PREVENTING GUN VIOLENCE IN OUR SCHOOLS
FINAL EXAM
Describe what you made, why did you pick this tutorial, how you made it, what were some challenges that you faced, and what is your favorite part of the art that you made. Make sure that you answer the written prompts as a professional, so no unprofessional answers, do not try to be funny. BE PROFESSIONAL!
e.g
I selected this tutorial not only due to my passion for creating animal-themed artwork, but also to enhance my skills in simplified abstract techniques. I aim to refresh my knowledge of various tools and shortcuts to improve my efficiency in the artistic process.
Please provide a detailed description of your final project, including the tools, techniques, and shortcuts you utilized during its creation.
Please outline some challenges you encountered. Be specific; this may include situations where you had to conduct additional research due to unclear guidance in the tutorial or instances where you sought assistance from a teammate.
Please share your positive thoughts on the project you developed. Consider the following points:
- What aspects of the project did you particularly enjoy? For instance, did you appreciate the opportunity to learn a new skill or the quality of the final product?
- Reflect on your overall experience with the project.
- Identify specific elements that you found rewarding.
- Contemplate the lessons you learned throughout the process.
- Think about any challenges you faced and how you addressed them.
- Evaluate your level of satisfaction with the final outcome.
- Recall any new skills or knowledge you acquired during the project.
- Share any positive feedback you received regarding your work.
- Highlight any unexpected insights or discoveries you made along the way.
MASKED
"Masked" is a deeply personal exploration of identity, self-expression, and societal expectation. In this series, I used original photographic portraits of myself as a foundation, transforming them through AI-generated alterations that fragment and obscure the faces with cascading paint drips. These drips act as symbolic masks, representing the barriers women construct—consciously or unconsciously—to navigate societal pressures and norms.
As a feminist statement, this work examines the tension between visibility and concealment. Women are often expected to conform to rigid ideals, suppressing parts of their true selves that deviate from cultural standards. These masks become both protection and prison: a way to blend into a world that demands assimilation, but at the cost of authenticity.
The fragmented faces reflect the complexity of identity, where the hidden layers are just as significant as the revealed. Each piece invites the viewer to question what lies beneath the mask, to consider the stories untold, and to confront the societal structures that necessitate these masks in the first place.
"Masked" is not just an exploration of the artist's experience but a call for broader dialogue about authenticity, individuality, and the collective liberation of women from the constraints of imposed norms. Through the interplay of human creativity and AI, the series itself challenges the boundaries of traditional artistic mediums, reinforcing its theme of redefined identities.
BEHIND THE VEIL
This photographic series, Behind the Veil, explores the tension between how women are often perceived through the lens of the male gaze and the deeper, resilient identities they hold beyond societal expectations. By photographing a blurred figure, cloaked in an abstract white veil and captured from behind, I aim to evoke the pervasive invisibility imposed on women—a metaphor for how they are often reduced to submissive, demure archetypes.
The veil, while seemingly delicate and restrictive, becomes a canvas for light and shadow to reveal subtle yet powerful shapes and textures. It suggests the complexity that lies beyond the surface—intelligence, resilience, and strength that defy the reductive gaze cast upon them.
This series embraces the aesthetics of fashion photography to subvert it, using its softness and minimalism to critique the constructs of femininity it often perpetuates. Through abstraction, the female form resists objectification, inviting viewers to question their assumptions and look beyond the veil.
Ultimately, Behind the Veil seeks to celebrate the unyielding spirit of women, urging us to see them not as silhouettes defined by others but as dynamic, multifaceted individuals who cannot—and will not—be underestimated.
LOGO DESIGN FOR THE GULLAH GEECHEE FESTIVAL
The art was created using Midjourney Ai Art Generator. The project was inspired by the Annual Atlantic Beach, "The Black Pearl's" Gullah and Geechee Festival. The students were asked to create a logo that could be used on a letterhead, or other media purposes.
The students could create designs using any Adobe software or using an AI Art generator. As my students work I work alongside them, or model working outside of school to come up with creative ideas for a project.