Since the beginning of time, people have been creating works of art to express themselves. Humans have a need to express themselves so we paint, draw, color and sculpt. As for me, I like to have variety within my art work. The style of my pieces always varies but they do have some repeating characteristics. Often, I find myself wanting to use multiple colors and trying to balance the light and dark disposition of a composition. I always try to put meaning behind my pieces and to add my own "touch" to subject matter, thus putting a unique spin on topics or images. At fourteen years old, I know that my art skills have developed tremendously since I started drawing at the age of seven. Seven years ago I would have been drawing flowers and the same fighter jet over and over again. Now that I am older and more matured in my skills, I can use my imagination to draw whatever I want and present my creativity to the world instead of solely to my parents. Over the course of this school year (2016-2017), I have learned new forms of art and the techniques that accompany them. The VA-Comp course has allowed me to express myself on a larger scale within my art, rather than my other classes that can have limitations on that particular subject. Through the numerous sketchbook and research assignments, and large projects, I believe I have learned what my strengths as an artist (as of right now) are, and that I need to continue to grow and develop my abilities and hopefully create my own masterpiece someday. I would like to thank Mrs. Copeland for challenging my classmates and I to open our minds and learn that not everything will work as expected; because in the end, we should try to create something we would be proud of and could call our own. I can honestly say, that Mrs. Copeland is the best art teacher I have ever had and that I will never forget the important lessons she has taught me. (I will make sure to pass them on someday.)