I took a photo of myself in the mirror in my bedroom, as a reference, and I produced my second attempt ever at a self-portrait by hand. I wanted to get comfortable with drawing my own face first before drawing other people's portraits. I thought this second one was an improvement from my first one.

This self-portrait is based on Self-Portrait #2, but I felt inspired to do it in the Cubist style and Picasso. The title refers to the two conflicting sides within all of us. One is the nice, warm, and reflective side (portrayed in the original Self-Portrait #2). The other is dark, cold, and harsh.

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 3D Art gallery if you would like to see a photograph of the actual plates I made. 

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. The bowls are more bright and red in hue in the drawing (rather than the dark pink it is in reality). Refer to my 3D Art gallery if you would like to see a photograph of the actual bowls I made. 

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 3D Art gallery if you would like to see a photograph of the actual lidded jar I made. 

This is a diptych. It is my interpretation of JS Bach's Gavotte en Rondeau from his Violin Partita No.3. I cut and glued parts of the sheet music that I thought were integral and that stood out to me. I do not have synesthesia. This is just my imagination of the notes I heard and the tone I felt.