A.P.
“Tears from my heart”12x12” Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Colored Pencil, China Marker, 2021
Starting out, this was the first work of art I created to shape my theme around. Using my ongoing personal styles of horror and glamour, I wished to combine the two in one and create this. I knew I wanted to start off strong, so I decided to use a media I don’t use often— oil pastel. Comparable to the rest of my work, I started with the base of a figured person and layered on the various media I use. This was challenging because I used a canvas, not only does oil pastel not like to go onto it, I had a hard time trying to minimize the look of white spots. However, once I had added paint to my piece, it was completed in a way that I see fit. The china marker helped with the definition and shaping of the harsher lines in my piece. I’m glad I started strong because it lead me in the direction I want to go in this year.
“Toyko fever-dream” 11x14” Marker, Paint marker, 2021
This was a piece I didn’t ponder too much on before I started. This year I decided that I seem to create best when I don’t plan out my art beforehand. However, I still do sketches for inspiration. To test my new theory out, I started drawing multiple things on the page, an illustration in each to make it look like shattered glass. However, my sectioning turned into something more complicated and was simply used as a separation between different concepts in the work. Just like a stream of consciousness, I let whatever come to me transfer onto the page, and revised it up when I was done by adding Japanese words and phrases— no meaning, and all randomly chosen to emphasize my idea.
"To fall in love" 9x12" Watercolor, Pen, Gel pen, 2021
I really want to go out of my comfort zone this year and try mediums to expand the variety of my portfolio. I chose watercolor because I usually really hate painting, and I find watercolor hard to execute correctly. So, with that in mind, I wanted to really blend colors together, and that's what I tried to do here. I wanted to try a concept to show what is it like to first fall in love with someone, and the feelings aren't reciprocated. I think I did a good job, but after all, it really is my own interpretation and emotion of that situation.
"Halo v. thorns" 17x22" Marker, Gel pen, Paper, 2021
I have always been inspired by biblical history, and I want to find ways I can make it more modern and incorporate it into my work while still following my theme. I wanted to do a devil and an angel in my own style; but not in the typical ways you usually perceive them. I first sketched what I wanted, then carefully chose my colors and went from there. I added more designs and patterns when I completed the base colors and used a white gel pen to make it look sleeker. I was randomly inspired one day while completing this, I saw a grainy-looking paper and decided to make it look like I ripped out paper from a notebook. I really enjoy the look of its texture and what it adds to the piece."Wish on Starz" 16x19" Pen, Marker, Glitter glue, Paint, Magazine cut-outs, Adhesives, 2022
This specific piece took me the longest to complete. This collage I created using many different other works and sketches I compiled that I felt would be a great combination together. I made sure I cut them all relative to the same size and slapped the modge-podge unto a black canvas. But, I knew, I wanted some sort of overlayed effect. Shapes, and words obviously, helped me create that. I love the mash-up look, I believe it really goes along with my theme, and really portrays that inner madness inside of all of us.
"The concept" ?x?" Marker, Paint Marker, Acrylic, 2021
This was a short test of seeing what I could create. For my exploration, I chose the repetition of patterns and shapes to be incorporated into my theme. This is a perfect example of this exploration and focus, as I was just testing out new markers and seeing what I could quickly create with a limited amount of time. I'm glad I included this in my portfolio as even though it didn't require much effort, it really exemplifies my process this year, developing my AP portfolio.
"Aud" ?x?" Colored Pencil, Sharpie, 2021
Our baseline to finish line sketches/works prove our progression from the beginning to the semester to the end. On the first day of class, we created this work, where I drew my friend sitting next to me. At the end of the semester, I recreated the work and envisioned it in my own evolved style that had changed throughout the year. This is the product. I'm glad I included it because after giving it some second thought, Mrs. Dunlavey and I agreed it should be included in my portfolio, as it matched the vibe of my theme and had that finished look to it.
"Do you cry?" ?x?" Watercolor, Sharpie, Glitter, 2022
This is one of my favorite works from this year. Fears, hopes, and love are feelings captured in the meaning of words for my theme to help support that exploration of repeating patterns. I wanted to create a few pieces based on my raw emotion from the time creating them. I knew a somewhat self-portrait would be very cool and fun to create. A mirror is an interesting concept, as you have to manage to efficiently create the illusion of reflection, which I find is important to learn when making art. This was created by making a sketch, then adding watercolor. Originally, I wasn't going to add glitter, but I made the decision to and I believe it accentuated the design more.
"Racing thoughts" ?x?" Sharpie, Pen, Watercolor, String, Magazine-Cut-Outs, 2022
These words all represent the inner workings of our consciousness. Being a teenager, we all have random thoughts and fears that we can't seem to turn off. For me, personally, part of finding my theme was really capturing these floating thoughts I had in my own head to represent myself in my own art. At first, it was going to be a three-paged work, but I decided that I thought adding strings would be fun and interesting, something I'd never done or thought about adding before. I really like how it turned out and I believe that was a factor in making this piece as special as it is to me.
"Tuck everlasting" ?x?" Acrylic, Paint Marker, Marker, 2022
As you can tell, in this work, I was inspired by the novel "Tuck Everlasting." For some reason. it came across my thoughts one day and I became super inspired. I wanted to take a more realistic approach to my art, but be able to put my own spin on it. The fountain they talk about in the book, of course, was what I tried to replicate in my mind. Popular quotes from the book can be spotted spread around the canvas paper. Tuck Everlasting, which tackles themes of immortality, adolescence, and time, I felt was perfect to include in my portfolio.
"Doubt the process" ?x?" Acrylic, 2022
Black and white paintings are important to an artist's development. Finding out how to work without color isn't easy, as you have to incorporate that depth and shade with just neutral bland colors. I like how this turned out because I wanted a super, dark feeling to emulate within my audience. Finger-painting helped me create the effect of claw marks, and that really accentuates that sort of horror vibe I was going for. It's very ominous and it's supposed to be that way for a reason. Most of my pieces are bright, so the variety definitely gives some contrast and diversity to my portfolio this year.
"Consume"?x?" Acrylic, Paint Marker, Glitter, 2022
This piece heavily focuses on that repeated pattern. I wanted to create another acrylic piece similar to "Doubt the process," with the same size canvas. I wanted to see if I could work with paint well since acrylic paint is the worst media choice for me, personally. The word, "consume," is what I wanted my audience to feel when they look at the work. Although I wish it was a bit darker, and that they're was no shading, I like how I decided to add the red paint.
"We're live!" ?x?" Marker, Sharpie, 2022
This was a sketch before it was one of my pieces. The color is what I really wanted to focus on after I decided I liked the sketch pretty well. Blue is a skin color choice that is often seen in my portfolio. I hate having to test out realistic skin colors, and I like the blue better because I like the fantasy look it creates within a certain piece. Blue skin is definitely a staple in my work and of course a part of my style. That sci-fi, alien look really inspired my character design. Fashion, however, is usually re-vamped looks that I take from women I see on tik-tok or instagram. Fashion is a part of my art I believe and is just as important to know when creating a person and focusing on anatomy.
"Silly girl" ?x?" Marker, Paint Marker, Acrylic, 2022
This was the last piece I created this year, I'm not going to lie, it was super quick and not planned out because I didn't have much time before turning in my portfolio online. Despite that, I really admire my own work after looking at this piece. I think it really has shown my own style and how it has shifted throughout the whole AP process this year. The pattern, the eyes, and the tears really seem to draw me in and wrap up my portfolio as my last standing mark before college. I'm happy to say, that I am proud of my AP portfolio this year, and hope I can get a decent score.