ILLUSTRATED BOOK

date. October 2022

 

My mom was an artist. Growing up, I was constantly surrounded by art and creativity. I had the opportunity to explore and experiment with art mediums from stained glass and paper mâché to charcoal drawing and everything in between.

 

My school projects were ridiculous in the best way possible. My personal favorite was a rainforest mobile I made in the sixth grade. Each level of the mobile represented a different stratum of the rainforest, determining which plants and animals hung from that level. Blue sparkly beads symbolizing rain adorned the entire mobile because there's no such thing as too many blue sparkly beads. We collaborated on every project, starting with my very first one. She asked questions about concept and creation, taught me how to be resourceful, and trained me to think critically about my work. Beyond instilling her love and appreciation for art, she emphasized collaboration and the importance of curiosity, lessons I've incorporated into every aspect of my life.

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Because that rainforest mobile no longer exists, and I didn't consider taking portfolio photos of it at the time, I've added this story about an orange.