AP art students create portfolios

Senior AP art students are preparing art portfolios to supplement their college applications. For a portfolio, the student must submit a number of pieces that represent his range of artistic ability.

“The portfolio experience has been hectic and challenging, as I had to gather 10 strong pieces of mine that covered a large range of techniques and artistic styles,” senior and AP art student Caitlin Takeda said.

AP art teacher Anna Bojorquez has faith in her students’ artistic futures — and the supplemental portfolios may help the future come quickly.

“Portfolios add an extra dimension to the applicant and allow students like mine to display a part of themselves that wouldn’t otherwise be seen in test scores or on paper,” Bojorquez said.

Behind each piece submitted by the art students lies a source of inspiration: memories, emotions and the work of other artists.

“I was inspired to make my lollipop piece because I was inspired by that part of everyone that never really grows up. It’s playful, it’s colorful, and it brings back a lot of different memories and feelings that pretty much everyone can connect with,” senior and AP art student Nicole Pettit said. “During the past few months, I have been exploring the concept of identity through my art, so it was fun to do a piece that showed the how little things, like a lollipop, make up childhood.”

Pettit is applying to a design institute in Paris, in addition to other universities with the hopes of majoring in fashion design. Takeda, on the other hand, plans to major in visual art with a specific concentration in scientific illustration. She is applying as a visual art/cell-and-molecular biology major to many of her schools.

“One of my pieces I have is a self-portrait over the summer. It’s a pretty personal piece largely inspired by the concepts of ambiguity, identity and cultural imprinting,” Takeda said. “I liked the idea of shrouding myself in a self portrait, much like how the Belgian surrealist artist Rene Margritte depicts shrouded figures in his paintings.”

Senior and AP art student Hannah Rose Balke will be attending the Academy of Art Universit y next year. She was inspired by a photograph to create her piece titled “Reflections.”

“I’m attracted to photo realism and wanted to explore it in the piece,” Balke said. “When I came across the original photograph for the first time, I knew that it had to be painted. It has been my favorite piece ever since its completion.”

Another senior, Aurora Schnurr, is applying to art schools Calarts, Savannah, Rhode Island School of Design and other liberal arts schools such as Emerson and Chapman to major in illustration or character animation while minoring in musical theater.

“My favorite piece is simplistic in nature and hyper stylized, seeing as I’m interested in pursuing a career in illustration among other things,” Schnurr said.

AP art provides the platform for students to develop their abilities.

“I’ve had a wonderful experience working in AP with students that were like me with similar interests and talents,” Balke said. “I loved the class so much because it was the only hour and a half of my day where I looked forward to walking in the door to enjoy doing what I love with the people I love.