Memoirs of Fall

Artist: Alaina Yung, Michelle Lo
Writer: Shiori Chen
Editor: Johnathan Park

Michelle Lo and Alaina Yung, two sophomores at Carlmont High School, collaborated to create their mixed medium piece, “Memoirs of Fall.” The work arose from Lo’s poem on fall memories, which Yung attempted to express through an acrylic portrait.

The simplicity and warmth of autumn Lo depicts in her poetry characterizes her happy times as a child when she visited pumpkin patches. “Memoirs of Fall” is an intimate reflection of Lo’s experiences, reflecting the melancholy and nostalgia of the past seasons, which both stayed the same as she grew and changed. Lo sought to articulate the complex emotions associated with change– fear, sadness, and nostalgia– for people who experience the same sentiments.

Yung aimed to illustrate Lo’s vision and used various approaches to maintain the theme of seasons changing. With acrylic paint on acrylic paper and her knowledge of color theory, Yung added a gradient to the sky and on the ground to create a more cohesive background. The piece’s message can be seen through the juxtaposition of the painting’s two sides. With brighter colors, one side of the piece represents one season, and the other, with darker colors, represents a different season.

The two artists won Art Showcase Club’s October “monthly” with their work. Further, through their collaboration, Yung gathered the motivation to begin creating art again after experiencing art block.