Hanna Kownacki

October 18, 2022

Academic Achievements

My personal achievement was done in grade 11. The class I chose as my socials class was called
Comparative Cultures and it was an engaging class that was exactly what it says it is. We compared
different cultures, discussed politics, diversity, and worldwide problems. The whole point of that class
was to find what it truly means to be Canadian. One unit we went over in that class was the history of
Canada and how it affects us in present times. Each person was chosen a topic like the progression of
art, food, politics, religion, government in Canadian history. I chose the topic of art, particularly
paintings. Art has always been a part of my life and so I wanted to learn more about Canadian art.

I made my project in a way that impressed the teacher. I bought two poster boards and canvas
paper and got to work. I replicated the artwork of many famous Canadian Artists including Emily Carr,
Cornelius Krieghoff and many others. We all had to make a presentation of some sort with short,
important information. I made my presentation look like a miniature version of an art gallery. I stayed up
late painting all the little replicas of the famous paintings and added a short blurb about why they are
relevant.

This project was worthwhile for me because not only did I get a great mark, but I also had the
teacher ask me to keep my project and use it as an example for his future classes. This project helped
me realize that the more passionate I am about a project, the more effort I put in and the better marks I
get. I have the full potential to create something that goes above and beyond.

In the process of making the little paintings and researching about the famous artists and their
relevance to Canadian history, I found that my painting skills improved. I was able to practice abstract,
realism, landscapes, and indigenous type of paintings that got me out of my comfort zone. These skills
and knowledge gained from this project helped me become a better painter and remember that it is
good to get out of my comfort zone and to try something different. I hope that as I get older, I will still
be able to make time for painting and if I decide to, I might pursue art as a career.

I was challenged when I had to paint a picture of a person. It was not my best art piece, but I still
tried to make it look like the original painting and somewhat succeeded. I struggle painting people and
so choosing that painting to replicate made me uneasy. With that in mind, I had low hopes for the
results. After almost giving up many times, I would put it to the side and come back to it after every
other painting in hopes of being able to see it in a new light and fix it. I believe that that painting was the
last painting that was finished out of all of them. I am still not a fan of how it turned out, but I know that
if I keep practicing that I can get better.

This project brought me out of my comfort zone and taught me that if I put effort into anything I
can make it amazing, not only that but practice is the best way to improve. I hope to include painting in
my future and use the lessons I learned and add them to my present and future classes.