I’m an artist.
At PDS, I have explored a wide variety of visual art classes and have chosen to pursue them as majors through the advanced levels. From Fine Arts to Ceramics to Animation and Design, these courses have allowed me to explore different mediums, styles, and ways to create functional work. Through my art spaces I have learned to bring myself into the work that I make and in doing so, tell a story.
In college, I am excited to begin my next chapter.
Introduction to Ceramics and Advanced Ceramics
360 degree view of the pepper shaker’s graffiti art detail.
“Lookin’ Shark,” 2022-2023; Underglaze on white stoneware; Coil built and hand sculpted.
9¼”H x 9¼"W x 11½"D
Before and after hand sculpting the shark’s head from its the coil-built base.
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Since I was little, my mom has always told me to “be a shark.” Before games and performances, on school lunch notes, you name it, she would say this to me. But why a shark?
When I asked her, she explained that it was her favorite creature because a shark has a quiet confidence to it. With beauty and grace, it swims into a space, and the other fish know it’s there just by its presence alone. When unbothered, it keeps to itself, but when bothered, it is tough as nails and can protect itself. Through her shark love, my mom has instilled in my two sisters and me the power of quite confidence, which is something I now try to embody in my life. “Lookin’ Shark” is my way of bringing my mom’s lesson to life.
“Urban Salt and Pepper Shakers,” 2023-2024; Underglaze on white stoneware; Hand built and thrown.
Base: 3⅞”H x 6 ⅞”W x 4 ¼”D; Salt Shaker: 5¼”H x 2 ¾”W x 2 ¾”D; Pepper Shaker: 5¾”H x 2 ¾”W x 2¾”D“
In Advanced Ceramics, we were tasked to make a salt and pepper shaker set. We had to create two shakers and a base that stand in relation to each other. I decided to showcase my love of street art. I brought the graffiti doodles that I do in the margins of my notebooks to life through detailed underglaze work. My salt and pepper shakers feature two spray cans which sit on an elevated building/sidewalk base. In doing so, the piece incorporates my love for graffiti and pop art through a seamless relationship of form and surface.
Even after being complete, the meaning of my piece continues to deepen the longer it sits at the center of our dinner table. Being from an Italian-American family means we love to eat together so the set gets used quite often! The bright designs and relationships that I include in my work is now something my family gets to enjoy and experience when they enrich their food with my artwork. I love how this further evolution is a by-product of the initial creative thinking that went into making my “Urban Salt and Pepper Shakers.”
“Nice to Meet You,” 2022-2023; Acrylic stenciling and painting with clear gloss finish on white stoneware; Coil built and hand sculpted.
1’7”H x 1’4”W x 1’4”D
“Nice to Meet You” was my second coil-built piece. The biggest challenge was building a long giraffe neck that felt anatomically correct, while keeping the majority of the weight within the frame of the base.
The inspiration for “Nice to Meet You” came from a family visit to a zoo in California where my sisters and I participated in a giraffe feeding experience. Her name was Shelley and she was so sweet; Her long purple tongue and eyelashes couldn’t help but make us all laugh! To evoke this joy, I chose to finish the piece using stencil and paint with bright, happy colors, and a clear gloss finish.
“Nice to Meet You” was my way of bringing this great family memory to life. And since it makes us all smile every time we see it, I’d say mission accomplished!
American Museum of Ceramic Art High School Ceramics National Exhibition Selection, 2024.
Various stages of coil-building and sculpting.
360 degree view of “Nice to Meet You.”
Introduction to Fine Art and Advanced Fine Art
“Lost at Sea,” 2024; Cyanotype soaked in tannic acid on paper; 9¾”H x 8”W. I drew this sailboat on vellum and exposed it to the sun. It is a 420 radial, which is one of the sailboats that I instruct on in the summers. Then, I treated the cyanotype with tannic acid to get the darker weathered tones.
“Jellyfish,” 2024; Cyanotype on paper; 6”H x 5½”W. I am really drawn to sea life and the beach and did some drawings of jellyfish on vellum which I then exposed in the sun.
“Mahi,” 2024; Cyanotype and India ink on paper; 11⅝”H x 10⅝”W. An experimental piece that took a turn to become a finished work. I was initially experimenting with actively altering the cyanotype as it was exposed to the sun. I sprayed bleach and painted watercolor during this process. This resulted in a really unique pattern that reminded me of the skin of a mahi, which I drew using a fountain pen dipped in India ink. (During the summer, I fish for mahi with my dad and sisters. I love the colorful tones found in their skin!) In this piece, I like how the mahi only catches your eye when viewed closely.
“Night Aura,” 2024; Cyanotype on paper; 11⅝”H x 10 ⅝”W. I altered a cyanotype during sun exposure by splattering hydrogen peroxide on the paper. I then laid rocks on the center of the paper, which resulted in lighter blue spots. Lastly, after the exposing process was over, I splattered bleach to create the star-like dots throughout the piece.
Cylinder, Cone, Sphere 3D Study, 2021; Graphite on paper; 1’H x 1’6”W. This 3D study was done in my Intro to Fine Art class. The focus was to use the blending technique of intricate circular shading to create dimensionality. No blending tools could be used. I completed this piece in five class periods.
"Gesture Study to Music," 2021; India ink, conté crayon, charcoal, and graphite on paper; 1’10½”H x 1’3”W. For this Gesture Study, my art teacher played a range of music from classical to pop. I combined objects found outside (sticks, flowers and leaves) with a graphite pencil, India ink, and charcoal to sketch what the music made me feel. Completed in one class period.
“Study of a Baja Elephant Tree,” 2021; India ink on paper; 10”H x 8”W. Hand sketched from live observation using a fountain pen that was dipped in India ink. Completed in one class period.
"Study of 'In the Car' by Roy Lichtenstein (1963)," 2022; Acrylic on paper; 1’10½”H x 1’10”W. In this Intro to Fine Art project we were tasked to choose any famous painting and replicate it using acrylic paint. No tools but a paint brush were allowed to be used; The replication was done entirely by observation. I chose "In the Car" by Roy Lichtenstein (1963) because I enjoy pop art and felt that it would be a fun and challenging piece to replicate under the parameters of the project.
“Still Life Study,” 2022; Graphite on paper; 1’8¾”H x 1’3¾”W. For this still life study, we were tasked to build a scene within a shoe box using a wooden mannequin, plastic cup and magazine clippings. I drew and shaded this piece from direct observation over two class periods.
“Study of Skeleton and Figure of Life,” 2022; Graphite on paper; 1’3”H x 1’10½”W This drawing was done from observing a figure drawing model in class and a human skeleton, and then overlapping them to practice human proportions. We worked on this project for two class periods.
"Hand Study," 2022; Graphite on paper; 8½”H x 11”W.
Eraser Stop Motion Animation, 2021; Charcoal and chalk on paper; Photos taken using an iPhone; Animation done on iMovie with original music created using Garage Band.
Introduction to Animation and Design
"Audrey," 2023; Digital collage using Procreate; 1’6”H x 2’W.
"Bee Gees," 2023; Digital collage using Procreate; 1’6”H x 2’W.
"End of Beginning" by DJO Lyric Music Video, 2024; Digital frame-by-frame drawing using Procreate, and iMovie. In Introduction to Animation and Design we were tasked to create a lyric music video by any digital platform. Using Procreate, I drew over 500 images that I then sequenced frame-by-frame and edited in iMovie to align with the music. This animation project took me several weeks to complete.
"Marilyn," 2023; Digital collage using Procreate; 1’6”H x 2’W. In Introduction to Animation and Design we were tasked to create a collage using Procreate. I drew the main picture of Marilyn using Procreate and then sourced the remaining images from the internet. I used various brushes and tools in Procreate to create the graffiti effect.
"Beatles," 2023; Digital collage using Procreate; 1’6”H x 2’W.
“Walking on a Dream” by Empire of the Sun Lyrical Music Video, 2024; Digital frame-by-frame drawing using Procreate, and iMovie.
Digital Photography
“Rough Sea,” 2024; Digital Print.
“Out on the Town,” 2023; Digital Print.
“Palm Desert 1,” 2023; Digital Print.
“Palm Desert 2,” 2023; Digital Print.
“Palm Desert 3,” 2023; Digital Print.
“Retro Chic,” 2023; Digital Print.