When interpreting the theme "Conserve Life" I created a piece about conserving nature, and the effects of forest fires.

I would like to make a stop motion animated film about mental health and representing it to people who don't understand how serious it can be. I am writing a dialogue about how anxiety and in some cases depression can feel like either the person themselves or the world around them is melting away. I would use characters created out of clay to show this because I can mold them each frame to portray this idea. The story will take place in reality, in the protagonist's mind, and in their perception of reality. I want to use this film to create a dialogue among people about mental health, and hopefully encourage people to reach out for help when they are feeling like this. I also want to create awareness for people without mental illnesses so they can become more understanding and knowledgeable about the subject. Often times, people treat emotions as taboo, causing the problem to become even worse. Since clay is moldable, I will be able to construct abstract feelings and make them visually understandable. Many people have trouble visualizing descriptions of how anxiety feels because they don't actually feel it. While not being able to simulate the feeling, I can represent it in a way that will help the audience understand. I will use the money not only for clay, but for background set items, and rigs that will help me set up the figures in positions like scenes in mid-air, or a position that can solely be supported by the figure's clay legs. I hope this project will be able to create awareness and start a dialogue about mental health and promote to people that help is always available.

Every artist has a certain subject matter they are interested in making art about, whether that be landscapes, portraits, or abstract pieces. My preferred subject matter is people and the uniqueness of each one. As an artist, I would use travel, whether that be local or global, to study different cultures and use them as a subject matter for my art. People can be found everywhere, they are inhabiting the same world that I am, so it only makes sense that I would encounter a few. Every person is living their own life, with their own experiences, relationships, hardships, and triumphs. When you pass a person on the street, you could have absolutely no idea of what they are going through, however, you can still get a small glimpse into their life. Maybe they are talking on the phone or walking their dog, even by the clothes they are wearing you get to know a little bit about them, even if it is almost insignificant to them. With this, it is important not to make assumptions, as that can lead to believing stereotypes or other negative things about them. You get a glimpse and only a glimpse. I love to capture this glimpse and turn it into art. Sitting in a public place, I can draw the people around me, observing not only their physical appearance but their personality. Drawing a live model has an adrenaline rush because they could easily move and you would have to alter your drawing to that, or even start over all together. I find this represents life's everlasting motion, as much as I try to stop and observe it, time still passes by, people still live, and life moves forward. Once they leave, I never see them again, but I keep the drawing of that one moment in time when we shared a place in the world. I plan to travel more to different places in the world, with cultures different than my own, and observe what life is like for those people. I can not only diversify my drawings, but diversify my understanding of others, and grow respect and knowledge from them. As an American who has never traveled outside of the U.S. I have yet to really know everyday life for people in different countries. I have seen photos, videos, and articles about places outside of the U.S., but I want to genuinely experience them for myself and get the truest understanding of them. People are so beautifully unique, never the same, and always changing, so naturally, I gravitate towards them and begin to capture this beauty in the best way I can, through my art. Lastly, through my travel, I want to create awareness of issues in other countries. Civil rights movements are happening globally, as some countries are not nearly as accepting and open-minded as the U.S., and even then, we still need some change. I would like to start making art of protestors, as a way of documenting these important times. I plan to use travel to not only improve my personal knowledge but the knowledge of the world. As the ever-changing, ever-moving force that life is, if I don't stop and observe it every once in awhile, it will pass me by.

This is Olivia, one of the largest sources of joy in my life. She makes every moment with her fun and exciting. From carpool karaoke to movie marathons, Olivia knows how to entertain, cracking the funniest jokes. One thing that inspires me about her, is her confidence. Olivia knows what she wants and doesn't let anything get in the way of her goals. Her energy is powerful and everyone around her can immediately sense it. Olivia is not only a strong person, she is also very sweet and caring about the people she is closest to. As the first to get her license, she found herself driving me around places almost too many times. I can always count on her to make sure I have a means of transportation if I can't get a ride from my parents. Along with her incredible personality, Olivia has some incredible talent in the realm of theater. She has incredible acting, singing, writing, directing, managing, and tech skills. She puts large masses of effort into not only her art but her school work, being an A+ student. I am incredibly thankful to have Olivia in my life not only because of her kindness but because of her inspirational strength and powerful presence.

Here are my wonderful best friends, Jules the Golden-doodle, Ella the Australian Shepherd, and Bruce the mutt! My Instagram is @art.nicole.art