Print of Nitro in a Window

                         Artist Statement:

Obsession

 I'm obsessed with art and painting.

 I'm obsessed with my cat, Nitro.

 I obsess over school a lot.(This is a board game project I did this weekend)

 I am obsessed with chocolate and sweet things.

 I'm obsessed with field hockey and fitness.

I am obsessed with music. I listen to it while I'm painting or if I'm stressed.

I'm obsessed with the color pink. It has been my favorite color since I was a kid.

Self Portrait and Artist Statement

Artist Statement:

• My goal was to draw a dramatic charcoal drawing of myself that resembled me.
• I accomplished this goal by getting a photo with a lot of highlights and shadows that made it look like I was coming out of the shadows.
• What surprised me most about my experience doing this drawing was how easy doing hair is because it doesn't have to exactly match the picture to look right because hair doesn't always look the same on a person.
• The most difficult challenge I had to face was getting the perspective and proportions right because I was looking at a picture much smaller than my drawing paper.
• I met that challenge by standing while I was drawing so nothing would get distorted because of the bad angle and checking that the perspective looked correct before I added detail.
• I experienced the shift to the right/artistic side of the brain when I was doing the lips and hair because I was adding highlights which made the drawing more contrasting.
• My drawing really works by the eye and lips because it gives the drawing emotion.
• Some things I have learned that I can bring into my next drawing include how to make an artwork dramatic and have a little meaning.
• Another artist in the class I learned from was McKenna who also used hair as a shadow on her face.
• If I had a do-over I would prop up my artwork from the beginning to prevent distortion when sitting.
• I believe the best thing about my work is the shadows and the mouth.

Place I Spend the Most Time

I spend the most time at my house. Everyday, I sit on the couch and do my homework or watch tv or I eat dinner in our dining room. Sometimes we go outside and sit on our deck by the fire. I see our entranceway and my shelves of important things everyday.

Cups in Shadow and Artist Statement

Artist Statement:

• My goal was to improve getting smoother more consistent colors.
• I accomplished this goal by going over what I erased with white chalk pastel to make it appear smoother and more consistent.
• What surprised me most about my experience doing this drawing was how much easier it was to work with charcoal and get more specific details.
• The most difficult challenge I had to face was drawing out the shapes. At first, I made the cup too short, couldn't get the handle shape quite right, and my egg looked lopsided.
• I met that challenge by staying patient and redrawing the bottom of the cup and the egg an adding details to the handle. The outline of the handle only looked weird because  the dimensions couldn't be seen yet.
• I experienced the shift to the right/artistic side of the brain when I could see the drawing coming together and could start getting better details and shadows.
• My drawing really works as a kitchen drawing to add a little black and white touch.
• Some things I have learned that I can bring into my next drawing include how to draw better small details for a more realistic drawing.
• Another artist in the class I learned from was Alyssa who drew a great reflection in the table under her plate.
• If I had a do-over I would make the shadow on the cup a more consistent gray and try not to damage the paper by rubbing it too much.
• I believe the best thing about my work is the spoon and its highlights and the handle details.

Special Places

This is the spot we hike to every year at Harper’s Ferry
with our close family friends.

This is a sunset at the Eastern Yacht Club where
I spent a lot of time growing up and now has a
special place in my heart.

This is our back deck where my family goes outside
sometimes to eat dinner if it’s nice or just to talk.

These are our swing sets where I grew up and
have so many memories on.

This is the field hockey field where I learn and grow
as a player whenever I go.

Pumpkins and Artist Statement

Artist Statement:

• My goals were to learn how to shade dramatically and realistically and use charcoal appropriately.
• I accomplished these goals by editing my pictures and getting many extreme darks and lights and experimenting with the different charcoals.
• What surprised me most about my experience doing this drawing was how much cast shadows and dark details can complement a drawing.
• The most difficult challenge I had to face was bringing out the brightest whites; it was hard to do with an eraser and the white chalk pastels weren't the easiest to work with.
• I met that challenge by erasing what I could and not getting frustrated when the white chalk pastel didn't do what I wanted to.
• I experienced the shift to the right/artistic side of the brain when I was focusing on details and began to do my best work pretty quickly.
• My drawing really works during the halloween season because pumpkins are associated with halloween and they look ominous coming out of the shadows
• Some things I have learned that I can bring into my next drawing include how to work with charcoal and not to be afraid of using the dark compressed charcoal.
• Two other artists in the class that I learned from were McKenna and Grace. They had two very different art styles that they stuck to throughout the entire drawing which I have a little trouble with. Both art styles, though unique and different, looked great and fit the project.
• If I had a do-over I would add a dramatic shadow to the bottom right pumpkin, maybe the crow, since it looks a little bland and flat there.
• I believe the best thing about my work is the dramatic darks, merges, and shadows.