Avery's Art Portfoilo
The name of my project is Big Blue Turtle in the medium of acrylic. Leatherback sea turtle is the largest species of turtles in the world and they don’t have hard shells. Their skin is rubbery and strong, but also thin and very flexible. They live very deep in the ocean making it hard for researchers/divers to get pictures and my turtle is resting at the bottom in the picture. The leatherback turtles also don't have families. I hope my turtle isn't lonely. These turtles are so unique in a lot of ways from other turtles, but the coolest one I think is that they aren't cold-blooded.
My painting/project is called Fish Dream because the painting represents a dream I had. I used watercolor and watercolor pencils to depict my dream. This dream was kind of a scary dream. In my Fish Dream I am an old lady (my person) when I look in the mirror, then I see these vines everywhere in my bedroom (my place), and all over the walls. Then this octopus appeared on my desk where my fish tank is and it was blue and had orange spots on it. The octopus was trying to get to my fish (my animal) and then in my dream the fish jumped out of the tank (my thing), trying to defend itself and that's what you see in the painting. I picked that specific moment in my dream to paint because I was very frightened since my fish is very important to me and the octopus trying to get my poor baby scared me.
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My project's name is Sweet Pink Hibiscus and my medium is colored pencil. The meaning behind my artwork is about a teenage girl and about how she is growing up and blossoming into a young adult (that is depicted with her like emerging from the flower). The pink prom dress is to represent her still wanting teenage things like going to prom and loving the color pink and dressing up and still wanting to be a little kid even though she knows she is growing up. The pineapple represents her being a moody, and harsh teenage girl but eventually once she opens up and lets herself be her true self and she will become the sweet girl that was always inside her.
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This is an acrylic painting of me and my grandpa looking out past the grassy mountain at the sunset. The story behind this painting means a lot to me, and it was gratifying to paint, but it stings at the same time. I wanted to do a painting dedicated to my grandpa, but not only him; I wanted to add my beloved grandma, who passed away two years ago. My grandmother is represented as the bird in the sky in the painting, and as if she created the sunset for us that we were looking out to, essentially yearning for her return. Whenever a loved one in my family passed away, we would always say that we would see them in each sunset, and that they created the sunset for us up in heaven. It was a sort of way to help us heal and to remember they are always with us. In the painting, it looks like I am reaching out to him, and I wanted it to look like I'm comforting him.
This is an acrylic painting that shows me standing under a street light on a snowy night sky. This act of painting light in the darkness symbolizes the idea of paving a new path forward, even when the way ahead feels unclear or overwhelming. The surrounding darkness and the lack of streetlights in sight represent that uncertainty. The night sky also represents being in a difficult mental space. Painting the streetlight with light reflects the strength it takes to guide yourself out of that darkness and become your own source of hope and light. The figure painting the light represents me because I have struggled with my mental health in the past.
This mural is made with acrylic paint. It shows an open road with tall grass and many trees surrounding it. The night sky shows the blue and purple northern lights. This mural is the legacy I want to leave behind because the open road represents the country roads me and I have driven a million times. It also represents the road ahead and new beginnings with new people. I chose to paint the northern lights because my friends and I used to drive out in the country just to admire them. I chose to include that memory because I adore my friends and these memories, but I know that everything is coming to a close. I have to leave these memories and friends behind.
My project “Peel Back” is a colored pencil drawing of oranges cut up. This piece reflects my personal connection to the color orange, which has always been my favorite color and reminds me of my childhood. When I was younger, I used to eat oranges all the time, so they became a symbol of comfort and familiar memories for me. As a senior, a lot of our projects have been focused on our legacy, which made me think about the small things that stay with a person over time and become part of who they are.
Next fall, I plan to go to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, majoring in biology and/or chemistry. I'm very interested in the sciences and want to expand my knowledge in college. I have always been interested in science, even in elementary school when we were only having to name rock formations, like igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. My ultimate goal is to become a dentist. I want to be the type of healthcare provider who helps patients feel comfortable, be heard, and feel respected. I know that to become a dentist it will be challenging, and there will be many obstacles, but I have a determined personality, and I have the dedication it takes. I hope to leave behind a legacy of hard work, compassion, and perseverance as I continue working toward my future career in dentistry.
This is an acrylic painting of a memory/time capsule of my grandmother's backyard patio and the hammock we used to swing on. I chose to paint this because I always want to keep my grandma's memories alive, and this is one of my favorite memories. We used to swing on her hammock in the summer when I would stay with her for a week; we had a very close relationship. My grandma, Mimi, would push off the ground, and we'd let the wind blow in our hair and let the warm sun hit our faces. We talked about everything and nothing; she made me feel seen and mature, even though I was probably around 11 at the time. I felt grown up when she talked to me, she understood me and listened to me, really listened to me. That's why it hurt so bad when she passed away, a hurt that lingers and I don't think will ever fade. It's the kind of hurt that keeps you up at night. This painting resembles her backyard, her hammock, the trees, and the wind waiting for our return, waiting for the day we swing once more. But that day never arrives, the wind, the hammock, and the trees are forever waiting.
