AP DRAWING
Height: 20”, Width: 30” | Idea(s): My mind is full of creatures, and I wanted to put them in a city space | Material(s): Copic Markers, aka alcohol markers, and pen | Process(es): Pencil to pen to color | Curatorial Note: This narrative drawing immerses the viewer in a vibrant, chaotic city corner teeming with imaginative and eerie creatures. Bold color choices, expressive line work, and dynamic compositional layering create a sense of depth and discovery, encouraging the viewer to explore every corner of this surreal and unsettling world.
STUDENT STATEMENT
Does your art connect to or take inspiration from any past or present art styles, techniques, or traditions? If yes, how?
Inspired by the graphic novels of my childhood (Zita the Spacegirl, Bone, and Mighty Jack), I sought to bring to life the fantastical world that exists in my mind. This scene also serves as a metaphor for my own mental and emotional growth through life, thus creating a sense of horror vacui, “fear of empty spaces,” to suggest the state I was in at that time. I wanted to overwhelm the viewer as they try to navigate visually across the space, building a sense of anxiety or frustration with the congestion of these creatures as my emotions.
How did you bring together different ideas, influences, or inspirations in this artwork?
This work was a continuation of a piece I had made the year before: the idea of a city scene full of creatures with one hidden human, with tons of interactions and Easter eggs.
Which materials and processes did you combine, and how did they work together to strengthen your ideas?
This piece was developed with alcohol markers, felt pens, and colored pencils to bring the comic style aspect to life. I really worked to manipulate the colors to suggest what this congested intersection would look like at night, with various different light sources creating dark and light areas within the piece. The incorporation of colored pencils allowed me to have more control of building values and casted shadows to enhance the overall visual experience.
How can I convey my personal journey through the use of an allegorical creature?
How did critiques or feedback from your teacher or classmates help you strengthen synthesis in this artwork?
My teacher was helpful during the synthesis of my piece because she pushed me to keep adding to the piece. She encouraged me to keep revisiting old sketches to draw inspiration from. This kept me from feeling burned out in trying to come up with new creatures with which to fill in my work.
How did synthesis in this artwork make it more meaningful or impactful for viewers?
The synthesis of this piece allowed me to assign characters to the thoughts in my head. My artwork helped me take the time to focus on each creature and make its features unique, even when compared to all the weird things surrounding it. Despite the work’s very congested composition, I approached the characters and space with a high level of sophistication in the style in which I developed the piece.
How did you decide which artworks to include in your Selected Works submission, and what qualities made them stand out?
I chose works with a high level of detail and that demonstrated my mark-making skills throughout. I chose pieces that weren’t all the same (i.e., subject and/or media), but rather that all shared my voice as an artist.
What do your Selected Works show about your growth as an artist?
My Selected Works show my growth as an artist because you can see throughout my pieces that I’ve tried new materials and allowed myself to expand my subjects from just random creatures to a symbolic persona of myself and my journey through life.
What did you learn about yourself as an artist in the process of creating synthesis and curating your Selected Works, and how will you use that learning in the future?
I wanted to make sure that, when selecting my five different works, my style and influence were obvious throughout despite a change in materials or even the age that I made the piece at. I learned throughout the process that my best pieces are the ones where I have put my whole self into it, not just through the effort in all the details, but also through the emotions I want shown in the piece.
TEACHER STATEMENT
Marci Lee
Teacher - Visual Arts Lead
MacArthur High School
How often did your class meet?
Our campus operates on a block schedule, so I see my AP students every other day for 90 minutes at a time. I do recommend that, if their schedule allows, they take another art class to afford them as much studio work time as possible. I also open my classroom a weekend or two a month during the second semester to give them a space to work for several hours.
Is AP Art and Design taught at your school as a separate course, or is it combined with other art classes? Please describe the structure of your AP Art and Design course.
My AP Art and Design course is a combined course of all three portfolios, which allows for some great collaboration of ideas and approaches to producing their works. There are years when my AP Art students share the class period with a lower-level art class. I want class discussion and peer critiques to be as authentic and organic as possible while students feel safe sharing their ideas and feelings, and this becomes more difficult when the shared class period occurs.
How did you guide students in developing and refining their inquiry statements and
portfolio direction during their Sustained Investigations?
I always have my students begin with broad/simple ideas that, as they explore the idea, become narrower in concept as the inquiry becomes more sophisticated. I find that the questions they begin to ask are deeper and more personal, thus helping them build a stronger artistic voice throughout their pieces.
In what ways did you structure opportunities for practice, experimentation, and revision
into your curriculum?
I typically recommend my students begin with what they are familiar with to help refine their skill. Then come the “what if” questions to encourage experimentation with the various media they might work with. As they begin to curate their portfolio, we take time to revise any work that may seem out of place or could be improved to better visually respond to their inquiry.
How did you scaffold writing into students’ art making and thinking processes?
When developing a piece, my students not only have to provide me with multiple compositional thumbnails and detailed sketches of their reference, but they also need to have written research on the subject they are looking to address. Having them commit to writing down their ideas clarifies the “why”: Why are you making this? Why is this important to you? Why is it important to share this with others? Having them answer the “why” helps better solidify the direction they want to take that piece and their portfolio as a whole.
How did you use critiques and peer interaction to support growth in both Sustained Investigations and preparation for Selected Works?
Critiques, either one-on-one with me or with their peers, are vital for the success of an individual piece as well as the organization of the portfolio. As my students progress, many of the works they develop come from inquiry questions that are posed by others during these critiques. It keeps my students from being narrow-minded in the direction they take their Sustained Investigations and when they curate their Selected Works.
What advice would you offer to other AP Art and Design teachers?
One piece of advice I can offer is to encourage your students to get outside opinions on their artwork. As my students begin to finalize a piece, they are encouraged to share that work with someone outside the class. This can be another adult/teacher or a student in another subject, so they can see how their visual response to an idea is perceived by others. This helps break the habit of saying, “Well, I just wanted to do it this way,” and gets them to realize that art is very much a shared experience.
PRINCIPAL STATEMENT
Victoria Youngblood-Baldwin
Principal
MacArthur High School
What makes you most proud of your school’s AP Art and Design program and its impact on your students and teacher(s)?
At MacArthur High School, our AP Art and Design program embodies our belief that creativity is both intellectual and deeply human. Isabella’s work stands out for its technical mastery and emotional depth, a reflection of her ability to translate complex ideas about identity, community, and culture into powerful visual stories. Under Mrs. Marci Lee’s guidance, she has grown into an artist whose voice inspires others. Isabella’s recognition affirms the excellence, passion, and purpose that define our fine arts program.
What actions or priorities have you implemented to strengthen visual arts programming at your school?
At MacArthur High School, we’ve strengthened our visual arts programming by expanding AP course access and celebrating student artistry through exhibitions and showcases. We prioritize authentic experiences that engage students in critique, portfolio development, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Through intentional support of our fine arts teachers and partnerships with Irving Independent School District’s arts initiatives, we ensure every student experiences art as both a creative pursuit and a pathway to future opportunities.
What advice would you share with other school leaders about building and sustaining strong AP Art and Design programs?
Building a strong AP Art and Design program begins with believing that the arts are essential, not extracurricular. My advice to school leaders is to invest in teachers and build long-term support, so staff and students have the access and resources to grow a thriving program. Create structures that value the creative process as much as the final product, provide time for authentic critique, and celebrate student work publicly. When students feel their artistic voice matters, excellence follows, and the program becomes a lasting source of pride for the entire school.
Isabella Earl