this is my concentration for my ap art portfolio (senior year). if you would like to learn more about this portfolio, click here.
2017 - age 18
mixed media and encaustics on live edge wood
various sizes (~12 diameter / 12 x 12 for the rectangular pieces)
challenge: in a series of 12 pieces, depict how you investigated a specific visual idea. to learn more about the concentration piece of the portfolio, click here.
2017 - age 18
acrylic, gouache, ink
18 x 24
this is my concentration for my ap art portfolio. if you would like to learn more about this portfolio, click here.
2016 - age 17
mixed media on scratchboard
9 x 12 (all)
class: ap art
challenge: in a series of 12 pieces, depict how you investigated a specific visual idea. to learn more about the concentration piece of the portfolio, click here.
we're synergic (#7) is a scholastic art awards national silver key award winner
2017 - age 18
linoleum cut reduction print
limited edition print
12 x 16
purple: 5 prints
grey: 4 prints
green: 5 prints
2017 - age 18
acrylic, ink, gouache
18 x 24
2015 - age 16
illustrator
class: wellness
challenge: to summarize and apply the knowledge you have learned about the dimensions of wellness, you will choose a dimension that is most meaningful to you in your life and represent its meaning through the creation of your own infographic. you want to convey a healthy message that will impact the school or community in a positive way.
click here to see the sketches
2016 - age 17
watercolor
18 x 18
class: ap art
challenge: create a watercolor of the skeleton still life that was set up in the classroom. be sure to consider the composition.
2016 - age 18
books, wire, led lights, cacti
48 x 24 x 12
class: senior studios
challenge: create a book that is altered, amended and/or transformed with original drawings, collages, tears and cuts to create a one of a kind work of art. structural changes may include altering the binding, adding extensions, fold-outs and pockets in which materials can be added.
statement: in this piece, i aim to speak to something deep within all of us: the unfulfilled longing that lies at the heart of the human experience. the man suspended between two contrasting scenes represents its inescapability and the inevitability. this type of longing comes in many forms, and can represent anything. we may attach such longing to a person or object, whether it be from our past or future. or, we may experience it as a nonspecific, vague restlessness that lingers like mist. But, whatever that longing represents, we will pursue it despite the fact that it will never be fulfilled. even when attached to a person, object, or outcome, the feeling is greater than the individual; it’s inherent to the human condition. regardless of its association, unfulfilled longing is the manifestation of a cosmic force larger than we are.
2017 - age 18
monotype printing, illustrator
class: graphic design 2
challenge: redesign three book covers using repetition, typography, and simplicity.
2017 - age 18
encaustic
each piece is 8 x 8
2016 - age 17
acrylic paint and house paint on recycled pallets
class: senior studios
challenge: your departure point is “larger than life.” what does it mean to you? will your piece be “larger than life”? Will the subject be “larger than life”? is it the concept that is “larger than life”? does it fill a wall? is if 2d, 3d or an installation? your surface can be a large roll of paper, wooden panel, refrigerator sized box, canvas OR any other large surface. you choose the medium . enlarge your subject dramatically. consider ones that would transcend reality on a larger scale (insects, household objects, flowers, bobby pins...anything). what are your trying to communicate about your subject?
i used zhenya gershman as inspiration for this project. read her interview that inspired me to make this piece.
2016 - age 17
white charcoal on black paper
18 x 24
class: senior studios
challenge: italian for “light-dark,” the term describes the subtle use of tonal gradations from rich darks to bright highlights to convey the illusion of light from a particular source illuminating the subject. the style, characterized by the use of dramatic light sources on dark backgrounds, created high contrast imagery and 3d form. it was used by renaissance artists, rembrandt, da vinci and caravaggio, among others.
create your own chiaroscuro self portrait in which 1/3 of the face is in light.
2016 - age 17
charcoal
18 x 24
class: boston university visul arts summer institute
2016 - age 17
made completely out of plastic bags
class: senior studios
challenge: create a sculpture using one ordinary object repeated and joined multiple times to transform the familiar into something new and unexpected.
this is a life size kemp's ridley sea turtle. their main causes of death are entanglement in fishing nets and the ingestion of plastic.
this piece is part of medicine wheel 25: a day without art. read more about the mission here.
2016 - age 17
acrylic and black marker
4 ' x 4 '
challenge: create a 4 foot by 4 foot panel to become part of a mural to line the walls of the cyclorama at the boston center for the arts. work should be based in bearing witness, testimony, remembrance, love, loss, longing and survival. limited palette of black and red.
in the background, i repeated a quote from a prayer for owen meany. read the quote below:
“when someone you love dies, and you’re not expecting it, you don’t lose her all at once; you lose her in pieces over a long time — the way the mail stops coming, and her scent fades from the pillows and even from the clothes in her closet and drawers. gradually, you accumulate the parts of her that are gone. just when the day comes — when there’s a particular missing part that overwhelms you with the feeling that she’s gone, forever — there comes another day, and another specifically missing part.”
2017 - age 18
illustrator
class: graphic design 2
challenge: create an infographic presenting information about the united states government.
2016 - age 17
ink, charcoal, gouache
9 x 12 (all)
class: senior studios
challenge: during the course of ap art, what did you discover and become passionate about through your art making? was it a particular concept? subject matter? media? technique? where did you start to find your personal voice? where did you find your strengths? did you fall in love with surfaces? layering? color relationships? textures? a particular subject matter? the lusciousness of paint? explore your passion.
2016 - age 17
acrylic paint and charcoal
18 x 24
class: boston university visual arts summer institute
2016 - age 17
acrylic paint, charcoal, torn paper
18 x 24
class: boston university visual arts summer institute
2016 - age 17
ink on gesso
18 x 24
created for the inspired by olmsted contest.
"on august 25, 2016 we celebrate the 100th birthday of the national park service (nps) and its founding law, the 1916 organic act. the year-long celebration of nps's centennial aims to engage the next generation of park visitors, supporters, and advocates. we at frederick law olmsted national historic site invite local high school students to play a role in this centennial year by helping us honor the importance of the organic act, authored in significant part by frederick law olmsted, jr.
"to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."
-frederick law olmsted, jr.
1916 organic act, section 1
these words are considered the mission statement of the national park service.
how do olmsted, jr.'s words inspire you?"
2016 - age 17
oil paint
11 x 14
class: boston university visual arts summer institute
2016 - age 17
oil paint
9 x 12
class: boston university visual arts summer institute
2016 - age 17
oil paint
9 x 12
class: boston university visual arts summer institute
2016 - age 17
oil paint
9 x 12
class: boston university visual arts summer institute
challenge: arrange a still life using a fruit and a background of the opposite color.
2016 - age 17
sculpture - resin, polymer clay, rocks
6" diameter opening, 8" diameter at widest point
class: ap art
challenge: create a physical or metaphorical representation of containment. the final product must be a sculpture.
in this piece, i painted the inuit symbol inukshuk on the backs of the bears. according to the inukshuk gallery, "inukshuk, the singular of inuksuit, means "in the likeness of a human" in the inuit language. they are monuments made of unworked stones that are used by the Inuit for communication and survival. the traditional meaning of the inukshuk is "someone was here" or "you are on the right path."
2016 - age 17
mixed media
16 x 20
class: ap art
challenge: create a still life painting or drawing by utilizing many mediums and working on top of a ground. Make sure to convey the textures of the objects in the setup.
2016 - age 17
16 x 20
oil paint
class: boston university visual arts summer institute
2016 - age 17
vine and compressed charcoal
18 x 24
class: boston university visual arts summer institute
2016 - age 17
ink applied to drawing paper with stick
18 x 24
class: boston university visual arts summer institute
2016 - age 17
oil paint
9 x 12
class: boston university visual arts summer institute
2016 - age 17
oil paint
9 x 12
class: boston university visual arts summer institute
2015 - age 16
acrylic paint
12 x 16
class: ap art
challenge: create a fast acrylic painting of one of the still lives in class. the base color should be the compliment of the main color in your chosen still life. then, create a basic 'sketch' of your still life with black paint, and then create a value underpainting. once that is complete, begin the final painting with "true to life" colors. make sure that there is at least one reflective surface in your view, and at least 3 different colors of paper on the table.
2016 - age 17
vine charcoal
18 x 24
class: boston university visual arts summer institute
2016 - age 17
vine charcoal
18 x 24
class: boston university visual arts summer institute
2016 - age 17
oil paint
9 x 12
class: boston university visual arts summer institute
black sketchbook:
2015 - age 15
9 x 12 x 1.5
this sketchbook was used for my ap art class.
red sketchbook:
2016 - age 17
9 x 12 x 1.5
this sketchbook was used for my senior studios class.
2016 - age 17
piece 1: masking tape on recycled paper
pieces 2 and 3: vine charcoal
piece 1: 8 x 10
pieces 2 and 3: 18 x 24
class: boston university visual arts summer institute
2016 - age 17
acrylic paint, torn paper, and tape on cardboard
18 x 24
class: boston university visual arts summer institute
2016 - age 17
acrylic
16 x 20
class: ap art
this piece was originally going to be part of my ap concentration, but i decided to change directions with the series. this piece now stands alone.
sculpture
24 x 4
class: ap art
challenge: make a name tag for yourself that reveals a part of you as a person.
2015 - age 16
oil paint
individual: 8 x 10
together: 16 x 10
class: ap art
challenge: a diptych is a work that consists of two leaves or pieces
that are usually hinged together. you will create two works that relate to each other, and are viewed as one piece. Your diptych will have a concept that will evoke thoughtful reactions from the viewer.
for my diptych, i explored the relationship between mother an daughter through the cats i had recently adopted. i attempted to show the similarities and differences between the two and evoke an emotional familial response.
2015 - age 16
watercolor
18 x 24
class: ap art
challenge: series of 12 miniature drawings of an object
investigate the object from a series of sides, angles and distances.
make a grid with 12 squares. consider different options for establishing a grid.
designate no more than 5% of the entire piece with white. (reserve the white for the brightest, brightest, brightest highlights.)
push your darkest-darks so your object and lights pop out.
vary line weight. (don't flatten your piece by enclosing the object in a heavy outline).
consider the balance of the piece as a whole.
2016 - age 17
acrylic
18 x 25
class: ap art
challenge: create a visual representation of a headache.
2016 - age 17
charcoal
18 x 24
class: ap art
challenge: create a charcoal drawing of a still life or portrait using a reduction technique.
2014 - age 15
mixed media
size
class: art 2
challenge: create a final mixed media piece that addresses, interprets, and explores the word chosen in class.
word: escape
scholastic art awards gold key winner
2016 - age 17
acrylic
9 x 12
class: ap art
this piece was originally going to be part of my ap concentration, but i decided to change directions with the series. this piece now stands alone.
2015 - age 16
oil paint
11 x 14
class: ap art
challenge:
find a location that is all your own . . .
it can be indoors or out.
you will explore that setting in a media of your choice
backing must be at least 9"x 12."
criteria:
an apparent emotional and significant connection with your scene.
a strong sense of natural light
a naturally balanced composition with a clear focal point.
a work that is of equal integrity.
2015 - age 16
mixed media (primarily acrylic paint)
18 x 20
class: ap art
challenge:
2015 - age 16
colored pencil
9 x 12
class: ap art
challenge: one finished piece, in a media of your choice, any size
you must:
respond to the title creatively
start with thumbnails
work from observation
have a strong, convincing light source
2016 - age 17
charcoal
36 x 48
class: boston university visual arts summer institute
2015 - age 16
colored pencil
18 x 24
class: art 2
challenge: create a detailed, well-executed, and proportional still life drawing of objects grouped together thematically and set up in the room with a strong light source. in order to create a sense of 3D form, select specific colored pencils (both light and dark) that work with your toned paper to achieve a range of values. use that range and layer the colored pencil to render the objects, demonstrating color as value and using value to give depth, space, and form. work with thumbnails to choose a composition that includes a challenging viewpoint, leads the viewer in, finds a balance between using edges and giving a sense of depth and space.
while the emphasis is on technically translating the forms correctly and proportionally, be encouraged to explore physical mark-making in this drawing in order to make it your own. this includes hatching with the layering of colored pencil, using a fluid, gestural line as a contour, or playing with other marks to extend the rendering of forms.
click here to see the planning and studies.
2014 - age 15
adobe illustrator
design used to create a rubber stamp
2016 - age 17
adobe illustrator
these are 2 versions of a logo made for the band luminescence. the top image is the final logo, and the second image is a t shirt design.
visit their website here.
2015 - age 16
graphite, graphite and acrylic paint
16 x 20
the south sudanese girl was created for the canvas peace project, a foundation that raises money and awareness for the women and children in south sudan.
inspired by michael shapcott
click here to see the sketches
2015 - age 17
adobe illustrator and adobe photoshop
this icon was created in light of the paris attacks on november, 13 2015. it was created in order to demonstrate that the only way to overcome such adversity is with love, not hate. the sign language symbol in this icon is the symbol for love.
2015 - age 16
illustrator / photoshop
low poly is short for low polygon. low poly is a polygon mesh primarily used in 3D computer graphics that has a relatively small number of polygons. low poly meshes occur in real-time applications (e.g. games) and contrast with high poly meshes in animated movies and special effects.
2015 - age 16
mixed media
9 x 12
class: ap art
challenge: create a piece based on a location that is special to you.
2016 - age 17
adobe illustrator
design used for a t shirt for a high school acapella group called the subway dwarves.
check out their facebook here.
2015 - age 16
oil paint
9 x 12
class: ap art
challenge: respond to one or more of the provided questions visually. consider concept and composition.
2016 - age 17
marker
9 x 24
t shirt commission
2014 - age 15
illustrator
class: graphic design 1
challenge: using only text, create an animal out of the first letter of that animal.
based off of the book alphabeasties and other amazing types by sharon werner and sarah forss. learn more about the book here.
piece displayed at needham's annual art in bloom show. to learn more about art in bloom, visit their website or facebook page.
The photo below the owl is from the art in bloom exhibit from march 2015. the flower arrangement is the artist's interpretation of the piece.
2015 - age 16
colored pencil
18 x 24
class: art 2
challenge: create a self portrait in colored pencil that addresses the following:
1. filling up the frame of the paper format in a successful, interesting way
with a specific emotion in mind
2. carving out the form and accurately portraying proportions, values, and form (by using a strong light source)
3. including texture, hatching, or other mark making to increase the overall interest of the piece
2015 - age 16
chalk pastel
class: art 2
challenge: create a non-realistic drawing in colored chalk pastels that invokes a specific emotion or feeling.
-“draw” upon your own experiences for this piece, using your memories to help you visualize what your emotions “look like.”
-translate your concept to the viewer through your forms, shapes, color, line, and texture
-mark-making, layering/overlapping of forms, and integration of line and gesture are required
2015 - age 16
acrylic paint
class: art 2
challenge: create a sketch of a still life in 10 minutes. paint a value underpainting in 20 minutes using white, raw sienna, and burnt umber. add color and detail to the value painting in 20 minutes.
total time: 50 minutes
2015 - age 16
illustrator
class: graphic design 1
challenge: design a cd cover for a christmas album
2015 - age 16
photoshop
class: graphic design 1
challenge: create an interesting stamp series of 3 based on a significant historical event or historical figure. each stamp should represent your person or event based on the following three approaches: typography, repetition, simplicity.
2015 - age 16
photoshop
album cover for owen anderson - visit his soundcloud here.
owen is also a member of lost & found. visit the band's facebook and soundcloud.
this is not a real album. it was a gift to someone. the name is taken from a jack johnson song, better together.
2014 - age 15
colored pencil, micron pen
class: art 1
challenge: draw a blind contour of your face. break up the contour into sections and fill in sections with color, black and white, and a combination of both.
2015 - age 16
mixed media (primarily acrylic paint)
12 x 18
class: art 2
challenge: repeat one geometric shape to create a good, interesting composition
2015 - age 16
illustrator
character design
2015 - age 16
illustrator
“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.”
-Washington Irving
2015 - age 16
illustrator
this is a letter i sent out to my friends and family in order to raise money for the american cancer society's relay for life. this year, i tried to use some graphic design knowledge to create a visually appealing letter as opposed to a standard email. the white version is meant for printing, and the green version is intended for digital use.
2015 - age 16
illustrator
class: graphic design 1
challenge: create a logo for yourself using your initials. once you have created a logo, edit the design using the strategies listed: detachment, touching, overlapping, union, transparent intersection, intersection.
2015 - age 16
16 x 24
acrylic
class: art 2
challenge: create a piece that embodies the own your peace/piece ideals
see the plain black and white portrait here.
"she underestimated just who she was stealing from"
"own your peace is about a community defined by its commitment to care. Through the years, residents have stepped forward to offer comfort, support, and expertise to build a resilient, progressive and caring environment. our volunteer, public service, education, faith, and local business communities have always taken action, especially in times of challenge.
in keeping with this spirit of community activism, students at the local high school created a series of events they named “own your peace-piece”. When you own your peace you understand and respect who you are, and you find healthy ways to persevere through the adversity you face. when you own your piece, you recognize the struggles of others in your community and reach out to help."
click here to see the sketches
2014 - age 16
illustrator
design contest entry for the pep rally t-shirt for the class of 2017. unfortunately, i did not win, but it was a good learning experience. i plan on submitting again next november.
2015 - age 16
illustrator
this is a poster i created in order to spread the word about the canvas peace project in the art department of my school.
the canvas peace project is a foundation that raises money and awareness for the women and children in south sudan.
my submission for this gallery was the south sudanese girl.
2015 - age 16
adobe illustrator
this was a logo i created for the cruise holidays calgary.
visit their website here.
2015 - age 16
adobe illustrator
this was a logo i created for someone's birthday party.
2014 - age 16
illustrator
class: graphic design 1
challenge: create a pattern using your first or both your first and last initial.
2015 - age 16
illustrator
class: graphic design 1
challenge: create a t-shirt design of your choice - one color
2015 - age 16
illustrator
project: brand identity
client: style & skulls: samantha cooper
style & skulls needed a unique visual identity that would represent her fashion photography and public relations / marketing in fashion. i designed an elegant brand logo that communicates her love for fashion but also incorporate her love for delicate sugar skulls.
2014 - age 16
illustrator
class: graphic design 1
challenge: re-design the cover of the absolutely true diary of a part time indian by sherman alexie.
read more about the book here.
visit sherman alexie's website here.
scholastic art awards silver key winner
2015 - age 16
illustrator
class: graphic design 1
challenge: design the front and back of a playing card using nothing but typography. your design will include the integration of alphabetical and numerical systems and should be based on the one type face in which you’ve researched. your design should be sensitive to the history of the font chosen and highlight its best features.
2015 - age 16
illustrator
class: graphic design 1
challenge: re-design a hershey's candy wrapper based on an art movement.
art movement: renewable energy sculpture
2014 - age 15
watercolor on aquabord
16 x 20
she made broken look beautiful and strong look invincible. she walked with the weight of the universe on her shoulders and made it look like a pair of wings.
2014 - age 16
colored pencil, micron pen
class: art 2
challenge: create a detailed, well composed, modified contour drawing of dissected squash, pumpkins, or other vegetables from observation using sharpie marker, varying your line width, and researching/applying cross contour and visual textures to enrich the drawing quality. afterwards, consider how to pull the viewer into the drawing by selecting to emphasize one area with color or other methods. ground your drawing by placing it in space with a foreground and background relationship.
2014 - age 15
charcoal
9 x 12 each
class: art 2
challenge: practice foreshortening by drawing your hands from observation.
2015 - age 16
illustrator
project: logo design
client: lost & found
lost & found is a musical group available for public and private events in the boston area. check out their facebook page here.
2014 - age 15
micron pen, sharpie
7.25 x 7.25
class: art 2
challenge: in drawing, the line, shapes, forms and other elements--as well as the physical movements we use to create them--change the plastic, 2D surface to one that is alive. the surface becomes an area where different types of energy or states are visualized and experienced by the viewer. we employ different techniques, compositional devices, and elements to communicate these kinds of states to the viewer, depending on what we want them to interpret. likewise, combining more than one element so that they share the surface creates relationships, since the viewer will psychologically connect them together.
using pencil and then sharpie marker, create one small drawing that visually describes one of the following dynamic relationships:
tension (a strained state or condition resulting from forces acting in opposition to each other; dynamic or vibrating quality)
equilibrium (a state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced; a calm state; a state in which a process and its reverse are occurring at equal rates so that no overall change is taking place: “even keel”)
2014 - age 15
illustrator
i designed a sketchbook cover based upon a poem written by my grandmother.
2013 - age 14
ink, colored pencil
9 x 12
2012 - age 13
watercolor
the kölner dom, or cologne cathedral, is a roman catholic cathedral in cologne, germany.
