This drawing explores the themes of time and memory through personal objects that belonged to my late mother. I chose items with deep emotional meaning—like her urn, a plush Piglet, jewelry sealed in a biohazard bag, hair clips, a crystal cross, and her driver’s license without personal details. Each object holds a piece of her story, and by including them, I aimed to preserve and honor her memory.

I used 9x12-inch Bristol paper and worked with graphite, ink, and Sharpies. The stippling technique helped me create soft textures and shadows, echoing how memories slowly take shape over time. I paid close attention to detail, allowing each mark to reflect both the beauty and difficulty of remembering.

This piece was deeply personal and emotionally challenging. It pushed me to confront grief, but also gave me space to reflect and heal. Through careful composition and material choice, I wanted to express how memories live on—fragile but powerful, fading yet still present.

Don’t I Get a Say is a piece created using drawing pad paper, ink, alcohol markers, and graphite pencils. It explores women’s rights, particularly focusing on abortion access and the impact of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. I began by researching contemporary art and the current state of reproductive rights in the U.S., which helped shape both the message and visual elements of the work.

I used a technique called Zentangles to build a detailed, botanical-inspired background that subtly reflects the female reproductive system. This adds both texture and meaning to the piece. Though the original idea was for a digital design, I chose traditional materials for a more organic and hands-on approach. The physical process made the work feel more personal and impactful.

This piece challenged me creatively—I’m not usually confident in drawing human figures or complex patterns, but I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone. It took over 10 hours to complete, and through trial and error, I ended up developing a stronger concept than I first imagined. Even without text, the message is clear and powerful.

Overall, this artwork represents both a personal and political statement. It made me reflect deeply on what I wanted to say and how to express it visually. I’m proud of how it turned out, both technically and emotionally.

This stippling piece is a detailed still life created entirely with ink, using the technique of pointillism to explore light, form, and texture. The arrangement of everyday objects—a bottle, citrus juicer, watering can, flashlight, and a toy bear—captures a moment of quiet observation, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary through patient mark-making.

By layering thousands of individual dots, I was able to develop a full range of values and subtle tonal transitions without using traditional lines or shading. This slow, deliberate process not only required discipline and focus, but also emphasized the passage of time within the creation of the work. The bear, soft and playful, contrasts with the more rigid and reflective surfaces of the glass and metal objects, inviting the viewer to consider both material and emotional textures.

Through composition, I aimed to balance nostalgia with technical precision. The choice of objects hints at themes of memory, domesticity, and childhood, while the stark black-and-white medium strips them of distraction, allowing form and shadow to speak. This drawing reflects my interest in how we find meaning in the mundane, and how repetition can become a meditative and transformative act.

This piece is a meditative exploration of form, balance, and complexity through the methodical technique of Zentangle, created using ink on paper. The overlapping circular forms serve as self-contained universes, each filled with its own unique pattern language. These intricate textures—ranging from checkerboards and waves to mazes and spirals—invite the viewer to slow down and trace each line, encouraging mindfulness and presence.

While the work is non-representational, the layering of forms and contrast between light and shadow offer a sense of depth and movement. I deliberately played with symmetry and asymmetry, repetition and variation, to evoke both harmony and tension. The black ink is softened by subtle graphite shading, giving the illusion of dimension within a flat space.

This drawing was not pre-planned but developed intuitively, one circle and pattern at a time. In this way, the process itself became a form of meditation—calming, grounding, and liberating. It is both a visual and emotional record of stillness in motion.

This still life drawing was created using a combination of stippling and cross-hatching techniques with pen and ink, emphasizing the contrast between texture, form, and light. The arrangement includes a decorative vase, a cluster of grapes, a vintage teapot, and other reflective and organic objects placed on a draped cloth. The interplay between hard and soft surfaces was a central focus of this piece.

Through detailed mark-making, I explored how light interacts with various materials—metal, ceramic, fabric, and fruit. The stippling technique allowed me to slowly build soft gradients and subtle shadows, while cross-hatching added movement and energy to the reflective surfaces. The textures of the cloth and the intricate patterns on the vase were deliberately emphasized to create a strong sense of realism and depth.

This artwork reflects my interest in capturing timeless domestic scenes and imbuing them with quiet drama. The careful balance of shadow and highlight, structure and spontaneity, speaks to the patience and mindfulness required in the drawing process. Each mark was a step toward transforming everyday objects into a composition rich with atmosphere, weight, and elegance.