AP Drawing Portfolio ‘26

my guiding inquiry

How might small animals experience the domestic human world as their home? My works express sentimentality and wonder through intentional use of color/light and symbolism. My inquiry started with celebrating moments of everyday life, so I included cats who are curious yet creatures of habit. Wanting to create more scenes, I explored how non-domestic animals also find comfort and resources in the human world. Illustrating creatures humans might see as pests, I show our connectedness and innate empathy. These stories reflect natural characteristics of their subjects in context of a persons life.

I always start with imagining and sketching out the scene, including the respective animal and any key objects/elements-composition was a main focus. The animals were at the center, so l'd research and practice sketching them. I think about what story I want t o tell and find a color scheme that evokes the target feelings. In most pieces I use oil o r water based paint, which allows me to blend and layer with detail. Becoming more comfortable, I experimented with textures, techniques such as thick paint, and 3D elements (wood carving, metallic foil, and embroidery) which bring more physicality.