Art

Final result of my board

for the many times I harassed Mrs Clemence to help me with my work or the times that I just felt like giving up I am proud of what I have achieved and I am sure my grandfather will be to.

At the start of the year I did a brainstorm of on my iwi to get some background. This was very exciting as I didn't really know much about my iwi. I found out many different things about Tuhoe (Nga tamariki o te kohu Children of the mist) and was ready to learn more.

later on in the year I started to think of ideas for my board but the one that stood out the most was to do something to do with my grandfather and his background. My grandfather was a hard working mad and had a passion for shearing. As it was almost halfway into term 2 I needed to sort out ideas and drafts for my art work

I wanted to create something to show my grandfather's shearing background but to also show the close connection I had with my grandfather which you can see in one of the drafts a male side on figure and a female figure but something divide them, I have dome this as I wanted to show that the divide represents not seeing him. This took so much out of our family and the thought of not seeing was heartbreaking. Similar to the other draft I combined his shearing background with the two side on faces which i think work incredibly well.

I then began doing dry points this included a close up of an eye and a greenstone

The hardest part was probably making the stencil for the dry point, I did this by using a sharp nail/screwdriver and used it to slightly scratch the surface of the plastic. After I had finished that i got all my equipment required to make the print this included ink, 3 cotton buds, water strength paper, a bit of cloth in the material of net curtains and some cardboard (to use like a scraper) . I started by warming the ink up so it was easier to work with i then used the cardboard to spread the ink over the stencil. with the net curtain I press slightly and moved in  figure of eight motion until most of the ink was off, with the cotton buds I wiped away any excess ink in the areas it wasn't needed. I wet the water strength paper but not so it was soaking after that I dried the paper a little and used the press to push down on the print.


                                                                          This was the final result of all of the prints and I have to say they turned out incredibly well and I think the colors i have used has reflected back to my board as I used these colors very often throughout all my painting

I have used My grandfathers name (George Rongotoa ) and grandmothers name (Eveline Muldoon) to show that this is pretty much were it all started they were soul mates even through the ups and downs they truly loved each other they had 3 beautiful kid Joan Toa Arlene Toa and Tahae Toa and as they grew up they had there own kids, from there our family was complete and nothing was coming between us. Until koro passed away.

 I have used the same side on faces again in this one but i have also used a woman figure (to represent my self) in the background I have tried to make it look like wood to try a combined the shearing shed. To make this painting stand out even more I added some combs down the middle not only to represent shearing but to show the divide that is between us.

This one is slightly similar with the side on face and the comb but instead of the face being white i have added blue and white to try get the look of the sky with clouds.

 All of the ones with the woman in it i wanted to link it back to the first painting with the horizontal row of 3 woman and a vertical row of 3 woman in this one i have used different things from all of my painting and added into one with the eye, the wood and the moko.

The individual woman have their own place in the paintings and I think it was a great touch to add to my board I used a variety of different colors and tone

This painting was one of my favorite piece's and younger version of my grandfather shearing a sheep and the older version like he is looking back on what life use to be like the hard working man he use to be

So after many long months weeks and hours of work I can say I am very proud of what I have accomplished. There were so many times I felt like giving up and other times when I did give up but Mrs Clemence was a great support and I wouldn't of done this amazing board. It wasn't exactly as I planned but the outcome was amazing 

reading log

The Pearl-John Steinbeck
Published in 1947

Kino an improvised but also brave native who makes a living diving for pearls off the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. Kino lives with his wife Juana and his son Coyotito, who unfortunately gets stung by a scorpion within the first few pages of the book, his mother then calls for the doctor but their race and poverty work against them. The doctor would not treat Coyotito so Kino went out with his wife and baby pearl diving in the hopes of hitting the jackpot. Kino finally found the big pearl and at the same time Coyotito mysteriously heals himself.

word soon travel led through the town that Kino had hit the mother lode and dollar signs immediately start running through everyone's brains as they think they all think about how to get in on Kino's new- found wealth. After the doctor had heard the word he made his sincere apologies for being a racist jerk, he then goes to heal Coyotito but actually just ends up poisoning him and then and then cures him in a course of a few hours. With the intentions of finding the hidden pearl (but perilously when Kino had found it he buried it underground so that no one could find it.) Kino awakes in the middle of the night to find an intruder trying to steal his pearls the intruder then smashes Kino on the head before leaving. His wife calls the nurse and she insist that the pearl is pure evil and they better get rid of it, but Kino refuses.

The next day Kino goes to sell the pearl with many people eagerly watching over his shoulder but unfortunately people were offering him more than a third of what the pearl was worth, he decides to forget the buyers offers and goes straight to the capital. Kino is a home person so going to the north island was kind of a big deal Juana again tries to stop him, but Kino refuses to listen to her so Juana is helpless, but is she? Kino wakes up in  the middle of the night to find his find about 2 seconds away from chucking the pearl in the ocean. Kino then resorts in using his fist and starts beating his wife up. as Kino makes his way back to the house someone attacks him and their hut goes up in flame, Kino kills his attacker and he and his wife had to watch their hut burn down.

As the couple hit the road the next night they discover that trackers are on their tail. In a chase sequence. Kino tries to hide his family in the mountains as the trackers pursue them. Finally they rest in some cave above a little stream. The trackers stop deciding it is time for some action. Kino tells Juana to keep the baby quiet and makes his way down to the trackers. As he is about to attack he hear Coyotito cries out one of the men pulls out a rifle, just as he shoots in the babies direct Kino pulls a chuck Norris on the trackers and kills all three of them. Victory was his but no it wasn't as he heard a cry of death, coming from the cave. Everybody remembered the families sad return, as they walk into the town Kino and his wife are full of despair. Juana carries a bloody blanket with the remains of their son ( whose head was blown off in the rifle incident) and the couple walks down to the beach. Kino flings the pearl out to the sea and it disappears.

while reading this novel it really makes me angry when people judge others because of their color or that they don.t have much money which is so unfortunate because it happens to the best of people the ones that deserve it the most but when Kino had found the pearl he thought he was in luck, but he never knew that the whole time the pearl was making everything worse. I really enjoyed reading this book because it give me an understanding of just how unfair and cruel it was back in those days, and just how much money meant to people especially the ones that needed it the most.

Reading log 6

Reading log 6

My sisters keeper

My sisters keeper in a 2004 novel written by Jodi Picoult it tells a story of 9 year old Anna who sues her parents for medical emancipation. When she is forced to donate a kidney to her sister Kate, who is dying from Leukemia. This story takes place in Rhode island  in 2004, Anna Fitzgerald's older sister Kate suffers from a blood and bone marrow cancer (acute promyelocytic leukemia.) Anna was born to save her sister as her older brother wasn't a match Anna was the one to save Kate  at first this was successful but continued to spread through Kate's body as  she got older .

Anna was always willing to give things up for Kate, but when she turned 13 she is told she has to donate one of her kidneys due to Kate's kidney failure. Anna petitions for medial emancipation with the help of  Campbell Alexandra, so she will be able to make hr own decisions regarding her medical treatment and the donation of her kidney. This is done on the advice of Julia Romano whose job is to decide what would be better for Anna, Meanwhile Jesse Kate's brother who has spent most of his life being ignore in favor of his ill sister Kate and spends most of his time setting things on fire in abandoned buildings with homemade explosives and using illegal drugs. During the trial it is revealed that Kate originally told Anna to sue for emancipation because Kate didn't want Anna to give her kidney up as Kate was ready to die. but their mum Sara didn't seem to understand why Kate would give up so easy and not want the kidney because Kate already know he is ready to die, the judge rules in Anna's favor and grants Campbell medical power of attorney.

As a teenager this makes me sad to think that her parents only had Anna to save Kate, as Jesse wasn't a match. several times Anna would be pinched and poked for many years until she can finally stand up for herself and to have a say in what goes on with her body without her mum telling her otherwise, for example when Anna was younger many doctors would hold Anna down to get what they needed for Kate until Anna realized she no longer wanted to continue. At the same time i know that Sara only did what she could in order to make sure Kate was healthy and alive but with Sara doing this she never really had a proper relationship with Jesse for example as Jesse got older he became more vulnerable and sensitive as most of the attention was on Kate, which is why he was never home and doing illegal stuff with his friends, as Kate was the their main priority

Reading log 5

Reading log 5

The Help/Novel

The help in a 2009 novel by American author Kathryn Stockett. The story is about African Americans working i white households in Jackson Mississippi during the early 1960s. This novel was Stocketts first book which took her 5 years to write and was rejected over 60 times until someone accepted it. has since been published in over 35 countries in the world and in three different languages. in August 2011 over seven million copies were sold and spent over 100 week on the NY time best selling list.

This movie is set in the early 1960s Jackson Mississippi told from 3 peoples perspective Aibileen Clark, Minny Jackson and Eugenia "Skeeter." Aibileen was a maid who clean and looks after children  he first job since her son died from an accident on the job, and works in a white household where she looks after their toddler Mae Mobley. Minny was Aibileen friend who often tells her employees about what she thought, this resulted in her being fired 19 times. Skeeter is the daughter of a white family who live on a cotton farm just outside of Jackson Mississippi. skeeter just graduated from the university of Mississippi and wanted to become a writer. Skeeter was always curious of Constantine's disappearance, her maid that brought Skeeter up and cared for her. Skeeter never believed she would leave just like that no goodbye nothing, her mum would always tell her that the maid quit and went to go live with family in Chicago. Skeeter finally found out the truth about Constantine's disappearance eventually her mum told her that she fired her because she no longer wanted her to work there.

Skeeter then gains the trust of Aibileen through a friendship which develops when Aibileen helps Skeeter write a household column tip for the local news papers. Skeet agreed as it would help her get closer to becoming a writer. The Harper and row that asked for the household column tips eventually started paying Aibileen for her time. when Aibileen and minny finally agreed to tell their stories, they are both unable to get other black woman to tell their stories too. Skeeter researches the rights the the black woman have and dont have in Mississippi.Yule may is then arrested from stealing a ring from Hilly's home to pay for her two sons to go the college until Hilly refused.the other maid decided that they were willing to take a chance with their jobs and their safety, and join the book project.Together they wrote a book about their experiences as the 'help' to the white woman of Jackson Mississippi. not all of the stories were all negative some beautiful and generous, loving and kind events, while others are cruel and even brutal.  

As a teenager this made me feel quite upset and angry that the white people would treat the black people the way they did in those days it just shows how cold hearted and selfish those people were and that all they care about is themselves for example blacks had separate toilets separate neighborhoods and weren't allowed to eat at the same table as the white people.

Blacks had the same equal rights as the whites did. for example Aibileen and Minny decided if they voiced their opinion about how they got treated and felt about they way they got talked to by the white people. Blacks should be able to have flash houses with the whites cooking, cleaning and caring for their kids, for example blacks had full responsibility for cook cleaning and caring for the younger children while the white people went out for lunch while withe whites would be out doing what ever the could do to fill in the time, as a result of constantine taking care of skeeter when she was younger felt that she was the one that brought her up not her mum. in this movie i don't think that the whites realized if they put their feet in their shoes they wouldn't like it. for example when Aibileen got accused for stealing some silver kitchenware she was instantly fired from her job and never returned to work for them again

Reading log 4

Title: Grenfell tower fire

Author: Lindsay Maizland   

Text type: Article

Date finished: 23/6/17

This is an article about the Grenfell tower and how deadly this fire was for the people of London. On the 14 of June a devastating fire broke out just after midnight in the tall building in London.This building wasn't small it was 24 stories high and approximately 600 people were staying in the building at this time. As this fire rapidly spread people were in desperate need of getting out of the building before it was too late. Some people were so desperate to get out they jump out their windows, while the other people were stuck in the building screaming for help. Emergency services were quick to scene and hundreds of firefighters and 45 fire engines were involved in attempt to try and put this deadly fire out. Many firefighters going to the higher floors first and making there way down to try and control the fire. Many people were severely injured in the fire. 17 were confirmed to be in critical condition and 74 people to be in 5 hospital across London.

On the 16th of June 2017 they declared that the building was unsafe. They said that the fire was caused by a faulty fridge on the 4th floor. The builders recently added cladding to the building which caused the fire to spread more rapidly throughout the building. Many people got out before the fire had got to them. People were desperately trying to find their loved ones. Those unfortunate ones that were told to stay in their rooms until they got the all clear, were screaming and yelling. The people of the town said that they could hear the residents screaming “HELP PLEASE HELP US.”  One lady was very determined to save her baby she yelled out “please just catch my baby please.” She wrapped the baby tight in a blanket and threw the baby from the 9th floor of the building. A kind man stepped forward and caught the baby just in time.

This tragic event could've easily been avoided if they just had added the sprinklers for an extra $9000. This fire would of never took the lives of those innocent people. The government knew that the residents were at risk but they didn't think it was enough. Many residents were demanding answers. Many people said that some of the fire alarms never went off when the fire had broken out. Most people being alarmed by all the other residents screaming and knocking on doors. Others said they had heard the alarm sound and the sight of the smoke. Many people ignored the "stay put" advice that was given, and because those people ignored that advice they were the ones that survived the blaze.

Personally this made me feel angry because they could have avoided this whole situation if they just added the sprinklers to the building for and extra $9000 if that was the case this would of never happened and those innocent people wouldn't of died. for example in this article they suggested putting the sprinklers in but said it was to much extra money to pay as they had all ready paid heaps of money on the cladding on the building. As i read through this article i felt sorry for those ones stuck in the building with no way out, to think that many families were in that building at the time of the blaze and many of them unable to escape. For example the lady and her baby their was no way out for them no where to go so she took matters into her own hands just to insure her baby was safe. 

reading log 3

Meth ad (parents)

Parents is a short ad by the meth project. This advertisement is about how meth can take you over and change you into someone you're not.It shows us that meth can make you lose control. In this ad the lights go on in their house the parents aren't so much arguing but the mum wants to help her son. Her tears are streaming down her face because she just wants to help him. The young teenager is addicted and obviously needs help but the father won't let her do anything, as he has gone too far and is already addicted. The son is banging on the door screaming “ come on dad let me in come on dad” he then starts yelling “I'LL KILL YOU” you can obviously tell that he is angry and out of control.

There is also some sort of a voice over in this ad where the boy is saying “ so I get along with my parents I mean they are pretty cool and i know they trust me” but sounds like it was before he started doing meth this shows us that he did love his family and they were close but somehow meth got the better of him and now the trust between him and his parents has gone.

An important lesson I have learned from this ad and possibly something to take into consideration is that meth is such a powerful,controlling drug and can ruin your whole life. for example in the ad you can obviously see that he is out of control at by the way he is yelling a kicking at the door. Meth changes someone’s whole appearance from being such a beautiful intelligent and honest person to being someone who you can’t even recognize, someone who steals from you and shows no respect.

For me as a teenager I have realized that meth is a drug that can turn your world upside down and change you into someone you don't want to be. for example in the ad you see the anger and rage on his face a clear sign he wants more drugs but cant as he has no more money. In one part of the advertisement i felt sad for the parents having to lock their son out of the house because he is to out of control for example in the ad the mum is crying her husband comes in and hugs her they walk out of the living room and turn off the lights. This has also made me realize that not a lot of people are seeking for the help they need if you know someone who is taking meth you need to help them out before it gets too much and they get to addicted, in theses advertisements it shows that addiction can take over fast. Teenagers nowadays need to think before they do anything like this, most of them don't even know what they are taking let alone what it will do to you say no to it and make sure your friends do the same. Say no it's not that hard

creative writing

Then Now Later

The war

Before game

You can just feel it the adrenaline in your body, me myself trying not to get to worked up about it

The girls- passionate, enthusiastic and full of joy - prepare themselves for the game that decides whether we move on or not, we all huddle together in a circle and discuss our plan of attack  “i think we need to work on our talking” said Anna “we also need to work on staying on our feet” said Mae “ and most of all girls you can't just get angry when we don't get a point, or the ref pulls us up for something that might not of happened, we just need to stay positive and have fun“ as we put our hands in the middle Anna screams Rua Paki hornby, we shout back HORNBY while clapping and stomping our feet ,it was as loud as loud as a gunshot breaking a window . Gabby comes back with the our positions and i was front right, as we all prepare ourselves anxiously we lined up on the sideline and linked arms we stood tall like men at war fighting for their country  

During the game

The court like a battlefield , The ref fires the first shot starting war, we wait nervously for the cannon to be fired, as the cannonball launched over the net we all made eye contact with each other, we knew this wasn't going to be easy but it was worth a shot. The cannonball was fired and war had begun, it was coming straight for me at the speed of lighting i screamed “ mine “ i pushed it up into the air screaming yours Jordana, Jordana hit the ball to Anna she jumps high in the air and smashes the cannon ball back to our enemies. To the sideline you can hear the rest of our troops yelling and cheering saying “ Let's go hornby” “you have got this stay positive” these comment had us in a positive mind set. Our enemies have received the ball very confident they would get the point, it was in the air number 5 jumped as high as she could i gave Jordana eye contact we move together and jumped as high as a kangaroo and slapped the cannonball back to our enemies.

Final battle  

The ref called a timeout there was one point between us, we huddled closely and we thought this is where we can win the game this could be it. Sweat was dripping from our faces like ice cream melting in the hot sun, the ref blew the whistle and told us to come back onto the battlefield. Our hands went in the middle once again with Anna screaming RUA PAKI HORNBY, we broke from our circle and we lined up on the sideline for the last time and proceeded to walk onto the court. The ref blew the whistle and war was breaking out again, the cannonball came over Jordana set the ball in the air and yelled “yours Lavisha,” she set it up for me to spike it over i jumped as high as i could and smashed the cannonball back to our enemies. Cheering and screaming coming from the rest of the troops on the sideline, we won and victory was ours…...

 

I started coming up with some ideas for my art history, I have picked one of Robyn Kahukiwa's paintings Taranaga. I then gathered some ideas about what I could see in the painting and what meaning it had behind it, then began writing my piece. I have now finished my art history piece and now have moved onto drawing some Maori Maori moko

Reading log 2

We all need somebody to lean on.

I just might have a problem that you'll understand,

We all need somebody to lean on.

If there is a load

You have to bear

That you can't carry

I'm right up the road

I'll share your load

If you just call me.

Call me if you need a friend

Call me, call me, uh-huh

Call me when you need a friend

Call me if you ever need a friend

Call me, call me

Call me, call me

Call me, call me

Call me, call me

Call me if you need a friend

Call me, call me

Call me, call me

Call me, call me

Call me, call me

Call me

Lean on me is a song written by a American singer-songwriter Bill Withers, released in April 1972 this text is about having someone to lean on when you are in pain or just not strong enough, it's about asking for help when you need it, the singer is telling his friend that when he is in trouble to call him for help, so he can help him, “just call me” but doesn't know how to help him if he doesn't speak up about it, This text definitely has a lot of meaning considering it's coming from a black male in the early 70s

An important lesson to learnt after reading this text, maybe even something to take into consideration that everyone has bad days and they always need someone to lean on, but not only that they also need to speak up about it. I see this in everyday life that to many people aren't speaking up about what they are struggling with, or that they just don't have anyone to help them carry on, and if I am honestly speaking when people don't speak up about things they usually end up bottling it all up until it gets too much

After reading through this text, I have realized that everyone needs a helping hand when they are in need, I don't think that people quite understand how much some people need it , I think more people need to take action on this problem because I think that a lot of teens in our society don't speak up about things and sometimes lead to something horrible, it has also made me think that when i'm walking around somewhere and I see someone that's in need, to go over and talk to them.

I have related to this text in a big way in my life for example with my grandfather passing away, it was one of the toughest things to ever happen in my life, all I needed was someone to lean on someone to help me through them tough times, all our family surrounding each other the support and love we gave each other, was just enough to get us through this tragic time. With mum and having cancer and being so young, but just older enough to know what was actually going on, dad was always there for me when I needed it.  For me it's hard to think that some people have no one to lean on, no one they can talk to when they are struggling, a consistent problem in our generation.   

Reading Log #1

Title : Hitler the rise of evil

Author/Director: Christian Duguay

Text type: film

Date finished : still watching it

Summary

This film is a film about Hitler's life it is also about how he got to where he was. how he came to power in the first place?

Personal response

Hitler the rise of evil is a movie based on how Hitler got to where he was in the first place. At a young age Hitler's mum had passed away he didn't react in the right way he was also a great artist but got turned away from the opportunities and was told he had no chance of being an artist in 19 something Hitler went to war i think he just like the fact of fighting and taking charge I think that Hitler got to where he was pretty quick like how can someone being so little and not noticed by anyone could become the most powerful man in Germany.

Hitler returned in 1919 to Munich still employed by the army and then is assigned to report on the newly formed political parties after attending the Nazi political party he is then ordered by the leader of the party to organise its propaganda activities and to give increasingly popular speeches saying that Germany has been betrayed by the leaders who surrendered in the last war and communists and Jews are draining the German spirit from within. After Hitler meets a wealthy art publisher, Hitler is encouraged to refine his image and create a new symbol for the party. Hitler felt like he had real chance of becoming one of them to be a leader. he was very determined to get there but at the same time didn't have what it takes to be a leader. many people were against Hitler before he even became a political party leader. Hitler definitely wasn't a good man overall the country thought he was and that he was doing all the right things but he wasn't he destroyed Germany and put all Jews communists and disabled anyone else who was different into concentration camps he believed that Germany would be a better place without all of them ruining his country. Hitler then demanded a higher position in order for him to rule the country and for him to be the only one that has the last say but in order for that to happen he needed the chancellor to step down so that Hitler could be chancellor.

While watching this movie i was disgusted by the way the NAZI party treated people they constantly abused the people.For example when Hitler got the all clear he went to the beer hall storming in with his army and demanded he was going to lead them. Hitler played a massive role in all of this by being the leader he was in full control of what was going to happened. For example Hitler had no rules and no boundaries he could do what ever he liked and no one could stop him. when i was watching the film it made me realize that in those days people were cruel and didn't care about anyone else but themselves. For example the rich were the rich and the poor were the poor, the rich didn't give poor money as they thought they deserved it and that they were the ones the put themselves there.