My object for this assignment is a handmade souvenir from the first time I went to New York City. I have a hobby of collecting different kinds of handmade souvenirs when I go to new places, and this one of my favorites.

This souvenir is about 16 inches long, 20 inches tall and about half an inch wide. It is composed of a canvas-like base, secured to a wood-like frame by 38 silver staples. This frame contains 8 slots carved into each corner, is smooth to the touch, and is multiple shades of beige. The bare base is rough to the touch, almost like sandpaper, and is white in color. Multiple edges of this base are scuffed up due to years of wear and tear, and even contain traces of blue and black splattered paint. There is also the presence of a pear-like glob of black paint, which seems to have seeped onto the back of the canvas while the painting was wet. The backing of the canvas base is actually hair-like to the touch and softer compared to the rigid front. It is an off-white beige color. In the bottom left hand corner of the backing, the canvas has been torn to reveal a glimpse of the wooden frame beneath. On the top right corner, the canvas seems to be folded upwards and crushed into place. Also, the upper left corner has a looser piece of canvas that may not have been stapled down entirely before being sold.

On each of the four sides of the canvas, there are multiple spots where the paint has thinned or worn off. Here, You can see the bits of white canvas peeking out from underneath the heavy black paint. If you look closely, the pattern on the canvas resembles that of a grid, or collection of pixels on a computer screen.

When looking at the front of the souvenir, there is a vast image with many intricate details forming that of a painting. Even after years of use, the painting still smells like that of spray-paint. On the bottom of this painting, there are multiple colors like violet, pink, orange and yellow that create somewhat of a light reflection on water effect, just like the ocean during a sunset. These lines are streaky, as if a finger or paintbrush were used to smooth out the color gradient. This part of the painting also feels rough and rigid like sandpaper. In the middle of the painting, there is a black silhouette of a figure holding up a torch like object. It can be inferred that this represents the statue of Liberty. Around this statue lies a bright white glow, which is reflected in the “water” in the lower half of the painting. Behind the statue lies a bridge like structure, composed of many small blue and white lines, creating a grid-like pattern. These lines look as if they were created by a small palette knife. The bridge connects to an area that appears to be a cluster of buildings. These buildings have the same detailing as the bridge but are all presented in different sizes and shapes. Some are cylindrical, some are rectangular, and some resemble buildings like the Empire State Building and the One World Trade Center. These buildings also have a three dimensional texture outlining them. Across the top of the painting there is a rainbow streak in the sky, that looks as if a paper towel was swiped across it. It seems to represent some sort of galaxy above the city, where there are also a series of white splattered dots representing stars. Lastly, at the top of the painting, there are two north star like objects, one white in color with a pink background and the other with a blue background. There also lies a large circular, planet like figure in the upper left corner of the painting. This planet is rainbow in color with a patchy surface and a blue and pink outline. Overall, this painting is not only pleasant to look at, but represents an important memory in my life.