"Cousins Beach" by Ashley B

 

In the book series, The Summer I Turned Pretty, the setting where the story is centered around is the beach house owned by the close friend of the main character’s mom, named Susannah. From the introduction of the house, Belly had described it as being “magical,” a place where the atmosphere made her feel at home, comfortable, and happy. Every summer growing up, Belly and her family spent the summer at the beach house with Susannah and her family. For Belly, the beach house represented the nostalgic and beautiful feeling of summer. She said, “Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August.” To embody the magicalness that Belly described the beach house in Cousins to be, I painted a watercolor sunset in the background. The bright and vibrant colors of the sunsets not only represent the end of the day, but also Belly letting go of being a kid and growing up. Sunsets also carry a sentimental and bittersweet feeling, displayed by Belly’s constant reminiscing of her fun times at the beach house growing up. I drew the beach house at the center of the canvas since it is the central setting where the plot takes place and serves as a time capsule for Belly’s fondest memories and dreams

 of summer.

“You are Appreciated” By: Sadie M

I chose the poetic song “Dear Mama” as my blog piece because this song represents me and my life in various ways. I grew up with a single mom struggling raising me. This song reflects the appreciation we need to have towards women and more. When Tupac Amaru Shakur raps “A poor single mother on welfare, tell me how ya did it. There's no way I can pay you back, But the plan is to show you that I understand. You are appreciated.” This verse truly sticks to me because I ask myself all the time how my mom does it in this cruel world. I always try to show my mom appreciation whenever I can. This song truly shows my relationship with mom. Especially when my mom has always given me extra love and has raised me who I am today. A strong independent woman. You are appreciated momma.
My artwork represents the time “Dear Mama” was created with the magazine cut out letters. This was a huge trend back in the 90’s. I also made the bandana my mom’s favorite color to reflect how this piece connects to her. I chose to paint my take on the album cover of “Dear Mama”. I even included Tupac’s unique piercings and jewelry.

"Dream or Reality?" by Farah A

 

 

The poem “A Dream Within a Dream” by Edgar Allen Poe inspired my literary art piece. This poem reflects the fine line between dreams and reality by questioning our memories and emotions that may have been an illusion all along. In his poem, Poe effectively creates an unsettling tone by promoting a possible false sense of reality in our existence and experiences. This poem resonates with me because I have always been curious about the nature or symbolism behind certain dreams and how our body subconsciously interacts with our imagination and desires while we fall asleep. It is often said that our eyes are the doors to our souls, so I sketched out an eye to symbolize how our souls reflect our intrinsic desires in our dreams. The eye's iris depicts a woman staring off into the night sky while sitting on a crescent moon to create a fantasy world where our imagination is abstract. The dull exterior of the eye contrasts with this world as a reality check to emphasize the nature of reality. Poe suggests the idea that we might be living in our dream, or we are dreaming inside a dream, or that we might be living in someone else’s dream; therefore, I added a colorful background to symbolize that the nature of reality is almost impossible to comprehend and not a finite conclusion. I used oil paints to create texture and to easily blend the hues of blue in the iris part of the eye. The oil paints allowed me to create layers and add highlights of yellow and white to emphasize the glow in the fantasy dream world. Through my art piece, I intend to spark reflection on the power of our imagination and question whether our “reality” is indeed reality or a dream within a dream.

"The Space Between" by Cayla S

 

My artwork is inspired by a book that I read my sophomore year for my Honors English class named Patron Saints of Nothing. There were many themes in this book that explored truth, adolescence, and justice, but the one I was drawn to the most was about culture and belonging. The theme of culture and belonging was very relatable to me from reading this book because the main character is Filipino-American, and he had struggles of feeling disconnected from his culture of being Filipino because of how he was raised in America. That feeling resonated with me because I am also Filipino-American and there are times where I feel like I wish I was more connected to my Filipino roots because I didn’t grow up learning the Filipino language and did not have a lot of Filipino friends when I was younger. The glass shards surrounding the boy in the photo represents fragmentation, and how the main character, Jay, feels torn between his identities of being Filipino and American and trying to piece together his sense of self. I drew the Filipino flag showing in the shards to represent how although he feels distanced from it, he is still connected to his Filipino roots, while the background of the American flag represents his connection to being American, but also his sense of displacement in American society.

“Every Atom Belonged” by Mia C

 

    In my artwork “Every Atom Belonged," inspired by Jennifer Niven’s “All the Bright Places,” I focus on the beautiful and resilient force that follows us even in the shadows we carry within ourselves. In “All the Bright Places," Niven speaks about light, hope, resilience, and life being beautifully woven into the unexpected places around us,  deeply resonated with my own experiences and the memory of a dear friend. This painting became an  instrument through which I could express this bond, with the very acrylic paints I received from them. Since it was my first time using acrylic, the experience felt cathartic in ways I did not expect. I surrendered to a natural flow of color and in many cases, I applied the paint with my hands to obtain the direct connection I was seeking with the canvas. This method accentuates the deep emotions I focus on in the novel. The layers and textures tell the complex story of grief masking the slow appearance of hope. The aim in this work was to capture the essence of plenty of moments that exist, while being shrouded by moments of brilliance, beauty, and grace, and the stark reality of shadow. The painting serves as a powerful reminder of connection and inspire hope,  highlighting the core message of "All the Bright Places."."

 

"Beautiful Rebirth" by Alex H

 

 

 

The literary work that inspired my art piece is The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan. It inspired me to paint this window because I read this book a while back in middle school and it’s one of my favorite books since I always liked reading about mythology. My painting represents a window that Magnus sees when he enters his new room after dying and being taken to Hotel Valhalla. Before he was taken there, he died heroically to Surt, a fire giant, while saving people on a bridge. To paint this, I leaned towards using more vibrant colors in order to represent the rebirth of Magnus’s life and how he is congratulated as a hero for his courageous and selfless actions. Also, I added growing branches and greenery to emphasize the start of a new life.  In the ocean, I used a mix of pink and yellow paint in order to show the reflection of the sun on the water. Although I mainly aimed to use vibrant colors, the grey surrounding the window is used to visualize the room that Magnus lived in as it was mixed between white and grey. A small minor detail was that I added birds in the sky to show Magnus embarking on his new life at Hotel Valhalla. With the use of vibrant colors and growing nature, the message I intend to convey with this portrait is to show how beautiful rebirth can be even if you face a death physically or metaphorically and also to show hope and renewal for new beginnings.

"Echoes of Her Heart" by Alexandra V

 

 

 

Echoes of Her Heart

The novel, “The Daughters of Madurai” by Rajasree Variyar, depicts the reality of motherhood and how often daughters do not know the aspirations, nor the sacrifices within their mother's life. Variyar illustrates the cultural belief that sons are more prized than daughters, and its effect is especially on mothers when their daughters are taken away from them forever. Janani, the mother, and Nila, the daughter of Janani that was allowed to be saved, embark on this journey to restart their relationship and incorporate the principles of trust and honesty to create their inseparable bond of mother and daughter. In my piece, I used the specific colors of green, pink, yellow, and blue, which symbolize the ideas prevalent in the book: growth, love, patience, and femininity. I drew using color pencils and left the background white to bring a sense of calmness that is brought by the end of the novel. I also specifically chose Pink Lilies as the main illustration because it represents maternal love. This love is represented through the countless actions Janani does to protect her daughter Nila from getting hurt by the stereotypical beliefs of daughters being born as a sin. Janani sacrifices often go unnoticed, similar to the beautiful significance behind flowers. I put the drawing of Janani with her sitting where only her back was revealed to represent the universal theme of the unknown of mothers' aspirations and their own personal lives before becoming a mother.

 

“Old Money” By Melanie G

 

 

This piece was inspired by the novel, The Great Gatsby. I decided to make my piece based off of this novel because the main discussion that I remember having in my class was whether Gatsby truly loved Daisy or if he loved the idea of her such as her wealth and status. The certain scene that I wanted to depict was the time Gatsby and Daisy reunite in Nick’s home. I used vibrant colors to portray the magnificence of a peacock with acrylic paint, and  watercolor to imitate the rainy weather that is depicted in the scene. I was also inspired by the scene in the movie which is filled with various species of orchids so I used acrylic paint to the orchids. Finally I used color pencils to emphasize the feathers on the peacock as well the petals on the orchids. I used gold acrylic paint to paint a frame around the peacock to portray the elements of the 1920s which is the time period in which the novel is set in. The whole idea behind the piece was to paint my interpretation of Daisy through the perspective of Gatsby. I painted a peacock because of the extravagance that they naturally exude which immediately reminded me of Daisy. Gatsby loved Daisy because of her natural extravagance, she came from old money, she was desired by many men, she was described to be on top of the social ladder which is the complete opposite of Gatsby who came from nothing. Her social value is what made her so alluring, similar to a peacock. My interpretation of Gatsby being reunited with Daisy was supposed to invoke a feeling of fireworks, hence the vibrant colors used in the piece.

"Kendrick Lamar’s Superbowl Performance" by Eden C

 

I decided to pick Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance as my piece of literature.What inspired me to choose this is the fact that the performance has so much meaning behind it that ties in to what is going on in the world right now. What I chose to draw was kendrick and put the american flag colors. It relates to the performance because he had the american flag shown and the colors present.What I used was cardstock then I drew kendrick with pencil and did the rest in color pencils. The message behind the Super Bowl was uncle Sam (Samuel Jackson) is present during the performance and he praises kendrick when he behaves then he will scold him when he is “not behaving properly”. Uncle sam says “ Gamekeeper deduct one life” and that represents how black people are treated in this country where if you don't “behave properly” that you are going to be chasiabe.Kendrick also had a message about capitalism. The sweat suits the dancers were wearing were similar to those of Squid games and those represent their status in the game but everyone fights each other to get the money.

"Malibu Rising" by Valentina A

 

 

Malibu Rising, 2021

Valentina Alba (b. 2007)

 

The novel “Malibu Rising”, by Taylor Jenkins Reid, is the pinnacle of muse that this artwork was inspired by. The drawing I have displayed is symbolic to me as it conveys the complex dynamic between a young woman and her father. The main character of this novel is Nina Riva, the daughter of Mick Riva, the neglect of her father has only led Nina to feel isolated and wounded, despite the fact she is wealthy and rich in many aspects of her life, her father’s abandonment has left a profound scar in persona. This tragedy is something I resonate with. It’s an unfortunate connection I found myself making with Nina Riva. However, the way in which she was able to grow from the weight of her emotions is a quality I admire, and a trait I wish to fulfill in the near future. This novel is heartfelt to me as it represents the journey of growth and underlying feelings that one may carry into the world, it conveys the message of perseverance that I believe everyone should understand.

"The Eternal Light" by Roberto C

 

 

The Eternal Light

    This artwork is inspired by the song “There is a Light That Never Goes Out” by The Smiths. This song is about love so strong, it is the light in someone’s life that never turns off. It reflects the meaning of true love, and the extent someone will go if they truly love you. Going so far as to wish to die next to the person you love, no matter the circumstances.

    I chose to do my piece on this song because it comes from one of my favorite movies named “500 Days of Summer” where a man and woman’s whole relationship is the cause of them both liking this one song. It’s lyrics are also a bit exaggerated and sarcastic, but what’s love if you can’t joke about it sometimes.

   A description of my artwork is somewhat simple and has to do with the lyrics in the song. The song states “And if the double decker bus crashes into us, to die by your side is such a heavenly way to die.” So I painted a canvas all black with acrylic paint and a bright white light with a heart in the middle of the light representing love. I also used markers to draw a double decker bus, and then painted over it with white acrylic paint to give it an abstract and  smudgy look.

    The most prevalent emotion in this painting is love, but it is also unknowingness and mystery. Love is something people are never sure of at some points, and sometimes we must take risks for love. It’s better to do it and learn from it, than not do it at all and regret never doing it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Claudia's Fury" by Gursakhi T

 

 

 

 

Gursakhi Thind (b. 2007)

Claudia’s Fury, 2025

Colored Pencil and Crayon

 

 

 Artist Statement

 

My artwork is based on a character named Claudia from the book “Interview With the Vampire,” a piece of gothic literature written by Anne Rice. I was first drawn to the book because of its supernatural elements. However, the internal conflict the characters went through became extremely intriguing. Claudia was 5 years old when she was turned into a vampire and remained in this body for nearly 100 years, aging only in mind. She grew increasingly envious of the women who could grow physically and become adults whilst she was cursed with being an eternal child, which is depicted by the woman on the left (an adult woman Claudia doted on). She began to harbor resentment for her maker as well, the man who turned her into a vampire, and attempted to kill him (the knife on the right). The moon and dull streaky black canvas represent Claudia’s forever tie to the night, as the only thing she can experience in the light is death. The scissors express a moment when Claudia seethed in anger as she desperately tried to change her appearance by cutting her hair, but it all grew back almost as fast as she cut it.The fangs on the right and the blood stained portions represent Claudias victims. Although, Claudia looks harmless in the center of the page as the only subject not colored bold red or etched in black colored pencil. Her rage and vampiric nature had created a ruthless killer. The background is like the void of isolation she felt as she lived without the ability to be viewed differently, or a companion that could truly understand her. In this piece I intended to portray how jealousy, vengefulness, and feeling stuck in time can take over a person and become their drive into chaos.

"Unwinding" by Hanna G

 

Artist Statement

This artwork is inspired by Neal Shusterman’s novel Unwind, a story that challenges our understanding of identity, morality, and the value of a single life. It reflects the human cost of a society that prioritizes functionality over individuality, exploring the pain, fear, and resilience of those caught in an unjust system.

In Unwind, teenagers are “unwound,” their body parts repurposed for others in a horrifying solution to societal conflicts. I was struck by the psychological and emotional toll this takes on the characters. This inspired the central theme of fragmentation in my piece: the loss of identity and the dehumanization that comes when individuals are reduced to their utility. The repeated phrase “CHOP CHOP CHOP” reflects the mechanical and brutal nature of the system, while “TRUST” symbolizes the betrayal of the human spirit under the guise of order.

At its core, the artwork represents the struggle to hold onto humanity in the face of destruction. The fractured face at the center symbolizes the characters’ inner turmoil as their bodies and lives are torn apart. The abstract, chaotic background conveys a sense of confusion and fear, mirroring the emotions of those resisting the unwinding process. The looming eye in the upper corner represents surveillance and judgment, a reminder that society watches and enforces compliance. The distorted stop sign hints at moments of rebellion and the fight to halt an oppressive system, even when the odds seem insurmountable.

The piece is created with charcoal on canvas, a medium that allowed me to explore raw emotion through texture and contrast. Charcoal’s smudges and imperfections reflect the vulnerability and brokenness of the characters in Unwind. The monochromatic palette emphasizes stark contrasts between light and dark, representing moral ambiguity and the clash between hope and despair. The uneven strokes were deliberate, evoking a sense of chaos and instability to immerse the viewer in the oppressive world Shusterman describes.

This piece is a reflection on what it means to be human. It questions how we define a person’s worth and the consequences of reducing lives to pieces of a larger system. By juxtaposing the violent imagery of dissection with the word “TRUST,” I aim to highlight the fragility of faith in a society that demands compliance while betraying its people. The artwork conveys both fear and defiance, encouraging viewers to consider the impact of their choices and the systems they participate in.

Ultimately, I want this piece to remind viewers of the importance of empathy and individuality. Just as the characters in Unwind fight to reclaim their sense of self, this artwork urges us to recognize and preserve the humanity in ourselves and others. It is both a warning about the dangers of dehumanization and a call to stand against systems that seek to divide and dismantle us.

 

"If You Could See the Sun, 2025" by Abby C

 

 

If You Could See the Sun, 2025

Abby Carlos (b. 2007)

Colored pencil on paper

 

The inspiration behind this piece comes from the book “If You Could See the Sun” by Ann Liang. I initially connected with this book as a freshman and have since reread it a few times due to its lighthearted humor and romantic tropes. The girl left blank in this artwork is meant to represent Alice Sun, an overachiever who’s fears of becoming a nobody physically manifests as she suddenly becomes invisible. Overall, this piece is meant to illustrate a sense of alienation and exhaustion as a result from excessive negative self perception.

I wanted to convey the discomfort of feeling overlooked by using dark blues and purple for a majority of the background in order to contrast with Alice’s stark white appearance. The consistent solid black lining is also interrupted when it comes to Alice, emphasizing the permanence of her surroundings versus her own physical impermanence which signifies her self perceived unimportance.

In addition, the only features I made visible for this piece’s subject were her eyes which are focused towards the girl beside her, underscoring her obsession with how she measures up compared to her peers as well as her desire to be seen and remembered for her achievements. Her shifting eyes are also meant to move the viewer’s focus to the rest of the class which symbolizes again that even if she does stand out, her insecurity prevents her from being noticed for long.

Ultimately, by using dark colors against white and shifting from solid black lining to lineless, I intended to express how the fear of failure can become all consuming and result in feelings of isolation and constant insecurity.

 

"Monday 10:05 AM, 2025" by Kloee C

 

Kloee Carmean (b. 2007)

Monday 10:05 AM, 2025

Chalk on Clock

 

            Based on Marieke Nijkamp’s “This is Where it Ends,” I made a symbolic clock sculpture. The book inspired my work because I thought it was really interesting how, in the book, it takes place over the course of just two hours. The piece is about a school shooting told in four different, but connected points of view. The cover of the book has chalk that was shot as the art, so that inspired my use of chalk in my own art. Each new section of the book has a timestamp and the time of the shooting is 10:05 a.m. So, I set the time on the clock to 10:05 in order to symbolize how time, in a way, stops because of how fast everything else happened. The book had such a chokehold on me that I read the entire thing in one sitting. For the background I used the title page from the book and tore it to give it a more dramatic effect. For each marking on the clock, I used a piece of chalk cut to size with a knife and hot glued to the paper. Then, I hot glued the clock hands at 10:05. Then I reassembled the clock. I want the art to display how fragile time is, especially in urgent situations. In just two hours, so many students were killed and injured and helpless. While the book is fictional, it accurately displays a tragedy that has affected America repeatedly and I believe it is important to bring awareness to the many ways in which the difficult topic of school shootings can affect people.

"Noid" by Diego V

 

 

Diego Vazquez (b. 2007)

Noid, 2024

Coloring lead on Canvas

 

Tyler the creator’s “Noid” is the inspiration for this piece. I started to do this piece right after the song was released, then I asked if I could do my piece on this song after remembering it had to be about a literary piece. Paranoia is described as unreasonably or obsessively anxious, suspicious, or mistrustful, which is a feeling that, for me, has always been silently prevalent. Then as I heard this song I noticed how well the feeling was described, even though there were many situations that I know I can't relate to, some parts were remarkably similar to the feeling. The chorus, bridge, and intro were very deep representations of being paranoid and how sometimes it feels overwhelming while other times it's just a small subtle feeling. In the piece I used cardstock and colored pencils, as I felt it gave a view of bleeding in the image, then I tried to draw Tyler the creator's costume of St. Chroma that appeared in the music video for “Noid” with multiple images surrounding him that he mentioned in the song and some that I added that have either happened to me or symbols that have made me anxious from the past or recent situations. The message that I tried to convey in this piece was the same message in the song, which is being followed or watched(paranoid), first with the image of St. Chroma looking straight forward gives a seemingly off putting image and next with many figures that personally to me have made me paranoid or symbols from situations that I have gone through that have made me feel paranoid. In the end I just would suggest all to listen to the song at least once, and even though the lyrics may not give that feeling of paranoia, the beat,chorus, and bridge do, and in my opinion it gives one of the best descriptive beats of a feeling in a song that I have heard in a long time.

"Me VS Me" by Cole F

 

“Me VS Me”

By Cole Frausto 

 

The play that inspired this drawing is Macbeth by William shakespear. This play resonates with me due to Macbeth's constant psychological battle against himself; from Macbeth just wanting to be a soldier and serve his country to an evil king who solves problems with murder. Macbeth always seemed to be his own worst enemy throughout the story by continuously making mistake after mistake to become powerful and overruling. I feel that I relate to this story because I, at times, also feel that I can be my worst enemy. I feel that when I am trying to be focused and buy into something that will benefit me, I often fall into negative distractions that can take me off course.  Knowingly, the distractions are bad for me, I fight temptation and still fail causing self sabotage. The light and dark contrast in my drawing shows the contrast between Macbeth when he was a nobleman and when he became impulsive and ambitious for power. I only used colored pencils to get my message across. I also used the line concentration technique  inspired by the painting “The Starry Night” by Vincent van Gogh, to give an eerie feeling that relates to the known mental illness depicted in the artwork and parallels the mental illness of Macbeth.

 

 

"Untitled" by Enrique G

 

Enrique Garza (b .2006)

11th century(2025)

 

This painting is a symbol for my interest in music. In Macbeth, William Shakespeare incorporated music such as instruments transitioning acts. Music in the 11th century contained simple chants using religious lyrics combined with traditional dances. The artwork I used is from The court of Alfonso X depicting the 11th century. I started off sketching  the painting and later with colored pencils coloring

the two musicians.

 

 

"Family History, 2024" by Zyrah E

 

Family History, 2024

Zyrah Edwards (b. 2007)

Acrylic on canvas

      

The play that inspired this artwork was “The Piano Lesson” written by August Wilson. This play resonates with me because it offers a realistic perspective on how people engage with their history, especially with the symbolic conflict over the piano, which represents the struggling with honoring the past and seeking progress. This artwork symbolizes the balance between wanting to preserve history and wanting to move forward.

At first glance, you would assume the girls in the painting are twins but that is not the case. I decided to depict two girls to symbolize the internal and external conflict of being torn between the family debate of trying to sell the family piano. The mother wants her daughter to carry on her family heirlooms and values, while her uncle argues that selling the piano will allow him to buy land back in Missippi, which can benefit the family. While trying to understand both sides, she is also trying to understand her place in the family history, which is a challenge given her youth. 

When making this painting, I intentionally avoided using bright colors, as the play is set in Pittsburgh 1936, and I wanted to evoke an old timey feel. I used many light colors to give small detail to my painting especially in the tree. I chose to make the carvings in the piano lighter to make it stand out, which also represents their family history. Through this work, I intend to convey the feeling of wanting to preserve history while also wanting to progress from it. This piece questions what would you do if you were in the same situation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Soma" by Aubrey T

 

Soma - Aubrey Talines

 

The Strokes’ “Soma” is the inspiration behind this piece. I remember asking when this project was introduced, if it would be possible to use a song instead of a literary work, as I knew from the very beginning that I wanted to make my project about a song by this band. The images drawn in my piece are essentially what comes to mind whenever I listen to this song; Soma is a prescription drug intended to relax muscles, represented by the pill drawn, with one half being inspired by the album that this song is off of, Is This It. The other images are of Powder/Jinx from Arcane, and while there isn’t a specific character to this song, I feel like she can definitely embody the lyrics that I used, as, after being abandoned, she was forced to seek refuge through other means, changing her view on life and the people around her. This piece is a mixed media of various materials that I figured would go along with the piece. I knew that I wanted it to be less “polished”, as “Soma” and the other songs from that album were intentionally produced to be “gritty” and not “too clean”, which I wanted to reflect. Some of the materials that I had used are a canvas pad (which for many years I had failed to find use for), washable markers, cardboard, and the bottom of a Trader Joe's bag. The song itself is rather energetic and upbeat, despite the darker lyrics, so I aimed to use bright and vibrant colors, contrasted by the neutral browns of the paper and cardboard to show that. To end off with, it goes without saying, but I would definitely recommend you guys to check the song out for yourselves!! It’s short, but the buildup towards the last 30 seconds always leaves me wanting to replay the song a few more times just so I can hear it again.