My Five Foot Heart !!

Lock and Key is easily my most important work to date. It was an accomplishment of many: My first public artwork, my first time working with something completely new and different, and my first piece that finally got the message of my art out there to more than just a few of my schoolmates. This piece was a true testament and tangible proof of my perseverance, and it challenged me to push through all of my doubts, all of the times I just wanted to give up, and my regrets for signing up for such a massive and important work at the busiest time of my life. Being a senior in Highschool during the making of this heart was both an incredible opportunity, yet also a seemingly impossible hurdle to jump. Being one of the youngest artists ever selected for the hearts was incredible, and an opportunity I wouldn't have passed for the world. I was more than lucky. However, with presidency status in two clubs, being apart of leadership in band, participating in debate / forensics, theatre, having a job, trying to get into college and graduate all at once was so much more than daunting. Ontop of this, dealing with fresh grief. Days before the artists were announced for the hearts, I lost my older brother. This event almost put my life on pause during such a busy and presence - demanding era of my life, but I didn't let it stop me from doing it all. I let my grief mold into motivation, and it gave me a reason to keep going.