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For my final project, I chose to incorporate two of my favorite lessons from the semester: Futurism and Impressionism.

Before I began, I brainstormed ideas related to the future of energy transformation and efficiency, which relates to the lesson on Futurism. In one of my other classes, we discussed fusion energy extensively. While it is still far from being a widespread, usable source of power, there have been some exciting developments. Just a few months ago, China reportedly ran a fusion reactor for about 17 minutes, surpassing the U.S., which had previously only sustained one for under two minutes. This current event inspired the fusion reactor design featured in my artwork, connecting directly to the theme of Futurism.

The second lesson I incorporated was Impressionism. I particularly enjoyed exploring how to depict motion in my work. To emphasize movement in the dotted areas, I used a broken Q-tip to drag lines through the paint. I applied this same technique at the core of the fusion reactor, creating the longer red lines you see in the piece. I also tried to show movement with those longer red lines by having them seem like they loop around the center of the reactor. I also wanted to experiment with complementary colors, so I included red and green, yellow and purple, and blue and orange pairings throughout the composition. I have really enjoyed this class, and it has been a long time since I picked up a paintbrush, and this was the first time I created something outside of the typical classroom time constraints.

For this project, I chose to draw my friend Carter. He has a really unique personality—he’s outgoing and energetic, but also has a calm, thoughtful side. He’s the kind of person who brings a fun, light-hearted energy into the room, while also being someone you can have a deep conversation with. This is represented in his various roles in SGA, BonaBuddies, Student Teaching, and many others.

I used orange to represent his creative spirit and upbeat personality. Blue and light blue show his calmness and steady presence—he has a way of making people feel at ease. I added pink to reflect his kindness and sense of humor, and purple to show the deeper, more introspective part of him that not everyone sees right away.

For my midterm project, I chose the infamous Break the Internet photo featuring Kim Kardashian. The photo captures her popping a champagne bottle over her head, with the champagne arching perfectly into a glass balanced on—well, her clearly distorted behind. To be honest, I’m not very engaged with influencers or social media. So one night, I asked my friends what came to mind when I described the project’s outline. One of them immediately mentioned this photo, and I realized I had seen it before, and so I decided to run with it!

What struck me most—intellectually rather than emotionally—was the seemingly physics-defying nature of the image. The champagne flows in a perfect arc without spilling on her, and balancing a glass like that seems, to put it mildly, improbable. On an emotional level, I suppose I found it amusing. I believe Kim Kardashian plays a significant role in shaping young adults' perceptions—particularly young women—about body image and social behavior. This photo reinforces not only physical ideals but also economic aspirations. She is dressed in a sleek, presumably expensive gown, adorned with pearls that symbolize wealth, and indulging in a drink often associated with affluence.

I chose Tyler's and AJ's work as inspiration for my own. In both of their pieces, I noticed they used red and green as complementary colors, along with thick lines to convey these colors effectively. I also observed a conceptual connection between the two artworks. Both Tyler and AJ incorporated male faces into their designs and created their own pants as part of their outfits.

For my Formal Elements assignment, I initially decided to experiment with yellow and purple—complementary colors that sit opposite each other on the color wheel. Wanting to try a different art medium, I picked up some paint supplies from the store and had fun exploring with them. It had been a while since I last painted, and I found the process surprisingly therapeutic. I created a chaotic look by drawing random lines, dots, and splatters.

My artwork is inspired by Kanye West’s album Graduation, my favorite song from Kanye West’s Graduation album is I Wonder. I took inspiration from this album due to my upcoming graduation in May.

My artwork reflects the emotional journey of a graduating college student. The central figure, a dull-shaded sheep, symbolizes a recent graduate grappling with anxiety, sadness, and nervousness as they step into the so-called “real world”. These feelings are demonstrated by the, once again, dull grey color of the sheep. I reinterpreted Kanye’s theme of a college dropout into the perspective of a college graduate facing the uncertainty of what comes next. The question mark beside the sheep emphasizes this feeling of doubt, while the bottom right corner—filled with chaotic shapes and patterns—represents college, and the overwhelming nature of the college experience. The sheep is being launched from college, which is what it may seem like for a college graduate who is mentally unprepared for the life after college.

At the top of my piece, a house serves as a personal symbol of St. Bonaventure, with the cross tying into its religious foundation. Floating above it, graduation caps signify students leaving their college environment and being launched into the next chapter of their lives. I also reinterpreted this cover art by adding messages in the cloud. The clouds scattered across the sky offer words of encouragement, with phrases like “spark joy!” “show love!” and “make their day!” These messages serve as guiding principles, offering the uncertain graduate—represented by the sheep—some wisdom to carry into the future.