These are my first plates I ever made. I was scared as a beginner in ceramics. I had never taken pottery or even a 3D art class before spring 2023. The blue glaze conveys that fear. I made the lighting dim on one side and left more negative space on the bottom to create a distant, dark feeling. Refer to my 2D Art gallery if you would like to see the chalk drawings (which are a series) I made of these plates. 

These are my first bowls I ever made. I was upset whenever I would make mistakes or have to restart something I toiled on. The direct lighting and my overhead angle suggests an "in your face" idea. Refer to my 2D Art gallery if you would like to see the chalk drawings (which are part of a series) I made of these bowls. 

This is one of my first lidded jars. I began to notice that it was about progress, not perfection. I unintentionally left gaps in the glaze. But, then I thought it looked like melted cheese. That is when I realized I was now having fun. The melting glaze is the melting of the tension I had before.

The personal meaning this work has to me is that through life there are peaks and valleys - but even still, through that, art can and will always be made (making something positive out of the tough times).

Refer to my 2D Art gallery if you would like to see the chalk drawings (which are part of a series) I made of this lidded jar. 

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I was inspired by a New Mexican pot's simple form and sgraffito design. The gradient is a natural result of the Raku firing. Making this pot taught me patience, persistence, and letting go, no matter what the outcome is. The lessons we acquire in the process are more important than the end product. 

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These two betta fish were my first pets. I kept them alive for 6 months at most. I begged my mom to get them at the pet store. But, the satisfaction did not last long. Most objects we acquire in life last a short time. We are happy one day - the next day we forget about it and it's in the trash.

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The dichotomy of hard and soft materials represents my neighbor's cats. One has a calm demeanor and will let anyone pet her. The other is scared of everything and runs to hide. Are we going to stay calm with whatever life throws at us, or are we going to hide in fear and never live life?

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My ceramics classes made me understand the meaning of "never rush the process." Hence, the tortoise.The first is representational - a realistic desert tortoise. The next is stylized - how we depict them in animation.The last is abstract - reduced to the basic shapes on a tortoise shell (hexagons).

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My grandpa passed away in 2019 and during the final 4 years of his life, I was busy in high school. This is a time when we would hang out more often, before high school. The wire and linear motif portrays the simplicity of those memories. His hand reaching out signals I am leaving those behind soon.

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This is a hyacinth macaw. A photo that I found on the internet inspired the pose of my sculpture. It looks like he is leaning over and taking a good look at the viewer like he is interested. Blue is not a common color found in animals. They are known to have a very calm, gentle, and curious nature.

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Go ahead, put on the mask. What would be the difference? Between the mask you put on outside for others and putting this one on? Isn't the pain just the same? Happy tears come out anyways at the expense of pain.

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This is a temporary piece. It comes completely from nature and it is meant to return back to nature over time, without interference. I have numerous, random rocks in my backyard - all different colors, shapes, and sizes. I do not have any professional landscaping in my backyard, so all of the rocks you see here came naturally from the ground. I collected the rocks by hand from my backyard and I washed them with water to get rid of the dirt. I tried my best to make the rocks fit into each other, almost like puzzle pieces interlocking.The olive branch came from the olive tree that I actually have in my backyard, too. The white dove with an olive branch is a universal symbol of peace. I wanted to make this because of all of the events that are going on in the world, currently. I want to instill a sense of hope and peace and I wanted it to be a reminder to others passing by this to be kind to everyone you meet. I hear the doves in my neighborhood all day, even as I am sitting inside my house. And every time I hear the doves singing, I stop, I listen, and smile because the sound is so soft and calming. So, I wanted for whoever walks by and sees this on the sidewalk, to be a reminder for them to be mindful, to stop and listen to the birds - to stop and smell the roses along their busy day. I want it to bring a feeling of calm and contemplation.  I chose to make this dove out of rocks specifically because I learned in my geology class that these rocks and pebbles in our backyard take many years to form - hundreds, even thousands of years to deposit sediment, to travel, and to be eroded and shaped by water and wind. I think the long, slow process it takes to make these rocks is representative of the lengthy time and process that it takes for peace to come about in the world. The numerous, small pieces of rock represent the small steps it takes to get to the whole of the dove, the final goal of peace.