progress 4.5 (added pictures + explanations)

I am currently working on my linoleum stamps. I'm basically finished with the Asian food one and plan to get started on the American food one really soon. I'm thinking of trying to make some sort of abstract pattern with them to try and mesh the two together.

I have two projects lined up after this, which focus on the emphasis on European beauty standards in Asian cultures and the feeling of having to choose between being Asian or American. I'm going to make the beauty standards one out of magazine cutouts and other types of paper and the other will be done in either acrylic or watercolor. I'll probably test both out to see which one feels better.

This was my original sketch for the piece, which is going to be me floating between some clouds with a lantern. I wanted a piece that resembled the feeling of confusion that I had when I was younger and didn't feel like I had a place in Asian or American culture. This piece is the one that will either be acrylic or watercolor, depending on which I like better. It will also be pretty small, since I want to be able to finish it quickly.

This is the final layout I chose for this piece. I went with the smaller person in the middle because I felt like it portrayed the feeling of being lost better.

This is kind of a mood board that I made while trying to figure out the Asian/American beauty standards piece. I know I want this one to be my self portrait but I also want it to be made out of magazines/other mixed media. I also want to try and include my red envelopes in this piece. (I might have to wait on it then because my family's Chinese New Year party is in the beginning of March and I want to get more envelopes before I start.) This entire idea is a jumbled up mess in my head and I'm still figuring it out, but I'm mostly focused on the first two projects in this post.