Assigned during my 2D Design class, my midterm research paper, Claude Monet: Father of Impressionism, lightly explores this 2D artist’s biography, inspiration, and design elements behind two famous works: Camille Monet On Her Deathbed (1879) and Meadow with Poplars (1875). This paper was assigned by my professor with encouragement to pursue an unexplored 2D artist, in hopes of broadening our range of stylistic influences. Understanding this, I decided to research and write about Claude Monet, an artist I almost knew nothing about. After ample research and several stages of drafting and polishing, I submitted the paper. In correlation with the assignment’s instructions, this paper consists of an introduction, a biographical paragraph, a paragraph discussing the first artwork, a paragraph discussing the second artwork, a paragraph discussing inspiration, and lastly a conclusion.

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My starting objective for this paper was to make it well-rounded. Since it was assignment-focused, I aimed to incorporate smooth transitions between the biography, artwork analysis, and inspiration discussion, while keeping the conclusion interconnected yet intelligible. This would ensure a concise delivery to any reader, regardless of diverse knowledge on the subject being discussed. Extensive proofreading and evaluation of my writing kept me grounded and ensured that I would reach this goal. I took several days to polish and revise the final draft, altering any detail that did not support the primary thesis. After submitting my paper, my satisfaction with its cohesion served as proof of my accomplished goal.

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My second goal was to explore a previously unknown artist. Before this paper. I hadn’t spent much time exploring the impressionist style or its contributing artists. Thanks to my instructor, I was able to use this assignment as an opportunity to challenge myself and broaden my understanding of an art movement I hadn’t shown much interest in. I spent time researching then consulting scholarly sources, and even watched a multitude of videos to increase my overall understanding of the artist. I didn’t want to exclusively collect information for the purpose of my paper, but I wanted to truly understand Monet and how he kick-started the impressionist movement. The couple weeks I spent on pure research helped me to write about this previously unknown artist as if I’ve studied him the whole semester. Not only did I achieve my second goal with my newfound knowledge serving as proof, but I also developed a deep adoration of the impressionist movement within myself.

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Reflecting on my goals and their executions, I’d say time spent and attention to detail were my primary steps leading to achievement. Taking extra time to rely on research due to my unfamiliar subject allowed me to focus on retaining information to help convey my message in an effective and cohesive manner. If I were to do this assignment again, I would continue challenging the efficacy of my writing by exploring unfamiliar territory.