Karen Summey - Instructional Graphics

Karen P. Summey
Conover, North Carolina
828.466.1822
karen@karensummey.com

Education - Instructional Graphics - Sample

This sample graphic was produced using Adobe Photoshop 5.0.2. The large globe in the background was taken from a clip art file, filtered to blur all boundary lines, and placed on a gradient background of blue to yellow. The uplifted hand, grayed-out human images, and icon of Christ were also taken from clip art files. The elongated cross was drawn directly onto the image, using the tool box available in Photoshop. And finally, the human subjects were "dropped out" of separate photographs and placed in the foreground of the final product.

In addition to developing the graphic, it was also required to write an interpretive piece about a classmate's self-portrait - and our own. Have you figured out my meaning? If you'd like the original, intended answer, read on.

My thought processes in developing my self-portrait were:

Every being has a worldview that begins with one's own senses. The person who wishes to be useful to self and others must examine those senses, take charge of them, and then take action to live a full and rewarding life.

As an individual, I determine how I will live - and to some extent how I will die. The beginning of that is to live as a child of God, always mindful that I am subject to a higher power who desires my worship, praise, and obedience. The omnipotent and omnipresent God watches over me every moment. The crown of thorns reminds me that Jesus Christ died for me that I might have eternal life. It reminds me, too, that I am a sinner in need of forgiveness. There is no other image that can be clearer than this. The outstretched hand symbolizes my need for divine guidance.

As a social being, my most important role is to be a wife. My husband of 20 years, James, stands behind me and supports me in everything I do - and I do the same for him. We have a deep and abiding respect for one another, and we try to keep Christ at the center. We know each other better than anyone else in the world, and we each strive to love and serve for mutual happiness.

Beyond my marriage, I am a daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, friend, co-worker, and citizen. Immediate family alone accounts for 25 people. While they are important in my life, I can never know them as fully as my own adult household. And beyond them, the world is completely uncertain.

As a citizen, I consider myself fortunate to live in the United States, where I have great freedom. Yet, those freedoms seem now to be in some jeopardy as the threat of terrorism continues to plague us. As the world continues to change, borders are blurring: people can communicate easily around the world, international travel and world trade are routine, and everything moves faster. If not for faith, and the knowledge that God still holds us all in His hands, it might be very frightening.