“A puzzle of a Woman” Support? When I use the word support, I think of foundation. Other than God as my rock, my mother is there with her crown of hardships displayed in air. She saw the spark in my eyes and hands. She knew my mind was different. Encouraged me to move forward with a brush in hand. Don’t look back. Don’t slug over, stand tall in your gift Don’t worry about the future, create and don’t stop. Every Christmas and birthday my mother would get me a kit or supplies. She knew my gift runs deep in my blood and It was given by God. She also pushed me to strive for more never for less. She knew my mind held ideas of passion and creativity. Through middle school, she kept holding me down. Showing friends, family, and coworkers my art saying…. My daughter is going to be somebody When buying supplies she didn’t mind that it was so expensive. She never talked down my work or the feelings that I was dealing with when working on my art. She encourages my to do more and not limit myself to one form of art. When I lost a really important art competition, she told me the most successful people building themselves off of their failures. That my mind and soul is too advance for the future of art. To not be discourage but to learn and I did. Throughout of the years, my mother has collected my baby work and holds now some of my new work. She also talks highly of me to anyone she meets and she makes that know. A smile is always on her face. But what really set it for me is that she has shown me her own struggles and flaws sometimes without trying to. That has shown me how to become a better art and woman. To understand what my own values and morals. Every art event I had such as ceremonies and my senior art show in high school, she was always there. Yelling and supporting me even though she was tired for working so much. My mother is a strong woman yet she also human with human problems. No matter tired she is, my day is know by her. With social media on the rise, she always shows me new things that people are creating and speak into life for me. Recently, she called me downstairs to show my the winners of the McDonald fashion scholarship which was broadcast on BET. She looked at me and said “you should start making clothing out crochet. I want to go to the BET awards for You because you can do anything”. And with those words, I knew my abilities and gift are not limited to 2D and 3D work but to a land of possibilities. My mother is my foundation and core of my career.

Paint these towns in color. How do you bring brightness to under-resource communities? Give the people an opportunity to express themselves through art. In the end of July, I will be working with an organization that teach children and some adults from low-income areas about art. We will be bring painting supplies and things for them to paint on. This opportunity is very important to me because it gives me a chance to connect with others, who are in a different situation than me and shows me their story. Recently, I painted a mural for a the Ronald McDonald House in Baltimore , Maryland, my home. The Ronald McDonald house wanted something that is colorful and joyful for the families that are resident there to enjoy it. During the process, I held conversations with the staff and families getting a chance to know them. After each session, I would play the piano for the families. Each day, a little girl of the age 3 would sign for me to play more music for her which I always looked forward to. I believe visual arts is another form a language. The definition of visual arts is an appreciation of sight from the viewer but I can argue that visual arts sometimes is the viewer themselves. How the viewers come together and react can leave the artist or performer in its own appreciation. The smiles that art being is of sight and those type of things are sometimes worth more than the art that is being presented. For some charity events that I have volunteered for, I have face painted many children. The joy on their faces when picking something they are familiar or can imagine gives them an opportunity to be involve with the process of art. Through visual arts, I can represent and become a voice for under-resource communities by using the materials found in those communities, capturing the language or other forms of communication in a visual aspect, and create projects that hold the communities beauty but sheds awareness. In the future, I hope to run a community project where you have locals of that community, fill in the images like a coloring book on a wall. These small interactions can have a big impact on anyone's life: a child might realize art in something that they can purse in, an adult that knows nothing about art might see that this something they enjoy, or an artist that needs inspiration could possibly need a boost. No matter where you come from, anyone can be an artist with dedication, discipline, and passion. Anyone can be someone.

In my site-specific work called “Connecting History”. Originally, I was going to take the photos at a museum but decided to take backup shots just in case the museum thing wasn’t going to work out. In the photos, my models were wearing masks made from braiding hair. The reason why the model with the mask is placed in the woods is that when slaves were escaping, they would travel through the woods with many obstacles in their way and underground. Their hair becomes maps for them to escape and find somewhere to go. Different types of braids or styles symbolized different geographic features such as rivers (zig zag), roads (corn rolls), and mountains(knots) that my ancestors had to come across. So why not connect the two? Our elders were beaten, starved, neglected, etc for us to walk the paths they dug out with their own hands. I want my work to be truthful which can be unsettling but if no one talks about it then nothing will happen. I want change in our society. A couple of events have taken place involving people of color and the police in 2020. It’s important to reflect on other’s mistakes and become away which led me to create “So You Think it’s a Game,” In the earlier stages of the pandemic, there was a spike in police brutality. Even though it is not happening a lot right now, it does still occur. The different ages between the figures indicate that age does not matter when becoming a victim. I made sure the environment felt like a simulation or a type of game. To me during those times, some of the police officers were playing shoot the ducks. I want to inspire other black artists and creators and that is happening soon enough. For a commission, I made a painting for someone’s wedding and one of the guests called me and said I inspired them to paint again, and they did a self-portrait of their own. For change to happen, I started putting my life and who I am out there for the world. Vulnerability is the best weapon to use against others because people are afraid of being weak. I will never be silent and never show fear. We need to do something so why not start with me? I want to use my other talents or hobbies such as crocheting, braiding and other things i am willing to learn to create my own business eventually. I may go into art therapy because of my art background. An artist of color, a voice of truth.

In my site-specific work called “Connecting History”. Originally, I was going to take the photos at a museum but decided to take backup shots just in case the museum thing wasn’t going to work out. In the photos, my models were wearing masks made from braiding hair. The reason why the model with the mask is placed in the woods is that when slaves were escaping, they would travel through the woods with many obstacles in their way and underground. Their hair becomes maps for them to escape and find somewhere to go. Different types of braids or styles symbolized different geographic features such as rivers (zig zag), roads (corn rolls), and mountains(knots) that my ancestors had to come across. So why not connect the two? Our elders were beaten, starved, neglected, etc for us to walk the paths they dug out with their own hands. I want my work to be truthful which can be unsettling but if no one talks about it then nothing will happen. I want change in our society. A couple of events have taken place involving people of color and the police in 2020. It’s important to reflect on other’s mistakes and become away which led me to create “So You Think it’s a Game,” In the earlier stages of the pandemic, there was a spike in police brutality. Even though it is not happening a lot right now, it does still occur. The different ages between the figures indicate that age does not matter when becoming a victim. I made sure the environment felt like a simulation or a type of game. To me during those times, some of the police officers were playing shoot the ducks. I want to inspire other black artists and creators and that is happening soon enough. For a commission, I made a painting for someone’s wedding and one of the guests called me and said I inspired them to paint again, and they did a self-portrait of their own. For change to happen, I started putting my life and who I am out there for the world. Vulnerability is the best weapon to use against others because people are afraid of being weak. I will never be silent and never show fear. We need to do something so why not start with me? To be somebody, you have to act like you are somebody. An artist of color, a voice of truth.

One of the main influences of my work was my grandmother, who passed away during the pandemic. She was my supporter and cheerleader in my younger stage of art. Most of my work was a result of her influence but slowly became a source of voice that could allow me to discover myself and be able to talk about the issues or topics that I wanted to address. The pandemic allowed me to reflect on the type of person I was and what I wanted people to know about me. Recently, I created a painting during the summer called “Call it as You see it, but I am, Who I am.” It reflects natural hair discrimination in the professional setting and other related areas like school. I took some of the comments said to people of color about their hair and placed into my hair in the painting. I wanted the texture/font of the text to blend with my hair. Be aware that these descriptions such as wild, untamed, unprofessional, not normal, dirty, etc. are said about natural African hair. The yellow phone represents a sign of communication, the reason the phone has a yellow, banana skin design is to show that the slur “monkey” is used to discriminate black people as animals. At the end, the cord that is connected to the phone is cut off to show that the negativity spoken is not heard. I do not listen nor acknowledge ignorant comments. I made sure to add red to the headline and clothing because it is an unapologetic color. I talk about racism and discrimination whether people like or not. My four years of attending magnet school has allowed me become more express with myself and creating my own voice. I have learnt from other students and other topics that I may have not been aware of. This type of community helped me understand the world a little more. I’ve gotten a chance to talk to alumni’s and got a piece of each journey that could possible play into mine. I want my work to be truthful which can be unsettling but if no one talks about it then nothing will happen. I want change in our society. I have noticed in a lot of renaissance’s paintings there were really no people of color unless they were side characters or slaves. I changed that narrative and made my own story called “New Era” it destroys stereotypes and confronts discrimination. I am placing myself, a black woman in a setting that I would not normally be seen in during those times. I want to inspire other black artists and creators and that is happening soon enough. For a commission, I made a painting for someone’s wedding and one of the guests called me and said I inspired them to paint again, and they did a self-portrait of their own. Recently, I had a conversation with a former student from MICA and advised him to challenge himself with diverse types of mediums. For change to happen, I started putting my life and who I am out there for the world. Being an artist is my most proud achievement. Vulnerability is the best weapon to use against others because people are afraid of being weak. I will never be silent and never show fear. We need to do something so why not start with me? My creations are the stories of the lost. Listen closely and you might witness the truth. This money can help with my college tuition to RISD. An artist of color, a voice of truth.

I want my work to be truthful which can be unsettling but if no one talks about it then nothing will happen. I want change in our society. A couple events have taken place involving people of color and the police in 2020. It’s important to reflect on other’s mistakes and become away which led me to create “So you Think it’s a Game,” In the earlier stages of the pandemic, there was a spike in police brutality. Even though it is not happening a lot right now, it does still occur. The different ages between the figures indicate that age does not matter when becoming a victim. I made sure the environment felt like a simulation or a type of game. To me during those times, some of the police officers were playing shoot the ducks. I want to inspire other black artists and creators and that is happening soon enough. For a commission, I made a painting for someone’s wedding and one of the guests called me and said I inspired them to paint again, and they did a self-portrait of their own. Recently, I had a conversation with a former student from MICA and advised him to challenge himself with diverse types of mediums. For change to happen, I started putting my life and who I am out there for the world. Vulnerability is the best weapon to use against others because people are afraid of being weak. I will never be silent and never show fear. We need to do something so why not start with me? An artist of color, a voice of truth.

One of the main influences of my work was my grandmother, who passed away during the pandemic. She was my supporter and cheerleader in my younger stage of art. Most of my work was a result of her influence but slowly became a source of voice that could allow me to discover myself and be able to talk about the issues or topics that I wanted to address. The pandemic allowed me to reflect on the type of person I was and what I wanted people to know about me. Recently, I created a painting during the summer called “Call it as You see it, but I am, Who I am.” It reflects natural hair discrimination in the professional setting and other related areas like school. I took some of the comments said to people of color about their hair and placed into my hair in the painting. I wanted the texture/font of the text to blend with my hair. Be aware that these descriptions such as wild, untamed, unprofessional, not normal, dirty, etc. are said about natural African hair. The yellow phone represents a sign of communication, the reason the phone has a yellow, banana like design is to show that the slur “monkey” is used to discriminate against black people as animals. At the end, the cord that is connected to the phone is cut off to show that the negativity spoken is not heard. I do not listen nor acknowledge ignorant comments. I made sure to add red to the headline and clothing because it is an unapologetic color. I talk about racism and discrimination whether people like or not. In my cite- specific work called “Connecting History”. I wanted to work with more photography. Originally, I was going to take the photos at a museum but decided to take back up shots just in case the museum thing wasn’t going to work out. In the photos, my models are wearing masks made out of hair. The reason why the model with the mask is placed in the woods because when slaves were escaping, they would travel through the woods with many obstacles in their way and underground. Their hair become maps for them to escape and find somewhere to go. Different type of braids or styles symbolized for different geographic features such as river (zig zag), roads(cornrolls), and mountains(knots) that my ancestors had to come across. So why not connect the two. Our elders were beaten, starved, neglected, etc for us to walk the paths they dug out with their own hands. I want my work to be truthful which can be unsettling but if no one talks about it then nothing will happen. I want change in our society. A couple events have taken place involving people of color and the police in 2020. It’s important to reflect on other’s mistakes and become away which led me to create “So you Think it’s a Game,” In the earlier stages of the pandemic, there was a spike in police brutality. Even though it is not happening a lot right now, it does still occur. The different ages between the figures indicate that age does not matter when becoming a victim. I made sure the environment felt like a simulation or a type of game. To me during those times, some of the police officers were playing shoot the ducks. I want to inspire other black artists and creators and that is happening soon enough. For a commission, I made a painting for someone’s wedding and one of the guests called me and said I inspired them to paint again, and they did a self-portrait of their own. Recently, I had a conversation with a former student from MICA and advised him to challenge himself with diverse types of mediums. For change to happen, I started putting my life and who I am out there for the world. Vulnerability is the best weapon to use against others because people are afraid of being weak. I will never be silent and never show fear. We need to do something so why not start with me? An artist of color, a voice of truth.

One of the main influences of my work was my grandmother. She was my supporter and cheerleader in my younger stage of art. Most of my work was a result of her influence but slowly became a source of voice that could allow me to discover myself and be able to talk about the issues or topics that I wanted to address. The pandemic allowed me to reflect on the type of person I was and what I wanted people to know about me. Recently, I created a painting during the summer called “Call it as You see it, but I am, Who I am.” It reflects natural hair discrimination in the professional setting and other related areas like school. I wanted the texture/font of the text to blend with my hair. Be aware that these descriptions such as wild, untamed, unprofessional, not normal, dirty, etc. are said about natural African hair. The yellow phone represents a sign of communication, the reason the phone has a yellow, banana like design is to show that the slur “monkey” is used to discriminate against black people as animals. The phone cord is cut off to show that the negativity spoken is not heard. I do not listen nor acknowledge ignorant comments. I made sure to add red to the headline and clothing because it is an unapologetic color. I talk about racism and discrimination whether people like or not. In my cite- specific work called “Connecting History”. I wanted to work with more photography. Originally, I was going to take the photos at a museum but decided to take back up shots just in case the museum thing wasn’t going to work out. In the photos, my models are wearing masks made out of hair. When slaves were escaping, they would travel through the woods with many obstacles in their way and underground. Their hair were maps for them to escape and find somewhere to go. Different type of braids or styles symbolized for different geographic features such as river (zig zag), roads(cornrolls), etc. Our elders were beaten, starved, neglected, etc for us to walk the paths they dug out with their own hands. I want my work to be truthful which can be unsettling but if no one talks about it then nothing will happen. We need change in our society. A couple events have taken place involving people of color and the police in 2020. It’s important to reflect on mistakes and become away which led me to create “So you Think it’s a Game,” In the earlier stages of the pandemic, there was a spike in police brutality. Even though it is not happening a lot right now, it does still occur. Age does not matter when becoming a victim. I made sure the environment felt like a simulation or a type of game. To me during those times, some of the police officers were playing shoot the ducks. I want to inspire other black artists and creators and that is happening soon enough. For a commission, I made a painting for someone’s wedding and one of the guests called me and said I inspired them to paint again, and they did a self-portrait of their own. For change to happen, I started putting my life and who I am out there in my work. Vulnerability is the best weapon to use against others because people are afraid of being weak. I will never be silent and never show fear. We need to do something so why not start with me? An artist of color, a voice of truth.

One of the main influences of my work was my grandmother. She was my supporter and cheerleader in my younger stage of art. Most of my work was a result of her influence but slowly became a source of voice that could allow me to discover myself and be able to talk about the issues or topics that I wanted to address. The pandemic allowed me to reflect on the type of person I was and what I wanted people to know about me. Recently, I created a painting during the summer called “Call it as You see it, but I am, Who I am.” It reflects natural hair discrimination in the professional setting and other related areas like school. I wanted the texture/font of the text to blend with my hair. Be aware that these descriptions such as wild, untamed, unprofessional, not normal, dirty, etc. are said about natural African hair. The yellow phone represents a sign of communication, the reason the phone has a yellow, banana like design is to show that the slur “monkey” is used to discriminate against black people as animals. The phone cord is cut off to show that the negativity spoken is not heard. I do not listen nor acknowledge ignorant comments. I made sure to add red to the headline and clothing because it is an unapologetic color. I talk about racism and discrimination whether people like or not. In my cite- specific work called “Connecting History”. I wanted to work with more photography. Originally, I was going to take the photos at a museum but decided to take back up shots just in case the museum thing wasn’t going to work out. In the photos, my models are wearing masks made out of hair. When slaves were escaping, they would travel through the woods with many obstacles in their way and underground. Their hair were maps for them to escape and find somewhere to go. Different type of braids or styles symbolized for different geographic features such as river (zig zag), roads(cornrolls), etc. Our elders were beaten, starved, neglected, etc for us to walk the paths they dug out with their own hands. I want my work to be truthful which can be unsettling but if no one talks about it then nothing will happen. We need change in our society. A couple events have taken place involving people of color and the police in 2020. It’s important to reflect on mistakes and become away which led me to create “So you Think it’s a Game,” In the earlier stages of the pandemic, there was a spike in police brutality. Even though it is not happening a lot right now, it does still occur. Age does not matter when becoming a victim. I made sure the environment felt like a simulation or a type of game. To me during those times, some of the police officers were playing shoot the ducks. I want to inspire other black artists and creators and that is happening soon enough. For a commission, I made a painting for someone’s wedding and one of the guests called me and said I inspired them to paint again, and they did a self-portrait of their own. For change to happen, I started putting my life and who I am out there in my work. Vulnerability is the best weapon to use against others because people are afraid of being weak. I will never be silent and never show fear. We need to do something so why not start with me? An artist of color, a voice of truth.

One of the main influences of my work was my grandmother. She was my supporter and cheerleader in my younger stage of art. Most of my work was a result of her influence but slowly became a source of voice that could allow me to discover myself and be able to talk about the issues or topics that I wanted to address. The pandemic allowed me to reflect on the type of person I was and what I wanted people to know about me. Recently, I created a painting during the summer called “Call it as You see it, but I am, Who I am.” It reflects natural hair discrimination in the professional setting and other related areas like school. I wanted the texture/font of the text to blend with my hair. Be aware that these descriptions such as wild, untamed, unprofessional, not normal, dirty, etc. are said about natural African hair. The yellow phone represents a sign of communication, the reason the phone has a yellow, banana like design is to show that the slur “monkey” is used to discriminate against black people as animals. The phone cord is cut off to show that the negativity spoken is not heard. I do not listen nor acknowledge ignorant comments. I made sure to add red to the headline and clothing because it is an unapologetic color. I talk about racism and discrimination whether people like or not. In my cite- specific work called “Connecting History”. I wanted to work with more photography. Originally, I was going to take the photos at a museum but decided to take back up shots just in case the museum thing wasn’t going to work out. In the photos, my models are wearing masks made out of hair. When slaves were escaping, they would travel through the woods with many obstacles in their way and underground. Their hair were maps for them to escape and find somewhere to go. Different type of braids or styles symbolized for different geographic features such as river (zig zag), roads(cornrolls), etc. Our elders were beaten, starved, neglected, etc for us to walk the paths they dug out with their own hands. I want my work to be truthful which can be unsettling but if no one talks about it then nothing will happen. We need change in our society. A couple events have taken place involving people of color and the police in 2020. It’s important to reflect on mistakes and become away which led me to create “So you Think it’s a Game,” In the earlier stages of the pandemic, there was a spike in police brutality. Even though it is not happening a lot right now, it does still occur. Age does not matter when becoming a victim. I made sure the environment felt like a simulation or a type of game. To me during those times, some of the police officers were playing shoot the ducks. I want to inspire other black artists and creators and that is happening soon enough. For a commission, I made a painting for someone’s wedding and one of the guests called me and said I inspired them to paint again, and they did a self-portrait of their own. For change to happen, I started putting my life and who I am out there in my work. Vulnerability is the best weapon to use against others because people are afraid of being weak. I will never be silent and never show fear. We need to do something so why not start with me? An artist of color, a voice of truth.

One of the main influences of my work was my grandmother. She was my supporter and cheerleader in my younger stage of art. Most of my work was a result of her influence but slowly became a source of voice that could allow me to discover myself and be able to talk about the issues or topics that I wanted to address. The pandemic allowed me to reflect on the type of person I was and what I wanted people to know about me. Recently, I created a painting during the summer called “Call it as You see it, but I am, Who I am.” It reflects natural hair discrimination in the professional setting and other related areas like school. I wanted the texture/font of the text to blend with my hair. Be aware that these descriptions such as wild, untamed, unprofessional, not normal, dirty, etc. are said about natural African hair. The yellow phone represents a sign of communication, the reason the phone has a yellow, banana like design is to show that the slur “monkey” is used to discriminate against black people as animals. The phone cord is cut off to show that the negativity spoken is not heard. I do not listen nor acknowledge ignorant comments. I made sure to add red to the headline and clothing because it is an unapologetic color. I talk about racism and discrimination whether people like or not. In my cite- specific work called “Connecting History”. I wanted to work with more photography. Originally, I was going to take the photos at a museum but decided to take back up shots just in case the museum thing wasn’t going to work out. In the photos, my models are wearing masks made out of hair. When slaves were escaping, they would travel through the woods with many obstacles in their way and underground. Their hair were maps for them to escape and find somewhere to go. Different type of braids or styles symbolized for different geographic features such as river (zig zag), roads(cornrolls), etc. Our elders were beaten, starved, neglected, etc for us to walk the paths they dug out with their own hands. I want my work to be truthful which can be unsettling but if no one talks about it then nothing will happen. We need change in our society. A couple events have taken place involving people of color and the police in 2020. It’s important to reflect on mistakes and become away which led me to create “So you Think it’s a Game,” In the earlier stages of the pandemic, there was a spike in police brutality. Even though it is not happening a lot right now, it does still occur. Age does not matter when becoming a victim. I made sure the environment felt like a simulation or a type of game. To me during those times, some of the police officers were playing shoot the ducks. I want to inspire other black artists and creators and that is happening soon enough. For a commission, I made a painting for someone’s wedding and one of the guests called me and said I inspired them to paint again, and they did a self-portrait of their own. For change to happen, I started putting my life and who I am out there in my work. Vulnerability is the best weapon to use against others because people are afraid of being weak. I will never be silent and never show fear. We need to do something so why not start with me? An artist of color, a voice of truth.

In my cite- specific work called “Connecting History”. Originally, I was going to take the photos at a museum but decided to take back up shots just in case the museum thing wasn’t going to work out. In the photos, my models were wearing masks made out of hair. The reason why the model with the mask is placed in the woods because when slaves were escaping, they would travel through the woods with many obstacles in their way and underground. Their hair become maps for them to escape and find somewhere to go. Different type of braids or styles symbolized for different geographic features such as river (zig zag), roads(cornrolls), and mountains(knots) that my ancestors had to come across. So why not connect the two. Our elders were beaten, starved, neglected, etc for us to walk the paths they dug out with their own hands. I want my work to be truthful which can be unsettling but if no one talks about it then nothing will happen. I want change in our society. A couple events have taken place involving people of color and the police in 2020. It’s important to reflect on other’s mistakes and become away which led me to create “So you Think it’s a Game,” In the earlier stages of the pandemic, there was a spike in police brutality. Even though it is not happening a lot right now, it does still occur. The different ages between the figures indicate that age does not matter when becoming a victim. I made sure the environment felt like a simulation or a type of game. To me during those times, some of the police officers were playing shoot the ducks. I want to inspire other black artists and creators and that is happening soon enough. For a commission, I made a painting for someone’s wedding and one of the guests called me and said I inspired them to paint again, and they did a self-portrait of their own. For change to happen, I started putting my life and who I am out there for the world. Vulnerability is the best weapon to use against others because people are afraid of being weak. I will never be silent and never show fear. We need to do something so why not start with me? An artist of color, a voice of truth.

As I walked up the stairs, her eyes stared backed at me. The girl with pearl earrings well not the original but a simpler version that my grand father painted. I took one look in the mirror, an idea came over me. I grabbed a couple sheets of printing paper and a marker. The hallway was quite and little cold as I stood there in my aunt’s office chair. My hands did all the work and tried their hardest to draw me. A little kid in kindergarten. Now that I have developed as artist. My work has its own meaning and message. One of the main influences of my work was my grandmother, who passed away during the pandemic. She was my supporter and cheerleader in my younger stage of art. Most of my work was a result of her influence but slowly became a source of voice that could allow me to discover myself and be able to talk about the issues or topics that I wanted to address. The pandemic allowed me to reflect on the type of person I was and what I wanted people to know about me. Recently, I created a painting during the summer called “Call it as You see it, but I am, Who I am.” It reflects natural hair discrimination in the professional setting and other related areas like school. I took some of the comments said to people of color about their hair and placed into my hair in the painting. I wanted the texture/font of the text to blend with my hair. Be aware that these descriptions such as wild, untamed, unprofessional, not normal, dirty, etc. are said about natural African hair. The yellow phone represents a sign of communication, the reason the phone has a yellow, banana like design is to show that the slur “monkey” is used to discriminate against black people as animals. At the end, the cord that is connected to the phone is cut off to show that the negativity spoken is not heard. I do not listen nor acknowledge ignorant comments. I made sure to add red to the headline and clothing because it is an unapologetic color. I talk about racism and discrimination whether people like or not. My favorite artists are Monica Ikegwu, Alicia Brown, Margot Bowland, etc. I love their work because of the thought process, the mark making, and concept of their works. Most importantly how their signatures are not a couple letters but an idea. How the eyes captures emotions and stares right back at you.

In this world, art has become popular again. COVID-19 kept the whole world on lockdown giving people an opportunity to discover more about themselves and Interest. When I am outside, I like to observe my surroundings sometimes I will see murals on buildings, objects that may look funny but I can imagine something else then draw it, and people who put a lot of personality in their clothing. I love taking the colors and styles then putting them in my work to help push my message further. When I am hanging out with my friends or family, I would sketch whatever catches my attention on my sketchbook. Later, I would add color by using markers, water color, or pastels. The world helps me find the soul of my work while speaking out for change I want to bring.

Four amazing women; my aunts, my mother, and especially my grandmother. The reason why they have the biggest influence in my life is that they helped me understand my role and identity as a black woman and artist in a world that doesn’t seem to accept who I am completely yet. When I was first exposed to art, it happen in my aunt Tina’s house. She had old paintings made by my great grandfather which made me become curious about what I could make even through it wasn’t that good as a kid. One time for Christmas my mother got me a fashion runway kit that allowed you to make whatever clothing design I wanted and I’ll have you know that most of the designs were in a pink shoe box. My mother threw it away by accident. Yes, I was a little hurt and still am but it opened room for opportunities. My grandmother loved looking at my designs, she would pretend to be model for me and talk about the colors. My mother and aunt(Jackie) are my biggest cheerleader and supporters, they would give me great advice on my work and believed in me to make a living out of something I love to do. When I graduate high school, I plan to go out of state to a college that majors in fine arts. I am willing and eager to try out different mediums that I was either too scared to try or never thought of using to address an issues or topic that speaks with me. One important thing that will innovate my artistic skill is traveling to different areas and parts of the world. During those travels, I will learn about other cultures and their form of art, some may be more ancient method or modern but definitely different from what I’ve grown up to. I honestly can’t wait to try new types of food when I travel. There are alot of things that I still have to learn about art and myself but that journey is something I am willing to take. Another thing I can’t wait doing is making art work in my own studio selling people what I love to make. My artist gift allows the viewer to see into the soul of my work, the core of the issue that I want to be heard. My passion and unique point of view can be seen through out my work and will always stand out.