Down In The Valley

Down in the Valley was interesting as it included lyrics from Birmingham Jail. I had actually heard Down in the Valley before. I spoke to my mom about it and she sang it for me over the phone. This was quite interesting because it should me how American folk music had made its way into the Caribbean and though I may not have known it well my mom knew all the words.

As I listened to the Down in the Valley I though about this transfer of culture and it took me back home. Though it was in no way Caribbean music and the valleys in America are perhaps quite different, the idea of a valley to me took me home to the lush valleys of Dominica clothed in greenery and filled with water. I pictures the rivers and spring and contemplated the words to the song. I wanted to represent the idea of plants and water in my piece. I also found a sad and lonely undertone to song and decided to use only one leaf to symbolize this feeling and the dripping water and eye on the leaf which symbolizing tears and refection to bring across this idea of the somber and reflective tones in the song. I used prisma color pencils for this piece and it gave a nice aesthetic to the piece, from smooth lines to hash striking lines which I thought added character to the drawing.