I tell my students the most important thing that I can do for them is to empower them to think, give them autonomy, and expose them to how artists change the world for the betterment of humankind. Research and revision become fundamental to student success. Throughout the year, I keep pushing students to experiment, have fun, and work hard.     Just a few of the strategies I used to bring Eric's work to a more avant-garde approach was to challenge him to create abstract works that construct a depth of space on his flat 2-D surface, to incorporate a dramatic play of light and to create a strong contrast between textures. In his work Confusion, Eric places the viewer at a strategic aerial vantage point, where one can peer into a glamorization of forms and lines that expands immense space. He juxtaposed solids with voids intersected by soft folds of flat movement layered with overlapping diagonal lines that break the compositional frame. He is also able, through layering, to capture an ethereal feeling that deeply connects the viewer emotionally to his sustained investigation. The world has always been filled with uncertain times, and modernity just seems to have compounded this dubiety that he faithfully captures. The brilliance of these works lies in Eric's ability to connect the meaning of his content to his audience.