends again. Traditions will always be there, they will never be broken.

Vice Presidential Debate

Sarah Palin uses Logos in her debate very well. Palin is very rational while she is arguing the question, “What promises have you and your campaigns made to the American people that you will not be able to keep?” She tries to use a bill about oil company tax cuts that Senator Barack Obama voted on to persuade the people watching. She calmly explained that as a Governor of Alaska, she had to calm the oil companies down and explain to them that they will not have issues with the tax cuts that Obama voted for. She used a lot of facts to help explain to the people viewing the debate. She said, “The tax breaks of ‘05 were what gave the huge tax breaks to all the major oil companies in Alaska.” She clearly stated that this was not a good idea because it was unfair to all of the oil companies that they take such a huge hit. The reason they were all for all the tax breaks was because they thought it would help encourage people to go green. She interpreted a lot of what was really going on to make Obama look bad. For example, she made it seem like Obama was the only one, the only reason, why the tax cuts hit all of the oil company. However, if you look at the big picture, he was only one vote. She reasons to the entire crowd why McCain would be the best candidate. She made it very clear that all of McCain’s promises will still be the same. She tries to use clear reasoning to make the audience see that McCain is very trustworthy. She doesn’t say anything that will make the audience second guess if McCain will go back on his word or not. Logically, she persuades the audience to see her views. She wants everyone to see that Obama made a mad decision when it came to voting on the tax cuts, but she wants everyone to see that McCain is making good decisions. In the end, Palin does a very good job of using logos in her debate. She is very respectful in how she presented her topic and views. However, he was intelligent because she made Obama look bad and McCain look good. She used clear reasoning to make the audience see what she was trying to get across. She used a lot of facts in her debate to make her point come across. She also interpreted a lot of things, also. She interpreted the way that Obama voted for the bill. She only showed one side of the story, not the whole story. Palin did a great job of debating and using the different aspects in her speech.