Arden's Garden of Art

In my concentration pieces, I decided to create depth within the idea of “home sweet home.” I chose this theme because I just moved into my new house. Every time I pull into my new address, it feels more and more like my home. The boxes are slowly diminishing, the rooms are beginning to look like rooms, and my whole family and I are able to start relaxing. In this concentration, I am going to do 3 pieces. Each of them will be based off a song that talks about the home. For each, I am going to use acrylic paint on a canvas board for each of the projects. I may or may not use an epoxy resin; it is a liquid that is poured on the finished painting. It takes three days to dry and it gives the product a glossy finish and shine. Each of the three paintings will depict the sentiment I get from the song, how I relate to the song, and will include an aspect of my new house. Each will also reflect a moment from the music video or album cover. I want to include this for the people who look at my artwork so it will reflect the song as well as my ideas from the song.

My first project will be from the song “Home is Where the Heart Is” by Lady Antebellum. I chose this song because it is such a good song and it makes me feel happy and joyful. For my illustration of this song, I am going to paint a wooden door/gate with a cutout of a heart in it. Through this heart, one will see part of a house. The door of the gate will be antiqued, showing that no matter how long you are gone from your house, family, or friends, your home will always be there with open arms and an open heart. In the chorus of the song, it says: “Mama said home is where the heart is when I left that town. I made it all the way to West Virginia, and that's where my heart found exactly where I'm supposed to be. It didn't take much time, it's just south of the Mason Dixon line.” This part of the song is what I want to focus my painting on.

My second concentration piece will depict the song “Who Says You Can't Come Home,” sung by Bon Jovi featuring Jennifer Nettles. I picked this song because one of my favorite artists is Jennifer Nettles. I also picked this because it presents the message that no matter what happens to you, your home and family will always be there for you. It also illustrates the building of ones home and the process it goes through. The chorus illustrates my interpretation of the song exactly. It says: “who says you can't go back, been all around the world and as a matter of fact. There's only one place left I want to go, who says you can't go home.” For my painting of this, I am going to depict my house when we were doing construction on it. This is a part of the music video and also what I first thought of when did picked this song.

Last but not least, my third painting will represent the song “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” which was originally sung by John Denver. I chose this final song because it reminds me of the drive to my lake house. This song is what we listen to every time we go up to the lake. My depiction of this song is going to be the road the leads to my lake house. I choose to use the road up to my lake house because it is dear to my heart, and my lake house is my second home. I spend most of my summer up there and I have so many wonderful memories there. In the songs’ chorus, it says: “Country Roads take me home to the place I belong. West Virginia, Mountain mama, take me home my country roads.” This part especially reminds my of my lake house because I love nature, I feel as if I sometimes belong at the lake, and because it is sentimental to my family and me.