Dark Earthly Whimsical & Project Plans

I think my personal aesthetic is something like Dark Earthly Whimsical, this doesn’t necessarily capture my own aesthetic but it is one that I always come back to over and over again. This aesthetic means a lot to me because of the movie Coraline. This movie has been my favorite movie for as long as I can remember. I came home everyday after school in elementary and would watch Coraline over and over again non stop. I would watch this and eat chips and queso from HEB. I still do this today sometimes. Something about this movie was so captivating to me. I think it was how eerie and uncanny it all was it made me happy in a way, the stop motion is also a reason why I think. I was never scared of this movie like my friends were. Coraline is still my favorite movie and I can watch it and say every single word in the script the whole movie. This movie is ultimate childhood to me and I love everything about it.

Dark Earthly Whimsical Aesthetic

The aesthetic of Coraline is a mesmerizing blend of dark fantasy, whimsy, and stop motion surrealism, creating a world that is both enchanting and deeply unsettling. The film thrives on contrasts like the dull, muted tones of Coraline’s real world make the vibrant hues of the Other World feel like a dream, drawing both Coraline and the audience into its carefully crafted illusion. But beneath its inviting surface, the Other World carries an eerie artificiality, where everything feels just a little too perfect, hinting at the sinister truth lurking beneath. This balance between coziness and unease is what defines Coraline’s visual storytelling, where handcrafted textures like knitted sweaters, stitched dolls, and wooden furniture give the world a tangible, almost folk like charm, yet reinforce the feeling that everything has been made to manipulate and deceive. Other World distorts reality in a way that feels both magical and nightmarish. The button eyed doppelgängers, shifting landscapes, and hidden passageways evoke classic fairy tale horror, reminiscent of old folklore where seemingly kind forces reveal their true darkness. As the illusion unravels, the rich, warm colors of the Other World drain away, leaving behind a lifeless, web void, emphasizing themes of entrapment and deception and show the true evil side of the Other Mother. These unsettling transformations, paired with stop motion’s inherent ability to make movements feel just slightly unnatural, make Coraline’s aesthetic uniquely haunting. It’s a world of beautiful nightmares, one that seduces with its whimsy but lingers in the mind as something far more sinister.

Main Project Plans

For my main project I do not plan on using this Dark Earthly Whimsical Aesthetic. I love to make matcha tea and I think the craft of it is so beautiful and delicious. I recently got a new matcha making set and have been keeping it all in my drawers in my kitchen. I think the set is so aesthetically pleasing to keep stored away in a dark place. For my main project, I want to make my own little matcha stand/station. With this project, I will draw my inspiration from the Japandi and Minimalistic Zen aesthetics.

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