Avery Speas "Adalynn and I"
8x10, Acrylic Paint, 2025
When thinking about an idea for my portrait painting, I wanted to find an image where I felt like my best self. I had to leave my best friend when I quit gymnastics and I was always happiest when I was around her. I wanted to create a piece of artwork that had the both of us together. She had recently came over and we took a couple of pictures together so I selected the one that was my favorite.
I started by getting the background shade to be a subtle shade of pink. The original photo had a door and trim in the background but I decided that both of those were insignificant to the painting so I decided not to paint them in my self-portrait artwork. It took a couple layers of paint to get an even shade across the canvas. I then used tracing paper to trace the original photo onto the canvas. After that, I just wanted to get the paint on the canvas so I had a baseline and then I could go back and refine it. I started with the t-shirts, and then I moved onto the skin, the hair, and then eventually the phone. After that, I added some highlights and shadows the portrait before readjusting some skin tones. My final step was asking for Ms. Garrity for some help with finishing details and then calling the painting complete. I used lots of different shades of paint to complete to looks.
To me, this artwork means finding enjoyment in what life gives you. I was given someone who I cannot imagine my life without so it meant getting to put how I feel on a canvas. I think that my audience will see that we are really close and that our smiles are not forced, they simply just appear when we are around each other. There isn’t too much symbolical imagery; its more of an appreciation artwork and one of self reflection for someone that I’m truly grateful for.
The most difficult part of the artwork was getting the color of skin to match. I remixed the skin color at least 10 times before I thought that it was perfect enough. I had to be very patient and ask for help to get the results that I finished with. It got easier the more that I did it but at first it was very challenging. If I could restart, I would have gotten help sooner so that the painting could have been done sooner and I would have been less hesitant about mixing and remaking colors.
This is a realistic style of art. I think that it makes it unique to my own style because I really enjoy making realistic artwork and I feel that that is a majority of what I decide to paint. I like being able to attempt to replicate an artwork and see how similar I’ve made it to the original artwork. I love that I can look at the artwork and instantly feel happy and joyful. I think that the painting accurately portrays both me and Adalynn and I’m extremely proud of that.
Avery Speas "Dog on Grass"
8x12, Acrylic Paint, 2025
My idea was to do an animal painting. I instantly knew that I didn’t want to do one showing an animal face because I didn’t want to worry about doing a face since I had just recently done a painting with two faces. I was sitting on the couch and saw my dog at my feet and thought, “Let’s do a painting of Sully (my dog)”. I found an image of my dog staring at the trees in our backyard from when we lived in Ohio. I really liked the difficulty in the trees and grass and I thought that the painting would evolve into a very close resemblance of the original photo. I knew I had my work cut out for me and I wanted to push myself with the landscape part of the painting. I wanted to get better at brush strokes and textures with this painting.
I started this painting by finding a canvas to recycle. I came across one in the size that I wanted and decided that that was the canvas I was going to use. I made a shade of green that I was going to use for the foreground and painted the entire canvas that color. I had to apply several layers of paint to get an even coat and had to redo the background a couple times. I then sketched the original photo onto the canvas so that I had a clear outline on what I was going to paint. I then added some lighting details in the background and near the horizontal divide of the canvas. Next, I added some grass details to the foreground and lightened the area up so that I could add more color and details later. I also added some texture in the trees. Eventually, I was able to add several different greens to the trees to give the illusion that the trees were three dimensional. I painted the trunks of the trees before finalizing the light spots of the trees. After that, I moved onto layering the grass using thin, upward stroking brush strokes. I used many different greens so that the foreground and midground were realistic. I had left some room in the center of the canvas to paint my dog so after the grass was finished, I began painting my dog's fur black. I then went in with a blue gray color to give a lighting illusion on his fur and then added the white parts of his fur. Finally, I added some finishing touches to the background and then signed my name at the bottom.
This artwork means reflection. The dog is staring off into the wooded area which is often a sign of deep thought or reflection. Dogs unfortunately are unable to speak but they are capable of thinking. I believe that he was reflecting on what he was seeing in front of him and trying to figure out the beauty of nature in front of him. They can’t see green in the ways that we do so I wanted to capture how we see green because many other creatures are unable to see it. I included a little bit of iconography because I named the artwork “Dog on Grass” and some people use the term “Dog On It” to express their frustration. There was so much grass and greenery that I had to paint which became frustrating at times. I don’t believe that I included much symbolism in this artwork but I think that the iconography and the feeling of reflection are the two main things that I was trying to get across.
It was difficult to get some of the textures on the painting to work out the way that I wanted them too. At first, I struggled with getting the trees to look full and three dimensional. I overcame this struggle by dabbing the brush in paint and dabbing the paint brush on the canvas, making sure to spread out different colors as I went. When moving onto the grass, I thought that the grass also looked two dimensional and it didn’t have the volume that I wanted. I got some help from Ms. Garrity and she showed me that I should use upward strokes. I applied several colors until I got the right balance of colors. If I had to start over, I would make larger batches of paint so that I didn’t have to keep on remaking it every class.
The artwork style is realistic. I think that it makes it unique to my own style because I like using different brush strokes to style landscapes. I used both dabbing and upward moving strokes. I love that I look at the painting and it looks super cohesive and yet if you look closer, you see so many different textures and styles. I love seeing my dog and I think that since my execution was done well, it is a painting that I love to look at. I love that I pushed myself and got better as the painting went on. I learned how to manage my time well and I am super proud of myself for making that animal painting.
Avery Speas "Grinch and Max"
3x2x6, Clay and Paint, 2025
When brainstorming ideas for the altered moments artpiece, I saw the figure I had in front of me. It was a boy and his dog. This led me to question who would have a real bond with their puppy. With Christmas time approaching, I came to the conclusion that I should replicate the Grinch with his dog Max. I was particularly inspired by the old 1966 version of the Grinch. I wanted the grinch to be that lime green color so that he stood out. I planned on putting him in his Santa suit and placing the iconic one antler on Max’s head.
To begin, I primed the whole sculpture white. I did multiple layers so that none of the previous colors could be visible. Once it was covered in white, I looked up the color palettes of the Grinch and Max from the 1966 cartoon so that I could get their fur colors relatively the same as in the cartoon. I then used the green to paint the face and hair. I used a smaller brush to get the details on the hand and I made sure to not get the green in the eyes. After that, I painted the Grinch’s coat and pants red. I then used black to get the shoes the right color and I used black to get Max’s nose black. I then took my white and added fluff to the trim of the coat and pants. I then moved onto Max’s fur, painting it a caramel brown color. I did a darker shade of that by adding black to the original color for the ears. Then, I sculpted the hat for the Grinch and the single antler for Max. After this, they were fired and placed onto the artpiece. I’m not sure if the fire made the color of the Grinch’s skin darker or if it was changed. Ms. Garrity then painted final details like fallen ice cream so that it could be displayed for the band concert.
This artwork symbolizes Christmas and the bond between two characters. It means having a companion who is there for you; just like how Max is always there for the Grinch. I would say it is about Christmas bringing people together because when the Grinch was isolated and alone during Christmas, he bonded with his dog Max. I want my audience to think about who they bond with in times that they need the most support. I don’t think that there is any symbolic imagery in this artpiece. I think that the most important thing that I want my viewers to take away from this is the bond between two people who are best friends.
I believe that the most difficult part of this project was getting small details to be painted fully. Some places were hard to reach and I often had to redo the section I was on so that the right color wasn’t accidentally in the wrong spot. I also struggled with getting the shape of both the antler and the hat to be accurate. I had to start over a lot and I had to be very patient so that it would look right. However, I think that I did a good job of fixing my struggles as they were popping up. I’m not positive on what I would change if I had to start the entire project over. It was a pretty simple project with not that much difficulty. If I was to use a different idea than the Grinch and Max, I think that I would have done Charlie Brown and Snoopy because I think that they are funny and are also a really iconic duo.
This style of art is called Fan Art. This is because I made a nod to the Grinch and Max, who are already Dr. Seuss’s artistic cartoons. I think that it makes it my style because I love recreating people and things that have impacted my life. I love dogs so it is no surprise that I chose a precious moment to redo that includes a dog. I also love Christmas time so I’m also not surprised I made a Grinch and Max altered moment. I love that I can look at it and be reminded of Christmas time. I’ve seen that cartoon a dozen times and it never fails to entertain me. I love that I can display this during Christmas time in my room. The characters are my absolute favorite and it makes me want to watch that cartoon every time I glance at it.
Avery Speas "Surfboarded Sunset"
6x11, Acrylic Paint, 2025
When coming up with “Surfboarded Sunset”, I started with the mindset that I wanted to paint somewhere where I would like to go. I recall going to the beach for the first time in 2022 for spring break and feeling very connected with the beach environment. I loved being on the sand and taking in the waves. I recall the sense of calmness that I had there; which is similar to how I feel about sunsets. I combined the idea of a sunset and a beach to give myself the idea that the surfboard was the ocean standing in the sand, back turned against the sunset.
To start the painting, I sketched the area where the sand would be and where the surfboard would be. I planned to paint the sunset without going over those areas to maximize my productivity in finishing the painting. Once everything was traced, I began to paint the sunset. I started by painting the brightest part of the sunset; the lowest seeable red on the painting. I then moved onto the next layer, the burgundy middle layer, and then finally the burnt maroon color in the high sky. I tried to blend the layers together but the paint had dried too fast for the water to be much help. I then moved onto the sand, where I painted a basic tan color and then detailed with white, red, and black specklets to add the small details found in sand. Lastly, I layered on different shades of blues to make the ocean floor levels. I started with the dark blue and used water to make the colors fade into one another. This was easier to do here than in the sunset. My final step was outlining the surfboard with black to make it have definition against the sunset.
I think that the artwork signifies someone at peace with their surroundings. When painting the baseline painting, I thought of putting myself in the position of the surfboard on the paper. I think that the waves on the board signify my pulse crashing through my nerves and my blood pulsing through my body. I feel that same feeling of total body awareness when looking at summer sunsets. So in terms of iconography, I painted the emotions of myself watching the sunset onto the surfboard so that I could be transported to that calming place.
The most difficult part of painting the “Surfboarded Sunset” was getting the small sand details on the sand. I wanted dark and light grains of sand to be noticed and so I had to carefully place them on the paper so that no one color dominated the other. I overcame the struggle by going slow and trusting the process. I also struggled to get the sunset layers to blend together. However, I couldn’t really overcome this at the time and so I had to accept the outcome. If I could start over, I would try to blend the colors together when the paint was still wet because I learned that acrylic paint dries very quickly.
I think that the artwork is an abstract realism painting. This is because the sunset is semi-realistic while the surfboard was painted in the way that I would paint an ocean, not a surfboard, making it abstractly painted. Surfboarded Sunset is unique to my personal style because I enjoy using a wide variety of color and blending in the colors. I specifically enjoy doing this in landscape paintings. I love the memories that it brings me and the way that it makes me feel at peace when looking at it.
Avery Speas "Surboarded Sunset"
I think that one of my strengths over this semester has been to trust the process and be confident in knowing that in the end, the painting will be something I’m proud of. I think that I have grown in my ability to make a wider range of colors and shades. I think that I have also grown in my abilty to use my time wisely and get my work done when I need to lock in and get it done. I have also been able to experiment with shape and texture and dimension more and more as the semester has progressed. In the future, I would like to work on trying to create different styles of artwork instead of just finding an image and trying to recreate it. I think that making something non-objective or creating a painting of a different style would be a challenge and it’s something I would be willing to try. I have learned more about highlights and shadows. I have also learned about how I can use those to create dimension and make my paintings look more realistic.