The Boat Building (Hartford Travel Series)

The Boat Building (Hartford Travel Series)

Design Details

  • Created by Katherine Barnett
  • Tools to create art and speed video: Adobe After Effects | Picture of The Boat Building| Sony Vegas | Paintshop Pro | Debut Video Capture | Windows Movie Maker |
  • Song in video: Band Hiatus (The Reflection) by Captive Portal

This design features The Boat Building (Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Building), located in Hartford, CT. You can find the building at 1 American Row.

I’m going to start writing this blog post before I start recording myself making the next design. I’ve had some trouble mixing my abstract drawings with landscape photos. It’s very difficult and I ran away from this challenge. I don’t have much skill drawing landscapes. One day I will… I still want to add something truly abstract in my work. I feel that’s the missing piece with my latest designs. It’s just so hard to create a nice blend. I do have to conquer this challenge. I have to create the right balance and if I don’t the whole design is chaos. I’ve been down that road with designs and it’s not good. So that’s what I’m going to do with the Boat Building. I have a vision of what I want this design to look like. I’m optimistic…


So I’m done and I’m so happy how this design turned out. Seems like I felt a real connection with this design. I wanted to create something that was the perfect blend of abstract and reality. I truly love blue… It’s on par with red. I can work with blue in every design I create. Adding my drawings creates a texture that I’m really starting to like. It’s very challenging to get a good balance and have everything be prominent. I hope I can continue making similar designs. Testing colors and textures. How I can incorporate my drawings into nature? All of this is just a crazy experiment. Distortion of reality through color. Adding different objects, mediums, colors, nature itself. This is why I love taking photos. I play with the elements of reality in every photograph. My drawings, nature, objects, patterns, etc… I get to capture a unique moment in time and create a different perspective using color. Color is a beautiful thing.

I gave myself a strict timeline to follow. I don’t want to push back any daily goals. I’ve done that and it’s not a pleasant feeling. I was surprised I finished this design by my deadline. I have to push myself to create good work in a short time. It’s very hard but I have to do this. I need to move forward.

Taking a slightly different turn…. Shortly after paying for a video ad and posting Municipal, I lost another subscriber. When I saw that two days ago, I started laughing. I thought it was interesting and very funny, in a strange way. I could be very upset but this seems to be the norm now. I found a new job recently. I didn’t want to talk about it because I don’t want to jinx myself. I had to complete a certification to stay employed. The job is hard for me and I feel a bit slow and idiotic not catching on as fast. However, I did pass the test and I am still working there. It’s not a job that I love but it’s slightly better than my previous job. My point is that there will always be adversity. This job will help me get a car. With that car, I can make more money to continue my dreams with this website. It is all about the color blends. The experiments… Everything I do is to reach Paris and become a successful artist.

I will implement every idea I have for this website and my dreams with color. Well… Unless something horrible happens beyond my control that prevents me from working. That is always a possibility in this world. It hurts when things don’t work out. When ideas fail to make a difference. When people see me as slow, a failure, or hate my work. I just have to continue my journey. I love my time creating this design and the challenge in making the music video. I think it’s one of my best. I don’t think I have a perfect video but this one, prequel, and synthesizer are my top favorites.

I do hope you enjoy my work as well.

At the end of this, and I forgot to mention my lovely experience taking this photo. I wanted to find a perfect spot to take the photo. When I first took it the photo is was around 3 pm on the 3/13/17. The area has an interesting intersection. It looks like the boat building was perfectly centered in alignment with the area. The centerfold… But of course, it’s all about the angles. It’s a beautiful scene. Landscapes…. Perceptions…. Different Realities… Etc. Lots of ellipses. I love ellipses. I’m intrigued by design. Architecture is amazing! You’re literally shaping nature with tools found in nature. It’s incredible. You can really go into unknown depths with architecture design. I love it. It’s a secret love. I don’t talk about it too often. Anywhere. Everything plays a factor. Think about how the Boat Building would look in a thunderstorm. It would be incredible! Very dramatic colors to work with. I love it… The possibilities with nature are endless. Each second is a unique moment in nature. It’s amazing.

Well… I need to go now. The time is now…

Katherine