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Freshly Rolled...

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Manzanilla olive resting upon Patrick the Star's dome rock of a home decorated with the iconic flower clouds sitting on crab trap wire sand.

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Hello, everyone! I'm Leilani Cabrera, and I am 19. I live in Manassas, Virginia, but I have moved around a few times (but always in Virginia).

I am a creative person with a background in sketching and calligraphy. Additionally, I have an affinity with nature, and it inspires the majority of my work. My birth father used to draw and sketch a lot, and both of my parents used to be horticulturists which sparked my interest in nature.

As a nature-oriented individual living as a calm soul on this Earth, I have learned the art of noticing over the years. I began noticing when I was young, 4 maybe 5 years of age. In school, I struggled with the learning styles because the techniques were just not fitting with me. However, when a teacher introduced kinesthetic learning to me, I was glowing. It was like everything clicked into place. This is how I picked up my calling to build with my hands.

Hands-on learning is really how I thrive, as a student, a person, and a piece in this strange puzzle we call life. When I began to realize further how I loved learning how to use my hands to make new things or watch things change knowing that I had a part in their story, I began to thrive. This is what has always drawn me to the arts. I love being able to create and simply have an outlet where things just are what they are.

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the suspense o_O

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Good ole Homer's Clear inside + out!

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Again -- the suspense o_O

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I channeled my imagination perfectly! I am super proud of how it came out, and how I have grown as an artist!

The story behind the big boi pot:

The lanes that run around the pot are track lanes, depicted by the numbers 1-6. Track got me into running, which ended up being a huge part of my life. Running became my coping mechanism while going through traumatic life moments. The puzzle pieces represent the little things that are a part of me and make me, me. Each icon displayed on the puzzle piece represents either an important aspect in my life, a key memory, or a future goal. The very first puzzle piece near track lane 1 at the bottom reads "gemini" and has the star constellation for the astrological gemini sign, which I am. This represents the moment the universe gave me life.

Other icons have meanings as follows:

making wishes with dandelions as a kid and still doing it to this day

plane because I love traveling

books for my love of reading and expanding my knowledge of the world

topographic lines for the elevation of a mountain (the mountains are my favorite)

the moon and star for my appreciation of the cosmos

"OSU" for my new journey to begin at Oregon State University in the Fall of 2024

tiger stripes to represent my struggle with my body dysmorphia

waves for the appreciation of water that the universe has given us to naturally heal with

camera for my love of photography and capturing memories in time

infinity sign for my expression of love to those who are closest to me

two stick people and a heart represent my soulmate and twinflame in this life, my human, and my loving girlfriend Nicole

"te amo mucho" my strained connection to my dominican culture, but the words I say no matter what relative I speak to even though I've never met them

"26.2" my goal to complete a marathon in my life

"grow" a term that I remind myself of the importance of everyday

"..." the story of life's moments always continues, even if you aren't a part of it anymore

pride flag a vital part of my identity that I took a while to accept and now I am proud of it

sun for my appreciation of all the power it holds on us and the solar system, without it -- we wouldn't be here

flag banner -- 2 meanings: my future goal to move to Spain and the memories of cross country races and getting into the FLOW state of mind

dragonfly a symbolic animal for me that has always showed up after large life events

four leaf clover memories of picking these with my mom

"XC" my gratitude for my running experiences

hot tea mug represents my love for tea

smiley face :) just because it's good to smile sometimes

softball/baseball represents my love for sports since I played from 4yrs till 7th grade

pet paw represents all my pets who have gotten me through rough times

cloud w/ rain drops because rainy weather is so underappreciated, it is absolutely stunning

ginkgo leaf represents my mom's favorite tree (she's a botanist and horticulturist"

"06.05.2012." -- the day my grandpa passed in front of me, 5 days before my eighth birthday

"13.1" my goal to run a half marathon on my birthday next year

alto clef represents music's importance in my life... I have played viola since fourth grade (12 years and counting!)

State of Oregon's motto:

"ALIS VOLAT PROPRISS" ~ "she flies with her own wings"

my new motto towards my life

"love" & "free" -- something I hope to do forever

"Ready to RUN." -- I am always ready to run towards whatever door the universe is willing to open for me, even if it is hard.

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"Life is a highway, and I'm gonna ride it all night long" -- CARS

Sometimes things feel like they are never-ending, like we are stuck in a loop, but we gotta ride it out.

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Maple Sugar -- 1st

Smokey Brown -- 2nd

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Maple Sugar inside too

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Marlee's Crawl on top of brown slip

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Bubbles o_O

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Left: B-Mix

Right: Soldate

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White crackle on whole vessel

Pouring of Del Favero on top

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White Crackle inside

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Red slip and white slip (for dots) w/ Homer's Clear on top

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Brown slip w/ Smokey Brown on top

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Maple Sugar inside

Smokey Brown outside

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Pine Plate is the foot for the bowl...

Plate: 1/2 Shelia's New Green + 1/2 Sapphire Blue

Bowl: Shelia's New Green; inside & Sapphire Blue; outside

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Left bowl: Dark spotted blue outside w/ fake ash inside

Tripod Foot Table: Fake ash

Remainder: Shelia's Green & Sapphire Blue

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Loving free represents my mentality towards how I approach life. I don't want relationships with people if they will not allow me to be me, to be free. If they are unable to love me as who I am, they are not meant for me!!

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I simply loved making this icon and how it came out!

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"te amo mucho" represents my Dominican heritage, and it is placed next to the pride flag. Being gay in the Dominican Republic is illegal and not recognized. It hurts that try to embrace both of these aspects of my identity while attempting to hold the weight of burden that they both come with.