My idea for this piece was to express our strongest memories in life so I drew a polaroid image of me and my friends in words to represent old, new, or current friendships that we keep along the way because they led us to this moment in life, being the person who you are today, and me making this piece of art right now was inspired by my friends because I can't thank them enough to be always there for me.

I wanted to capture the feeling of freefall: when an object falls under the sole influence of gravity, it no longer accelerates.

My artwork is my rendition of a forest fire, and in the sky, a smoke cloud in the shape of a broken power pole to highlight the danger of broken power lines and how they start wildfires.

While crafting this piece, I thought about representing myself and who I am, as well as who I was and who I plan or want to be.

Rocks, leaves, pond, dirt, splashes, and a circle of wandering fish.

Made this for an assignment, and decided to use the quote " fire never save ever" in the shape of a fire, which I sketched.

My portfolio inquiry for my AP Studio Art class this year is, “How can humanity learn about change through the process of decay?" I’m using this inquiry to explore issues such as climate change, political power, personal identity, and other aspects of humanity through my art. This piece, called "Lucky Strike," explores the convergence of climate change, human causes, and nature's power to grow even in the most desperate landscapes. It's an observation and a hope.

“Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

A Kazakh lady, adorned in the rich hues of her cultural attire and ancestral jewelry, weaves a narrative that transcends time and tradition. The inspiration behind this painting is a depiction of my culture through feminine strength, capturing a sense of independence. Extending beyond her image, the mountains are a continuation of her spiritual connection to the lands of her nation. In her gaze, there is a silent proclamation of resilience and self-determination. At the center of this composition, the jewelry, passed down through generations, adorns her like fragments of history, reminding us that strength is inherited, cherished, and worn with pride. The use of oil paint as a medium is a choice when seeking to capture the diverse textures of fabrics and the vibrant array of colors in artwork. The inherent richness and depth of oil paints allow a representation of different materials, from the softness of feathers to the smoothness of velvet, creating a tactile quality that engages the viewer. The application of silver leaf introduces a captivating element, particularly when depicting jewelry or the glistening allure of snow. Behind this canvas, I aim to appreciate the strength inherent in my cultural roots and to celebrate the untold stories, unspoken battles, and enduring spirit that collectively breathe life into the canvas—a tribute to the independence that courses through her veins and resonates in the hearts of those who behold her.

This drawing depicts a greedy dragon stealing the only star whilst the other dragons try to reach out to it.

When I was little me my grandma, parents and brother would go rock hunting. We would find beautiful stones and rocks with cool textures and patterns. When I got older we stopped doing it, we stopped doing a lot of traditions. This drawing reminds me of the past, it reminds me of a more carefree ideal time. I wish that one day we can all go back out together.

In this self-portrait, I tried to depict the sense of calm movement one feels when relaxed. I wanted to emphasize the flowing water arcing towards the background.

This piece reflects on a cherished memory from my childhood when my mother would style my hair with braids, ties, and the addition of accessories. However, amidst the warmth of her worn hands, the pain from pulling my hair tightly was so intense that I found myself in tears almost every morning. I understand now that her actions were driven by love and I admire her strength. Yet, as a child, I struggled to perceive it that way. In my young mind, I felt akin to the koi fish that my mom always loved. She adored them, not for any emotional bond she shared with them, but simply because they were beautiful and represented wealth and prosperity. Consequently, I believed that the act of styling my hair was not an expression of love and understanding but rather an attempt to make me beautiful like a koi fish on display. This painting serves as a means for me to reconcile the gap in understanding—from my pain to hers—and to explore the complexities of my relationship with my mother. Furthermore, it serves as a story for others who also faced challenging relationships with their parents due to a difference in values and experiences.

This piece is an exploration of who I really am and who I pretend to be. Sometimes these people feel separate as if my mind is a different person than the one controlling my body.

A layered liquid watercolor and salt piece with colored pencil imagery over top. This piece is meant to demonstrate three large emotions present when someone is going through burnout. The red represents anger and frustration, the mouths being negative input and comments perceived from others, adding to the anger that is felt. The blue is meant to be sadness and disappointment in yourself. The eyes over top meant to convey a sense of being constantly watched and under many expectations by those around you. The grey is meant to represent a sense of numbness that comes on as you get deeper into the burnout. It shows the rising want to just give up because everything is so overwhelming and hard to accomplish. The piece started out with just the blue piece, then I added the other silhouette colors to further develop the concept and turned it into a triptych.

I've always centered my artwork around the idea of making my pieces dreamy. For this particular piece, I wanted to show how a memory bursts from a composed set of eyes, taking you into another world. I had never worked with this medium before and was terrified of the fact that I wouldn't be able to erase anything. So, I first started off by making the bottom piece, going into it with no design and seeing where my hands would lead me. After seeing those results I moved onto the top piece, knowing that it would have to be more controlled and tight knit. Hence, I made the design first and heavily focused on the brightness of the eyes as well as the sphere in the middle. Every detail on the top piece was purposely chosen to direct the one's eyes down to the bottom piece. Think of it as a trip down memory lane.

This painting, is one I procrastinated a lot on. This piece was made with the focus of the image, my partner, in mind at all times. I started off wanting to simply paint them as a good way to pass the time, but ended up liking it enough to place it here. Having her as the spot light greatly symbolizes her presence in my life, and as the title suggests, she's something bright that illuminates my life. Overall I really like this piece, I can say its one that brings me pride. I hope to display her beauty, and tried to the best of my ability.

This portrait examines the temporary anonymity that we have while wearing a mask or disguise. Blake is a dear friend of mine and was the inspiration for this painting. I took a photo of him with clown makeup on and used that as my reference. During the pandemic, I became interested in the concept of masks and what happens with social interactions and behaviors of people while wearing masks. How a mask can actually give someone a type of escape from themselves. I have seen a painfully shy person become someone else entirely while wearing a mask. Masks have a sort of power. I also thought of Halloween and how all the mask wearing creates a whole different mood and vibe everywhere. And what happens when the mask comes off? I observed how the behavior or mood would return to how it was without the mask almost instantly. I am facinated with how humans have always had rituals that include mask wearing. This is a concept I want to continue exploring. 18” X 24” Acrylic on Canvas

At my high school, we have an art elective called bio-sculpture, which is a course where we work with clay to create 3d clay works. This piece is a combination of two pieces I made in this class, with the bird being the first one and the hand the second. I chose to submit this piece, because it reminded me of the phrase “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”. I feel like, although it is a quote from the Bible , is not religious in nature and embodies an extremely important trait, gratitude. I believe that gratitude is often an undeveloped aspect of humans, and can be significantly improved in this generation.

The Broken Gaze is a piece made of solely colored pencil and seeks to convey human life's vulnerability and raw beauty. Nine hours after the first marks were drawn on the black paper, the girl with the broken gaze was born. She strays away from the focal point as light beams onto her, serving as a metaphor for the challenges in interactions and revealing the delicate balance between strength and fragility in human connections. I aimed to juxtapose her with her surroundings to indicate how ostracized she is from her condition. She does not want to be the center of attention, but circumstance makes it inevitable. Through this blend of color, form, and texture, "Broken Gaze" reflects resilience and fear, offering a narrative that speaks to the universal human experience of love, loss, and the enduring pursuit of connection despite fear.