Art has always been the center of my life. It is and consistently will be in my life forever. Though it has changed throughout my life, my medium is acrylic paints. My passion for creating has only grown stronger over the years and is now greater than ever. I am deeply committed to pursuing art for the rest of my life. This being said, my passion for my medium defines me. I am driven by acrylic because I have great control and technique. I adore the aspect of only having to use water while other mediums require oils or solvents. It makes preparation extremely easy and quick so that I can get right to painting and won't lose my inspiration. Some people may argue that acrylics cannot give you the vibrant colors that oils can, but I would disagree. If you use them right, acrylic paints can achieve opaque vibrant colors just as oils can. The fast drying nature of acrylic paints is also essential to my process, I work fast when blending and putting color down . With this, I can achieve a look in acrylic that some have mistaken for oils. It's all about working fast and creating the right ratio of paint to water. I have a strong connection with acrylic paints that I can’t seem to give up. I know I can trust myself and my process to create something that I love using acrylics. Painting has enhanced my life tremendously. I never would've thought I'd love to paint, my whole life I’d only stuck to drawing or sculpting. Before 11th grade, I lacked self discipline to grow. I would get frustrated immediately when something didn’t come easy to me and give up. Once I transferred to my current school, I realized how much I had missed out on. I met my amazing art teacher who has taught me so much. She gives me constructive criticism on my pieces and has taught me techniques I will use for years to come. She made me truly love painting. Due to my past experience, the colors came naturally to me. My skills improved rapidly with this new found sense of work and self discipline. This year was the year I got into my first real art competition during UIL, the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE). Here I did not only qualify for state, but I also won a gold seal, the highest honor in the competition. That was last year, now I am a senior in AP art 4. I competed again in VASE and qualified for state again! So I will travel for the competition soon. I can now see that this victory of mine inspired my peers in art. When the VASE competition came around again I saw so many of my classmates put in the work they lacked the year before and work to improve, and some asked me to give suggestions on their piece or critique them. Many I see work vigorously as I did the year before. This gives me even more confidence as an artist to impact others' art with my own. I work to inspire others even more now because of this. Winning a Gold Seal award confirmed that my technical bond with acrylics was more than a preference. It inspired me to continue to work towards a career in art. Acrylic paints have brought me so far, farther than I ever thought they would. I am ready to dedicate my career to pushing the boundaries of what acrylic paints can achieve.