AP DRAWING
Height: 16”, Width: 20”, Depth: 2" | Idea(s): I wanted to represent | Material(s): Canvas board, gouache paint, colored pencils | Process(es): I experimented with color, texture and composition to make a serene atmosphere | Digital Tool(s) used: Procreate but only for minor adjustments | Curatorial Note: Delicate yet expressive mark-making builds a haunting, atmospheric environment that captures the complexity of human emotion. The swirling textures and luminous color palette evoke a dreamlike state, blending serenity with unease to create an emotionally layered and immersive composition.
STUDENT STATEMENT
Does your art connect to or take inspiration from any past or present art styles, techniques, or traditions? If yes, how?.
I took inspiration from cross-hatching and tick-hatching to demonstrate a sense of life and emotional depth. My intention was to convey the emotion alongside the realism of the skin or hair. I hoped to capture her emotion and the sense of shock that she expresses, transcending the page.
What inspired you to choose the inquiry (big idea or question) for your Sustained Investigation?
From my perspective, older women have faced the struggle of having a sort of “falloff” point in the media. Up until recently, in films, for example, once you were past age 35, you were no longer desirable; therefore, you weren’t presentable or eligible for such roles anymore. People in their late 20s and 30-year-olds played mothers, 40- to 50-year-olds played grandmothers, and after 55, you became invisible. Meanwhile, men in media continued to star in major films with varied roles and complex storylines, with wrinkles and lines being seen as experience and wisdom rather than physical impediments to their success. One example that conveys this disparity between actors’ and actresses’ ages is My Fair Lady, in which the beauty and youth of the female protagonist (Audrey Hepburn) is emphasized, even while paired with a far older male counterpart (Rex Harrison). Their characters were meant to be eighteen and forty, respectively. Both, at the time, were seen as attractive leads, but if the roles had been reversed, the reception would have been far more controversial. I grew up constantly being told I was very expressive and to not make so many expressions or I would get wrinkles too young. I inherited that trait from my father and my grandmother. Ironically, it was often she who would tell me to not make so many expressions or to stay out of the sun so as not to get wrinkles. I thought it a shame that our lives are defined by such menial things like a few lines on our face, that we should have to rein in the way we naturally are to preserve vanity. I would not know my grandmother apart from her expressiveness and her humor. I hoped, through my work, to demonstrate the emotional range and depth of women without the burden of how they are perceived externally—without filters, without standards, and without expectations.
The inquiry I based my investigation off of was how I could showcase the beauty, personality, and steadfastness of older women, specifically my grandmother, that of which is often overlooked and unrepresented in visual media.
How did your inquiry change, grow, or shift as you created more artwork?
It began as just simply trying to capture my grandmother’s face, her hands, and her hair as accurately as I could. Over time, it grew into representing a wider range of emotions and expressions and how they shape and warp her face. Then I began to consider the natural representation, or lack thereof, of older women in the media. I shifted to aiming to convey who she was, not just her appearance. I aimed to have her joy, shock, fear, and anger all surpass the limitations of the page and make viewers feel as though she were only a few steps away. It shifted from simple portrayal to attempting to evoke emotional depth and expressive presence.
How does this artwork connect to the inquiry you explored in your Sustained Investigation?
It’s one of my favorite portrayals of her expressivity, as it not only demonstrates the subtle shock on her face but also that sense of emotional depth and transparency that I was aiming to convey. I feel as though it accurately represents her individuality and personality as much as her likeness, which really encapsulated my intention with this piece. It successfully conveys that sense of feeling and sentimental quality I aimed to imbue in my pieces.
How did you revise or strengthen your written inquiry statement while building your portfolio?
I considered what I was really hoping to achieve with my work and what it really meant to me. I began focusing on what each piece revealed and celebrated about my grandmother, and, to express that, delving more deeply rather than staying at the surface meaning of just a portrait. I drew focus to my intention to display every facet of who she was, to go in-depth beyond a shallow surface, ranging from emotions such as humor to fear and surprise. Through my written inquiry I aimed to articulate the choices made in constructing not just the composition, style, and structure of my works, but the meaning behind them as well. I wanted my writing to reflect the same care I put into my artwork and to invite viewers to step into my perspective and see her as a fully realized individual, as well as to invite a broader discussion about the representation of older women in the media.
How did you make your short, written statements about each artwork (ideas, materials, process, citations) clearer so others could understand your intentions?
I wanted to be very concise, to focus on the emotional aspect I was trying to convey and what way I achieved it rather than to overexplain every detail. I described what I did in a straightforward way while still including a connection to my inquiry so others could also understand the intentions behind my artistic choices.
In what ways did your art teacher support your growth as an artist?
My art teacher, Mrs. Moreno, essentially supported me and my artwork since the day I first took her class. She always believed in me, in my artwork, and in my ability to improve. She always fostered a space where individuality and creativity could flourish, giving us a space to develop our ideas on our own, but always being present to help. She helped me in developing my style, particularly the use of cross-hatching and tick-hatching, and ceaselessly uplifted me and my work.
How did your school leaders (like your principal, assistant principal, or counselor) support you as an art student (examples: visiting your class, attending art shows, or talking with you about your goals)?
All the leaders at my school are highly supportive of the art department and instructors, providing all materials needed and always supporting and attending the annual art shows and presentations.
What advice would you share with future AP Art and Design students about developing an inquiry?
I would say not to overextend yourself to what feels unnatural or forced. You don’t have to have the most unique or creative inquiry, but rather something that is true to who you are. By “overextend,” I mean you might feel like you want to do something never done before—unique—but if it is not something you find particularly meaningful or have a genuine interest in, developing that inquiry into fifteen artworks could prove to be difficult. The passion you have for your interests cannot be replicated or forced into another field. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try new things, that you can’t create a unique portfolio, or to not go out of your comfort zone—that is part of the process. Just as long as you are still being true to yourself, the rest will fall into place.
TEACHER STATEMENT
Sari Holland Alvarado de Moreno
AP Art Teacher
Balboa Academy
How often did your class meet?
The class meets on a daily basis.
Please describe the structure of your AP Art and Design Course.
I teach AP Drawing AP 2-D Design and Pre-AP all mixed.
How did you guide students in developing and refining their inquiry statements and portfolio direction during their Sustained Investigations?
In guiding my student through the Sustained Investigation, I encouraged her to think deeply about her initial area of inquiry and to frame it as a question that would allow for exploration and investigation rather than a fixed answer. I would check in on her, and I asked open-ended questions that pushed her to refine her focus and clarify the personal meaning behind her work. As she developed her portfolio, I guided her to connect technical experimentation with her conceptual direction. We looked at how her mark making, composition, and use of media could support her ideas, and I encouraged her to analyze her own pieces to see where the visual evidence aligned—or didn’t—with her inquiry statement. When necessary, I helped her reframe her statement to better match the evolution of her work. Throughout the process, my role was to create a space where she felt confident to take risks, evaluate her results, and make revisions. By combining reflective writing with critiques and peer feedback, she was able to refine both her inquiry statement and her portfolio direction in a way that felt authentic to her artistic voice.
How did you help students strengthen technical skills and apply design knowledge (elements and principles) while also developing creative problem-solving habits?
I helped my student strengthen her technical skills by encouraging her to slow down and refine her craft, focusing on layering, drawing accuracy, and thoughtful revisions. Together we connected those technical steps with design knowledge, discussing why certain choices worked and how they affected the overall impact of her work. She began to see the elements and principles of design—like contrast, balance, and rhythm—not just as rules but as creative tools. When faced with challenges, I guided her to problem solve by experimenting with new media, rethinking color schemes, or adjusting composition. This process gave her confidence to make bold, independent choices, blending strong technical foundations with imaginative problem solving.
How did you use critiques and peer interaction to support growth in both sustained investigations and preparation for Selected Works?
During both the midyear and final art shows, I guided my students in peer critiques by helping them use the AP rubric as a tool for structured feedback. At the midyear show, I encouraged students to look closely at each other’s works-in-progress and to connect their comments directly to the criteria—such as composition, materials, process, and idea development. I modeled how to give feedback that was specific, supportive, and connected to what the rubric values. By the time of the final show, students had grown more confident and independent with this process. I asked them to use the rubric language to highlight areas of strength and to suggest ways their peers could continue refining their sustained investigations. This not only created a culture of collaborative learning, but also helped them practice self-assessment, since hearing feedback through the lens of the rubric made them more aware of how their own work would be evaluated. Overall, using the AP rubrics helped the students further there development.
What did you learn from working with your students, and how did you connect their learning to real-world opportunities or creative careers?
The school provides a budget for the AP Art program and mixed media is encouraged to enhance their mark making skills and further develop their artistic curiosity. The school’s support enhanced not only the student's portfolio but motivates them to produce more developed works of art.
What advice would you offer to other AP Art and Design teachers?
Guiding Inquiry & Sustained Investigation
- Encourage students to start broad but refine quickly. Early brainstorming should be wide-open, but by mid-semester, push them to identify one guiding question or theme that ties their work together.
- Revisit their inquiry statements regularly. Treat them like ‘living documents’ that evolve as the art develops.
- Teaching Technical Growth
- Model the balance between skill and concept: reinforce that strong technical choices make their ideas more impactful.
- Use scaffolded studies (line, texture, light, transparency, etc.) that students later feed into their larger pieces.
- Provide mini-critiques focused on specific technical goals before major critiques on concept.
- Building Studio Habits
- Encourage daily sketching or visual journaling. Even 15 minutes a day builds confidence and visual vocabulary.
- Train students in process documentation—photos of works-in-progress, notes on experiments, reflections—so their portfolios show both growth and intention.
- Teach students how to use the AP rubric language (form, materials, ideas, sustained investigation, etc.) during critiques.
- Rotate critique formats: whole-class, small peer groups, and one-on-one conferences. Variety keeps feedback fresh.
- Normalize ‘failure’ as discovery—critique the decision making process, not just the final image.
- Help students map out a timeline with checkpoints: Idea generation and exploration (weeks 1–6); Mid-investigation refinement (weeks 7–14); Portfolio consolidation and revision (final 6–8 weeks)
- Teach them to identify which pieces are finished for submission versus what should stay in the sketchbook.
- Preparing for Submission
- Run a mock digital submission session early, so students understand image quality, sequencing, and written commentary.
- Encourage narrative flow in the portfolio: the order of works should feel like a story of their investigation, not just a collection.
- Remember AP is about growth and inquiry, not perfection. Some of the most compelling portfolios show risk-taking and vulnerability.
- Model lifelong learning: Share your own artistic process, experiments, or even ‘failures’ with students to show that inquiry never stops.
Catherine Cook
