A: The idea for Carpenter came from seeing a craftsman carving wooden sculpture. The mallet and chisel really caught my attention. The idea of impressing permanent, lasting effects presents a complex subject. The "builder" or "destroyer" can perfect the most intrinsic details if he is articulate, but if he is careless, or gets frustrated, he can ruin it all in one angry strike. The phenomenon of creating, of possessing such a far-reaching power that can shape countless futures will always be inspiring.

Three dynamics are working in the composition. First, the subject, a youth, is full of life and potential. He is cutting out his place in society (represented by images of the Aztec pyramids, modern skyscrapers, and the Parthenon). A family of chickens in the clouds ask, "Responsibility: Is it the parents' fault (the way the child was brought up), or can they dismiss and displace the blame for the child's actions?"

Q: What medium/media did you use? In which section of the portfolio did you submit it?

A: For Carpenter, I chose acrylics. It was submitted in the Concentration section of the General Portfolio, which included a scope of works that examined societal-environmental evolution — a physical, mental, and spiritual endeavor.

Q: What particularly do you like about the artwork?

A: I am fascinated by both animate and inanimate forms. I use my imagination to create a unique background. I mix all of the colors from five "ancestors." I like my pictures to have movement, and this relativity in color ties it together and helps it flow.

Another interesting aspect of my concentration for this portfolio, as a whole, was that I avoided using the color green. This was completely unconscious. In the fall of my senior year, I painted the sets for San Angelo Central High School Theater Department's technically elaborate production, The Wizard of Oz. We spent thirty hours a week, for eight weeks, painting and painting. All of my green went into The Wizard of Oz.

Q: Did the piece involve any particular challenges or difficulties?

A: The hands are always the hardest part for me. I had someone hold a pencil, in the same way the subject is holding the chisel, so I could derive the hands.

Q: How did it fit into your AP course?

A: This assignment demanded the incorporation of two or three unrelated components, using arbitrary color.

Q: Did you study art long before taking AP?

A: Yes, I have been a lifelong explorer of the world of art. My parents have always encouraged me to exercise my creative energy. I always entered art contests, and my parents signed me up for art workshops in the summer. In junior high, I took two one-semester art classes. In high school, I took Drawing I. As a junior, I took AP Studio Art and submitted a Drawing Portfolio. I took it again in my senior year and submitted a Design Portfolio. I have painted two large-scale murals in San Angelo. It brings me joy to be able to share my imagination with others.

Q: What are your plans for the future? What are you doing now?

A: When I am asked the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up," I frequently answer, "I want to be happy." I am happy. As a wise, dear friend said, "I am in love with friends, family, and in love with LIFE." I hope to continue creating art and to publish children's books. At the moment, I am classified as a sophomore at Angelo State University. I have a super-saturated schedule, including Chemistry, Biology, History, Math, Psychology, and the labs that go with each and I am in "The President's Ambassadors," an honor society. I also have had the unique and wonderful opportunity to intern at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts. This will be my fourth summer to lifeguard, and I'm going to try to take two summer school classes to get ahead. For fun, I love taking aerobics and kickboxing. I am learning so much, and am deeply grateful to all of the people around me, for their inspiration, their encouragement, and their grace.