Teacher Name: Amy Diamond
Grade: 12

Materials: Pencil and pen on paper
Dimensions: 21” x 27”
Description: The diptych represents fear of the unknown and thalassophobia (fear of the deep ocean). It portrays an otherworldly sea monster that contrasts with a small, innocent fish; unaware that it’s about to become prey.

Artist Statement: It took me a while to realize what was so infatuating about doodling all over my school assignments and notebooks; throughout my life, as my interest in art transformed into my main passion, I’ve found the answer to that question. Drawings allow me to be as creative, free, and weird as I want. My art is an amalgamation of that imagination and weirdness.

I mainly work in illustration with pencils and pens. Drawing with pen creates a stark contrast to the white paper, it emphasizes the subject matter whilst maintaining intricate linework. I take inspiration from Van Gogh’s drawings; which masterfully use linework to create different textures. Especially in my black and white drawings, there is a heavy emphasis on linework and detail.

A lot of my art is heavily influenced by my love for animals. Much of my art bridges the gap between the practical biology of actual animals and the imaginative quality of made-up monsters. In my diptych piece: “Prey”, the creature on the left is based off of an anglerfish, an animal that lives deep in the ocean and hunts with a bioluminescent bulb protruding from its head. Combining a real life animal with fantastical elements makes the monster more unique and gives the drawing more personality. Real life animals have a great influence on my work, however my years of scribbling made up monsters and characters hold a much stronger importance to me.

en_USEnglish