Why do I make artwork? Why does anyone do anything? Why do people go for runs, or listen to music, or bake cookies? We do it because it makes us happy.

Creating things gives me solace and comfort to have something that I know I can do, that I’m good at doing and that clears my brain temporarily of all of the stress that comes with the rest of the day. When I step into the classroom, everything else fades away. The only thing that exists is me and what is in front of me and all I need to focus on is finishing it and translating whatever preconceived vision I had when I started.  It is a singular goal, one that I know I can attain and above all else, it makes me happy.

 I have never completed a piece that has turned out exactly as I expected/intended/wanted which can be frustrating, but is also one of the best parts about being an artist. Of course my best pieces come from the ones where I have done research and sketches and a clear theme but even in these, part of the creation comes from losing  a little control and allowing the project to take me in a slightly different direction. In this past academic year, however, I have grown a lot with my artwork and refined my abilities to plan ahead. Previously, each piece I made would have a separate significance and were usually organized only while I was in the middle of working. This year, I realized that my best pieces all had similarities and I wanted to refine many of my skills along this theme. Whether it would be a strict or loose interpretation of my human and environment theme could only be told once the project was assigned.

My favorite current piece that I am working on right now is my surrealist bust. When I started paying attention to my skill set and preferences, I realized that I preferred sculptural pieces over functional. This was a perfect opportunity for me to create my best piece yet and perhaps make a statement on something. I put my all into this project, working past the difficulty of building an entire head shoulders and face, working past every obstacle that threatened to deter me but actually motivated me. I researched surrealism and fell in love with the psychological aspect of it and incorporated personal elements of fear and the concept of nightmares. It is not exactly how I imagined but every time I look at this I feel proud of myself and I hope that you appreciate it as much as I do.