The dark surrounding of the trees and the night sky made the fireflies, that were escaping their jar, look more illuminated than they already were. It made them seem life like. The two men in the middle, creating music by a fire they made, were lit up by the moonlight hitting their faces. The lake behind them lightened the entire mood. There I was taking in the painting before me. I saw how simple this painting was, but to me it had a much deeper meaning.

The art piece I chose at our local art museum was named “We R Us.” Nate Luetgers, a local artist in our community, created this piece. He had many pieces on display. All of the pieces had similar depictions. They all had people creating music.

Music has a great impact on me. I listen to songs everyday. When I hear a new song that I like, it brings me so much joy. I want to continue to listen to it again and again. The more I listen to a song the more meaning it gives me. With this painting I wanted to continueously look at it becuase of how much joy it brought me.

When I saw the picture I imagined myself in it. I could hear the songs and the crackling of the fire. The animals were stirring. I could hear frogs croaking, deer crunching leaves, and loons off in the distance. I could see the moonlight on the lake, the fireflies escaping the jar, and the wilderness around me. I could feel myself in the painting. It gave me a sense of comfort.  

I’m from northern Minnesota, so I’m very familiar with the outdoors. I spend a large amount of my time doing outdoor activities. In every season I desire to be outdoors enjoying the scenery. My favorite time of the year is right before fall towards the end of summer. The painting’s setting felt to me that it was this time of year. The temperatures get cooler; the nights get longer.

The painting gave me a huge sense of familiarity. I love sitting around a bonfire chatting, eating, or singing. Bonfires are the kitchen tables of the outdoors; It’s a great way to become closer with family and friends. Joining in on a song we all know is a great moment we all share. Making s’mores together and seeing who has the best marshmallow is great bonding time. As I imagined myself in the painting, I could taste the sweetness of the s’mores and smell the burning wood.. There are always great memories made during bonfires. The great memories are the ones we’ll remember forever!

As I continued to look at this painting, it gave me a deeper meaning. The fireflies were my main focus. At first glance they were little bright spots on the painting, but as I looked deeper I saw that they were much more. The fireflies reminded me of myself. The way they were escaping their jar is like the way I escape societies rules. In the world I live there are many judgmental people. I’ve gotten judged for being too short, too fat, or too nice. I have heard these judgments many times. I try to get away from judgement by not allowing myself to be judgemental. I always try to never judge people before I know them. I never want others to feel the way I do when I am judged.

Life would be so much simpliler if we weren’t judgemental. We wouldn’t feel inferior to others, the way I felt when I was judged just yesterday for having divorced parents. Right away the person who was judging assumed I had a hard home life, and that they had a better life than me. I instantly felt less than them. I felt as though they were better. If I wasn’t judged that day, I would have had one less stressful situation during the day.

The darkness of the trees around the painting is the way I feel after being judged. I feel sadness a lot of times. Other times I feel lost or scared. No one wants to feel this way. Ever. Being sad, lost, or scared because of what others think of you is never okay. The lightness of the lake in the back represents the way I pick myself up. Learning how to pick myself up after being brought down is so important. I learned how to help myself through my hard times. Light is brought on by continuing on and not staying in the dark.

Having people around me who help me through hard situations is a blessing. The two men in the middle playing music together reminded me of the people in my life. I am so thankful for the people around me. My friends are there for me during dumb drama or hard schoolwork. My family is there for me to support and help make tough decisions. My coaches and teachers are there to push me to always do my best. Without these people, my life would be so much harder. They make my life simpler. The connectedness the two men in the painting have is the way I am connected to my friends and family.

Paintings are like windows into the artist’s life, giving us a glimpse into their views about the world. Their views ultimately have a deeper meaning, which can speak to all of us. I chose this specific piece of art because it spoke to me the way music speaks to people, speaking the language of emotions.