Advanced Placement Studio Art Gallery
The images here reflect work created from the Breadth, Concentration, and Quality sections of their portfolios.
(In some cases, these are not the completed bodies of work.
Also note that there are works here that may not be appropriate for all viewers as the work is college level artmaking.)
AP Studio Artwork 206-2017: The Unicorn Year
Artwork Part I: there are so many students in AP Studio this year
Artwork Part II: The rest of the pack
Writing for the AP Portfolios (this is incomplete as I was only given what is below)
Danni Anderson-2D Portoflio
1. What is the central idea of your concentration? (500 characters maximum)
The motivating idea of this concentration is to present the fruitless concept of change in order to be beautiful. The women portrayed hail from different continents, countries, time periods and all display the characteristics deemed beautiful at one time or another. With each painting I show that their beauty is truly in the eye of the viewer and not the woman herself. It is not the woman being observed, but rather the changes the woman undertakes to accommodate the viewer’s changing perspective.
2. How does the work in your concentration demonstrate the exploration of your idea? You may refer to specific images as examples. When referencing specific images, please indicate the image numbers. (1350 characters maximum)
Throughout this concentration I focus on either face or whole body. In the face vs. body concept, I highlight which aspect of the woman was more important to withhold the time periods standard of beauty. For example in concentration piece 10 the Italian Renaissance woman’s face is hidden but her body in full view. The Italian boom in art focused on the body of the woman when looking for attractiveness. Her fair skin and body ample was the key to being beautiful. Though in today’s standard, if a modern woman was to take on that appearance, she would be seen as fat and undesirable. In a time where a woman’s face was the more important aspect to her beauty is shown in concentration piece 1, the traditional middle eastern Muslim. Because of religious beliefs in the area a woman’s hair, or most of her body, was covered in respects to modesty. This woman has a white hijab on and her smooth light skin with sharp features are what make her beautiful to the people in middle eastern countries. A huge difference in comparison to the European standard of beauty. Through this I bring to light the contrasting differences of the ages and their perspectives on beauty and how it is truly seen as those changes rather than the women themselves.
Melissa A-2D Portfolio
1. The central idea of my concentration is the depth of anxiety. Through my artwork, I convey the range of feelings and emotions one goes through with this mental illness. When somebody experiences anxiety, the ideas will morph and change in any attempt to explain them, so you can never truly communicate them to others in an objective and logical way. In summary, my pieces are an attempt to comprehend anxiety through abstraction.
2. Through my 12 pieces, I demonstrate the abstraction of trying to explain, comprehend, and understand anxiety. I would describe several of the pieces as sinister and ominous, in a way that they are dark and difficult to discern. For example, piece number 4 shows a girl as the main emphasis, surrounded by faces. It shows the girl’s reality through her perspective. She feels as though everybody is attacking and judging her. The girl in the middle has a real face, while the others do not. With anxiety, we tend to have a skewed perspective of what is going on around us. In reality nobody is actually attacking her. The fake and grotesque faces are representative of the false feelings, and not the actual people, who in reality have nothing against the person. Pieces 1-3 go from top to bottom; together they show the endless cycle of pain and exhaustion caused by the negative feelings. I used the color blue to show that anxiety is like the water cycle, the dark feelings come up from a deep unexplored place in piece number 3, then they make their way up through the normal thoughts in piece 2, finally they reach the surface in piece 1, making their way back down all over again - just like repressing your feelings.
Chloe L-2D Portfolio
1. The central idea of my concentration is the sustainable investigation of what it is like to experience a mission trip in a third world country. I utilized my own personal experiences of traveling to Haiti to accomplish the body of work in my concentration. The process begins with the anticipation leading up to the trip, following the strong attachment you make with the community you serve in and all that's in between.
2. A mission trip begins with the anticipation of what is to come including packing(1), flying from the United States to the country you are serving in(2), and getting to your final location(3). Once you reach your destination you realize the differences in food(6), transportation(7), and architecture(8). During your mission trip you learn all about the different culture, teachings, and language of the country(5). The most important thing you discover on a mission trip is the realization of love and ease of joy(11) in a community that has nothing. Through prayer(10), relationships(4), and compassion(9) the community demonstrates a perfect sense of community. In the end you finally grasp that the people in these communities demonstrate faith much stronger than their circumstances. Leaving this new home you have been welcomed to so easily makes you realize how blessed your life really is and that nothing should be taken for granted. When you return back home you share stories and look back on the sweet and unforgettable memories you have made(12). The bright compositions of my concentration is aimed to represent the experiences of my mission trip to Haiti.
Emily H-2D Portfolio
1. Dancers are often known for the gracefulness and elegant poise that exposes their years of training and technical development. Many people find that a dancer’s portrayal of line through the use of their body to be pleasing to the eye. The purpose of this concentration is to portray posed dancers that obviously display exquisite gracefulness through a series of pieces that emphasize the elements of line and form in various scenes that are considered to be everyday life situations.
2. I carried out research on the elements of line and form through a case study of two adolescent dancers who have been trained in classical ballet for 10 years or more. In carrying out a case study involving two dancers, I was able to use their differences in height, figure, and clothing to emphasize the element of form in each digital photography piece. The use of form is most evident in images 1, 5 where one dancer occupies the foreground, while the other occupies the background to create depth in the image. Similarly, I was also able to study form with the individual dancer using the contrast of each dancer with the background to emphasize their form as shown in images 4, 10 and 11. In addition to studying form, I also used the element of line in each piece to convey the purpose of the concentration. In Images 3, 6, and 12, the dancer is posed to create line through the position of the head, body, and legs capturing graceful qualities of both dancers in the case study.
Kelly B-2D Portfolio
1. The central theme to my concentration pertains to the changing perspective of reality as one grows. As we age, we all leave behind a metaphorical pair of goggles that soften the edges of the world around us. The real world is full of both light and dark, but this isn’t to say that reality doesn’t have it’s own happiness and beauty. Reality is just as glorious as the fictitious realms created through child-like naivety and imagination, with its drastic contrasts and precision.
2. Through the progression of my concentration, I display the development of my maturity through both the color and medium in my artwork. Pieces 1 through 5 show the early years of my life, where the vibrant and lively colors in these pieces portray my fascination with my surroundings. The world was full of curiosities and glory, but in part, it was a figment of my imagination. In each progressing piece, the imaginative world around me is increasingly faded: giving way to reality. Pieces 6 and 7 show a hesitant time for myself. I was bordering between child and young adult, trying to decide which side of me was going to dictate my behavior and thoughts. The latter portion of my concentration (pieces 8-10) holds somewhat muted colors in comparison to the previous paintings. This has been done in order to show how drastically my mindset has matured. My thoughts and beliefs are clear and true. This is especially evident in my final two pieces. If not completely, the majority of these paintings are black and white to portray the definitive world we live in. I chose watercolor as my medium because of our shared flexibility. Just as the pigmented water easily swirls across the page, I have changed similarly through my life.
Molly E-2D Portfolio (Thesis only-not answers to questions)
Nightmares are the mind’s way of communicating people’s innermost fears and stresses of everyday life. While nightmares are very particular and personal, many people’s nightmares are conceptually similar, such as the infamous falling nightmare. They’re fascinating because they add so much depth to people that you don’t typically see when you look at them. People can appear so cheery and happy, however their nightmares indicate their inner demons. My aim is to convey these levels of depth through the juxtaposition of people and their nightmares.
Danni Anderson-2D Portoflio
1. What is the central idea of your concentration? (500 characters maximum)
The motivating idea of this concentration is to present the fruitless concept of change in order to be beautiful. The women portrayed hail from different continents, countries, time periods and all display the characteristics deemed beautiful at one time or another. With each painting I show that their beauty is truly in the eye of the viewer and not the woman herself. It is not the woman being observed, but rather the changes the woman undertakes to accommodate the viewer’s changing perspective.
2. How does the work in your concentration demonstrate the exploration of your idea? You may refer to specific images as examples. When referencing specific images, please indicate the image numbers. (1350 characters maximum)
Throughout this concentration I focus on either face or whole body. In the face vs. body concept, I highlight which aspect of the woman was more important to withhold the time periods standard of beauty. For example in concentration piece 10 the Italian Renaissance woman’s face is hidden but her body in full view. The Italian boom in art focused on the body of the woman when looking for attractiveness. Her fair skin and body ample was the key to being beautiful. Though in today’s standard, if a modern woman was to take on that appearance, she would be seen as fat and undesirable. In a time where a woman’s face was the more important aspect to her beauty is shown in concentration piece 1, the traditional middle eastern Muslim. Because of religious beliefs in the area a woman’s hair, or most of her body, was covered in respects to modesty. This woman has a white hijab on and her smooth light skin with sharp features are what make her beautiful to the people in middle eastern countries. A huge difference in comparison to the European standard of beauty. Through this I bring to light the contrasting differences of the ages and their perspectives on beauty and how it is truly seen as those changes rather than the women themselves.
Melissa A-2D Portfolio
1. The central idea of my concentration is the depth of anxiety. Through my artwork, I convey the range of feelings and emotions one goes through with this mental illness. When somebody experiences anxiety, the ideas will morph and change in any attempt to explain them, so you can never truly communicate them to others in an objective and logical way. In summary, my pieces are an attempt to comprehend anxiety through abstraction.
2. Through my 12 pieces, I demonstrate the abstraction of trying to explain, comprehend, and understand anxiety. I would describe several of the pieces as sinister and ominous, in a way that they are dark and difficult to discern. For example, piece number 4 shows a girl as the main emphasis, surrounded by faces. It shows the girl’s reality through her perspective. She feels as though everybody is attacking and judging her. The girl in the middle has a real face, while the others do not. With anxiety, we tend to have a skewed perspective of what is going on around us. In reality nobody is actually attacking her. The fake and grotesque faces are representative of the false feelings, and not the actual people, who in reality have nothing against the person. Pieces 1-3 go from top to bottom; together they show the endless cycle of pain and exhaustion caused by the negative feelings. I used the color blue to show that anxiety is like the water cycle, the dark feelings come up from a deep unexplored place in piece number 3, then they make their way up through the normal thoughts in piece 2, finally they reach the surface in piece 1, making their way back down all over again - just like repressing your feelings.
Chloe L-2D Portfolio
1. The central idea of my concentration is the sustainable investigation of what it is like to experience a mission trip in a third world country. I utilized my own personal experiences of traveling to Haiti to accomplish the body of work in my concentration. The process begins with the anticipation leading up to the trip, following the strong attachment you make with the community you serve in and all that's in between.
2. A mission trip begins with the anticipation of what is to come including packing(1), flying from the United States to the country you are serving in(2), and getting to your final location(3). Once you reach your destination you realize the differences in food(6), transportation(7), and architecture(8). During your mission trip you learn all about the different culture, teachings, and language of the country(5). The most important thing you discover on a mission trip is the realization of love and ease of joy(11) in a community that has nothing. Through prayer(10), relationships(4), and compassion(9) the community demonstrates a perfect sense of community. In the end you finally grasp that the people in these communities demonstrate faith much stronger than their circumstances. Leaving this new home you have been welcomed to so easily makes you realize how blessed your life really is and that nothing should be taken for granted. When you return back home you share stories and look back on the sweet and unforgettable memories you have made(12). The bright compositions of my concentration is aimed to represent the experiences of my mission trip to Haiti.
Emily H-2D Portfolio
1. Dancers are often known for the gracefulness and elegant poise that exposes their years of training and technical development. Many people find that a dancer’s portrayal of line through the use of their body to be pleasing to the eye. The purpose of this concentration is to portray posed dancers that obviously display exquisite gracefulness through a series of pieces that emphasize the elements of line and form in various scenes that are considered to be everyday life situations.
2. I carried out research on the elements of line and form through a case study of two adolescent dancers who have been trained in classical ballet for 10 years or more. In carrying out a case study involving two dancers, I was able to use their differences in height, figure, and clothing to emphasize the element of form in each digital photography piece. The use of form is most evident in images 1, 5 where one dancer occupies the foreground, while the other occupies the background to create depth in the image. Similarly, I was also able to study form with the individual dancer using the contrast of each dancer with the background to emphasize their form as shown in images 4, 10 and 11. In addition to studying form, I also used the element of line in each piece to convey the purpose of the concentration. In Images 3, 6, and 12, the dancer is posed to create line through the position of the head, body, and legs capturing graceful qualities of both dancers in the case study.
Kelly B-2D Portfolio
1. The central theme to my concentration pertains to the changing perspective of reality as one grows. As we age, we all leave behind a metaphorical pair of goggles that soften the edges of the world around us. The real world is full of both light and dark, but this isn’t to say that reality doesn’t have it’s own happiness and beauty. Reality is just as glorious as the fictitious realms created through child-like naivety and imagination, with its drastic contrasts and precision.
2. Through the progression of my concentration, I display the development of my maturity through both the color and medium in my artwork. Pieces 1 through 5 show the early years of my life, where the vibrant and lively colors in these pieces portray my fascination with my surroundings. The world was full of curiosities and glory, but in part, it was a figment of my imagination. In each progressing piece, the imaginative world around me is increasingly faded: giving way to reality. Pieces 6 and 7 show a hesitant time for myself. I was bordering between child and young adult, trying to decide which side of me was going to dictate my behavior and thoughts. The latter portion of my concentration (pieces 8-10) holds somewhat muted colors in comparison to the previous paintings. This has been done in order to show how drastically my mindset has matured. My thoughts and beliefs are clear and true. This is especially evident in my final two pieces. If not completely, the majority of these paintings are black and white to portray the definitive world we live in. I chose watercolor as my medium because of our shared flexibility. Just as the pigmented water easily swirls across the page, I have changed similarly through my life.
Molly E-2D Portfolio (Thesis only-not answers to questions)
Nightmares are the mind’s way of communicating people’s innermost fears and stresses of everyday life. While nightmares are very particular and personal, many people’s nightmares are conceptually similar, such as the infamous falling nightmare. They’re fascinating because they add so much depth to people that you don’t typically see when you look at them. People can appear so cheery and happy, however their nightmares indicate their inner demons. My aim is to convey these levels of depth through the juxtaposition of people and their nightmares.
AP Studio Artwork 2015-2016
Each student was asked two questions for their commentary. Here are their responses.
Brooklyn H-2D Portfolio
1.What is the central idea of your concentration? (500 characters maximum)
When hearing that someone is ‘a dad’ or ‘a mom’, how accurately do we see their role? Do we just see them in one way? One look at someone and we automatically assume a certain agenda. If we relate the roles of the family to the characteristics of animals, we discover a more accurate definition of family. My concentration addresses the juxtaposition of ages, genders, and jobs within a family with the personalities of animals in order to portray the difference between expectation and reality.
2.How does the work in your concentration demonstrate the exploration of your idea? You may refer to specific images as examples. When referencing specific images, please indicate the image numbers. (1350 characters maximum)
Juxtaposition provides metaphorical analysis of animals to people. Fathers(10) may attempt to be near their children at all times, but realistically they are distant. The responsibility of work overweighs the attention given to their family. Male tigers assert the same definition. A tiger will forever avoid his children in order to tend to his own needs. Contrasting the tiger, a wolf will forever guide his pack until he dies. The wolf sticks to his pack in order to care for generations upon generations. Grandfathers(12), contrasting fathers, seem distant but will always be there for his family. Toddler girls(1) and boys(2) struggle to make an appearance like an adult. Little girls dress frilly and elegant while boys mimic strong dads. The fierceness of a lion differentiates from the adorable nature of little girls. Needy, whiny dogs contrast the nature of a confident boy. Teenage boys(4) seem innocent and clueless while they have the lust of rabbits. Teenage girls(3) try their hardest to display a fun and likable personality, however they are always pandas; lazy yet incredibly aggressive. The teenage girl evolves into a college girl(6) and while may have the title of a college girl, they are still the red panda to a panda; same name, same personality. These pieces convey the difference between expectation and reality.
Emily N-2D Portfolio
1. The main intent for my concentration portfolio is to convey a feminist standpoint on the expectations of women and traumatic experiences they are pressured to suppress. A worldwide view on the subject is used, as some pieces qualify more so in different societies where women are considered worthless. Through visuals of the female body and tools as a medium for showing inner scars externally, I portray struggles that inevitably influence a woman’s life.
2. Each piece represents different painful experiences women will likely face at least once in their lifetime. I wanted to incorporate a shock value by using black and white mediums for bodies and paints for blood to attract the viewer’s eye. For example, piece 1 portrays a woman sitting in the position of a dog with her hands nailed to the ground and blood spurting from the wounds. This serves as a metaphor for the idea of obedience and inferiority engrained in women. Piece 5 represents body shaming in society, as a girl is attempting to peel away her skin to look thinner. Pieces 9 and 10 deal with the effects of conceiving a child, however, both take separate paths in the subject. Piece 9 is an interpretation of abortion. A woman is desperately removing her heart with tongs as if to show us the emotional emptiness left behind. On the other hand, piece 10 of raising a child. A bear trap is being held as a baby with bite wounds along the breast and arm, insinuating the pains of breastfeeding and overall child care. In piece 11, a woman is seen swallowing matches while sweating in order to portray hot flashes women endure during menopause. All pieces flow in a timeline of women’s suffering as they age. My concept is produced consistently through different themes that all come together to form a solid portrait of feminine struggles.
Henley L-2D Portfolio
1. The concept my concentration centers on is the relationship and imagination between my brother and me in our childhood years. Our childish minds transformed average daily activities into extravagant versions of books and movies. Every day, whether it was a day spent at the pool or a family hike, we imagined ourselves in our invented versions of the world. My concentration conveys the idea that my brother and I saw the world through the perspective of the books and movies we loved as children.
2. Each of my drawings represents a point in time in which my brother and I imagined another world. The influence of childhood literature shaped the way we saw events. As presented in picture number 2, my brother and I would go to the fair and ride a roller coaster called the superman. We closed our eyes as tight as we could and imagined ourselves up in space. We pictured family events like dances or dinners as magical nights like Cinderella or adventures like Alice in Wonderland (pictures 7 and 8). A simple day playing in the sandbox turned into an adventure in the Magic Tree House. Easters we pretended to be Max and Ruby from the television show (picture 9), and when we lost a tooth (picture1), we could not fall asleep because we were so anxious for the tooth fairy.
Kylie L-2D Portfolio
1. Everyday people look in the mirror, hating themselves for all their flaws. I may not like all my flaws, but I know there is nothing to be ashamed of because everyone is insecure. Find someone with no insecurities and I’ll find a purple elephant. One doesn’t exist. Just like someone who is perfect doesn’t exist. My concentration is about accepting all we see in the mirror and loving every part, because all the parts make up the person we are.
2. Around age 12, we become obsessed with our flaws, our imperfections, thinking they are all anyone sees. We see the veins popping out in our feet (1) the discoloration in our legs (11), the bump on our ear (4), the pimples on our face (5) or the yellowing of our teeth (9). Each piece of my concentration represents an insecurity I have. I gave more detail and exaggerated my flaws to demonstrate how I think others see them. For example, one breast is bigger than the other (8) and my eyebrows are sparse (6). Although they may be just stigmas, society has told me that these are the things on which to focus. In media, people are distorted to look perfect, their skin is one beautiful shade and their veins non-existent. They appear to look fake and set unrealistic standards for people in real life. In real life we have acne, veins that bulge out, and uneven skin tone. The goal of my concentration was to portray the imperfections we all have, through the use of my own body and flaws. I painted each body part close-up in order to show what we all stare at in the mirror, almost squishing our faces against the glass. We look at each piece analyzing ourselves, but we forget that all those pieces make up our entire self and we are all a work of art, therefore I did each body part individually in different pieces as works of art.
Melanie G-2D Portfolio
1. My concentration is based off of the quote, “The only way out is through.” which means when experiencing the adversities of life, avoiding the issue will solve nothing, only facing it will it end and one can move on. These ideas are visually represented through portraits while having mazes incorporated in them to demonstrate the complex, strenuous, and ambiguous journey of humanity coping with the hardships of life.
2. Although going through adversity can feel distressing, it is necessary in order to grow. Mazes are similar to this idea, since they can also invoke a sense of stress and dread, yet the underlying purpose of them is not to stay at a standstill in the midst of confusion; but to push through and come out different than when you entered. Each portrait encompasses this philosophy and depicts various obstacles (represented by the maze) that people in my life and I have faced, and the unique ways each of us has confronted them. In piece 9 the maze symbolizes fractured health of my mother’s broken arm. Nonetheless she does physical therapy to repair her arm and takes a direct and physical approach to solve her problem. Furthermore, societal convention can lead to mishap as represented by the tattered bookshelf as a metaphor for ignorance, piece 8 depicts my peer’s struggle of being a woman studying in the medical field that is dominated by males, but is otherwise working ambitiously to go beyond expectations. Even though each person handles their hardship differently; it’s our determination and will to overcome them that ultimately bind us together. Despite how demanding life can be, despite how endless the maze may seem, we continue to move forward.
Brooklyn H-2D Portfolio
1.What is the central idea of your concentration? (500 characters maximum)
When hearing that someone is ‘a dad’ or ‘a mom’, how accurately do we see their role? Do we just see them in one way? One look at someone and we automatically assume a certain agenda. If we relate the roles of the family to the characteristics of animals, we discover a more accurate definition of family. My concentration addresses the juxtaposition of ages, genders, and jobs within a family with the personalities of animals in order to portray the difference between expectation and reality.
2.How does the work in your concentration demonstrate the exploration of your idea? You may refer to specific images as examples. When referencing specific images, please indicate the image numbers. (1350 characters maximum)
Juxtaposition provides metaphorical analysis of animals to people. Fathers(10) may attempt to be near their children at all times, but realistically they are distant. The responsibility of work overweighs the attention given to their family. Male tigers assert the same definition. A tiger will forever avoid his children in order to tend to his own needs. Contrasting the tiger, a wolf will forever guide his pack until he dies. The wolf sticks to his pack in order to care for generations upon generations. Grandfathers(12), contrasting fathers, seem distant but will always be there for his family. Toddler girls(1) and boys(2) struggle to make an appearance like an adult. Little girls dress frilly and elegant while boys mimic strong dads. The fierceness of a lion differentiates from the adorable nature of little girls. Needy, whiny dogs contrast the nature of a confident boy. Teenage boys(4) seem innocent and clueless while they have the lust of rabbits. Teenage girls(3) try their hardest to display a fun and likable personality, however they are always pandas; lazy yet incredibly aggressive. The teenage girl evolves into a college girl(6) and while may have the title of a college girl, they are still the red panda to a panda; same name, same personality. These pieces convey the difference between expectation and reality.
Emily N-2D Portfolio
1. The main intent for my concentration portfolio is to convey a feminist standpoint on the expectations of women and traumatic experiences they are pressured to suppress. A worldwide view on the subject is used, as some pieces qualify more so in different societies where women are considered worthless. Through visuals of the female body and tools as a medium for showing inner scars externally, I portray struggles that inevitably influence a woman’s life.
2. Each piece represents different painful experiences women will likely face at least once in their lifetime. I wanted to incorporate a shock value by using black and white mediums for bodies and paints for blood to attract the viewer’s eye. For example, piece 1 portrays a woman sitting in the position of a dog with her hands nailed to the ground and blood spurting from the wounds. This serves as a metaphor for the idea of obedience and inferiority engrained in women. Piece 5 represents body shaming in society, as a girl is attempting to peel away her skin to look thinner. Pieces 9 and 10 deal with the effects of conceiving a child, however, both take separate paths in the subject. Piece 9 is an interpretation of abortion. A woman is desperately removing her heart with tongs as if to show us the emotional emptiness left behind. On the other hand, piece 10 of raising a child. A bear trap is being held as a baby with bite wounds along the breast and arm, insinuating the pains of breastfeeding and overall child care. In piece 11, a woman is seen swallowing matches while sweating in order to portray hot flashes women endure during menopause. All pieces flow in a timeline of women’s suffering as they age. My concept is produced consistently through different themes that all come together to form a solid portrait of feminine struggles.
Henley L-2D Portfolio
1. The concept my concentration centers on is the relationship and imagination between my brother and me in our childhood years. Our childish minds transformed average daily activities into extravagant versions of books and movies. Every day, whether it was a day spent at the pool or a family hike, we imagined ourselves in our invented versions of the world. My concentration conveys the idea that my brother and I saw the world through the perspective of the books and movies we loved as children.
2. Each of my drawings represents a point in time in which my brother and I imagined another world. The influence of childhood literature shaped the way we saw events. As presented in picture number 2, my brother and I would go to the fair and ride a roller coaster called the superman. We closed our eyes as tight as we could and imagined ourselves up in space. We pictured family events like dances or dinners as magical nights like Cinderella or adventures like Alice in Wonderland (pictures 7 and 8). A simple day playing in the sandbox turned into an adventure in the Magic Tree House. Easters we pretended to be Max and Ruby from the television show (picture 9), and when we lost a tooth (picture1), we could not fall asleep because we were so anxious for the tooth fairy.
Kylie L-2D Portfolio
1. Everyday people look in the mirror, hating themselves for all their flaws. I may not like all my flaws, but I know there is nothing to be ashamed of because everyone is insecure. Find someone with no insecurities and I’ll find a purple elephant. One doesn’t exist. Just like someone who is perfect doesn’t exist. My concentration is about accepting all we see in the mirror and loving every part, because all the parts make up the person we are.
2. Around age 12, we become obsessed with our flaws, our imperfections, thinking they are all anyone sees. We see the veins popping out in our feet (1) the discoloration in our legs (11), the bump on our ear (4), the pimples on our face (5) or the yellowing of our teeth (9). Each piece of my concentration represents an insecurity I have. I gave more detail and exaggerated my flaws to demonstrate how I think others see them. For example, one breast is bigger than the other (8) and my eyebrows are sparse (6). Although they may be just stigmas, society has told me that these are the things on which to focus. In media, people are distorted to look perfect, their skin is one beautiful shade and their veins non-existent. They appear to look fake and set unrealistic standards for people in real life. In real life we have acne, veins that bulge out, and uneven skin tone. The goal of my concentration was to portray the imperfections we all have, through the use of my own body and flaws. I painted each body part close-up in order to show what we all stare at in the mirror, almost squishing our faces against the glass. We look at each piece analyzing ourselves, but we forget that all those pieces make up our entire self and we are all a work of art, therefore I did each body part individually in different pieces as works of art.
Melanie G-2D Portfolio
1. My concentration is based off of the quote, “The only way out is through.” which means when experiencing the adversities of life, avoiding the issue will solve nothing, only facing it will it end and one can move on. These ideas are visually represented through portraits while having mazes incorporated in them to demonstrate the complex, strenuous, and ambiguous journey of humanity coping with the hardships of life.
2. Although going through adversity can feel distressing, it is necessary in order to grow. Mazes are similar to this idea, since they can also invoke a sense of stress and dread, yet the underlying purpose of them is not to stay at a standstill in the midst of confusion; but to push through and come out different than when you entered. Each portrait encompasses this philosophy and depicts various obstacles (represented by the maze) that people in my life and I have faced, and the unique ways each of us has confronted them. In piece 9 the maze symbolizes fractured health of my mother’s broken arm. Nonetheless she does physical therapy to repair her arm and takes a direct and physical approach to solve her problem. Furthermore, societal convention can lead to mishap as represented by the tattered bookshelf as a metaphor for ignorance, piece 8 depicts my peer’s struggle of being a woman studying in the medical field that is dominated by males, but is otherwise working ambitiously to go beyond expectations. Even though each person handles their hardship differently; it’s our determination and will to overcome them that ultimately bind us together. Despite how demanding life can be, despite how endless the maze may seem, we continue to move forward.
AP Studio Artwork 2014-2015
This has been the best AP Studio class yet, grades anyway (and maybe overall...maybe). I am very proud of their hard work and their final products. Send a note of critique through the contact page and I will be sure to pass it along. They would love to hear from the viewers of this page.
This has been the best AP Studio class yet, grades anyway (and maybe overall...maybe). I am very proud of their hard work and their final products. Send a note of critique through the contact page and I will be sure to pass it along. They would love to hear from the viewers of this page.
Each student was asked two questions for their commentary. Here are their responses.
Ashlyn-2D Portfolio
1.What is the central idea of your concentration? (500 characters maximum) In this series, I use the dancers form to illustrate the role of movement in photography, demonstrating that the dancer’s lines and extensions illuminate the idea that art can occupy and embellish our time as well as our space. I also expound upon the theory that both dance and art can blur lines between tradition and abstractions.
2.How does the work in your concentration demonstrate the exploration of your idea? You may refer to specific images as examples. When referencing specific images, please indicate the image numbers. (1350 characters maximum) Dancers have a heightened sense of preconception, which allows us to imagine and create their craft complexly. We are not limited by our bodies or rules, so we also use our bodies as creative tools. This boundlessness allows us to break away from the traditional ballet sequences that we have learned so carefully. Our extended knowledge of our own bodies allows us to blend traditional ballet with new and innovative movement. The lines of a dancer vary from traditional extensions as seen in pieces (5) and (8), to more abstract extensions as seen in pieces (10) and (12). Although the movement in the photos is extremely varied in style, the pieces are given a sense of unity by the illusion of passing time that the blurred edges of the subject imply. This element of movement gives continuity to the series and brings together the nonconformist and traditional aspects of dance.
Brittany-2D Portfolio
1. The central idea of my concentration is the homes found throughout my life where significant memories were made. These are homes where my close family or I have lived. Each is ordered from the day I was born to the present day. Every home has unique and special memories tied to it that makes it so important to me. By using the form of an altered book, along with the mediums of watercolor and the delicate technique of pen and ink, I wanted to convey the story of my life and the influential events that occurred at each home as I grew up.
2. All of the homes that I chose to feature in my concentration are extremely meaningful to me due to the specific memories tied to each one. In order to show the viewer exactly why these houses are important to me, I decided to visually capture these memories by painting them onto the scene in the form of pop-ups. For example piece 6 is the house where my dad taught me how to ride a bike. Piece 3 is the house where my grandmother used to take my brother and me on picnics. By placing these homes in order of the memories made in them they depict the story of my life and the significant events that took place at each home as I grew up.
Chloe-2D Portfolio
1. Each member of a family has their own unique story that defines them, but together all of these individual lives lived, mistakes made, lessons learned, and tales to tell make up the beautiful diversity of a family. I studied the unique characters that make up the composition of a family, and represented its unity through the common medium of charcoal. Through my concentration, I have represented the idea that the each individual comes together to make the family itself a work of art.
2. Every family has the perfect couple (1); the ones who started it all and have a constant comfort in one another’s love. From this foundation new life is created (2); a fresh start, new mistakes to make, more reasons to grow. Then there’s the cutie-pie (3); the smallest of all who holds the most power; the twinkle of everyone’s eye. Of course there’s the cool grandpa (4) who keeps to himself enough to add some mystery to his charisma. He’s the one that’s lived the life you dream about. Then there are the best friends (5); the sisters who trust each other with their deepest, darkest secrets. There’s also the odd uncle (6); the one that adds comic relief to dramatic family gatherings; the presence that never bores. And you can’t forget about the perfect cousins (7); the one’s that get straight As and always color coordinate at family functions. Then there’s the one who show up smelly to dinner after a win- the athlete (8) with so much talent but humbly denies any sort of praise. There’s also the rebel (9); the one expected to take over the family business, but has courage to pursue his dreams instead. And of course, the heart of every family is the grandma (10) who always knows the right thing to say. Even after her physical presence is gone, she still sends love from above. Together, every family tells a beautiful story (11).
Gillian-2D Portfolio
1. My concentration is centered around the most important relationships in my life. These are portraits of the family and friends who have shaped who I am today. This concept is personal and full of emotion; I wanted to reflect simple elation and connection. I utilized bright watercolor and pen work along with the implementation of beads as a continuing and connecting element as my collection of paintings progressed.
2. Each painting is dedicated to a significant person in my life and all come together to make an altered book. Many pieces feature personal writing. For example Piece 2 is a portrait of me and my youth leader from church and the writing featured in the background is a paper her daughter wrote about me about her “hero” for school. Piece 7 is a portrait of me and a child from my mission trip where we provided family retreats to families whose children had cancer. The writing in the background is the name of all the children who I served on my trip and also a letter that I wrote to one of the young girls who passed away. The spread dedicated to my mother features her favorite bible verse which I feel describes her adequately. My cover for my book is covered in my signature Zen tangles and writing of my own which speaks to each person in my concentration and what I’ve learned from our relationship. Piece 10 is a goofy painting of my little sister and features tracings of little notes and drawings I’ve saved from her over the years. The spread dedicated to my father has the words “Mostest Infinity.” He and I have said this to each other every day for as long as I can remember as an inside joke. I feel the people who I have to chosen to be the focus of my concentration characterize who I am and in the connections I have with them I see myself which is why these relationships truly are the bonds that make me. The linear elements and Zen tangle designs are intricate and interwoven much like the links to each person. The bright and exuberant colors of the paintings parallel the emotion of the people in them and convey the joy shared from piece to piece. Nothing is included in this work that is not relevant and necessary to contribute to its meaning as a whole. All pieces and elements work together to achieve unity and tell a story of the people in my life.
Kaylee-2D Portfolio
1. The central idea of my concentration is the beauty in everyday life that is overlooked. Each day, thousands of people walk past the buildings and don’t recognize the beauty in the architecture. My unique perspective of architectural detail allowed me to capture the beauty of repetition and form that is displayed in plain sight.
2. The focus of my concentration details the beauty that comes from the elements of art and the principles of design. It is not our tendency to observe the world in detail and therefore we miss the beauty that constantly surrounds us. When first stepping into a building, rarely is it a person’s initial response to look toward the ceiling. By first looking upward, I was able to capture space, both inside and out, as well as the repetition of shape in image 3. Image 2 presents the balance of architectural design by using the repetition of line as well as shape. The reoccurrence of the curved balcony in image 8 creates movement and rhythm within the piece. Movement is also displayed in image 11 with the reflection of the building and its curvature. The unique angled perspective of images 4 and 6 illuminate the beauty of small details and shapes. The stark contrast between the luminous building and the darkened background creates a unifying emphasis in image 1. The beauty of line is highlighted in image 7. The elements in image 12, including value, form, line and balance, directly exhibit the beauty in architectural design that is missed by the common pedestrian. Each piece portrays the under-appreciated beauty of architecture through the use of the basic principles of studio art.
Sophia-2D Portfolio
1. My concentration focuses on the interaction between water and the human body. Water wraps itself gently around the curve of the body, accentuating the human’s natural shape. This interaction, artistically and aesthetically speaking, creates balance, unity, and contrast. When water tucks itself into the form of the body, it demands you notice the body’s shape, texture, and form. My art is the art of the human body interacting with the earth.
2. My concept is shown in my paintings through the various positions of the model's body. In every position, there is at least one portion of the body that is submerged. This is purposeful so that the audience notices the model’s curves. For example, in painting number eight, the water wrapping around her waist and hips accentuates the deep curve of her hips, and the contrast between the size of her waist and the size of her hips. The audience would not take notice of the exceptional roundness of her hips had the water not been painted. This is due to the contrast between the murky green water and the soft pink skin. The two colors balance out with one another and create shapes in the midst of their collision. There is also a contrast between the textures of the water and the skin; when combined, they create deep shadowy figures beneath the water's surface that only show service to the dry areas of the body. This shadowy contrast aids in shifting the focus towards the dry portions of her body. In painting number twelve, the water wraps itself around the underside of her torso, amplifying the shape of her chest and ribs. The eye of the audience isn't focused on the submerged area anymore, they're focused on her body and its form. In painting eleven, the water cuts off the bottom half of her back, but broadcasts the exceptional curve of her back and hips. Without the water, her shape could likely go unnoticed. This interaction is unity. The unity of the two is what I want to focus on; the interaction between two organic forces and how they compliment each other.
Ashlyn-2D Portfolio
1.What is the central idea of your concentration? (500 characters maximum) In this series, I use the dancers form to illustrate the role of movement in photography, demonstrating that the dancer’s lines and extensions illuminate the idea that art can occupy and embellish our time as well as our space. I also expound upon the theory that both dance and art can blur lines between tradition and abstractions.
2.How does the work in your concentration demonstrate the exploration of your idea? You may refer to specific images as examples. When referencing specific images, please indicate the image numbers. (1350 characters maximum) Dancers have a heightened sense of preconception, which allows us to imagine and create their craft complexly. We are not limited by our bodies or rules, so we also use our bodies as creative tools. This boundlessness allows us to break away from the traditional ballet sequences that we have learned so carefully. Our extended knowledge of our own bodies allows us to blend traditional ballet with new and innovative movement. The lines of a dancer vary from traditional extensions as seen in pieces (5) and (8), to more abstract extensions as seen in pieces (10) and (12). Although the movement in the photos is extremely varied in style, the pieces are given a sense of unity by the illusion of passing time that the blurred edges of the subject imply. This element of movement gives continuity to the series and brings together the nonconformist and traditional aspects of dance.
Brittany-2D Portfolio
1. The central idea of my concentration is the homes found throughout my life where significant memories were made. These are homes where my close family or I have lived. Each is ordered from the day I was born to the present day. Every home has unique and special memories tied to it that makes it so important to me. By using the form of an altered book, along with the mediums of watercolor and the delicate technique of pen and ink, I wanted to convey the story of my life and the influential events that occurred at each home as I grew up.
2. All of the homes that I chose to feature in my concentration are extremely meaningful to me due to the specific memories tied to each one. In order to show the viewer exactly why these houses are important to me, I decided to visually capture these memories by painting them onto the scene in the form of pop-ups. For example piece 6 is the house where my dad taught me how to ride a bike. Piece 3 is the house where my grandmother used to take my brother and me on picnics. By placing these homes in order of the memories made in them they depict the story of my life and the significant events that took place at each home as I grew up.
Chloe-2D Portfolio
1. Each member of a family has their own unique story that defines them, but together all of these individual lives lived, mistakes made, lessons learned, and tales to tell make up the beautiful diversity of a family. I studied the unique characters that make up the composition of a family, and represented its unity through the common medium of charcoal. Through my concentration, I have represented the idea that the each individual comes together to make the family itself a work of art.
2. Every family has the perfect couple (1); the ones who started it all and have a constant comfort in one another’s love. From this foundation new life is created (2); a fresh start, new mistakes to make, more reasons to grow. Then there’s the cutie-pie (3); the smallest of all who holds the most power; the twinkle of everyone’s eye. Of course there’s the cool grandpa (4) who keeps to himself enough to add some mystery to his charisma. He’s the one that’s lived the life you dream about. Then there are the best friends (5); the sisters who trust each other with their deepest, darkest secrets. There’s also the odd uncle (6); the one that adds comic relief to dramatic family gatherings; the presence that never bores. And you can’t forget about the perfect cousins (7); the one’s that get straight As and always color coordinate at family functions. Then there’s the one who show up smelly to dinner after a win- the athlete (8) with so much talent but humbly denies any sort of praise. There’s also the rebel (9); the one expected to take over the family business, but has courage to pursue his dreams instead. And of course, the heart of every family is the grandma (10) who always knows the right thing to say. Even after her physical presence is gone, she still sends love from above. Together, every family tells a beautiful story (11).
Gillian-2D Portfolio
1. My concentration is centered around the most important relationships in my life. These are portraits of the family and friends who have shaped who I am today. This concept is personal and full of emotion; I wanted to reflect simple elation and connection. I utilized bright watercolor and pen work along with the implementation of beads as a continuing and connecting element as my collection of paintings progressed.
2. Each painting is dedicated to a significant person in my life and all come together to make an altered book. Many pieces feature personal writing. For example Piece 2 is a portrait of me and my youth leader from church and the writing featured in the background is a paper her daughter wrote about me about her “hero” for school. Piece 7 is a portrait of me and a child from my mission trip where we provided family retreats to families whose children had cancer. The writing in the background is the name of all the children who I served on my trip and also a letter that I wrote to one of the young girls who passed away. The spread dedicated to my mother features her favorite bible verse which I feel describes her adequately. My cover for my book is covered in my signature Zen tangles and writing of my own which speaks to each person in my concentration and what I’ve learned from our relationship. Piece 10 is a goofy painting of my little sister and features tracings of little notes and drawings I’ve saved from her over the years. The spread dedicated to my father has the words “Mostest Infinity.” He and I have said this to each other every day for as long as I can remember as an inside joke. I feel the people who I have to chosen to be the focus of my concentration characterize who I am and in the connections I have with them I see myself which is why these relationships truly are the bonds that make me. The linear elements and Zen tangle designs are intricate and interwoven much like the links to each person. The bright and exuberant colors of the paintings parallel the emotion of the people in them and convey the joy shared from piece to piece. Nothing is included in this work that is not relevant and necessary to contribute to its meaning as a whole. All pieces and elements work together to achieve unity and tell a story of the people in my life.
Kaylee-2D Portfolio
1. The central idea of my concentration is the beauty in everyday life that is overlooked. Each day, thousands of people walk past the buildings and don’t recognize the beauty in the architecture. My unique perspective of architectural detail allowed me to capture the beauty of repetition and form that is displayed in plain sight.
2. The focus of my concentration details the beauty that comes from the elements of art and the principles of design. It is not our tendency to observe the world in detail and therefore we miss the beauty that constantly surrounds us. When first stepping into a building, rarely is it a person’s initial response to look toward the ceiling. By first looking upward, I was able to capture space, both inside and out, as well as the repetition of shape in image 3. Image 2 presents the balance of architectural design by using the repetition of line as well as shape. The reoccurrence of the curved balcony in image 8 creates movement and rhythm within the piece. Movement is also displayed in image 11 with the reflection of the building and its curvature. The unique angled perspective of images 4 and 6 illuminate the beauty of small details and shapes. The stark contrast between the luminous building and the darkened background creates a unifying emphasis in image 1. The beauty of line is highlighted in image 7. The elements in image 12, including value, form, line and balance, directly exhibit the beauty in architectural design that is missed by the common pedestrian. Each piece portrays the under-appreciated beauty of architecture through the use of the basic principles of studio art.
Sophia-2D Portfolio
1. My concentration focuses on the interaction between water and the human body. Water wraps itself gently around the curve of the body, accentuating the human’s natural shape. This interaction, artistically and aesthetically speaking, creates balance, unity, and contrast. When water tucks itself into the form of the body, it demands you notice the body’s shape, texture, and form. My art is the art of the human body interacting with the earth.
2. My concept is shown in my paintings through the various positions of the model's body. In every position, there is at least one portion of the body that is submerged. This is purposeful so that the audience notices the model’s curves. For example, in painting number eight, the water wrapping around her waist and hips accentuates the deep curve of her hips, and the contrast between the size of her waist and the size of her hips. The audience would not take notice of the exceptional roundness of her hips had the water not been painted. This is due to the contrast between the murky green water and the soft pink skin. The two colors balance out with one another and create shapes in the midst of their collision. There is also a contrast between the textures of the water and the skin; when combined, they create deep shadowy figures beneath the water's surface that only show service to the dry areas of the body. This shadowy contrast aids in shifting the focus towards the dry portions of her body. In painting number twelve, the water wraps itself around the underside of her torso, amplifying the shape of her chest and ribs. The eye of the audience isn't focused on the submerged area anymore, they're focused on her body and its form. In painting eleven, the water cuts off the bottom half of her back, but broadcasts the exceptional curve of her back and hips. Without the water, her shape could likely go unnoticed. This interaction is unity. The unity of the two is what I want to focus on; the interaction between two organic forces and how they compliment each other.
AP Studio Artwork 2013-2014
This has been a very successful year in AP Studio Art. I am so proud of the hard work by my students. Commentary for each body of work listed below. Enjoy.
This has been a very successful year in AP Studio Art. I am so proud of the hard work by my students. Commentary for each body of work listed below. Enjoy.
Each student was asked two questions for their commentary. Here are there responses.
Amber B.-2D Portfolio
1.What is the central idea of your concentration? (500 characters maximum)
The central idea of my concentration focuses on the metamorphic principles that shape human beings over time. I want to convey feelings and provoke thought by expressing a deeper more personal side to my artwork that develops as I develop.
2.How does the work in your concentration demonstrate the exploration of your idea? You may refer to specific images as examples. When referencing specific images, please indicate the image numbers. (1350 characters maximum)
The work displayed is expected to expand the thought of metamorphosis into a visual self portraiture piece based off of palpable emotions of my own while undergoing a critical stage in my life, growing up. Metaphorically, my artwork expresses changes and how I attend to them. I used transitional saturation in my photos to present the metamorphosis idea visually. Starting my concentration black and white introduces depth and reiterates growth as it slowly gains color. Untouched by the outside world, Image 1 expresses the fear of leaving behind an old life and progressing to the next stage. Image 3 conveys anxiety and represents me beginning to force my way out of my shell. Images 4 and 5 exhibit strength and courage by fleeing from past desires. Image 7 demonstrates the idea of letting go and moving on. Similar to a butterfly’s decadence, Images 10-12 show the inevitable atrophy that all human beings must face. By ending my concentration in black and white I hoped to express the accepted and tranquil part of life, death.
Becca S.-2D Portfolio
1. The central idea of my concentration is the exploration of the movement of color with the human body.
2. In every piece of my concentration I used a body as my canvas, neon reactive acrylic paint, and a black light. Every photo I took I wanted to show the movement of color on a body. Being able to capture movement with my camera shows the true beauty of colors. In picture 9 I wanted to show a person with two personalities. I painted one side of my face, and left the other side blank. When I took the photo I moved my face, being able to create movement and show two sides, just like a “two-faced” person. In picture 10 I wanted to show how the sun keeps all life going. I painted a sun in the center of my body to represent that it’s the center of life. I painted my arms as well, and moved them once I took the photo to show the sun creates movement, by always being there, fuiling our life every day. Exploring color with movement on the human body shows how breathtaking all bodies are, and the true beauty of them. Painting the bodies gives them more life, and capturing the moves shows how beautiful every movement around us can truly be.
Cameron G.-2D Portfolio
1. The central idea of my concentration surrounds the insecurities of women in their appearance and the actions they take in response to those insecurities. Women go to great lengths to make themselves more physically appealing when they should already have confidence in themselves.
2. I attempt to address the insecurities of women through visual expressions. One of those expressions is body shape and weight. Drawings 10, 11, and 12 all address concerns of weight. Drawing 11 is specific towards insecurities in the shape and thickness of a woman’s legs. Women cannot control is their height, so drawing 6 demonstrates a short woman putting on very high heels in attempt to make her appear taller. Drawing 8 depicts shaving, because many women worry that men find hair on the female legs to be disgusting. Drawings 4 and 7 highlight women’s insecurities in their breasts and making them more appealing to men. Drawings 2 and 5 illustrate a woman applying mascara and another putting on lipstick, while drawing 3 illustrates a woman painting her nails. Many girls worry about having thick eyebrows so I drew a woman plucking her eyebrows in drawing 1. Many women also feel insecure if their skin is too pale so drawing 9 is of a woman tanning. This work is an effort to demonstrate the insecurities that woman feel in their appearance, and what women do in response to these insecurities.
Kylie W.-2D Portfolio
1. The central idea of my concentration is to accentuate the underappreciated beauty of some of the endangered and protected species of Florida. The animals' ability to live on as graceful beings of the universe, even when under the threat of extinction, is absolutely captivating and noteworthy. With my work I hope to share my appreciation of their lives and raise awareness to conserve and protect those species in danger.
2. The animals’ juxtaposition against the dark backgrounds delineate their most distinctive features with no distractions from a complex background. If backgrounds were present in my work it would only distract the eye from the animal, mirroring the way humans marginalize the animals by diminishing their environment with their intrusive and destructive behaviors. The use of oil pastels helped to illuminate the natural colors, especially in the more vibrant of the studied species, such as those seen in pieces 3, 5, 6, and 12. In the less vibrant species the oil pastels were utilized in a way to make pieces such as 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 come to life and truly capture every detail that makes the piece realistic. My attention to fine detail was crucial in order to respect each animal's essential nature, it's every fin and feather and fur.
Olivia D.-2D Portfolio
1. The central theme of my concentration focuses devolving a comic book through a more formal business aspect in addition to expanding the story and relationship of the main characters.
2. My concentration is based off making a comic pitch to convince a company to publish my comic book. Pieces 1, 4, 6, and 8-11 develop the story and demonstrate the storytelling aspect of a comic. The first piece establishes the setting through the dialogue by reveling a glimpse of the past between the two main characters, in addition to the situation they are in the present. Pieces 4 and 6 show Addie's difficulty in finding a new job to pull her out of retirement, and Phillip's helpfulness and support towards Addie and her struggles. Pieces 8-11 develop Addie's carefree and possible forgetfulness along with how much she cares about Phillip. All of these pieces together show different story arc lengths and story telling techniques. In addition to comic pieces, I created illustrations, character references and logos to strengthen the business aspect. Piece 5 and 7 are sister illustrations that let us see not only personality in the characters but also their past. These two pieces can also be sold for merchandise along with piece 12. As a logo it can be placed on many different products such as t-shirts, bags, posters, etc. Pieces 2 and 3 would be used in the published comic book as the cover and character references which outlines who the characters are. By using this format, I hope to one day use these pieces for my resume.
Sara B.-2D Portfolio
1. The central idea of my concentration is to express the independence that the modern woman holds through the portrayal of ordinary actions one might perform on an average day.
2. My concentration was inspired by the female form and the strength of women. I wanted to explore different actions and movement that expressed femininity and independence. In each painting I show just a single figure using detailed watercolor and pen and ink. I chose watercolor because of the softer and more fluid color it gives off. The paint shows daintiness often associated with women and femininity. The pen and ink provides hard lines giving off the element of strength each woman holds in their being. As my concentration progressed, so did my skills in watercolor painting. In paintings 2, 5, 6, 7, and 11 I used washed out colors and short, quick pen strokes to give the illusion of someone performing an action. Most of my pieces are of women outdoors which shows the relationship between femininity in nature and the figure. I also have actions that would be considered more masculine in several pieces to give an element of strength and power that comes hidden within femininity. Paintings 1, 4, 6, and 10 show ‘less-than-ladylike’ poses and expressions which break the stereotype of the feminine mystique. Overall, my concentration shows the different views of femininity, between the traditional, delicate image of a woman and the modern-day empowered female.
Sarah F.-2D Portfolio
1. My central idea was the beauty and detail of the female body. The body is very detailed up close; beauty is brought out in details and unique aspects of each person. Today, body image and being perfect is on every magazine cover, every commercial, and every girls mind. My concentration idea was to show each girl how beautiful she is with a closer look, under a magnifying glass.
2. I portrayed my idea by photographing different girls’ nude bodies to capture the details of their anatomy. Every part of the body is unique and different. I captured the details of each body part with a macro lens and soft box for the best lighting and picture possible. In photo number 3, my goal was to capture how interesting and detailed the spine is up close. You can see tiny hairs and bumps one wouldn’t normally see at first glance. In photo number 10, I stood on a chair to give a traditional shoulder picture a different perspective. In many photos freckles and birth marks are shown, this portrays that even with flaws these girls and pictures still express their beauty. This idea of macro beauty invites the audience to view details of the body that many people would fail to notice.
Sydney B.-2D Portfolio
1. The primary idea around which my concentration is focused is the military deployment experience with an emphasis on daily positive behavior. The goal of my pieces was to express the experiences of soldiers, sailors and airmen deployed overseas during times of combat. Most people tend to think of these experiences in a negative light, however, I chose to reflect on the more positive side of their tours.
2. In my concentration, positive daily behavior was the main highlight connecting all 12 of my pieces. Starting with piece 1 and 2, these images show some of the regular duties and activities these soldiers participate in overseas. Going further into my concentration, I began to look into more activities that would relate to people back at home, for instance pieces 3-5. These images represent the technological uses and the bonds people make on tour. Originally wanting to show the aftermath of deployment on families, I decided to dig a little bit deeper into what we think goes on overseas. My cousin, who just got back from his first tour in March of 2013, ended up taking these amazing pictures of him and his friends while they were deployed. After having an insightful conversation with him, I saw that these pictures would be prime examples of what I wanted to portray for the true brotherhood these men and women. For example image 7, having a soldier throwing up a "peace sign" or in image 11, a soldier having a bar-b-que with some friends reflects camaraderie. Our perception of the daily lives of soldiers is much more positive than what these men and women are experiencing.
Sarah N.-2D Portfolio
1.For my concentration I show how faith in Jesus Christ is portrayed through loving others. I chose this for my concentration because God is my greatest passion and I wanted to challenge myself to see if I could capture the love he has for his children through my art.
2. I painted different scenarios where Christ's love is channeled through people to show what living a life with Christ is like. Galatians 5:22 says, "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness." When you are truely living the Christian life you carry around these traits or "fruits" with you wherever you go. My artworks show the Fruits of the Spirit as well as the teachings of Jesus. Picture 1 and 2 represents life and how God created each of us for a unique purpose. Picture 3 shows the importance of having an affective prayer life geared towards helping others. Pictures 4, 6, 8, and 11 represent the joys of mission work and how we are all called to serve each other. Picture 5 represents the sacrament of marriage as well as the love of family. Picture 7 is meant to show baptism, something that Jesus teaches that we as Christians should do. The hidden meaning behind picture 9 is how Jesus washed people’s feet to serve others. Picture 10 is a teenage Jamaican boy with intellectual disabilities. This picture is here to show that God doesn't make junk. Finally, picture 12 represents our depart from earth to our home, heaven. “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 3:20
Sammi G.-2D Portfolio
1. My central idea is based on the concept of “New is Old”. I have chose to only involve products that were once popular in the past, and are currently popular again, and to show the influence time has had on each product.
2. I demonstrate my theme, “New is Old” in my work by including the old and new model of each object in each photograph. I feel that I have clearly showed the revolution of each product throughout time. I have found throughout doing my concentration that regardless of the amount of time that has passed the products were still closely similar. This goes back to the impact of time and the trends that come and go. The current trend is “vintage”, which has brought back a lot of these products, and why such a lack of change is demonstrated. You can see the lack of changes in photo 2 in the kettle weights. They have remanded the same shape, and are still used in the same fashion. There is also a lack of change in photos 5 and 8. In photo 5 the two corded phones, there is not a dramatic difference other than the color. In photo 8 the difference you can detect is also the color, but the shape of the “cat eye” sunglasses remain the same, once again because the current trend. On the other hand, time has drastically changed some products. This is demonstrated in photos 10 and 11. The straight edge razors in photo 11 have completely changed in appearance, and the same goes for photo 10 between the two Polaroid cameras. The cameras have changed in appearance, and in the way they operate.
Cannon C.-2D Portfolio
1. My concentration is based on the bond my sister and I have developed over the past few years. It is such a strong bond because through caring for her I have had to learn to grow up at that of a young age and basically become a mother to her. She and I share a connection way more than that of sister. She sees me as her mother; I see her as a daughter.
2. My pieces all represent moments that my sister and I shared throughout time that express a mother daughter relationship. You see the start of the relationship with the picture of me holding her right after she was born, and a motherly kiss on her forehead, in piece number one. It shows how much love I automatically felt for her much like a mother would after giving birth. Then throughout the work you can see the moments where I helped her up a mountain and picked her up in the yard, like mothers do when they want to see their babies succeed in each activity they do. Then in piece number twelve she holds me close like a little girl when she holds tight to her mommy as we look out at the lake. The way each of our hands are place in the pictures shows a certain level of protection, or love, and even guidance from one to another which gives a motherly feel to the pictures. In piece number nine we hold each other close and you can tell both of us are happy to just be together in that moment, which is how any mom is when it comes to her child. Most of the things you see are things you’d see a mother and daughter doing together, and that’s why I feel the work follows my concentration so well. They all show the bond of two sisters that reflects the bond of a mother and daughter.
Sara J.-3D Portfolio
1. The nature of architecture carries with it a demanding need to look towards the future. Both the design and functionality of structures develop as fast as the mind can imagine, building off of the ingenuity of preceding ideals. My portfolio captures the essence of this futuristic optimism with the lightness, clarity, and motion that suggest the underlying theme to these works: looking up.
2. Starting from the first piece and carrying through the end, the twelve components of this portfolio demonstrate the transition from chaos to order, structure to inhabitable space. All of the pieces impart a sense of levity and poise to convey the theme of looking up and ahead, as a positive mentality is crucial to create something usable from the disarrayed landscape around us. The random, unstructured nature of pieces 1 and 2 is tempered by the ordered linearity of the next two; the pattern of these pieces juxtaposes the lurching frames of their predecessors. Pieces 5, 6, and 7 gather more form and purpose through the use of paper that gives them volume and sense of containment. Pieces 8 and 9 demonstrate increasingly ambitious structure, creating space and height, while pieces 10, 11, and 12 pull together pattern and form to develop full-fledged models, capable of utilization and inhabitation. Smooth wire, light wood, and uninterrupted white paper further the grace and finesse of the portfolio to subtly move the subconscious from a state of disorder to one of serenity and inspiration.
Amber B.-2D Portfolio
1.What is the central idea of your concentration? (500 characters maximum)
The central idea of my concentration focuses on the metamorphic principles that shape human beings over time. I want to convey feelings and provoke thought by expressing a deeper more personal side to my artwork that develops as I develop.
2.How does the work in your concentration demonstrate the exploration of your idea? You may refer to specific images as examples. When referencing specific images, please indicate the image numbers. (1350 characters maximum)
The work displayed is expected to expand the thought of metamorphosis into a visual self portraiture piece based off of palpable emotions of my own while undergoing a critical stage in my life, growing up. Metaphorically, my artwork expresses changes and how I attend to them. I used transitional saturation in my photos to present the metamorphosis idea visually. Starting my concentration black and white introduces depth and reiterates growth as it slowly gains color. Untouched by the outside world, Image 1 expresses the fear of leaving behind an old life and progressing to the next stage. Image 3 conveys anxiety and represents me beginning to force my way out of my shell. Images 4 and 5 exhibit strength and courage by fleeing from past desires. Image 7 demonstrates the idea of letting go and moving on. Similar to a butterfly’s decadence, Images 10-12 show the inevitable atrophy that all human beings must face. By ending my concentration in black and white I hoped to express the accepted and tranquil part of life, death.
Becca S.-2D Portfolio
1. The central idea of my concentration is the exploration of the movement of color with the human body.
2. In every piece of my concentration I used a body as my canvas, neon reactive acrylic paint, and a black light. Every photo I took I wanted to show the movement of color on a body. Being able to capture movement with my camera shows the true beauty of colors. In picture 9 I wanted to show a person with two personalities. I painted one side of my face, and left the other side blank. When I took the photo I moved my face, being able to create movement and show two sides, just like a “two-faced” person. In picture 10 I wanted to show how the sun keeps all life going. I painted a sun in the center of my body to represent that it’s the center of life. I painted my arms as well, and moved them once I took the photo to show the sun creates movement, by always being there, fuiling our life every day. Exploring color with movement on the human body shows how breathtaking all bodies are, and the true beauty of them. Painting the bodies gives them more life, and capturing the moves shows how beautiful every movement around us can truly be.
Cameron G.-2D Portfolio
1. The central idea of my concentration surrounds the insecurities of women in their appearance and the actions they take in response to those insecurities. Women go to great lengths to make themselves more physically appealing when they should already have confidence in themselves.
2. I attempt to address the insecurities of women through visual expressions. One of those expressions is body shape and weight. Drawings 10, 11, and 12 all address concerns of weight. Drawing 11 is specific towards insecurities in the shape and thickness of a woman’s legs. Women cannot control is their height, so drawing 6 demonstrates a short woman putting on very high heels in attempt to make her appear taller. Drawing 8 depicts shaving, because many women worry that men find hair on the female legs to be disgusting. Drawings 4 and 7 highlight women’s insecurities in their breasts and making them more appealing to men. Drawings 2 and 5 illustrate a woman applying mascara and another putting on lipstick, while drawing 3 illustrates a woman painting her nails. Many girls worry about having thick eyebrows so I drew a woman plucking her eyebrows in drawing 1. Many women also feel insecure if their skin is too pale so drawing 9 is of a woman tanning. This work is an effort to demonstrate the insecurities that woman feel in their appearance, and what women do in response to these insecurities.
Kylie W.-2D Portfolio
1. The central idea of my concentration is to accentuate the underappreciated beauty of some of the endangered and protected species of Florida. The animals' ability to live on as graceful beings of the universe, even when under the threat of extinction, is absolutely captivating and noteworthy. With my work I hope to share my appreciation of their lives and raise awareness to conserve and protect those species in danger.
2. The animals’ juxtaposition against the dark backgrounds delineate their most distinctive features with no distractions from a complex background. If backgrounds were present in my work it would only distract the eye from the animal, mirroring the way humans marginalize the animals by diminishing their environment with their intrusive and destructive behaviors. The use of oil pastels helped to illuminate the natural colors, especially in the more vibrant of the studied species, such as those seen in pieces 3, 5, 6, and 12. In the less vibrant species the oil pastels were utilized in a way to make pieces such as 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 come to life and truly capture every detail that makes the piece realistic. My attention to fine detail was crucial in order to respect each animal's essential nature, it's every fin and feather and fur.
Olivia D.-2D Portfolio
1. The central theme of my concentration focuses devolving a comic book through a more formal business aspect in addition to expanding the story and relationship of the main characters.
2. My concentration is based off making a comic pitch to convince a company to publish my comic book. Pieces 1, 4, 6, and 8-11 develop the story and demonstrate the storytelling aspect of a comic. The first piece establishes the setting through the dialogue by reveling a glimpse of the past between the two main characters, in addition to the situation they are in the present. Pieces 4 and 6 show Addie's difficulty in finding a new job to pull her out of retirement, and Phillip's helpfulness and support towards Addie and her struggles. Pieces 8-11 develop Addie's carefree and possible forgetfulness along with how much she cares about Phillip. All of these pieces together show different story arc lengths and story telling techniques. In addition to comic pieces, I created illustrations, character references and logos to strengthen the business aspect. Piece 5 and 7 are sister illustrations that let us see not only personality in the characters but also their past. These two pieces can also be sold for merchandise along with piece 12. As a logo it can be placed on many different products such as t-shirts, bags, posters, etc. Pieces 2 and 3 would be used in the published comic book as the cover and character references which outlines who the characters are. By using this format, I hope to one day use these pieces for my resume.
Sara B.-2D Portfolio
1. The central idea of my concentration is to express the independence that the modern woman holds through the portrayal of ordinary actions one might perform on an average day.
2. My concentration was inspired by the female form and the strength of women. I wanted to explore different actions and movement that expressed femininity and independence. In each painting I show just a single figure using detailed watercolor and pen and ink. I chose watercolor because of the softer and more fluid color it gives off. The paint shows daintiness often associated with women and femininity. The pen and ink provides hard lines giving off the element of strength each woman holds in their being. As my concentration progressed, so did my skills in watercolor painting. In paintings 2, 5, 6, 7, and 11 I used washed out colors and short, quick pen strokes to give the illusion of someone performing an action. Most of my pieces are of women outdoors which shows the relationship between femininity in nature and the figure. I also have actions that would be considered more masculine in several pieces to give an element of strength and power that comes hidden within femininity. Paintings 1, 4, 6, and 10 show ‘less-than-ladylike’ poses and expressions which break the stereotype of the feminine mystique. Overall, my concentration shows the different views of femininity, between the traditional, delicate image of a woman and the modern-day empowered female.
Sarah F.-2D Portfolio
1. My central idea was the beauty and detail of the female body. The body is very detailed up close; beauty is brought out in details and unique aspects of each person. Today, body image and being perfect is on every magazine cover, every commercial, and every girls mind. My concentration idea was to show each girl how beautiful she is with a closer look, under a magnifying glass.
2. I portrayed my idea by photographing different girls’ nude bodies to capture the details of their anatomy. Every part of the body is unique and different. I captured the details of each body part with a macro lens and soft box for the best lighting and picture possible. In photo number 3, my goal was to capture how interesting and detailed the spine is up close. You can see tiny hairs and bumps one wouldn’t normally see at first glance. In photo number 10, I stood on a chair to give a traditional shoulder picture a different perspective. In many photos freckles and birth marks are shown, this portrays that even with flaws these girls and pictures still express their beauty. This idea of macro beauty invites the audience to view details of the body that many people would fail to notice.
Sydney B.-2D Portfolio
1. The primary idea around which my concentration is focused is the military deployment experience with an emphasis on daily positive behavior. The goal of my pieces was to express the experiences of soldiers, sailors and airmen deployed overseas during times of combat. Most people tend to think of these experiences in a negative light, however, I chose to reflect on the more positive side of their tours.
2. In my concentration, positive daily behavior was the main highlight connecting all 12 of my pieces. Starting with piece 1 and 2, these images show some of the regular duties and activities these soldiers participate in overseas. Going further into my concentration, I began to look into more activities that would relate to people back at home, for instance pieces 3-5. These images represent the technological uses and the bonds people make on tour. Originally wanting to show the aftermath of deployment on families, I decided to dig a little bit deeper into what we think goes on overseas. My cousin, who just got back from his first tour in March of 2013, ended up taking these amazing pictures of him and his friends while they were deployed. After having an insightful conversation with him, I saw that these pictures would be prime examples of what I wanted to portray for the true brotherhood these men and women. For example image 7, having a soldier throwing up a "peace sign" or in image 11, a soldier having a bar-b-que with some friends reflects camaraderie. Our perception of the daily lives of soldiers is much more positive than what these men and women are experiencing.
Sarah N.-2D Portfolio
1.For my concentration I show how faith in Jesus Christ is portrayed through loving others. I chose this for my concentration because God is my greatest passion and I wanted to challenge myself to see if I could capture the love he has for his children through my art.
2. I painted different scenarios where Christ's love is channeled through people to show what living a life with Christ is like. Galatians 5:22 says, "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness." When you are truely living the Christian life you carry around these traits or "fruits" with you wherever you go. My artworks show the Fruits of the Spirit as well as the teachings of Jesus. Picture 1 and 2 represents life and how God created each of us for a unique purpose. Picture 3 shows the importance of having an affective prayer life geared towards helping others. Pictures 4, 6, 8, and 11 represent the joys of mission work and how we are all called to serve each other. Picture 5 represents the sacrament of marriage as well as the love of family. Picture 7 is meant to show baptism, something that Jesus teaches that we as Christians should do. The hidden meaning behind picture 9 is how Jesus washed people’s feet to serve others. Picture 10 is a teenage Jamaican boy with intellectual disabilities. This picture is here to show that God doesn't make junk. Finally, picture 12 represents our depart from earth to our home, heaven. “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 3:20
Sammi G.-2D Portfolio
1. My central idea is based on the concept of “New is Old”. I have chose to only involve products that were once popular in the past, and are currently popular again, and to show the influence time has had on each product.
2. I demonstrate my theme, “New is Old” in my work by including the old and new model of each object in each photograph. I feel that I have clearly showed the revolution of each product throughout time. I have found throughout doing my concentration that regardless of the amount of time that has passed the products were still closely similar. This goes back to the impact of time and the trends that come and go. The current trend is “vintage”, which has brought back a lot of these products, and why such a lack of change is demonstrated. You can see the lack of changes in photo 2 in the kettle weights. They have remanded the same shape, and are still used in the same fashion. There is also a lack of change in photos 5 and 8. In photo 5 the two corded phones, there is not a dramatic difference other than the color. In photo 8 the difference you can detect is also the color, but the shape of the “cat eye” sunglasses remain the same, once again because the current trend. On the other hand, time has drastically changed some products. This is demonstrated in photos 10 and 11. The straight edge razors in photo 11 have completely changed in appearance, and the same goes for photo 10 between the two Polaroid cameras. The cameras have changed in appearance, and in the way they operate.
Cannon C.-2D Portfolio
1. My concentration is based on the bond my sister and I have developed over the past few years. It is such a strong bond because through caring for her I have had to learn to grow up at that of a young age and basically become a mother to her. She and I share a connection way more than that of sister. She sees me as her mother; I see her as a daughter.
2. My pieces all represent moments that my sister and I shared throughout time that express a mother daughter relationship. You see the start of the relationship with the picture of me holding her right after she was born, and a motherly kiss on her forehead, in piece number one. It shows how much love I automatically felt for her much like a mother would after giving birth. Then throughout the work you can see the moments where I helped her up a mountain and picked her up in the yard, like mothers do when they want to see their babies succeed in each activity they do. Then in piece number twelve she holds me close like a little girl when she holds tight to her mommy as we look out at the lake. The way each of our hands are place in the pictures shows a certain level of protection, or love, and even guidance from one to another which gives a motherly feel to the pictures. In piece number nine we hold each other close and you can tell both of us are happy to just be together in that moment, which is how any mom is when it comes to her child. Most of the things you see are things you’d see a mother and daughter doing together, and that’s why I feel the work follows my concentration so well. They all show the bond of two sisters that reflects the bond of a mother and daughter.
Sara J.-3D Portfolio
1. The nature of architecture carries with it a demanding need to look towards the future. Both the design and functionality of structures develop as fast as the mind can imagine, building off of the ingenuity of preceding ideals. My portfolio captures the essence of this futuristic optimism with the lightness, clarity, and motion that suggest the underlying theme to these works: looking up.
2. Starting from the first piece and carrying through the end, the twelve components of this portfolio demonstrate the transition from chaos to order, structure to inhabitable space. All of the pieces impart a sense of levity and poise to convey the theme of looking up and ahead, as a positive mentality is crucial to create something usable from the disarrayed landscape around us. The random, unstructured nature of pieces 1 and 2 is tempered by the ordered linearity of the next two; the pattern of these pieces juxtaposes the lurching frames of their predecessors. Pieces 5, 6, and 7 gather more form and purpose through the use of paper that gives them volume and sense of containment. Pieces 8 and 9 demonstrate increasingly ambitious structure, creating space and height, while pieces 10, 11, and 12 pull together pattern and form to develop full-fledged models, capable of utilization and inhabitation. Smooth wire, light wood, and uninterrupted white paper further the grace and finesse of the portfolio to subtly move the subconscious from a state of disorder to one of serenity and inspiration.
