Oil on Wood 6" x 10.5"
"White Rocks Trail"
Watercolor 10" x 10"
"Winter in Estes"
Here are the remains of an old tractor (or something) that rests behind my house. The land that surrounds my neighborhood is owned by the county and is preserved to maintain the delicate ecosystems that seem to be dying everyday. They have never bothered to remove the old thing and it's always an adventure walking around it. It reminds me of simpler days where America was made off the backs of hard working people instead of the rich and greedy. It reminds me of how once something dies, life keeps moving and will create something new from its remains. It reminds me of how insignificant humans lives are compared to the vast world that is beyond us. And it gives me hope to think Earth will recover after the countless atrocities we humans have done upon it.
Oil on Wood 10" x 14"
"That Old Plow"
I had so much fun with this piece. For a long time I wanted to do a large oil painting of a setting sunset but not make it cheesy. I wanted to incorporate more texture and movement as though it was a brisk and windy winter evening. I have decided my concentration is going to be western landscapes and the affects of climate change. For this piece you would think it's just a scene of the sky but actually the yellows and darker pinks symbolize the bubble of air pollutants that hang over our heads everyday.
Oil on Canvas 2' x 3'
"Greenhouse Wind"
I really did not try hard on this piece. At first I was going to post a picture of my dresser and then I thought maybe I should put a little more effort into this last piece. Once it came time to sit down and draw I just couldn't and didn't feel up to it at all. I felt like posting a picture would be lazy of me, so I thought it would be kinda cool to show the different kinds of lazy. One side of me thinking to would be nice to have a highly detailed picture and the other side of me thinking a sloppy 10 min sketch would do fine. Pathetic, I know, but I know I'm definitely not using this for my concentration or my breadth.
Photograph, Pencil and Color Pencil 6" x 9"
"Tools for Laziness"
Before this challenge, I have never tried cubism. I didn't really know what to think about it and how to go about creating a cubist piece of art. I definitely stepped out of my comfort zone on this project, whether it be due to the subject or the materials I used. I don't know what was going through my head when I decided to use marker and colored pencils on wood, I just sorta started to draw and one thing led to the next and I had a finished piece! After I got a hang of how to use the material, I started to have a lot of fun with it. It was a breath of fresh air after being to wrapped up in detail and accurate proportions.
Color Pencil and Marker on Wood 6" x 8"
"Venetian Cubism"
Shadow, peace and color this time around. Some afternoons when I'm doing my homework in my room, I will notice the sun beaming onto my bed where my cat is peacefully asleep. I love those moments and wish I could just stay there forever.
Chalk Pastel on Suede 6" x 10"
"The Shadows of Sleep"
If you have ever been to the Grand Canyon before you might have experienced that feeling you get when you're at the edge of a cliff, where you kinda want to jump. It's truly a magical and curious place that sucks you in. It temps you to try new things and step out of your comfort zone. I personally believe a little bit of adventure and temptation in your life is good and it means that your healthy. Unless, of course, you view this as a possible way to commit suicide.
Color Pencil on Paper 6" x 8"
"The Canyon of Temptation"
That, my dear friends, is a picture of my parents' heads. "Mother/Father texture, what the hell does that mean?" These were the words that were flashing through my head when I realized I needed to do my next project. Well, my first inspiration was taken from their aging skin, but my parents didn't want that to be publicized. Instead I thought of a brilliant idea; two pictures of their scalps and make them look like one head, a single unit.
Photograph 6" x 6"
"Mother and Father"
The picture kinda washed out some of the colors and then decided to highlight things that I didn't want to be seen. Surrealism has always been hard for me but this time I went of an Alice in Wonderland theme. I really like my idea of the moon melting into the water and my giant mushrooms. Next time I will use just colored pencils instead of water color and pencil because I can get more vibrant colors from pencils.
Watercolor and Color Pencil on Paper 6" x 8"
"Surreal Experiences"
Nice afternoon walks along the creek is all I need, but I can't walk directly next to the creek. The creek is restricted by the county because there are endangered snails that live down there. The reason why I like to walk down there is because I can get a taste of what untouched land is like. It's kinda rare to come across land like that, with calming shadows and beautiful sun rays beaming down onto vibrantly green grass. I like to think I have a piece of heaven just in my backyard.
Photograph, Unknown dimensions
"I Needed Some Time"
From afar it looks cool, from up close, it sucks. Now I know you're not suppose to say that about your work but I'm serious. If I spent more time on it and concentrated harder it would look a lot better. If you can't tell what it is, it's a macro perspective of calla lilies. I really liked the idea and the point of view of looking down at the flowers so I wanted to try a classic flower piece. Next time I am going to use oil instead of acrylic because it won't dry as fast and it's easier to handle with detailed pieces.
Acrylic on Wood 6" x 8"
"Macrocosmic Lilies"
As the first time trying voyeurism, I didn't really understand it and didn't know how to go about it. This definitely was a step out of my comfort zone. I actually did have fun doing it though, because colored pencil is one of my favorite mediums. In the middle or it, my mom thought it was "intense" and very different compared to my other pieces, I laughed. It can be interpreted in many different ways but I can tell you that I actually kept my pants on- this was just set up for effect.
Colored pencil on Paper 8" x 10"
"Voyeuristic Views"
For this one day challenge, I decided to do something more abstract and dark. I wanted to portray anger with the darker reds and blacks, I thought adding the cross would add some dimension and spice. I personally don't have anything against religion but I know correlating anger and God together can be thought provoking. I am planning on taking a better picture when there's daylight and when the paint is finally dry.
Acrylic on wood 8" x 10"
"Angry at Who?"
Night and text was the theme this time around. I didn't really know what I wanted to do but my favorite quote, "your value doesn't decrease based on someone's inability to see your worth," was somewhat of an inspiration. The moon is often neglected by us and unappreciated for its beauty. I wanted to capture a moment of the moon and the beauty that it radiates around us.
Acrylic on wood 12" x 12"
"Wishing you Goodnight"
Valentine's Day came early this year, in the sense of my extremely well-loved dog, Gus. As another one day challenge, something you love was the theme, and I sure do love my dog. This picture doesn't do much justice to how bizarre his bodily proportions are because, if you can image, he is half basset hound half yellow lab. Therefore, his nose is either inside a trash can or in you face demanding kisses. It is known that every dog's nose has an unique pattern just like human's hand prints. Since Gus is very unique and different I wanted to capture that uniqueness though his large schnoz.
Photograph 10" x 14"
"Something I Love"
For this one day activity, I was assigned to photograph either fruit, vegetables, or plants and capture their repetition. I choose to zoom into a cactus (don't know what kind- really) and illustrate the settle patterns that embody it. I experimented a little bit in photo-shop and tried to bring out the greens and the individual marks covering the cactus. I also choose to photograph a cactus because I thought it would go well into my western art theme, and if I do decide to incorporate it into my concentration it would still fit into it.
Photo 10" x 14"
"Repetition in Cacti"
As the second assignment for the "February Challenge," breakfast was the main theme. Most of the time when I have breakfast in the morning my cat will join me hoping to taste the remains of it (usually cereal and milk). This time he wasn't too happy when he realized I was eating something he doesn't like- pears and apple juice.
Chalk Pastel on Suede 6" x 8"
"While Eating Breakfast"
For the first assignment in the "February Challenge" I decided to do another landscape but this time of snow covered trees. Something new was the theme and I thought of a new layer of snow, a fresh start. I had a really fun time doing this piece especially since it was a two day assignment.
Color Pencil, Acrylic, Glitter on Paper 6" x 8"
"A New Layer"
Every summer I love to spend my time riding my bike through the cottonwood groves behind my house. It's very relaxing to think that I have a place to escape. I wanted to capture that peaceful feeling I always feel whenever I ride or walk down there. It reminds how insignificant humans are compared to the whole world, and makes me feel very humble.
Oil on wood 9" x 16"
"Cottonwood Grove"
After spending lots of time in New Mexico, I loved the colors that the sun highlighted in the afternoon. I thought it would be fun to try something new like an abstract/ impressionist piece where I used vibrant and highly contrasting colors to show the light and shadows of the canyon.
Acrylic on Canvas 16" x 20"
"In the Shadows of the Canyon"
The moments of complete serenity and comfort don't come as often to us in this loud and modern world. For my self-portrait project I chose this scene of me in a grassy field because it reminds me to clam down and take a moment to breathe when things are overpowering. Now, as our world is becoming overtaken by technology, crowds, and fossil fuels, a moment to yourself is hard to come by with out feeling corrupted by the pollutants that surround you.
*Scholastic Honorable Mention 2015
Acrylic on Canvas 2' x 3'
"Simply There"
With the new Star Wars movie coming out this winter the overall Star Wars theme seemed very fitting for a science fair t-shirt design. I thought it would be kinda funny if I drew Yoda in the center of a gravitational field like he controls everything. The four fundamental forces (gravity, electromagnetism, weak, and strong) all seem to have such an intense grip on our lives.
Marker on Paper 9" x 11"
"Fundamental Forces"
I wanted to try something somewhat new with this piece. I stove for a similar feeling and look that some of Georgia O'Keeffe's painting perceive; smooth and calming landscapes. I had a great time working with earth tone colors and pastels to create this vibrate interpretation of my home.
Acrylic on Canvas 11" x 14"
"Golden Fields"
For this piece I stepped out of my comfort zone by trying oil paint. I focused mostly on trying to get the texture and the depth of the gourds to look realistic. I decided to to this piece not only because I wanted to explore a new medium but I also loved the warm colors of the pumpkins, which remind me of fall and childhood.
*Scholastic Honorable Mention 2016
Oil on wood 8" x 10"
"Pumpkin Smash"
In this piece I tried to be symbolic. With this classic Louvre marble sculpture of the angel Cupid reaching out to a woman, I crafted the idea of drawing this so that it would look like an old photograph. Then I though of the concept of adultery and thought of making the "old photograph" look like it was burned in a fire. I was hoping to symbolically show how love can heighten or destroy a relationship.
Charcoal, Acrylic, Gel Medium on Paper 6" x 8"
"Burnt Offerings"
With this piece I tried to be on the more creative side. I was aiming for a surrealist feeling by placing an aquatic creature in a southwestern landscape. The juxtaposition of the whale at first looks very confusing but with the combination of the soothing rain clouds it stops the onlooker from making first impressions to really looking at it and making a lasting impression, hopefully of peacefulness.
Acrylic on Canvas 10" x 10"
"Cast Away"
During my trip to Mesa Verde, Colorado I was very intrigued on how the ruins managed to stay intact for hundreds of years. The buildings though, still feel like they have energy living within them and a depth that couldn't be defined. I wanted to illustrate a snapshot of what a Native American home would feel like and look like, no matter the difference in time.
*Scholastic Honorable Mention 2016
*National Western Stock Show Champion 2016
Watercolor 12" x 12"
"Ancient Life"
With this piece I tried to emphasize movement and the effects of time on the environment. One of the strongest forces on Earth is water erosion. With the past flooding that has occurred in my home town, an image of something abstract but still recognizable enough to be sand, reminds me of how something like water can be so influential to every living creature.
Watercolor 12" x 12"
"History is in the Sand"
Here is yet another painting I did while I was strolling through the streets of Santa Fe. There was this cute little square that was shady but had some parts of intense sunshine, I loved the perspective of looking down the narrow pathways with the sine shining down. I wanted to capture the happy summer feeling that I felt that day.
Watercolor 6" x 10"
"Summer Ally"
When I was in New Mexico over summer break, I managed to snap a photo of my Aunt who was sitting on a ledge at my Grandparents' house. She was having a very serious conversation with her friend. All I could think was how sad would it be to have something terrible take over your life that you couldn't recognize the beauty around you. If everyone could manage to take a little bit of time to appreciate the outdoors more often, I believe cases of depression would go down!
Water Color Pencils on Paper 6" x 8"
"A Cowgirl's Call"
Here is yet another abstract painting! I didn't know quite which direction I was trying to go but I wanted to try something different that almost had a sensual feeling. I believe I have accomplished that by making the shadows move and transform like a person slowing being enraptured by something beautiful... or dark.
Watercolor Pencils on Paper 8" x 8"
"Bizarre"
This piece was again, another experiment. I had only tried abstract painting one other time, and this time I wanted to change it around a little by using more pastels than deep reds and black like I did the first time. I mostly just let the colors influence my brush instead of having a thoughtful image before I started to paint.
Acrylic on Canvas 10" x 10"
"Echo"
This piece is a watercolor of the open space behind my house. The trail starts off flat and smooth but then is perceived to get steep and rocky. A feeling of longing seems to express itself as the road gets more intense, yet the warm colors that I used makes the endless journey not feel as bad.
Watercolor 10" x 10"
"Looking Back"
This cute little piece is a sunset that I painted around Alamosa, Colorado. I loved the way the lighting was that night and the moon was positioned in such a way that it created this dreamy feeling.
Acrylic on canvas 9" x 12"
"Crescent Moon"
This was an experimental piece that turned out to be really fun! I wanted to try charcoal and I thought that the picture I had of a ladder from Mesa Verde would be awesome for a first- time charcoal piece.
*Scholastic Silver Key winner 2016
*Displayed at Denver Art Museum
Charcoal on paper 12"x 12"
"Stairway to Heaven"
Clouds have always been very whimsical to me, and yet they can carry so much tension.
Instead of painting the clouds typical colors like white, black, and grey, I added yellow and greens to make it more exciting and interesting.
Acrylic on canvas 2' x 3'
"Stone Clouds"
