Nicole found that the most difficult part was achieving the right colors. She worked from real fruit, and discovered that it was quite a challenge to make the transition from the colors she saw to those that looked right on the paper. Out of the five pictures in the series, she was most satisfied with this one; she liked the two-row composition in particular, as they seemed to suggest a reflection.

Nicole loved her AP experience; she took an AP General Portfolio class in her junior year (for which she earned a 5) and the Drawing Portfolio class in her senior year (and earned another 5). She feels that if she hadn't had the opportunity to take AP, she wouldn't be where she is today; it gave her both the time and the means to explore color and design in great depth, as well as to research the work of other artists.

Nicole is currently studying fine arts at Cornell University. Combined with the economics and business courses she is taking, these educational pursuits should stand her in good stead for the career in advertising she has set her heart on. In the fall semester of her junior year, she will be spending time in Rome with fellow students, as part of the Cornell in Rome option. She is excited about the opportunity to gain inspiration and knowledge from old masters and new, in what many believe to be the design capital of the world.