My idea was to make a minimalistic scene. I got this Idea because I like water scapes, so I found a reference to figure out the details of my imagination.  First, I created all the green plants and light colors. I came in and added lotus flowers. Then I came in and added rocks, making sure they had the water line. Lastly, I added the blue water, making ripples, and the blue sky. For all of these, I used watercolor and brushes. This artwork shows my love for nature, especially water scapes and plants. I want my audience to think of a time they were at peace while in nature. The most difficult part was the layers and the lotus flower. It was hard using the watercolors to make depth while also not getting the paper too wet, which is what happened with the lotus flower. If I started over, I might sketch out everything first.  I was going for a minimalist detail while also showing enough to understand the concept of the art. This is unique to me because I typically paint nature. I love the rocks and the lotus that is in the water. 

Because this painting was for the Songbird Competition, I needed to create a scene that showed a part of a bird's life. I created this specific arrangement of the birds and branches to ensure I am not copying someone's artwork or photography. I wanted to show one bird in action and the other curious. First, I painted my background completely green. I didn't use much detail because it would be blurry in the background. Next, using various sunlight and green colors, I created light blurbs coming from the top left corner. As a created depth, I made sure to create more and more detail while coming to the foreground. I soon created the branches in better detail. I primed on the shape of the birds in white and slowly added detail to them. For this piece, I used acrylic paints and different-sized brushes. This artwork shows the life of the White-breasted Nuthatch. I want my audience to see the movement of the birds and how they live in their forest. The most difficult for me when painting was creating depth without going back and touching things up.  I kept going back to the background and sometimes ruining the foreground. If I started over I would choose a different canvas texture and use different colors. This art style is more realistic.  It is unique to me because I love to paint nature, and my dad and I love to watch birds. I love how I can infer the birds are interacting and curious about each other. 

My idea was to make a fall scene. I started this painting in the fall. I got the idea of adding Ben's truck to it because in the fall, we went to the beautiful forest when the sun was setting, and we ate at Culver's together by the lake. The truck was parked in a gravel lot, but instead, I made it look like an off-roading scene. I remember there was a big yellow tree by the truck and a red one behind it.  We had a good conversation, and he put his jacket on me. This is a memory that I love, so I decided to paint it. First, I made the sky in the background look purplish and blue because the sun was setting in the West and this view is facing East. I made a big open area with trees surrounding it. For the trees, I first made basic shapes using different leaf colors in the fall. I later came in to add more detail of the leaves, light shining, and shadows casting. I also painted leaves on the ground to show that the seasons are changing. For the truck, I primed the shape in white and mixed a red color that fit. I then painted the windows black at first, and painted the other details white like the mirror and front. After, I came in and added more detail to the front of the truck. After all details outside were complete, I created the sunset casting light into the truck. Lastly, I created the tires. This artwork holds a memory of my life. I want the audience to realize that they can paint a memory of how they perceived an event, even if it isn't exactly like it was in real life.  A hidden symbolic meaning is that the seasons are transforming in a big change, and so is my life. The most difficult part was getting the proportions of the truck perfect because the reference photos I had were from different angles.  If I started over, I would change where the truck is sitting. This painting is semi-realistic, and reflects my style of painting nature and life experiences. I love how the trees turned out