I am a senior at Pacific Grove High School, and I have been practicing art for five years. Ever since I was little, I have been inspired by other artists, and I feel happiest when I am creating and consuming art. My artwork is a way for me to bring the thoughts and images that I have in my head into reality; to show other people what I can see. I believe that art, creation, not for the sake of survival, but for entertainment and connection, is what distinguishes us from the rest of the animal kingdom; is what makes me proud to be a human being.

While I don’t limit myself to any one particular subject, I find that the themes of pattern and vivid color consistently appear in my work. I love to work with colored pencils and markers in tandem, because together they can produce the vibrancy I’m attracted to, while also allowing me the precision to create sharp, geometric shapes.

The creation of this particular piece, Adelaide in Aubergine, was fraught with difficulties. At first, I had a very clear image in my head that I was really excited about, but I was unable to draw the subject I had originally envisioned due to creative differences, so I had to pivot. I decided I would do a self-portrait instead, and I took several photos of myself in various poses, which I had a very difficult time choosing between, and even when I eventually did make a decision, I second-guessed it throughout the entire process. However, now that it’s complete, I can safely say that it is one of the works I am most proud of. Because it was originally intended to depict someone else, I chose a much bolder composition than I would have if I had known it would be a self-portrait, and I was able to almost detach myself from the image, treating it the same as I do my other subjects. To me, it expresses a sense of self-assuredness that ironically was not present during its creation; the way that I wish I saw myself.