Looking Within
Looking within is about looking within yourself to see what kind of justice YOU can bring into the world.
October
The unfortunate euthanization
This piece of art is in regard to the horrors and injustice of FWC workers killing 34 pythons including a pregnant boa due to a misidentification which they were told beforehand to be careful since it was a snake the owner, Chris Coffee, was allowed to legally own. This massacre was all recorded by the FWC workers after coming to Coffee’s house unannounced, killing the snakes with a bolt gun that Coffee wasn’t able to rehome in time, even taking pictures with the dead bodies like a reward.
Unseen
My art piece is meant to bring justice and awareness to those living in poverty. In the picture, you can see people with blank faces walking past an alley that has a homeless girl sitting there with her head down. The reason I chose for the pedestrians to have no faces is because it represents how people are so busy and caught up with their own life, they then a blind eye to those living in poverty.
One In Many
We’ve all heard that it’s okay to be different, however it doesn’t always feel that way. This piece is a metaphor about how in a sea of people, or in this case fish, individuality shines through the dullness of what we perceive as “normal”. We as individuals send ripples out into the world and have an effect on others, leaving behind a glance, a smile, a memory. Sometimes it takes us time to grow into and embrace our uniqueness, and I hope this piece reminds people it’s okay to be different and beautiful in their own way.
Electric
My artwork is about how music can bring joy and hope. I wanted to capture the energy of playing an instrument, the way it feels to finally nail playing your favorite song, or to convey a feeling through a melody. I think music is a very powerful thing, and playing an instrument can make you feel on top of the world, a connection like no other. Not only is it a healthy outlet of emotions and energy, it’s also a fun way to connect to others, whether it’s taking turns rocking out or playing something for others to enjoy.
A Warm Melody on a Slow Sunday Afternoon
The artwork that I created is a specific core memory and feeling that, whenever I feel at my worst, I think of. It’s a portrait of my older sister playing the guitar on her bedroom floor while I watch and listen to her play. Ever since I was young I remember her playing, and the constant sound of the guitair playing. Slow Sundays felt different than other days, the slow and carefree days with perfect weather, and we would be content just in each other’s presence in silence. She would play my favorite songs, from video game songs to oldies that my dad would listen to, they would never cease to make me so relaxed it’d make me cry. At times I needed to feel the warmth that I felt on those days, on days that I can’t seem to find the same warmth, I think of these special moments. Now she’s moved out of the house, and the house feels a little colder, and as the winter months come I’ve been thinking about these moments even more. In times I feel like it’s hard to make it through another day, I think about how grateful I am to have such a close relationship with my family and my siblings, and I believe it’s made me how I am today, and what keeps me going.
I can feel
At the time of making this art piece. I was in a very hopeless state. I did not feel human and there was something in me that was deemed humane. I woke up many days wishing to not wake up the next, I looked in the mirror and no longer saw a human born into this world. This perpetual nihilism constantly tore down on me not knowing what and who I am due to the pain of having to live the next day. All of a sudden my brother walked into my room. He told me that he was not going to come with me when I was eventually going to leave the school we were in. As heartbroken as I was I remember I did feel something. I felt love. I loved my brother enough to take it up on myself to let him go and not force him to come with me. It was the first time in months I had felt a sense of my humanity. And in feeling that I created this piece on a whim.
Losing Identity
This image reflects how the election makes me feel. The peeling pieces of her face represent my identity being stripped away if trump is elected once again. As a queer young adult woman I fear the possibility of Trump being re-elected into office. Underneath the peeling pieces is darkness to show how we would be nothing without our identity, we are left soulless. And that is how I feel about Trump, he is a soulless man who is going to take our identity away with his policies if elected. The mouth is specifically stripped away in my drawing to show our voices being taken from us. Especially as someone who is not 18 yet, i feel like I don’t have much of a voice in this crucial election.
Colors of Love
People shouldn’t be judged by the colors of their flags. Those flags represent their home, their loves, and themselves. In an election, I think it’s important to first assess what YOU want. For me, the right candidate won’t care about the flags of my origins, instead that person will care about the flag we all stand under. That person will work with the nation to make us the best we can be, but unfortunately too many people care about the flags you come from. I’d like to believe that one day, there will be a perfect candidate that will help make this nation even better.
Equality For All
In my piece I wanted to encourage people in this upcoming election to vote yes on California’s proposition 3. It would amend the California constitution to guarantee the fundamental right to marriage, no matter your gender or race. I want to encourage people to use their voice and vote, it’s the foundation of our democracy and if you want something to change, you have got to fight for it! 🇺🇸🏳️🌈