Clay Maquette

Oceania. Buff Clay and Acrylic Paint. 2017

Our art class was assigned to created miniature maquettes that would serve as characters or props in an imaginary film.  We could either design animals or buildings, but we had to combine multiple creatures or architect styles to create our maquettes.  I chose to create an animal which is a combination of a starfish and a sand dollar.  I wanted to make an animal that was simple, but fairly realistic.  The creature's body is of a starfish.  The tentacles are clay slab pieces that I attached to the main pentagon shaped clay body. The tentacles are bent in different positions to make the starfish seem alive.  The design on the top is a replica of a sand dollar's design.  The body of Oceania is painted in a mixture of dark red, light red and white acrylic paint.  The sand dollar design is done in copper and white acrylic paint.     

Cardboard Sculpture

World Fair. Corrugated Cardboard Sculpture. 2017. 

For my cardboard sculpture, I decided to do a miniature replica of real structures and buildings that were created for the 1900 World Fair.  The World Fair was held in France and the famous Eiffel Tower was built specially for the entrance to the fair grounds.   The fair also included a large ferrous wheel and statue of the world, along with many other architectural pieces.  My sculpture is made out of cardboard scraps and I cut of the top part of the cardboard in some places to leave a corrugated design.  I also used hot glue to glue the pieces of cardboard together and wire to mount the ferrous wheel on so it can spin.   

Patriotic Piece

A Different Side. Colored Pencil. 2017.

My patriotic piece captures the role women played in the fight for our freedom, from our nation's beginning to present day.  I chose to show a different side of our country's war effort by using women instead of men.  The woman on the left represents Mary Ludwig, also known as Molly Pitcher.  She was a heroic figure from the Revolutionary War who took over the operation of her husband's canon after he collapsed in battle.  The woman on the right represents Rosie the Riveter.  She was an icon representing the many women that worked in American factories while the men where away at war.  The last figure, in the center, represents modern day women who everyday risk their lives for our freedom.  My intention is not to take anything away from the brave men who have served our country throughout American history, but rather to shed light on the women who have worked behind the scenes and did what they could, no matter how small the act, to keep our country free.

Anchor

 Anchor. White Earthenware Clay with Glaze. 2017.

This clay piece was made by overlapping circular pieces of clay over one another.  In the bottom of the bowl is a carved out anchor, surrounded by darker circles of clay.  I was inspired to give this piece a nautical theme.

Sky Blue. 2017

This is the first pot I have ever thrown on a wheel.  I glazed this pot light blue because it is one of my favorite colors.

Roses

Roses. White Earthenware Clay with Glaze. 2016.

This piece is a Greek pot made with coils and roses cascading down one side.  I made the flowers and leaves separately and then attached them to the pot.  I glazed the floral part red and green, and glazed the rest of the piece white.  I was inspired to do this because I enjoy flowers and gardening.

Spirit

Spirit. Watercolor. 2016.

This watercolor painting is a silhouette of myself from a picture that my dad took of me during a basketball game.  The red and green colors are our school colors and our school mascot is the Redmen, so I used an Indian pattern for the border.  The border and the outline of the silhouette is done in black crayon.  The rest is done in watercolor.  With this piece, I was trying to capture the spirit of our team.    

Twilight

Twilight. Soft Pastel. 2016.

This is a soft pastel painting of a picture my sister took at sunrise.  I used highlights and tones of different colors to try to accurately recreate the sky.  I used charcoal to make the fine branches of the tree.  With this piece, I tried to capture the quietness and stillness of the beginning of the day.

Summer Vine

Summer Vine.  Porcelain Clay with Glaze. 2016.

This is a slab piece with a pierced floral pattern in each side.  I pierced the pattern of a vine because I really enjoy drawing and creating flowers.  The inside of the piece is a creamy white and the outside is a transparent light blue.

Art

Art. Ink with Colored Pencil and Aluminum Foil. 2016.

With this piece, my class and I got to practice our penmanship.  Ink and aluminum foil were used to create the letters and words.  Colored pencil was used on the border.  With this piece, I tried to express my interpretation of art.

Harvest. Colored Pencil

 Harvest. Colored Pencil on Paper. 2015.

This is an abstract colored pencil drawing of a combine in motion.  I chose to use a picture from my family's sorghum harvest.  The red milo is a nice contrast with the John Deere green combine.  I tried to capture the movement by drawing the last section of the combine several times, and by fading the color as each section gets farther away.