Medium: Fabric Strips and Wood Size: 12 x 18 x 8 inches Year: 2026 For this assignment, I was instructed to create an experimental sculpture using only two materials. Looking through the classroom collection of supplies I found scrap wood circle pieces and was interested in how I could combine them with fabric. I was drawn to scraps of stretchy, colorful fabric because they seemed playful, andI began to use them to tie wood pieces together, working like fasteners. I followed my intuition and let the materials lead the way. The final result makes me think about moving gears or a whimsical tree blowing in the wind, with the fabric hanging, acting like leaves. I didn't know how it was going to turn out, but I'm proud of the risk I took, working in a materials-driven way.

Medium: Wood Reed and Tissue Paper Size: 24 x 24 x 24 inches Year: 2026 For this sculpture, I wanted to experiment with new materials, using wood reed, and tissue paper. The wood bent in unexpected ways, and I let the curves guide me until I had sculpted a giant reed cloud. I really like how the final result looks like a circus, with fun, bold colors. The piece embodies my relationship with my dance practice - a joyful collage of bright colored memories of movement through the outdoors. I especially like how the negative space lets the tissue paper create its own rhythm. This new medium was challenging and engaging, and I hope to push the boundaries of scale to create larger pieces in different sizes.

Medium: Watercolor, Ink, Marker Size: 12 x 18 inches Year: 2026 For this observational figure drawing, I was interested in the model’s dance like pose. It reminded me of my theme of whimsical expression, and felt like a pose I would do. First I created multiple quick drawings of the model in separate pieces of paper, including careful shading. I then ripped the portrait drawings and collaged them together to create layers and expression. For the background, I used collage textures and added my own paint marks. I made this piece to explore abstract lines combined with figure drawing while working in my theme of physical movement. It was challenging to make sure the background didn't take over the person, and to keep the composition balanced.

Medium: Ink Size:12 x 18 inches Year: 2026 This observational figure drawing expresses a feeling of peace and confidence. I created it by combining multiple portraits of a model, using a collage technique. When I saw the model’s pose, I thought about her calmness and created a work of art to reflect this quality. After gluing the portraits together, I went in with ink adding lines to the background and figure. I drew whimsical marks to make the figure stand out, to create calmness in the midst of chaos. This piece gave me the opportunity to work with ink on paper for the first time and challenge my understanding of the medium.

Medium: Stop Animation Video, Original Sound, Air Dry Clay, Sculptural Frame Size: 6 x 12 inches Length: 00:39 Year: 2026 In this stop motion animation, I explore physical movement. The dance piece represents a tree swaying in the wind, while the orange is a whimsical representation of a flower blooming. I chose to couple these items because dancing and the outdoors are integral parts of how I engage with the world. I started by creating a sculptural frame using air-dry clay and acrylic paint. Next, I photographed myself portraying the tree, and similarly, photographed an orange opening like a flower. The black and white images created a visual cohesion between the different scales of the two videos. Removing the element of color put the focus on movement, creating a stronger connection between the two subjects. I created the original sound by experimenting with objects rubbing together, choosing sounds that reminded me of nature and playful movement.

Medium: Oil Paint Size: 30 x 40 inches Year: 2026 For my first and largest abstract oil painting, I wanted to explore my whimsical and expressive aesthetic. I visited the Art Institute of Chicago and was inspired by Mondrian’s use of shapes and color in his paintings. By using my artistic voice, I interpreted Mondrian's work and exaggerated the expression. Before I created this large piece, I made a small process painting to explore my ideas and design. When I shifted to my larger painting, it was important to me to follow my inspiration and go with the flow. I like exploring how shapes can be simple or abstract, and how they interact with color.

Medium: Felt Fabric and Sea Shells Size: 24 x 24 x 24 inches Year: 2026 This textile collage tells the story about me and everything I love to do. I included mountains, playing cards, favorite foods, running shoes, flowers, animals, and other symbols that make me happy. I used my whimsical style when making the objects to evoke youthful nostalgia. This was my first time working with felt, and it was fun to explore new materials. I was unsure how felt would react to different types of glue, so I experimented, ultimately leading me to discover a new fabric glue. I began by creating a patchwork quilt-like background, and then slowly built up the surface, collaging with different objects and symbols.

Medium: Plaster Cloth, Cardboard, Fabric, Found Plastic Toys, Chicken Wire and Wood Base Size: 18 x 18 x 8 inches Year: 2026 For this personal piece, I chose to create an oversized mixed media sculpture of fruit in a bowl. I included apples, since they remind me of annual fall apple picking near my grandfather's house. The oversized blueberries remind me of family summer trips to Vermont. I included small colorful plastic objects with the imaginative fruit, representing when little kids have sticky hands and touch everything. I started by gluing chicken wire to a wooden base and covering it with plaster cloth, later adding colorful fabric, achieving my goal of creating a nostalgic and expressive maximalist piece that makes the viewer feel like a kid again. This is the largest sculpture I have made; it was fun to make, challenging me in so many ways, and is my personal favorite.

Medium: Ceramic Size: 7x7 inches Year: 2025 For this assignment, we were asked to create a house. Since strawberries are my favorite, I thought it would be exciting to use the fruit as inspiration for a fairy house. Unlike coiling and building up the walls or using the wheel, I started with a solid piece of clay, scraping out the inside. This was my first time painting the glaze directly onto the clay, rather than dipping. I love the magical feel of this piece, and I would like to make more fairy houses that are enlarged representations of my favorite objects. It would also be exciting to create moving and functional parts, or layer in felt and fabric.

Medium: Ceramic Size: 10 x 4 x 13 inches Year: 2025 For this assignment, I explored the fun challenge of making food out of clay. My goal was to create something that I would most want to eat: pizza with cheese, pepperoni, pineapple, and bell peppers. I also included an apple because I like to go apple picking with my family. I added a lot of different colors, textures, and shapes to make it look realistic. The glazes turned out as different colors than I had planned, but I really like the result because it confuses the mind. This reinforced for me that sometimes when things don’t go as planned, the result can be even better, and I should continue to lean in as my work progresses. This piece introduced me to my hand building skills, which have allowed me to design more structured pieces.

Medium: Ceramic and Inc Size: 5 x 8 x 4 inches Year: 2026 I recently read about an unusual fantasy city that had decayed to its studs, with pipes covered in vines. This caught my attention as I tried to visualize it while I read. I used this information and my imagination to inform my design of beauty and destruction in an intimate way with ceramics. I have always found architecture to be inspiring and was excited to invent my own sculptural piece. I brushed on India ink after the piece was fired, which allowed me to control the values. The ink could be left to soak in for darker tones or wiped away for lighter areas. I am proud of the sink and bathtub because they are strong focal points. By making this piece, I learned how to show perspective when working with clay.

Medium: Ceramic and Inc Size: 5 x 8 x 4 inches Year: 2025 For this piece, I was inspired by imagery of a fictional spiderweb city. The story of this city intrigued me, since it was described as hanging by a thread, like a corpse. The city was dead and had been abandoned for many years. This resonated because I lost my father when I was twelve years old. For this sculpture, I started with the background and worked my way forward, just as I did in life. I created the city hanging above the clouds in a cave. I liked how the application of ink got lighter towards the front of the piece, mimicking my relationship with grief. Similarly, I chose to hang elements on the wall to create a spiderweb illusion. This was one of my early ceramics projects that ignited my passion for working in clay and three-dimensionally.

Medium: Glass Size: 10 x 6 x 3 inches Year: 2025 During my time working with glass, I decided to make turtles and flowers because I wanted to bring nature and biology into my art. I also loved the challenge they presented technically. I expanded my knowledge of glass sculpture, growing my understanding of temperature and color. I started by crafting the glass center of the flower, then added the petals individually. With the turtles, I first made the bodies, and like the flower petals, added the arms and legs separately. I enjoyed working with glass and being surprised by the process while managing the timing of not letting it get too cold. I am proud of the final result, even with the challenges the glass gave me at times. Creating in glass has informed my work in sculpture and 3D.

Medium: Darkroom Photography Print Size: 8.5 x 11 inches Year: 2025 For this darkroom photography assignment, I assembled fishnet and other objects to create a photogram. I began by assembling the objects onto light-sensitive paper, allowing the bold positive and negative shapes to form. I like the final composition and how the fishnet looks submerged in water, catching items as they drift past. It reminds me of how I engage with the world around me. I enjoyed working with the darkroom process, adjusting the light and exposure times. This was such a fun process, and I hope to do this again in the future.

Medium: Oil Paint Size: 16 x 24 inches Year: 2026 For this observational still life, I chose items with curved shapes, bright colors, and whimsy. Placing them together, they felt like a group of council members. I began with a neutral underpainting, then added broad brush strokes to develop the composition, later adding the background. Lastly, I used oil pastels to add detail and make the image pop. This was one of my first times using oil paint. It was interesting to work with the wet paint and continually edit over multiple days. I was able to take my time and discover the way the paint behaved in thick layers or when reduced down.

Medium: Watercolor, Ink and Markers Size: 12 x 18 inches Year: 2026 For this observational piece, I chose to draw a plant, but I put my own spin on it, using my whimsical, artistic voice. I started by drawing the pot and plant from life, then separated the drawing into three sections. On the right, I painted with watercolor and used a paper towel to dab away and bring out highlights. I filled in the center section with black marker and used ink for the shadows. I enjoy how the designs show what looks like an imaginary mouth and teeth next to the spirals. I chose to use Prismacolor markers for the final left section to bring in vibrant color. A new technique I included was leaving the white of the page to create highlights, which allowed for more contrast.

Medium: Polaroid and Digital Photography Size: 5 x 7 inches Year: 2026 While traveling in Venice and Rome, I wanted to capture geometric shapes with my camera. I was drawn to the juxtaposition of the sky in the background and the angles created by my framing, amazed that these structures could survive centuries while still presenting beauty, both in what remains and in the restored value through fresh paint. I used both a Polaroid camera and a handheld digital camera, learning that I could change the outcome by adjusting my viewpoint. I love using photography as art. I found it both fun and challenging to see how I could photograph images that interested me in person and to have the striking geometry come together in my collection.