“She was an old photograph dusted from an album, whitened away, and if she spoke at all her voice would be a ghost.”
— Ray BradBury, All Summer In a Day
The assignment was to create something that highlights color for All Summer In a Day by Ray Bradbury. In this short story, several humans started a life on Venus, where the sun was visible only once every 7 years. The main character, Margot is bullied by her entire 2nd grade class, because none of the kids believe that Margot still has recollection of the Sun.
What is the opposite of a depressed lonely girl? Who is the peppiest most vibrant girl?
Barbie.
When I first read this text, my instinct was to create a piece that showcased the description of the sun’s swirls. However, when I started sketching, my mind kept focusing on the imagery of Margot’s description.
“She was an old photograph dusted from an album, whitened away, and if she spoke at all her voice would be a ghost.”
-Ray Bradbury
As I developed my ideas further, I thought to myself, “who would be the opposite of Margot?” The answer was Barbie. The color palette of Margot would take all the Barbie out of Barbie. So, I decide to repaint my first doll; the color swap highlighted the use of color in "All Summer In a Day” exactly the way I wanted to.
materials used: small Barbie doll, water color pencils, chalk pastels, matte finishing spray