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Kiara

Drawing (T2)

Artist Statement

“Life’s Always Better by the Beach”

This watercolor art piece explores the concept of nostalgia and what It really means to me personally. This painting takes me back to how life was like as a child; so simple and carefree, yet full of creativity and possibility. Spending all of my childhood summers on the beach, this painting reminds me of the beach Kailee (my sister) and I went to; it encapsulates our second home. Not only does this painting capture my nostalgic childhood summer, It invites the viewer to consider what nostalgia means to them. Is it a particular setting? A place? A person? For me, nostalgia is all of those things combined and more. Nostalgia embraces the fact that our inner child is still within us, and that the inner child along with its feelings of joy should be celebrated through art.

I began my painting by sketching out images that were nostalgic to me, specifically images from my childhood. I also looked up images of the beach, and started testing out watercolors to make sure I’d have all the colors needed for the painting. Since this was my first time handling watercolor, I struggled a bit, but I ended up getting the hang of it and used watercolor pencils for any necessary small details towards the end. Finally I put paint and water at the tip of my brush and splattered colors in some places around the painting, adding a bit of messiness and depth to the painting.

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Teddy Whipple

Drawing

Artist Statement

“Crane Beach”

When thinking about Nostalgia, the first thing that came to my mind was reminiscing the days my family and I would spend on our boat taking trips to Crane Beach in Ipswich. This memory will always have a special place in my heart as it brings me to a place of comfort and love. I would spend the whole day at the beach either playing football, spikeball with our family friends, eating food, or playing in the waves with my little brother. Even with our busy schedules, we try to make this trip at least once a summer, usually towards the end of the summer as the days to school are slowly approaching. To me, Crane Beach will always symbolize family and love. No matter where we go, or how the circumstances are, we always have fun and enjoy our time together.

One of the main inspirations for this piece was one of my Dad’s first Instagram posts back in 2017. I took the photo he took of his boat in the water with a beach in the background. The beach may or may not have been Crane Beach, but with the theme of the assignment being nostalgia, I represented the background as Crane’s. I started off with sketching everything in pencil, starting with the boat, which took me the most time to make. After, I went over most of the background and the boat in pen, then colored the boat in marker and the sand in the background. I used watercolor for the ocean, with gauche for the white caps and watercolor for the sun and the sunset, depicting a beautiful summer's night.

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This drawing reminds me of innocence, youth and happiness because I used to read all of these books before bed with my dad. I am nostalgic for these times because I miss being young and I also miss the happiness I got from reading these books. These characters always stood out to me so I wondered what it would be like if the characters exploded off of the page and came to life. I also tried to tie in that they would interact with each other in friendly ways.

I took inspiration from all of the authors in the books and their styles of how they drew their characters. I started by tracing all of the characters in so I could capture the distinct style of every illustrator so I could showcase the differences in style between how each character was drawn. Then I colored each in accurately to finish. This piece reminds me of youth and happiness.

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Arden Markowski

Drawing

Artist Statement

“Wells Beach”

This drawing explores the concept of nostalgia and the different ways we can experience it. It allows the reader to think about some of their own personal experiences or memories that bring a similar sense of nostalgia. I grew up going to this beach house every summer as a kid, so looking back at photos or even this drawing takes me right back to running around on the beach with my friends. Hopefully this drawing can inspire you to think back to a time that you have maybe forgotten and now feels nostalgic.

I began my drawing by looking at old photos of my beach house and trying to capture each detail of it. I sketched it first in my sketchbook and then moved onto my final paper where I drew in pencil first and then used charcoal pencils for depth. I kept the drawing in black and white because my reference picture was also in black and white. I added a border to represent that the picture was taken as a polaroid to help convey the nostalgic piece.

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My piece was created under the influence of nostalgia, meaning- “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.” This piece is personal to me because it depicts the backyard I spent the majority of my childhood playing in. From as young as I can remember I still get flashbacks of me and my siblings rolling around in the grass and pushing each other on the wooden tree swing. These moments I took for granted then, now live with me as fond memories. The use of watercolor was to embody the careless childhood nature I once had. The color scheme of green and brown was to show how simple life was back then and how it felt to be immersed in nature. The task of creating a “nostalgic” piece brought my mind immediately to my backyard because of how sentimental it is to me and all the happy emotions and memories that arise when thinking back.

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I chose to work with mixed media including paint markers, colored pencil, and graphite. The pencil drawing is of a bridge in Maine that I have fond memories jumping off of as a kid. It is called the crib stone bridge and gets crossed every time we go to our vacation house, feeling like a barrier to relaxation. I also chose to draw a Lego head in a cartoony style. I used to love legos and the guy with the beard was always my favorite. I also chose to draw a skeleton of a hand because I broke my hand as a little kid and have been interested in the human anatomy ever since. Nostalgia to me is missing the past but also living in the present. Not dwelling on something that you wish you could live again. Enjoying a memory but striving to create more. 

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This art piece explores the concept of nostalgia. Through the exploration of memories, I aimed to capture the idea of memories we only remember through photographs and those we can relive just by closing our eyes. The photos set back on the canvas symbolize the memories that continue to get farther away from reality and the forgotten pieces of each moment that naturally slip from our minds over time. The photos that are in front and most visible represent the bits and pieces of memories we will never forget. These are the moments that feel engraved in every part of your body. These moments are a part of you.

I began my piece knowing I wanted to create a collage, with repeating photos to show viewers the significance of these memories. Though nostalgia can be associated with sadness and emptiness, I wanted to focus on gratitude and the blessing of having experienced these moments at all. Ultimately, as a tribute to my grandfather, I wanted to create a piece that reminds me of these incredibly special and impactful moments I have had with him. Though these times in my life have passed, I will hold onto the feelings they have left with me forever.

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Ashley Laubinger

Drawing

Artist Statement

“Swingset Dreams”

This piece explores the memory and nostalgia I have with the swingset in my backyard. Throughout my entire life, I have spent hours alone and with friends on these swings. I aimed to create a collage-like piece to focus on how my memory works in pieces all forming one thought. Each piece of paper represents a different feeling or memory I have had at the swingset. My memory’s here span many years and continue to grow with me. The usage of the map is used to symbolize how I came to the swings when I needed to navigate my mind. Instead of grass I created mountains under the swings, examining how I felt at my highest whenever I went on the swings.

I began with a light sketch on watercolor paper, then painted it with watercolor. I did not want to make the painting neat so I could capture the imperfection of memory. Then, I found scrap paper and cut it into small places to glue onto the painting. Finally, I drew over the swings with black marker because they lost some shape in the process.

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Kiara

Drawing (T2)

Artist Statement

“Freevibe”

This art piece signifies my inner vibes and interests that people may or may not see. The drawing has a spacey theme with many surrounding planets, contributing to my interest in astrology and also my tendencies to space out sometimes. The different designs on the planets represent the many different levels to myself. The geometric shapes represent my sciency logistical vibe, while the hearts and bubbles and sparkles represent my creative carefree side. The little astronaut to the left of my painting represents my physical body, while the background sketches are what symbolize me on the inside.

I began my drawing by doodling out different planets that I thought would clash together. Then I started to draw the little details like the stars and the lines connecting some planets together. Lastly, I added some color in there with the paint markers, specifically my favorite colors, and spread the colors out randomly.

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For this piece we were tasked with creating a self portrait that went deeper than just a picture of ourselves. In my piece I decided to do a blind continuous line drawing because it symbolized me and my personality which is kind of all over the place. I wanted to use colors that somewhat represented my skin tone and hair color to keep some realism while also bringing in an abstract aspect. I was inspire by some art I found online that used a similar style to the one I used. I created my artwork with colored pencil.

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Sophia Hughes

Drawing

Artist Statement

“Grampa Damon”

This drawing explores my remembrance and reminiscence that I have towards my late grandfather. I hope that my piece creates a feeling of nostalgia for viewers while causing them to reflect on their meaningful relationships, whether past or present, that have helped shape them into the person they are today. My grandfather was an influential person in my life and taught me many life lessons, and I also hope that my piece allows viewers to see a snippet of who my grandfather was.

We were tasked with creating a piece for the art show The Way We Were that explores the concept of nostalgia. I was inspired by the aesthetics of old newspapers and vintage drawings, so I decided to stain my paper with tea bags to emulate the feeling of an old piece of paper. In the background, I took pieces of the eulogy my dad wrote for my grandfather to create the feeling that the paper is similar to a newspaper. In the middle of the page, I drew a portrait of my grandfather in a brown conté crayon to add to the dated feel.

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This drawing explores a source of my personal nostalgia that stems from my early childhood. This artwork was inspired by my days in preschool when racing Hot Wheels cars was one of my favorite things to do. The design of the car is based on one of my favorite cars from the toy car bin at the preschool. I drew my hand pushing the car with speed marks which depicted my imagination. I colored this drawing using colored pencils making sure to leave inconsistencies and gaps as if it was drawn by a child. I cut out the car and hand, making sure to leave space and rigid corners. The background is a blank piece of paper that is ripped and torn at the edges, as that design reminds me of the times I made treasure maps in my early childhood.

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Chris Jimenez

Drawing (T2)

Artist Statement

“The Big Move”

This drawing conceptualizes the transition between high school and college in the form of a football game. It invites the viewer to imagine the difference between the two places and reminisce on the time spent in high school with the unknown future of college. It uses bold colors and patterns to represent the football field with its two teams and the two fan sections with the colors of each school. This piece will hopefully inspire nostalgia because the transition from high school to college is a momentous one and one to be celebrated.

I drew this piece of art with the intention of copying the “JMA Dome” located on Syracuse University’s campus. On one side are the blue and orange colors of Syracuse’s athletic teams and on the other are the blue and green colors of Pingree. The scores for each team represent the years I will be graduating both places, 2024 and 2028 respectively. The morphed logo in the middle of the field contains a piece of both school logos, the Pingree P and the Syracuse S.

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Kiara Castillo

Drawing (T2)

Artist Statement

“Two Puzzle Pieces”

This painting explores both my Cuban and Dominican identity, with two puzzle pieces floating around my head. Inside the first puzzle piece, there is an eye with the pupil of a Dominican flag, and on the smaller piece next to my right shoulder, there is a Cuban flag. These pieces represent my identity and essentially what makes up me. This drawing invites the viewer to look beyond the face and focus on the realities of identity and sometimes sympathize with the struggle that comes with it, hence the red color in the back to symbolize hardship. The puzzle pieces contribute to the fact that there are many different components to ourselves and all of it is unique and important to uncover.

I began this piece by finding a basic picture of myself, the first one I could find in my camera roll, and then put puzzle pieces onto my face using Google Drawings, printed the photo out, drew grids on both the photo and my canvas, and then began sketching. I went over my sketch with charcoals and finally painted the background along with the little flags. The color of my background overall added even more depth to my painting.

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Sketchbook 4: Nostalgic Objects: Studies and Notes

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Sketchbook 4: Nostalgic Objects: Studies and Notes

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Arden Markowski

Drawing

Artist Statement

“Behind My Eye”

This drawing explores the idea that there is more to something than what lies on the surface. It allows the viewer to see things in a different light and think more deeply about them. The hidden experiences and interests behind the eye show this by helping the viewer understand that there is more to see and learn about something than what you see at first glance. The drawing hopefully inspires curiosity and stands as a reminder that there is more to something than what meets the eye.

I began my drawing by looking at other students’ work for inspiration. I first sketched my drawing in my sketchbook and altered it a few times before I finalized it on a larger piece of paper. I used colored pencils to add depth and variety to the drawing.

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This self-portrait explores the concept of how there is more to something than its exterior. This is shown through the pixelated silhouette of myself, concealing the brain, which is contrastingly more detailed but anatomically incorrect. This symbolizes how some people tend to not express themselves completely or authentically, becoming as if they are two-dimensional.

My drawing was inspired by the style of retro video games, and how they are able to create detailed shapes despite the limitations of using pixels. In addition to that, I used images of the human brain as a reference for my drawing. When first sketching, I initially planned to have the silhouette of myself facing the side and be filled in with black. After a second sketch, I realized that having the subject facing forward with a blank interior would communicate my message much more effectively. In my final draft, I used Copic and oil-based markers to color the background because of how vibrant they are, which makes the silhouette stand out more.

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This art piece explores the concept of how each individual views life through a different lens. It invites viewers to consider the difference between how we see ourselves and how others see us. This piece of art aims to capture the beauty of individuality and the vast possibilities that this world holds. The expansion of light on the paper represents the idea that lightness can be found in all places if only we choose to see it. Seeing the light is a matter of individual perspective, meaning that we cannot make others see the light. Each person must choose to see the light themselves. This concept hopefully inspires choosing to see the light, positivity, and learning how to love and appreciate the life we live, despite the hardships and adversity we may experience.

I began my drawing by looking at a slideshow of former Pingree students' artwork. These pieces inspired me to use my imagination to create this piece rather than being fully realistic. I was motivated by the artist who chose to focus on a specific body part to describe and represent greater aspects of themselves. I also used my brainstorming about my passions and certain personality traits that many people may not know about me by simply looking at me. This led me to look up images of the ocean to use as a reference. I sketched, then made adjustments, printed out a photo of myself, and zoomed up close to focus on my eye and the very corner of my face. I then began drawing by tracing the photo onto mixed media paper. From there I began coloring and finished by water coloring the expanding ring of light for the background.

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Wyatt Langway

Drawing

Artist Statement

“Underneath My Eyes”

This drawing explores how underneath the surface of someone there is more than what meets the eye. It shows the viewer that you cannot assume someone’s personality based on what you see, their interests and demeanor are hidden below the surface. I chose to draw mountains, the sun, and a sunset in the right eye because I like nature a lot and I enjoy looking at sunsets a lot and this drawing especially reminds me of the Grand Tetons in Wyoming. I chose to draw my eyelashes as trees and grass because I like spending time in the forest around my house and by drawing them it makes me feel connected to it. Then I drew my right eyebrow as a night sky with the stars because I love looking into the sky at night and seeing the bright stars shining. Lastly, I chose to draw the left side of my face normal to show how there is also beauty on the outside, although it does not share your whole story.

I was inspired by a former pingree student who drew an ocean sunset with birds inside of their eyes. I added mountains, trees and a night sky to differentiate my drawing.

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This drawing explores the idea that there is a complex and intricate realm that belongs within us and is not shown to the outside. I hope my piece causes viewers to reflect on how we each are complicated beings. Just like the cosmos and the galaxy, there is so much to be discovered in each one of our minds.

We were tasked with creating a self portrait in which we distort ourselves in some way. I was fascinated by former student’s artworks in which the way they distorted themselves revealed something within them. Inspired by their work, I printed a picture of myself holding the top of my head and looked on the internet at drawings of galaxies to use as reference photos. I decided that I wanted to distort my image by making it appear that I am lifting the top part of my head to reveal that there is a galaxy where my brain should be. I first created an initial sketch on drawing paper with pencil, and then began to fill in the details with charcoal.

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In my artwork, I never really had an immediate idea of how I wanted to create my piece. The main purpose of this project was to make a self portrait that reflected ourselves in an abstract way. One could say I took this to a whole new level. I was inspired by various different pieces from former classes and how they made their work. I also reflected this back to my personal life. I knew two sides to my life; spinning in circles with chaos and tranquility.

With every work of art I’ve created, I have been very precise with lines and the details hidden beneath the bigger picture. I wanted to highlight these details on the right half of my art by drawing lines, circles, and continuing them until it filled up the page. I made this with pencil, then went over it in a thin pen. The other half of my work is supposed to represent a sunset. I made this with watercolor, as it was easy to flow the colors, making a peaceful and tranquil look. The most abstract part of all was the face. It was almost shaped like a pill with big lips, a sharp jawline, one eye, and curly hair. I never thought of adding a nose or ears. Not for any particular reason, but I simply didn’t want it in my work. Many may wonder what “Mogwarts” stands for. Mogging is the flexing of the jawline, as being shown in my artwork.

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The prompt for this project was to create a self portrait that displays a deeper meaning about ourselves that cannot be seen from the outside. I drew myself inside of a lock to represent how I am closed off to most people, and how people won’t know me until I “unlock”. This artwork relates to the theme that there is always something deeper on the inside, and how no one is usually ever truly known.

I sketched some ideas in my sketchbook; one with my head surrounded by locks and chains, and one with myself being inside of the lock. I choose the option with myself inside of the lock believing it could convey a deeper meaning. I redrew my sketch on a bigger piece of paper with pencil, then I colored my face with colored pencil and the lock with charcoal. I wanted to create a contrast between myself and the lock with color because I believe what people see me as is much more dispirited then I actually am.

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Chris Jimenez

Drawing

Artist Statement

“Maintaining Balance”

This drawing illustrates the ideas of duality in a person and the complex balance of emotions. It depicts the balance within the person, who is the center of focus, and the raging contrast of colors in the background. The use of bright, bold colors invokes strong emotions and highlights the powerful fight between negative and positive feelings. This contrast hopefully causes self-reflection in the viewer’s own emotions and the path toward a balance between them.

I began my drawing process by outlining my own body drawing the lines behind it with a ruler and pencil, before going over it all in pen. I intentionally made the crisscrossing pattern to create a stained-glass-like image. My bold use of colored pencils was intentional, not only to make the drawing look cleaner but also to show the intensity of interpretation between color and emotion. The contrast between the red immediately behind me and the larger landscape was intentional in further highlighting the contrast. I went with a yin and yang symbol because it is one of the most recognizable images of balance and I wanted that message to be conveyed clearly.