CPS All-City Visual Arts Exhibitions

Teacher Name: Mr. Oshana, Ms. Novak
Grade: Senior

Materials: Watercolor brushes, blend tool, pen tool, overlays
Dimensions:  1700 x 1700
Description: This artwork was created with the concept of healing wounds, specifically self-harm scars. I wanted to illustrate the idea of people helping one another heal, without a gruesome or gory take on the subject. The softer colors are used to represent a moment of healing and peace. I also asked one of my friends who has dealt with thoughts of self harm in order to get a better understanding of how to portray the emotion.

Artist Statement: These works are collected from a portfolio I created in two different classes this year: my AP 2D Design class and my Contemporary Painting class. The works from my AP 2D Design class stemmed from a concept of gender non-conforming/non-conventional attractiveness. I chose to explore this topic as it pertains to the communities I am in and affects my day to day life. I also wanted to create this portfolio as a way to understand the difficulties and experiences from multiple people’s viewpoints, differing from my own. For my Contemporary Painting pieces, they were both created from different prompts given to me by my teachers. The students could create whatever we wanted, as long as it fit the prompts’ metrics. I made all of my works using a computer program called Clip Studio Paint. My artistic process for all of these works was to make a thumbnail sketch on paper, translate that sketch into Clip Studio Paint with more detail, outline the sketch using a pen or brush tool, create the background/subject piece using base colors, create shadows and highlights and add any extra effects/color correction. I love creating in a digital medium because it allows for experimentation through mixing different materials in a way that traditional art cannot. I also love the clean and refined look that one can create through digital art. The aesthetic and feel of digital pieces speak to my heart and are able to touch me in many different emotional aspects, sometimes even more than that in a traditional setting. Throughout the years, I have gone from working more on traditional art, to now mainly working on a digital sphere. I have found that digital art is much easier for me to explore my creativity and allows for more room for error. I love how it feels to work with an online program, more than the kinetic touch of a paper. To me, creating these pieces is my joy and pride in life. I am constantly filled with motivation to continue to create. This digital medium is more than just a hobby to me- it drives me to be a better artist and a better person. Art is a medium for my expression of self, as well as discovery of what mark I want to make on the world.