I created this work to represent the on-going stress that most students face. Daily, teenagers compete in terms of grades and popularity. They have to deal with high standards expected of them and are faced with the pressure to conform. They would rather turn in similar assignments than actually engage in their work and learn. It is necessary to remember to celebrate what makes us different; how we present ourselves, by our distinct personalities and in our art.

The still life I created was inspired by an artist's life journey. The crayons represent the young artist experimenting with early creativity and the cup and paintbrush represent the artist maturing in knowledge and skill. The older artist, however, returns to the techniques of childhood, combining them with the knowledge of a matured state.

My still life is a picture of a garden that wants a lot of attention! Some of the flowers are bending down or leaning over to say something to another flower. One is turning to talk while it's friend stretches it's petal to hear better! They are growing and glowing because they are happy to be alive. I want people to feel that my flowers are welcoming them to glow and feel as happy as they do!

The objective of the assignment was to have us take a good look at the world around us. We had to do an observational drawing of a pencil and to look at this everyday object closely. As a class, we were inspired by the quote "If you can't be a pencil to write someone's happiness, be the eraser to remove their sadness." A lot of meaning can be given to a simple object. It really made me change the way I look at a pencil.

I painted this flower to represent my family. My family loves the color purple, so I mixed different shades and tints of purple. My family is growing bigger and bigger like a flower blossoming.

I saw paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe. She painted everything bigger than life, so I drew my flower very big. Then I used pastels to color it. It was fun.

In my work, I used different layers of watercolor in order to create the illusion of a glass texture. I created translucency in the bottles by keeping the light source in mind. I also used light watercolors to create highlights and darker colors to create shadows.

Georgia O'keeffe inspired this artwork. She was known for her paintings of flower close-ups. It was tough to shade different areas of the flower that had different contrast levels. It was also a challenge to blend the colors together to create the illusion of an actual photograph.

I did this drawing because I wanted to see the effects of using the two different textures of watercolor and pencil. I think the background looks very nice with the pencil shading. I also think the different textures make this a magnificent picture.

My sneaker design project was inspired by the question of whether or not graffiti should be considered a crime. Despite what others may think, I personally believe that graffiti is a form of art.

The cherry blossom is a popular symbol of spring. The inspiration for this artwork was the cherry blossom tree outside my house. When cherry blossoms bloom they only last for a short period of time. With my still life I wanted to capture the beauty of cherry blossoms.

Artworks that use dark or black backgrounds make their subjects "stand out." I was inspired to do this work because the objects were conveniently placed around me. The rusty lamp and the sunflowers gave me a "vintage vibe." I focused on getting the light at the appropriate angle and on the warm and cool color values in the objects.

I created this piece as I was developing my painting skills and exploring realism. I wanted to challenge myself to paint a black shoe as well as to explore a unique combination of colors.

I was inspired by a Surreast painting my teacher showed me. Being in middle school inspired me to paint a boy who doesn’t see the beauty around him because of a common problem among teens (overuse of technology). The boy looks up noticing the beauty of everyday objects for the first time becasue of their impossible size.

During art class I was inspired to do this piece by looking at examples of mixed media by Pablo Picasso. One thing I noticed in Picasso's work was that he used words from newspapers and cut them in half. He also used many different types of paper such as wood grain, wallpaper, and sandpaper. In class, we used the same materials.

In the fall I noticed some seasonal fruit and vegetables on the table and was inspired to create this painting. Fall is one of my favorite seasons. I was also inspired by the artists Christina Lorre and Moriah Elizabeth because they create colorful, bright works of art. I like the way they use pastel pink, blue, and yellow.

When I started to draw the objects, I selected and arranged them on the table. I was very surprised as I went from two dimensional drawing to three dimensions by casting light and shadow. This is the very first time I have done a still life. I learned so much and I am so happy to have created this original work of art.