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A.P. Art & Design Virtual Art Show

Sustained Investigation

This piece focuses on the natural stillness that deer have perfected while applying it to a very surreal situation. Depicted here is not a moment of fear. Instead the doe recognizes something familiar in the walking skeleton before it. There is a very calm tone present in the cool tones of the almost blue grass to the frozen stream dividing the living and the undead. The cutting stillness is further emphasized by the clear horizon line where the forest seems to halt suddenly. As the deer stares so calmly at something which should, on all accounts, be terrifying to come across in the middle of the woods, the world seems to come to a standstill around this locked moment in a precariously unreal fashion. It is almost as if something is going to happen… or as if it is a dream of something which already did.

Concept: In this work, the interaction is a playful one. The Pegasus is thoroughly enjoying its free reign of the sky, barreling through a group of quite disgruntled ducks as it dives joyfully. The ducks are upset with their flying being interrupted so rudely yet the Pegasus hardly seems to notice them at all. Brightly colored with rosy tones to emphasize the passionate joy, the Pegasus is absorbed in its flight. This is a light-hearted scene with white fluffy clouds floating throughout the background and a happy smile in the flying horse’s expression.

Concept: The message “there’s always going to be someone better than you” can be applied to this piece very well because it shows several sharks being harshly taught this lesson. Great white sharks are considered to be apex predators topping the food chain. In this piece, however, they are merely prey for this huge beast. The sea serpent tosses a shark into the air to chomp on it as if the big predator was a guppy. The shark, who before now had been used to killing fish and seals, is helpless to do anything, but get eaten. Turbulent ocean waves and a stormy sky emphasize the sheer power of such a magnificent creature which makes even great white sharks quake. The sharks not in the sea serpent’s jaws are fleeing as quickly as possible, hoping to find safety in waters far away from this monster. This is the beast sailors have told countless tales of. It fears nothing and consumes what strikes terror into others.

Concept: Without a doubt, this cat is absolutely terrified of the supernatural entity stalking its way past the door frame. This is not something it expected nor desired in any way to see. What may be the most upsetting part for this poor feline is that the house, its home, is meant to be a place of complete safety. This ghost ruins all of this with its malicious expression and dark features. The softness of the carpet and the warm chocolate color of the door (which are both arguably linked to ideals of comfort) contrast the scary visual of the ghost creeping forward. The brightness of the blanket beneath the paws of the scared cat helps express the shock coursing through it.

Concept: Bears are known to be very proficient killers and hunters with their deadly claws and power. Yet this piece depicts a bear of the most dangerous kind, a grizzly, with a look of innocent wonder. It gazes cross-eyed at a glowing fairy standing right upon its nose. Rather than expressing any sort of violent intent or even the slightest irritation, this powerful predator seems to be awed by the tiny creature in its company. The falling snow and lilac colors across the forest floor emphasize the almost childlike quality of this wholly unexpected picture. Alongside the cool tones of the trees and sky, they also contrast well with the golden light of the fairy. This lends the fairy both the viewer’s attention as well as the bear’s. Even the roughest hearts in the dead of winter can be touched by small things, if the wonder is allowed in.

Concept: The moment captured in this piece occurs in the middle of a deadly chase. However, if the hunter is successful then both of them will be dead. This is because the coyote in hot pursuit is in actuality a zombie who has somehow been allowed to continue interacting with, and eating, the living. This proves to be very unlucky for this poor lizard. So now it must run, desperately attempting the escape a ferocious, undead coyote whose hunger reaches beyond the grave. The scorching warm tones in this piece are meant to express the climate for which deserts are well known while the sun sets ominously. Clearly, this interaction is extremely not friendly for the regular animal with the misfortune of witnessing something so rare. Therefore, this is a picture of fear, of danger, and of the instinctual desire to live.

Concept: Curiosity is the focus of this work, taking place within the depths of the ocean. A hippocampus, meaning no harm by it, shoves its long snout down to study a small hermit crab. The hermit crab gazes solemnly back, merely preparing itself to curl back into the safety of its shell or snap with it claws if need be. What is important is the mutual questioning gaze between the two sea creatures. There is clear irony in the fact that the hippocampus, something whimsical and rare, is surprised to see a hermit crab which seems commonplace to humans.

Concept: It is often said that deep beyond the borders of large, dark forests, mythical creatures dwell. This piece depicts one of these creature, a legendary phoenix, as it discovers what humans would consider a quite ordinary bird, a blue jay. Both stare at each other in mixed curiosity as neither had expected to see the other in any way. It is a moment of recognition also as the two have both found another brightly colored bird in the forest they consider home. In this piece is a certain spontaneous solidarity which comes from both creatures being birds living in the same forest. The dark undertones in the background help center the focus on the interaction between the birds.

Concept: One of the more unique works in this concentration, this work only shows part of the supernatural subject: a mermaid. Cutting off at this particular spot along the mermaid’s tail adds to the nonchalant attitude expressed by the fish. Despite being notoriously jumpy, these fish have accepted the mermaid as a completely nonthreatening part of the natural habitat, an expected member of the community. The reaction in this case is also particular to this piece because the reaction is actually the lack of a reaction. The fish simply don’t find a reason to behave atypically around this creature who would be inspiring excitement and agitation in any human. The serene and gentle flow present in the softly swirling background and gracefully curved motion of the water creatures show that this is a relationship of harmony or perhaps even indifference.

Concept: The primary emotion in this piece is confusion on both sides. For the small dragon, this confusion is mixed with a touch of defensiveness. This is because although the hummingbird sees the flower as food and is baffled as to why this odd creature has tucked itself inside it, the dragon views the flower as a home and is wondering what the hummingbird could possibly want from its home. Both creatures just want the other to leave yet stay locked in a standstill. Behind this tiny confrontation, there is tone of peaceful contentedness. A lake bordered by soft tufts of grass is ruffled serenely in the breeze as clouds float gently across the horizon. The interaction itself is truly small in the grand scheme of the scene, but for the two involved it is a moment of befuddled tenseness.

Selected Works

think that now is a very important time to show how much I appreciate her and how I am thinking of her during this drearier than normal times. To provide something of a small bright spot for her, this painting is of a place she loves (the beach) in vibrant colors with a shell sitting alone on the beach (just as in her memory).

Sustained Investigation

Concept: This piece was the inspiration for my concentration. It captures me surrounded by foliage and staring at the large oak tree in my backyard. With the golden late afternoon sunlight, and the gentle breeze blowing through my hair, the piece contains warmth and joy that resemble my emotions in nature. The saturated colors and expressive mark making emphasize the beauty that I see, leading to a feeling of awe. I am literally surrounded by bushes, but the look on my face shows that I am emotionally immersed in my surroundings as well, reveling in the light and beauty.

Concept: In this piece, the viewer catches the first glimpse of the world through my eyes. I am standing at the edge of a lake of a lake on a crisp morning, and all is still. There is no breeze, no ripples on the water, and few branches and leaves beyond where I stand. I had been running along the forest trail, giddy with excitement until I saw this spot and stopped. The world seemed to stop too, frozen in the beauty. It calmed me. The colorful and expressive texture of the scene is so vibrant , immersing the viewer in the landscape just as I was immersed in it.

​Concept: This piece shows my perspective of a lazy day, swinging on​a hammock at the beginning of summer. Sunlight is gently filtering through the trees, shining down on me and my surroundings with a soft warmth. The sky is clear, and the swinging of the hammock in sync with the rippling of the lake in front of me is relaxing. Because the perspective of this piece shows my legs stretched out in front of me, legs crossed, the vi ewer feels as if he or she is actually the one laying there and becomes immersed in the scene.

Concept: This piece depicts my mom and dad kayaking on the river. The weather is nice, the summer heat makes it warm, and the way that the sunlight and tree reflections dapple on the water is stunning. My mom is holding onto my Dad’s kayak, yet she isn’t even looking at him, which shows how focused she is on the landscape surrounding her, similar to the previous works’ experience of being primarily immersed in the view of nature. At the same time, my dad is immersed in an entirely different aspect: the physicality of attempting to paddle down the river. His paddle is raised high above their heads. The juxtaposition of the water dripping from his paddle and my mom’s focus on the beauty rather than getting splashed shows that there are multiple ways to be immersed in nature.

Concept: This scene is set in a beautiful location: the top of a sand dune by the beach with greenery all around on a nice day. The viewer can see how I, being the artist from the first piece, was in awe at the view. The subjects in the painting, some family friends, are more interested in what they are doing in the moment. The girl in the front has an accomplished look on her face. She managed to climb almost to the top of the dune, and, as is evidenced by her arms spread wide and the grin on her face, is basking in the pride of achieving this feat. The girl behind her is swinging her arms, her face contorted in exertion, as she is still trying to get to the top while her feet are sinking in the sand, In the background, a figure is seen hunched over, the whole hill still to go. All of these people are immersed in the challenge of climbing the natural sand dune. ​

Concept: This piece shows two of my cousins playing with bubbles outside. Around them are various colorful plants, setting a happy and playful mood to the scene. The boy in the background is enthusiastically blowing bubbles where he stands. The way the he holds the bubble wand in front of his face while his eyes look to the side show that he is totally immersed in the act of blowing bubbles, as well as watching them blowing in the wind away from him. The girl, similarly, is transfixed on the bubbles in front of her and their appearance. The shiny spheres reflect the nature all around, the grass and bushes that she is running through as she chases them to pop them. The immersion, while characterized by a focus on the appearance of what is in front the children and their interaction, results in polar opposite responses. While the boy, in his cool gray outfit, calmly stands still, the girl, wearing bright pink, lets out a fiery battle cry and charges into the foreground, even her hair blowing with the breeze of the environment.​

Concept: In this painting, a little girl, decked out in rain boots, wades out into a lake, head angled down toward the water. The girl, a family friend, really captures the essence of childhood exploration as she stomps around in the lake, watching as her movements create ripples that move outward. Her reflection distorts, the shallow water becomes murkier, and as she notices little tiny details in the water below her, it’s all she sees. Hair falls down around face, literally tunneling her vision that was already completely occupied by the ripples in the water below. She is totally immersed in exploring this tiny part of the lake, as if there is nothing else. Bright sunlight coming in through the trees brings out colors in the landscape around the girl that seem unreal, and for the viewer, it’s like looking at the landscape with a child’s lens, with wonder and fascination at the things to explore.

Concept: As shown by the bikes on a hiking trail where they wouldn’t typically belong, this scene shows the end of a bike ride that started out with the intent to enjoy the outdoors. Some family friends and I wanted to see the light coming in through layers of leaves on the trail, wanted to experience the excitement that comes with the wind in our faces as we speed through nature. In the painting, the girl and boy are going up a hill, not even able to ride the bikes up this difficult part of the path. The slump of their shoulders, messy appearance of the girl’s hair, and even the gray, overcast sky above them convey exhaustion. Even though the path is bumpy and the could easily trip of get the bikes stuck, both kids are looking up at the top of the hill. This demonstrates their intense focus on reaching the end of the exhausting slope. They are totally immersed in the idea of not having to drag bikes up the hill anymore.

Concept: In this painting, a friend of mine looks through a camera lens at the landscape in front of him. It’s a clear autumn day, shown by the bright blue sky and dappled orange, brown, and yellow leaves in the trees. The sun is shining brightly at him. He sees the way the trees look with the light glinting through them, and it immersed in that view, attempting to capture it with a camera. Another friend of mine sits behind him. It’s an awkward position to sit in, so by that and the fact that her eyes are directed to follow the camera lens’s view, she is shown to be trying to copy him. If she sits in the same spot, she might be able to see what he sees. The boy is focused on the magnificent view in front of him, and the girl, seeing him, tries to appreciate it as well. People are able to bring each other into immersion through nature.​

Concept: My concentration started with a self portrait of me, totally in awe of the scene I am immersed in, my face being the main feature. This last piece is of my friend, Mattie, who will sit on her porch on a sunny day, but never go hiking or enjoy the snow or other harsher aspects of nature. She hates the cold, but I managed to bring her outside to see the icicles. Even though she doesn’t naturally love winter like I do, and even though I brought her to see the icicles with their frosty centers, she went outside and looked past them to the sun. She noticed the sunlight shining on her face and glinting in her hair, its warmth melting the snow and icicles. While it wasn’t where she chose to be, she found her little bit of positivity and intentionally immersed herself in that. She also looked at me, able to recognize my differing interests, and appreciate that I chose to share them with her. Immersed in my winter wonderland, I tried to bring it to her, but she became immersed in the start of spring with the bright blue sunny day instead, and that’s still beautiful.

Selected Works

I wanted to capture my grandpa young and lively, outside, so I made the piece vibrant and carefree.​ I experimented with a looser stroke style, along with saturated colors, on a purple piece of paper.

I like the pure joy and innocence associated with pastel colors, flowers, and fruit, atypical today.​ I primed the canvas with a pink gesso and blended each object while the paint for it was still wet.

I am a reserved person, but there is so much craziness going on in my head that people do not see.​ Combining effortless paint color mixing with intricate pencil drawing, I drew over layers of paint.

I wanted to paint my friend’s puppies for her birthday, capturing the exhaustion of one, worry of the other, all wrapped up in her future college’s colored blanket.​ I blended and adding layers of texture as I worked while revising the composition.

Sustained Investigation

Brainstormed ideas of happiness, researched dogs emotions and sheeps mane, because wool is warm

Brainstormed my own fears such as blood, holes, masks, dolls, bugs, clusters of holes, and eyes

Researched various reptiles, as I feel like envy is a slimy, gross feeling that mocks admiration

I researched rats because of the idea that guilt gnaws and tears at you

Brainstormed and researched nervous animals like possums who play dead and turtles in their shells

Researched worlds angriest animals and designed it on a porcupine, Tasmanian Devil, and badger

Researched lionesses, who tend to provide for the pride and care for pups, like most fathers do

Researched male lions and bears, who tend to have aggressive and protective behaviors with the cubs

Brainstormed what I felt when shameful, and that feeling of wanting to hide away when embarrassed

Researched energetic animals, such as rabbits, as well as how energy goes with electricity.

Selected Works

Sustained Investigation

Referenced photos/ sketches of my eyes to foreshadow importance, pink and green for my color scheme

Detailed pin in sign language is R for her name Rebecca, purple and yellow color scheme

He is holding up a C for his favorite team, detailed eyes for later piece, red/orange and blue est.

Rectangle to connect with piece 5, detail on eye to highlight that I wear contacts similar to my dad

Referenced photos/ sketches of dad rectangle over his eye to focus on corrective eyewear

Rectangle connects to dad we both never had braces color scheme is pink green with his red blue

Bacon because that's what our last name means, rectangle highlights his naturally straight teeth too.

Connects to piece 6 highlighting with triangle to show my moms favorite lipstick color in detail.

Combination moms and my nose because we both have the sloped Ehrman nose her colors reflect on me.

Selected Works

Sustained Investigation

Concept: The frog on my mom’s shoulder resembles the frog tattoo she has in the same place on her shoulder. It represents her young life and past. She looks at it with calmness, because she doesn’t regret decisions she has made. The path that she came from represents my childhood and the past. It is lighter than the foreground because it was a good time in our lives and she loved watching me grow up. The path gets darker because I’m starting to grow up and leave my childhood as I leave for college.

Concept: My step-dad is an auditor and works at an Air Force base. He got the shirt he is wearing for his birthday, which inspired this piece. I have him throwing a paper airplane because he developed a love for planes by working at the base. I put numbers in the flag to add another symbol of his love for math and job.

Concept: My boyfriend is assistant hockey captain in the winter as a goalie. In the summer, he’s a first baseman in baseball. I put him in his favorite things and place; hockey uniform on a baseball field, standing at first base.

Concept: My friend Natalie loves to run, and Destin, Florida is her favorite place to do it. I have her running on a beach and smiling her iconic smile that is contagious. I really pushed myself draw her in this position and the proportions were something I really struggled with.

Concept: My brother is obsessed with video games, especially Minecraft. I decided to put him in his favorite video game. He’s wearing the basic clothes that Steve (the basic character of Minecraft) wears, and is carrying a diamond sword to survive the night ahead of him.

Concept: My friend Amira is involved in costume design for the plays at school. I put her backstage pinning a dress form, since that is what she does last minute backstage. She is in red because that is her college’s colors, and she is going into costume design for her major. I layered water over the colored pencils in this piece, and it created a solid wash of color that made the red pop, which is something new.

Concept: Vidya is a book nerd. She loves reading and studying. I have her reading her favorite book in the world she’s reading about. She is in our school uniform because she is always working on school work or studying something. This was a challenging position to draw. I especially struggled on the perspective of the bookcases. After I was finished, I went back and fixed the perspective to make it look realistic.

Concept: My dog Rosie is very happy and hyper, my cat Zeke is the opposite. These two are NOT friends, Rosie likes to run full speed at Zeke whenever he is downstairs, so they live on separate floors. My cat’s favorite place to sit is on our heater downstairs. Rosie likes to sniff him while he sits there. Rosie’s side of the piece is full of bright pinks and oranges since she has so much energy. Zeke’s side is blues and greens because he is more mellow and crabby. Even though my dog and cat aren’t friends, they aren’t enemies either.

Concept: This piece is different because I am drawing more than one subject, and I also laid a base of gouache before going in with pencil. This is all “the girls’ in my family, and we are always together at Christmas time. It’s our favorite holiday because it is when we can all be together. The picture, from left to right, is youngest to oldest. The lighter green represents the young, me and my mom, and the darker green is the oldest, my aunt and grandma. We are all wearing red to represent Christmas and contrast the background.

Concept: My two cousins are polar opposites, so I decided to draw them in a contrasting scene. They live in the woods and both love to be in nature, but one prefers it more than the other. My cousin on the left is the oldest and more serious. He loves nature and hiking, so he is in a more realistic nature scene. My cousin on the right is the youngest and has a crazy personality. He loves video games, which is why I drew him with headphones in. He has a more abstract nature scene with fun colors and bended trees. I wanted to capture that even though they both like nature, they are opposite in personalities and interests.

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