my portfolio.

welcome to my art. click the titles to get a closer look :)

Double Feature (2018)

thread and acrylic on linen

Inspired by Cayce Zavaglia, I created Double Feature as a comment on society’s repression of people’s identity. With the rise of social media, a standard for how to present oneself has been set. The right half of the face represents the simplified identity of a person after societal pressures, while the left side of the face symbolizes one’s true identity and individuality. The abstract streaks of paint in the background represent the need for people to break out of the standards pushed upon to them.

Finding Ataraxia (2019)

pen and oil on Bristol paper

Inspired by Nicholas Baker and Davide Cambria, I created this piece practicing stippling and broad, separated brushstrokes. In the past year that this piece was created, I found myself to be in a happier state of mind and desired to represent that. The theme of the work is acceptance and contentedness. The wall of leaves in the background, created in grayscale, is meant to have a calming effect for the viewer, while the yellow ribbon around the figure represents a positive state of mind. Bright colors were used in the subject to create an uplifting tone.

Casper (2018)

relief linoleum print on toned paper

This portrait is one of my dad’s dog. I desired to challenge myself by breaking away from my comfort of human portraiture as well as show my love for dogs. I chose to work on toned paper to create a richer depth in the piece, as the print was only going to be done in a single color. Blue and yellow were chosen as the colors complement one another. Additionally, the color combination is more masculine than feminine, and I aimed to represent Casper in every aspect that I could.

Goofy Face (2017)

colored pencil and graphite on Bristol paper

The composition of Goofy Face is a play on a polaroid picture, with the monochrome right half being the developed picture and the colored left half being the live reality. The composition idea came from my lack of art experience at this work’s time of creation. This was my first real effort using colored pencil and I wanted to play the strengths I had developed already in graphite.

The Child In Me (2016)

graphite on Bristol paper

Throwing it back to my first true art piece! The Child In Me was created my freshman year of high school after my art teachers recommended I compete in VASE, a Texas art competition. Working off of pictures and having only worked with graphite, I decided to create a graphite portrait of my brother and I. As you can probably tell, my skill creating hair is not so hot, and the idea of blending was an unknown concept to me.

Still Hopeful (2018)

acrylic on paper

I had the honor of participating in UNICEF’s The Memory Project, where art students create portraits of children caught in vulnerable situations. Being that the portrait would be going back to the child, I aimed for a realistic style, using small and blended brush strokes so that the face was smooth. In the background, I have light red and blue streaks, as the child stated their favorite color was red and I wanted to create an upbeat and whimsical tone.

My Sweet Thing (2021)

colored pencil on paper

My first commissioned work, My Sweet Thing is a portrait of my friend’s daughter. This piece is special to me because it is the first time I have given my art away, which was something I could not imagine doing in high school. This was also my first time doing a full colored pencil piece, and I could see how much I had progressed in technique and confidence since my earlier works.

Release (2018)

charcoal on paper

Taking it back to monochrome! Release is inspired by Robert Longo’s Men in the Cities. This piece is meant to represent letting go of tensions and, instead, taking the time to be free with the body and soul. This work was created in grayscale and with a blank, white background to focus attention on the figure and form a moment free of the confines of time.

Evanesce (2018)

colored pencil on toned paper

This piece is a self-portrait inspired by Cristina Troufa. Evanesce follows a theme of inner turmoil. The dark hues in the work serve to set a somber tone while the empty spaces in the figure and cacti serve to symbolize the subject “fading into the background,” struggling through feeling insignificant to the world around them.

Caught in the Undertow (2018)

acrylic on canvas

This work was inspired by Davide Cambria and follows the theme of stress. In early high school, I have found myself frequently overwhelmed by both internal and external pressures, resulting in a feeling of “drowning.” The blue background reflects the waves of an ocean, while the abstract and incomplete portrait shows my fight to “break out of the water.”

In Melancholy (2017)

thread and nails on wood

This work is inspired by Debbie Smyth and is a self portrait referenced from a photograph of me looking at myself in a mirror. The theme of this piece is reflection. The simplicity of this work, being made of black thread looped between nails serves to emphasize the relaxed expression of the face. However, the layering of the string allowed me to deconstruct the portrait. This broken down and layered process parallels the process of reflecting upon myself.

Can You Hear Me? (2017)

oil on canvas

Throughout my life, the idea that one must be a “triple threat” and the best of the best in order to make it has been stressed. This has created a pressure to be perfection, something that I have felt heavily throughout my youth, and that I know my peers have experienced as well. This piece shows a person playing cello, an instrument I currently play. The dark background represents a lack of audience. Combined with the title, I aim to express the worry of constantly putting forth effort to not be recognized or acknowledged.

my studies.

Mixed-Media Study (2017)

pen, pastel, colored pencil, watercolor, and acrylic on paper

Created as a basic introduction to visual arts. The study required creating a tiled piece using at least four mediums.

Color Study (2017)