Alyssa Maciel was an Academic Connections scholar who registered for the Introduction to 2D Art course in Summer 2021. 

• What was the assignment for these two pieces? 
  • The prompt for the first piece, 4th of July at Night, was to create an abstract nature piece of a happy memory. Alyssa tells us she decided to paint the day her and her family went to the beach on 4th of July. She had considered other ideas such as a vacation to Mexico but decided on the 4th of July trip. It stood out the most because it was a big family and friends gathering and one of her happiest memories. She wanted to give the audience a sense of joy through play and gathering by including a red ball and picnic table. 
  • The prompt for the second piece, 4th of July Trip to the Beach, was to create a point of view piece that goes far into the distance. Alyssa wanted to continue building off of her first piece since it was an important memory for her and if gave her the opportunity to continue practicing on scenes with waves and water while also applying what she learned in class about perspective and placement.
    
    
• How long did each piece take?
  • The first piece took an hour to sketch, paint, and complete. The second piece took 2 days to complete due to figuring out the perspective.
    
    
• Do you have any previous experience with art and do you have any future interest in art? 
  • Alyssa tells us that her art background has only been through art classes she took in elementary school. She says that she hopes to keep it up as a hobby and use it as a medium to express her feelings while still aiming for her goal of being able to sketch people accurately. 
• Any last thoughts or takeaways? 
  • Alyssa loved the course and was thrilled learning more about drawing facial features, point of view, and shading. She hopes that for anyone who views her work, they will feel the fun and happy vibes she felt on that day. 

Betty Chen was an Academic Connections scholar who registered for the Introduction to 2D Art course in Summer 2021. 

• What was the assignment for these two pieces? 
  • The prompt for the first piece, Family Trip, was to draw a memory. Betty recently discovered digital painting and found that she enjoyed creating art through this medium so when asked to draw a memory, she decided to continue practicing her digital painting skills. She tells us she drew a time when her and her family first visited the United States because it is a memory that sticks out the most for her. 
  • The prompt for the second piece, Ava Max, was to draw whatever they wanted. Betty submitted this piece as her final project for the course. She wanted to paint her favorite musician and take the opportunity to paint a realistic portrait since that is her preferred method.
    
    
• How long did each piece take?
  • The first piece took 3 hours to sketch out completely then paint in. The second piece took 3-4 hours to sketch and complete. Her process for both was similar but she tells us that she had to look at a lot more reference photos for Ava Max.Betty shared that her steps went as followed: 
    1) sketched out head and expressions
    2) drew clothes and details
    3) picked out colors and shaded
    
    
• Do you have any previous experience with art and do you have any future interest in art? 
  • Betty tells us that she enjoys art but has only recently dived into digital painting and Intro to 2D Art was her first time formally practicing her hobby. She hopes to continue learning about different art styles and mediums and is considering art school in the future. 
    
    
• Any last thoughts or takeaways? 
  • Betty believes people should continue to explore life through art as it makes life more interesting.  

Claudia Gonzalez was an Academic Connections scholar who registered for the Introduction to 2D Art course in Summer 2021. 

• What was the assignment for these two pieces? 
  • The prompt for the first piece, Nostalgia, was to draw or paint a place that had meaning and was nostalgic to the aritist. Claudia decided to paint the homes of her grandparents from both sides of her family. Although her grandparents do not actually live near each other, Claudia vividly remembers visiting both homes often as a child. Her choice in bold coloring comes from memory and she shares that getting the details down for each house was a challenge. 
  • The prompt for the second piece, Ocean Pollution, was an open prompt. She created and submitted this piece as her final project. Claudia told us she wanted to talk about ocean pollution because she believes it is not discussed enough. Claudia shares that she wanted to create an awareness piece using newpaper and article cutouts and acrylic paint. 
    
    
• How long did each piece take?
  
  • The first piece took a whole weekend to draw out and paint. The second piece took eight hours in total to paint and stick the cut out pieces of articles on. 
• Do you have any previous experience with art and do you have any future interest in art? 
  
  • Claudia has some informal experience with art and finds herself feeling inspired to continue practicing art as a hobby whenever she observes other creators. She is not set on a career just yet but she expressed interest in using her art skills to explore architecture as a potential career. 
    
    
• Any last thoughts or takeaways? 
  • Claudia enjoyed gaining inspiration from her fellow classmates and hopes when viewers look at her work, they will feel a sense of peace and nostalgia.