2023: Upward Bound Trip – The Dakota, Strawberry Fields, Imagine, and John Lennon
We continued our journey by heading toward Central Park, getting off the bus near The Dakota, a historic apartment building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The Dakota is famously known as the residence where John Lennon lived and tragically lost his life in 1980. Just steps away in Central Park, Strawberry Fields was created as a living tribute to Lennon, designed to reflect his vision of peace and harmony. This serene, 2.5-acre section of the park features the iconic “Imagine” mosaic, a circular tile design gifted by the city of Naples, Italy, which invites visitors to reflect on Lennon’s legacy and the message of his song, “Imagine.” Surrounded by trees, flowers, and benches, Strawberry Fields has become a gathering place for fans and a poignant reminder of Lennon’s enduring influence on music, art, and the global peace movement.
For this spread, I chose background paper with green dots, as it reminded me of unripe strawberries, tying into the theme of Strawberry Fields. The graphic of John Lennon and the “dreamer” quote was originally one image that I imported into Cricut Design Space and then split in half for the layout. The John Lennon silhouette is cut in reverse, with the black layer placed behind the light brown matting, adding depth to the design. This same technique was used for the “Imagine” title. The right-hand side features elements drawn with the pen feature of my Cricut Maker, including Lennon’s signature and his iconic self-portrait graphic that he often included with his autograph.
The photos on the right-hand side depict The Dakota building, while the left-hand side showcases images of Strawberry Fields, including our group gathered around the “Imagine” mosaic. Although we visited The Dakota first before entering Central Park, I arranged the photos in this order as it felt more cohesive for the layout. To finish the spread, I added a brown border adorned with musical notes, referencing John Lennon’s legendary musical career and tying the design together.
Click the video below to watch the composition of this spread:
Categories: 2023, History Museum, Upward Bound Trip 2023
MASCrapping 