My name is Isaac Ruelas. I go to Rancho Cielo. I love art because there are many things that fall into that category. One, is music, by combining words and turning it into a masterpiece. Another reason I love art is because images can speak and show what is in people's mindsets. It shows how determined one can be to do something. 

Art helps clear up my head by doing something different. I don't usually create art except for random sketches in my school notebooks. It helps me get out of my boredom. Yet, I still have a passion for it since anything that comes into your head can become art. 

The many styles of art and the genres of music help us explore what we really like. Throughout my childhood, I've seen a lot of art created by my family and I wanted to be  able to draw like them. Now when I draw I realize that everyone has a style of their own.

The title “Settled In Ash” signifies being judged once it's your time. Settled, meaning being forgiven by the Lord, and ash meaning dead. The meaning behind my art piece is the duality of paradise and misery, representing Heaven on one side and Hell on the other. It shows the consequences of doing good and doing bad. On the wall there's a man stuck with his poor choices, feeling down and hopeless. He feels as though there is no way back because he is blocked by a wall; however, the focus is on his internal struggle, his failure to climb that wall and become the person he is meant to be.