Introduction



When looking at an image, I ask myself three questions to develop an explanation about it:

· What do I see?

· What do I feel?

· What do I think?



I may look deeper into the image to look for words or symbols.  What I see, feel, and think is based on my perception and reception of the visual elements in the image, which is based on my culture, history, what I already know about the world, along with my personal tastes, interests, and habits.   

The purpose of this blog is to analyze examples of visual rhetoric and provide me with the experience to explore if there a right or wrong interpretation when an image is presented with or without words.  When an image is presented without words, there is an opportunity for many interpretations, which maybe the writer’s purpose.  When the purpose is to inform the audience with an explanation and show a relationship with an image, words can make a story become very clear and provide an accurate understanding of the image.  I think a writer may sway the audience and demand an emotional appeal with or without text. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds for me during this term.


Who Am I?   


Fig. 1. Jessica and Justin MacLean
(from the personal files of Cinthia MacLean).

 

The best expression of me is through my two wonderful children who taught me to be open minded and flexible about everyday life. They thrive on two of my best attributes:  creativity and academics.  The two images (see Fig. 1) show my daughter, Jessica, and my son, Justin when they were younger (1995) and now (2009).  I chose to include these images because both Jessica and Justin show flexibility and respect for each other’s strongest attribute—Justin allowed Jessica to show her creativity through face painting in 1995 and Jessica experienced the academic life with Justin on campus for a few days in 2009 (which he included the understanding of academic expression of the unique artwork displayed around campus).  

Jessica is the artist and Justin is the academic—they have the attributes I juggle with everyday!  Do I go bohemian to creatively express myself or academically challenge myself to work on a Masters’ degree?  As we continue to grow and exploit our individual attributes, we support and respect each other—no one is right or wrong in our little world!