Student Surrealist Art Exhibit Online: 2024 Hillsborough County

Zoe Wedor
Rag Doll
Mixed Media
Bell Creek Academy
Art Teacher: R.J. Runas
Grade: 8

For this piece, what I wanted to interpret was a self-portrait. I am always being pushed around by pressure and fear, which made me want to emphasize it in a drawing. To me, fear is an open door to curiosity, but there are limits and punishments when acting on it. It wears down and burns your thoughts like a book aging. Pressure buries my ideas and strains my emotions in a jumbled knot which depicts the strings.

Samantha Kay
Friends Can Deceive
Mixed Media
Buchanan Middle School
Art Teacher: Carla Wilkins
Grade: 7

My inspiration was based on two things: a book series called Wings of Fire and a game called “Obey me: Nightbringer” with the character Leviathen. Leviathen is a type of dragon. The colors, the dragon and the jellyfish are all fantastical elements. I added surrealism by transforming her dress into ocean waves.

Chloe Lamp
The Earth Fades Away While Nothing Is Bothered
Mixed Media
Buchanan Middle School
Art Teacher: Carla Wilkins
Grade: 8

I was inspired by how the earth is falling apart and how everyone is unbothered. I am asking viewers to pay attention to what is happening to the planet. My artwork is fantastical by the work looking overall dream-like. The texture of the grass and the tree consisting of shades of pink are also fantastical. The transformation of the earth flowing into a waterfall and the color of the sky makes it surreal.

Sophia Eckerty
Untitled
Mixed Media
Coleman Middle School
Art Teacher: Zoe Morrison
Grade: 8

I took my fear of the unknown—my unsettling, terrifying fear of not knowing what lies ahead of me and being unable to control it—and expressed it in my drawing. The reaching hands are mysterious and attempt to harm the little girl who is isolated, lonesome, and helpless. However, she still holds onto the light, grasping for the hope that there is a way out of her seemingly endless, chaotic, and uncontrollable darkness.

Sarah Miller
Untitled
Mixed Media
Coleman Middle School
Art Teacher: Zoe Morrison
Grade: 8

I was deeply inspired by Henry Selick to take a longer look at the things that discomfort me by turning my nightmares into the Fantastic. This piece symbolizes a messy dream and a twist on creativity. Dalí often painted his dreams, but I created my nightmares. The mice dangling from the piercing can serve as a metaphor for how you’re never really alone and the man’s eyes and boney figure can represent a dream-like state.

Vanessa Prospal
Untitled
Watercolor
Coleman Middle School
Art Teacher: Zoe Morrison
Grade: 8

The biggest inspiration for this piece mainly comes from my own experiences, depicting the feeling of falling in my dreams to express the theme of “Fears and Fascinations of the Fantastic.” This concept shares similarities with Salvador Dalí’s approach, where he explored surreal and subconscious elements to evoke emotions and stimulate thoughts.

Aubrianna Hansen
Don’t Blink
Graphite
Martinez Middle School
Art Teacher: Kassandra Cochran
Grade: 8

My main idea in this piece is sleep paralysis since I had a lot of scary experiences with it. I believe this connects with the theme of physiological trauma because me having sleep paralysis has led to my fear of the dark and sleeping in silence. My drawing portrays a girl sleeping with her arms locked down on her bed with her eyes stuck open. A tall human-like figure shadows over her while she cannot move but only exist in fear.

Ella Lian
My Dreams
Mixed Media
Martinez Middle School
Art Teacher: Kassandra Cochran
Grade: 8

I used surrealism to make a planet solar system of food. There is a hand reaching out as hard as it can to try to get to the food that keeps on getting away and it cannot seem to reach. The food is floating away into the distance far into the never ending space. The main planets include a fried egg, confetti cake, an apple, cheese, pumpkin pie, a blackberry, a blueberry, and Neapolitan ice cream. We take food for granted while others can’t seem to reach or get a hold of food.

Natalie Roig
The Good and Bad Intertwined
Acrylic
Martinez Middle School
Art Teacher: Kassandra Cochran
Grade: 8

The understanding of a union between the good and bad is important for the well-being of someone’s life. The butterfly represents a person going through life. The snake represents the union between the good and bad. The vines represent all the things that guide and surround a person through their life. The clouds represent how everyone views the world differently. In Michelangelo’s painting, the hands represent God giving life to Adam. I think God is a strong representation of a union between the good and bad. He guides people through difficult moments and triumphs. Learning to navigate and find balance within this union is what makes us unique.

Adrian Romani
My Imperfect Perfection
Color Pencil
Martinez Middle School
Art Teacher: Kassandra Cochran
Grade: 8

My piece is based on a biblically accurate angel made out of human features. I based it on the theme with a fascinating and odd figure, which expresses how something like an angel that’s said to be good can also look terrifying. Surrounding the eye, I also chose to put two koi fish. This is to represent Yin and Yang, which is the balance of good and evil. This relates to the theme because of how fascinating the balance between morality and sin can be. Giving the angel human features gives a holy being mixed with a being full of sin.

Bryce Ruggeri
Enough!
Mixed Media
Martinez Middle School
Art Teacher: Kassandra Cochran
Grade: 8

In my piece, there is a bowl of fruit with mouths that are yelling, while a hand is reaching for them. The hand represents others, who are always picking away at me and asking for high expectations. The fruit represents me, expressing to them that I can’t and don’t want to do these things. For me and maybe for some other people, this is a fear that causes stress, and sadness in a way. When I can’t meet their expectations, I feel bad and feel like I’m not able to make them proud.

Addison Broome
The Creature in the Mirror
Graphite
Mulrennan Middle School
Art Teacher: Holly Gaw
Grade: 8

My artwork was made with the medium of pencil. The reason behind my use of regular pencil is because I have always felt more comfortable using pencil ever since I was little. About the project, the reason I chose to draw a mirror in the floating hands is because we as humans are amazing creatures and there are many parts of us that we can be scared of. This helps convey to the viewer that when you look at yourself through the mirror, you might be seeing all of the things you’re scared of looking at yourself, trying to make you see the worst in yourself when you could be seeing the best of you.

Edlin Daniels
The Forest
Graphite
Mulrennan Middle School
Art Teacher: Holly Gaw
Grade: 8

My inspiration for this piece was an old tribe legend that warned people not to be greedy and selfish, because Wendigos have no conscience and will go after everything. Wendigos aren’t a popular art subject, but with disproportion, scale, and surrealism, I decided to put a twisted spin on it. The setting is at night, because Wendigos burn in the sun, so they strike when the tribe least expects it.

Jenna Fearnow
Glowing in Sight of Darkness
Mixed Media
Mulrennan Middle School
Art Teacher: Holly Gaw
Grade: 8

My artwork was made with the medium of colored pencils. I used this because I usually never use much color and wanted to step out my comfort zone and make it as colorful as possible. I decided to draw the floating eyes because it can represent many things, one being to look into one self and see the scary and interesting parts of them.

Summer Babbs
Men at Work
Mixed Media
Orange Grove Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Hilda Muinos
Grade: 7

This surreal piece is based on the themes of scale and dislocation. There is a race of tiny blob-like people that live on a person and have formed a thriving society. Here, they are at a construction site bandaging and repairing the human eye. I used watercolor, color pencil and pen.

Nadi Gonzalez-Montas
The Hospital I Will Never Visit
Mixed Media
Orange Grove Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Hilda Muinos
Grade: 8

I based this on a nightmare that was difficult to interpret. Hospitals have always scared me; this creature, staggering forward with his ironic smile, represents that fear. The grimy floor and walls, the forgotten bag of old blood show that time has passed and there are embedded germs everywhere.

Chrystan Ross
The White Side Out
Ink
Orange Grove Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Hilda Muinos
Grade: 8

The zebra lines represent the different acts of courage African Americans have made to prove that they are equal. The eyes show how many people have different visions. Some can be jolly and some could be fierce. The snakes and the moon represent how some people in the past have mocked and laughed at ideals African Americans had for equality. The dates represent Martin Luther King’s legacy.

Danilah Thurman
In the Void
Mixed Media
Orange Grove Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Hilda Muinos
Grade: 8

This art shows the vibrant dreams that I have. The flying fish represents how light and buoyant these dreams can be but then things can happen. See the candle burning the feathers trying to bring it down. The fish, now decapitated, releases the creepy thoughts, like the spider shaped like a skull. The tree and grass represent the “normal ” stable dreams. I chose watercolors to bring out more of the vibrant feel.

Angelina Mai
Learning to Fit In
Ink
Pierce Middle School
Art Teacher: Victoria Trespando Escobio
Grade: 8

In this drawing, I am conveying the feeling of being ostracized for being different and being conditioned to be like the others. Often, these “conditioning” rituals are brutal for the victims. The idea of being stripped of one’s identity and what makes one unique is terrifying. The figure in the center of the drawing is a character that has become a punching bag, the victim, the one forced to suffer for the rest of eternity. And my work is to bring light to this issue, in honor of those who are oppressed, whose humanity is striped for being different and who endure losing themselves to fit in with the rest.

Sofia Alvarez
The Dinosaur Dream
Graphite
Progress Village Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Julianne Gonzalez
Grade: 8

Zoe Barghoudian
Finding Fragility in a Broken World
Ink
Progress Village Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Julianne Gonzalez
Grade: 6

The title of my piece is Finding Fragility in a Broken World. The mirrors are broken and cracked, the figure is an ever-moving pattern that bends where it shouldn’t, but the butterflies are untouched, being creatures known for their symmetry. I wanted to make this piece because I enjoyed the idea of a figure made of spiraling patterns surrounded by broken mirrors. I was mainly inspired by the themes of metamorphosis, hence the butterflies and cocoons, and broken things, hence the mirrors and the figure’s arm. The overlapping and moving spiral patterns give a sense of endless movement. I am proud of my work, and it ended up being just a good as I imagined.

Rose Bell
A Fish out of Water
Color Pencil
Progress Village Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Julianne Gonzalez
Grade: 7

My artwork is called A Fish out of Water. I used colored pencils for my medium and white gel pens for highlights. My goal for this piece was to create an unsettling feeling with a fish nowhere near where it should naturally be and a body that isn’t its own.

Virginia Jackson
Eggsistential Crisis
Graphite
Progress Village Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Julianne Gonzalez
Grade: 8

One thing I’ve had to get over as I’ve been growing up, especially as a performer, is the fear of being watched. I feel eyes on me at all times, even if they aren’t there…never alone. Cracking eggs in the kitchen for a late breakfast? Eyes are there. Rehearsing for Solo and Ensemble? Eyes are there. Watching re-runs in my room late at night? Eyes are there. Wherever I go, I feel watched. And, eventually, I’ll be okay with that.

Brianna Rice
The Hot Chase
Color Pencil
Progress Village Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Julianne Gonzalez
Grade: 8

My drawing is called The Hot Chase. This artwork includes two sharks that have human bodies with suits running down a road in a hot desert during the sunset. When humans think of fears, we first think of sharks, which ties with the “fear” in the theme of this exhibit. The sunset in this piece is related to “fascination,” as I am fascinated by the beauty of nature.

Isabella Williams
Big Fish, Little Fish
Acrylic
Progress Village Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Julianne Gonzalez
Grade: 8

My painting is called Big Fish, Little Fish and it features a boy holding a fishbowl while a shark swims behind him. The idea is that the boy is fascinated with ocean life but there are aspects of it to be scared of. He likes fish and the idea of ocean animals, but being in the ocean with a White Shark would be a terrifying experience, no matter how interested you are in them. The stuffed bear with its arm ripped off represents the shark as still a dangerous animal, even in a silly situation. Being able to admire things while still recognizing that there are dangers to them is a topic that I think is cool to think about. To make my painting, I used gouache paint because I thought that the vibrant colors would help to make the painting feel more dream-like and bring attention to certain elements of the piece. Overall, I’m very happy with what I created, and I think it’s a fun piece to look at while still holding meaning relating to a topic I find interesting.

Austin Jackson
Fusion Realm
Color Pencil
Shields Middle School
Art Teacher: Jason Nesvacil
Grade: 7

Sometimes, scary works go hand in hand with a little goofiness, and I felt the need to include a bit of “cartoonish” style to really bring out the silliness. My art tells of a comical but difficult ecosystem. Little sheep float through the air as day turns to night. Not everything put into my drawing is explainable, as I feel Surrealism is all about mystery and what the viewer interprets as a probable explanation.

Daniel Cantillo
Scopophobia
Graphite
Walker Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Trista Johnson
Grade: 7

My art was inspired by the fear of standing out, being judged, and the fear of having social interactions with other people. The exhibits theme was Surrealism, and it was very fun working with this theme, because I experimented with many surrealistic elements and sketched some ideas for my art work. For the elements connected to the Fantastic, I made a giant tree creature, with a huge eye and a couple of spikes at the top of its head, which clearly wouldn’t be something that would actually exist in the real world. The monster represents people who think they are superior, people who are more popular and think they are better than you and they think they can just judge you for who you are. I used a floating platform in my art to show how the little character in my drawing is standing out from the others. I also added a spotlight coming from a moon clock to create more emphasis on the little character. The chains at the bottom of the dirt platform represents the effort to not stand out and be weird, but still the platforms lifts up and the chains can’t stop it. These are the elements, symbols, and reasons that I used in my art work, Scopophobia.

Samyukta Jagarapu
Room of Fantastical Fears
Color Pencil
Walker Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Trista Johnson
Grade: 7

I was inspired by the common fears that most people have. Each wall in this room represents a fear or phobia, such as eyes representing the fear of being watched, spirits representing the fear of death or ghosts, tentacles representing the fear of monsters, and tarantulas representing the fear of spiders. This artwork shows how your biggest fears and phobias can be fantastic and that the door to the room with all your fears is nothing but fascination.

Lucie Jemmott
Watch
Color Pencil
Walker Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Trista Johnson
Grade: 7

Inspiration comes from my imagination. The drawing of the clock with 13 hours leads to everything else on the paper. Surrealism is appealing to me because it sparks my imagination and creativity. The fantastic is really important to Surrealism, and some of the fantastic subjects in this work include the rag doll with fairy wings and a giant spider.

Leticia Orrego
Oracle
Color Pencil
Walker Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Trista Johnson
Grade: 8

Inspired by Greek mythology as well as my own fear of blindness, Oracle depicts medusa with an orb levitating within her grasp, her infamous snakes obscuring her eyes. This entire piece spurs off sight, becoming a double-edged sword. While some are blessed with vision, Medusa was not as fortunate, her sight distorted into a lethal weapon. Enclosed in her crystal ball is an eye representing foresight, a fantastical manifestation of perception.

Sharanya Prasad
Wandering Eyes
Mixed Media
Walker Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Trista Johnson
Grade: 8

Emotions fueled my art for the “Fears & Fascinations of the Fantastic” theme, they were what dictated how I chose to convey my feelings. I explored anxieties (being watched, imperfection) while finding wonder and fascination in astronomy. The stars represent both and symbolize important figures who inspire me, all of whom I can’t help but feel are watching me. The third eye in the mirror symbolizes the hidden knowledge that I seek.

Amelie Clarke
The Eyes of the Trees
Pastel
Williams Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Gregory Vondruska
Grade: 8

For my piece, I drew a tree scared of nature. It was almost completely changed yet it has big bushes on the edges of its branches. The bushes prevent the tree from ending its suffering, but at the same time they take the spotlight away from the secretly beautiful yet simple tree. The intimidating background is trying to distract you from the entrancing tree. The surreal elements of the background make the audience question what is really happening and where this strange location is. This piece is meant to keep the viewer questioning.

Nathaniel Freeman
Creatures From the Sky
Color Pencil
Williams Middle Magnet School
Art Teacher: Gregory Vondruska
Grade: 7

I love drawing monsters and robots! It’s like creating a whole new world of creatures and exploring new designs. In my work, Hidden, I was inspired by my interests in drawing monsters, which fits the theme of fear and the fantastic. The mist represents the unknown and the monster represents the fear of the unknown. I used colors like pink, purple, and red to portray surrealism.

Caro Brown
Like Nobody’s Watching
Acrylic
Alonso High School
Art Teacher: Cristina Ruperto
Grade: 11

This piece captures paranoia, specifically the fear that you are always being watched. A still life bowl of fruit, a typical subject matter of paintings, but it is made fantastical with the personification of the fruit by gifting them with human eyes.

Shantell Burdette
Relapsing Darkness
Color Pencil
Alonso High School
Art Teacher: Vanessa Smith
Grade: 11

When a dream haunts your mind from a young age and creeps into your subconscious once every year, the person trying to end you and the darkness that incapacitates you draws you in with fascinating curiosity. Wondering thoughts of what happened are still present the next morning. What happens if I never wake up? Until the next year, I will wait to find the end of this dream.

Ashten Croft
Trypophobia
Marker
Alonso High School
Art Teacher: Cristina Ruperto
Grade: 10

I hated drawing this as it made my skin crawl.

Chosen Molton
My Angel
Color Pencil
Alonso High School
Art Teacher: Vanessa Smith
Grade: 12

I have always had a fascination with the concept of the afterlife, hence, My Angel. The process of this piece was complicated in that I wanted to represent life and death. I used colored pencils since they are my preferred medium. I wanted to express a lot of color. Gradients from blue to red and the flow of the grass make this feel lively yet ambiguous. That is how I view life. There is so much out there and yet I don’t know what to do with myself—I am scared of the possibility of my life being wasted all the way until death.

Fiorella Salas
Eyes On Me
Pastel
Alonso High School
Art Teacher: Vanessa Smith
Grade: 11

I truly believe the love I have for ducks is inexpressible because words cannot accurately describe my appreciation for them. The chalk pastel was more difficult than I expected. I am not to be underestimated, though, because as the title states, I strive to have All Eyes on Me.

Brooke Taken
My Precious
Charcoal
Alonso High School
Art Teacher: Vanessa Smith
Grade: 12

My Precious, white charcoal on black rail board, embodies the frequency of emotions I feel for my adorably victimized dog. The term cuteness aggression is the inspiration for my piece and it refers to the overwhelming sensation of aggression felt as a result of viewing something perceivably cute. Every time I lay my eyes on my dog, Saide, I cannot escape this feeling. She is so unbelievably adorable I just want to squeeze her until she compresses into a diamond. I would not be surprised if she fears me by now, but I cannot contain my fascination.

Isabella Cobb
Fish Eggs
Graphite
Armwood High School
Art Teacher: Emma Lettera
Grade: 12

Fish Eggs is meant to be a sort of dream-like state where one is preparing for a fishing trio but also cooking, and the two simple tasks get muddied in the dream like world.

Savannah Finklea
The Pomegranate
Acrylic
Armwood High School
Art Teacher: Emma Lettera
Grade: 11

The pomegranate is a representation of women. The world is constantly picking them apart leaving nothing but the husk. The violent way you have to eat a pomegranate is shown to represent the pressure on women.

Gretchen Goldtrap
Imposter Syndrome
Mixed Media
Armwood High School
Art Teacher: Morgan Guinessey
Grade: 12

I made this art piece to showcase Imposter Syndrome and to capture the fear of not being good enough, feeling like a fraud, and doubting your accomplishments because there is always someone better than you regardless of your efforts. I drew the sharks to show the girl’s inner monsters and how she feels defeated because the sharks are eating her heart, which represent the soul of her body. Then, I drew the girl drowning in the space of her own mind because she is consumed by the darkness of her own thoughts and is unable to overcome the fear of her perfectionism.

Arie Milligan
Invasive
Graphite
Armwood High School
Art Teacher: Morgan Guinessey
Grade: 11

A fish is trapped in water-filled balloon surrounded by grabbing, poking, and prodding hands that risk popping its means of survival. Also, with the clear balloon, the fish has no privacy or moments to itself.

Jenna Prochaska
Wilting
Color Pencil
Armwood High School
Art Teacher: Emma Lettera
Grade: 11

This Surrealism illustration shows my version of the end of the world. I picture the feeling of anxiety to be like the world is ending and all you can do is watch and cry. I have a wilted sunflower crying in the center with its petals slowly burning to ash. Next to the flower, I have a melting sun to illustrate that although the sunflower has water from the pouring rain, its main source of life is slowly dripping away. I also show a meteor and earthquake to truly indicate there is no longer a home for this sunflower. The small sprouts on the ground can be interpreted in 2 ways: they can be a sign of hope and a future, or they can show what could have been but will no longer be. For a more surrealist effect, I added an almost parallel dimension where the sun is melting into the ground, but the melted sunlight begins to drip onto the moon on the opposite side as if it melted through the world.

This shows my version of the world ending. I picture the anxiety where all you can do is watch and cry. A wilting sunflower with burning petals cries. Next to this is a melting sun to illustrate that, even with rainwater, its source of life is dripping away. The meteor and earthquake indicate that there is no longer a home for this sunflower. The sprouts on the ground can be interpreted as a sign of hope and a future, or as what could have been but will no longer be. For a surrealist effect, I added a parallel dimension where the sun is melting into the ground, but it begins to drip onto the moon as if melting through the world.

Khloe Coffie
Friends Have Been Floated
Watercolor
Bell Creek Academy
Art Teacher: Charles Cawley
Grade: 12

Cumulonimbus, cirrostratus, and shooting stars. I really love them, but in the same breath it’s hard to say I’m completely grateful to know so much about them. At one point these things were more phenomenal but now more and more, we understand even the smallest details. It’s a fear that one day our familiarity may lead us to take these things for granted.

Marianne Custudio
Mary Had a Two-Headed Lamb
Watercolor
Bell Creek Academy
Art Teacher: Charles Cawley
Grade: 11

I wanted to create a piece that depicted an unlikely beast intertwined with the enigmatic, with religion and symbolism being a driving force for the work. As a result, I created a two-headed baby goat, a phenomenon in itself, in the arms of the religious motherly figure, Mary. The beast’s youth complements Mary’s purity, but the blood and tears create a sense of danger, invoking a feeling of confusion within the viewer.

Alexis Georgiev
The Illusion of Perfection
Ink
Bell Creek Academy
Art Teacher: Charles Cawley
Grade: 11

The Ballerina struggles with separating the art from the artist, losing herself in between. There’s a fine line dividing The Ballerina and The Swan, because they are not much different from each other. Both face the same tragic fate where they fall to this “ideal image.” The hands resemble the chokehold the industry has on what is deemed “fantastical.” No flower, ballerina, or swan could ever satisfy the ideals. I often feel like The Swan — mangled by industry expectations.

Beatrice Voloson
To Be Flocked Upon
Acrylic
Bell Creek Academy
Art Teacher: Charles Cawley
Grade: 11

Perhaps the fear of crowds is the fear of being stifled or diluted, just being another face in the hum, becoming anonymous and insignificant. Sometimes it feels like the crowd is pushing into you with all its strength, and sometimes you just need to scream above their polite noise. Sometimes you need to show teeth in a sea of wings, anger and emotion in the world of gentle indifference. This painting is acrylic paint on canvas, it was made rapidly and in a wave of emotion; this painting is indicative of rebellion and the fear of normality and polite indifference for those who feel more strongly from the norm.

Olivia Wagner
The Fantastical Seraphic Trapeze
Mixed Media
Bell Creek Academy
Art Teacher: Charles Cawley
Grade: 11

I fear in the end that this has all been one great big performance. I am confined to the things people remember about me. My niche for flowers is a memorable factor. Does this interest stem from that perception of me? My fascination with religion, is it all an act for the eyes of God? I fear that at my core, who I am, is all one fantastic act for the public.

Emily Navarros
Untitled
Mixed Media
Bloomingdale High School
Art Teacher: Pamela Reeves
Grade: 12

Raven Lewis
Chaotic Dream of the Fool
Mixed Media
Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School
Art Teacher: Madeilynann Mitchell
Grade: 11

My inspiration came from The Queen of Hearts and her army of cards. I wanted the piece to have a chaotic dream-like feeling, so I put things in a random assortment. I also wanted to emphasize the joker head coming out of its card and eating the people. The Joker is the main composition of my piece, I wanted him to be the first thing that attracts the viewer’s eye and then directs the attention to the yellow road that has the people walking on it towards the joker. I mostly included the yellow road to give a sense of depth and perspective to my piece.

Abigail Green
Do Not Be Afraid
Mixed Media
Cambridge Christian School
Art Teacher: Amy Dayton
Grade: 12

I wanted to portray a biblically accurate angel to convey the idea of fear of the fantastic. The
descriptions came straight from scripture illustrating the seraphim. The image of six wings and a body of crystal is shown in my piece to demonstrate the fantastic yet terrifying nature of angels, and how, when they have appeared to humans, the first words they speak are “Do not be afraid.”

Leo Faeberboeck
End Times
Digital Art
Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School
Art Teacher: Michael Edwards
Grade: 12

I was inspired by the feeling of impending doom that myself, as well as many of my peers, experience when witnessing the impacts of late-stage capitalism. I also wanted to explore the dichotomy between humans and insects, more specifically, how society would have turned out if the roles were reversed. I endeavored to articulate the fear of the end of the world, and the fantastical portion was an anthropomorphic representation of bugs.

Noah Haley
Title to Come
Digital Art
Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School
Art Teacher: Michael Edwards
Grade: 9

My inspiration for this piece was how when being chased by a horde of wasps, even jumping in the water can’t save you. If you ever find yourself in that situation, your options are to drown, or let yourself be swarmed. The noose is used to symbolize that sometimes the salvation you latch onto is a symbol of false hope, and is a futile effort. I attempted to encapsulate how nightmares often leave you feeling trapped and terrified.

Emily Meeker
Evanescent Sands
Digital Art
Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School
Art Teacher: Michael Edwards
Grade: 12

Inspired by my illogical fear of the relentless flow of time, my piece delves into the enigmatic realm of the Fantastic. In my eyes, the galaxy symbolizes the vastness of existence, while the heart’s dripping blood, akin to sand, signifies life slipping away by the penetrating persistence of time. In response to the theme, I explored the irrational and dreamlike to render a disconcerting experience that confronts my fears within time’s evanescence.

Samantha Robinson
Feed the Birds
Digital Art
Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School
Art Teacher: Michael Edwards
Grade: 12

I started with the words ‘constellation’ and ‘scissors’. Eventually, I found the Corvus constellation, meaning crow. This constellation can represent death. I thought that a bird’s head looked similar to the shape of scissors and began to imagine a world full of giant, mechanical hummingbirds. I wanted to portray a fear of these winged creatures, but I also wanted them to look beautiful. While I fear their terror, I envy their gift of flight.

Aiden Clarke
Tortured Dream
Mixed Media
Durant High School
Art Teacher: Jaclyn Bowers
Grade: 11

Clear and raw, emotions like anger, paranoia, and sadness with a hint of helplessness inspired me to create a hydra for the fantastic theme. I was excited to let my mind go right to my feelings with snakes coming in from the outside. The hands are forcing the mouth open, representing how I feel when I’m upset. The eyes and the lips symbolize people looking. This piece represents my feelings as of late.

Amariah Cruz
Untitled
Mixed Media
Durant High School
Art Teacher: David Veto
Grade: 11

Dalí’s melting clocks, fictional monsters, and the phrase “losing your mind” inspired me to create this surreal depiction of what it feels like to overthink and go crazy over something.  I incorporated Dalí’s concept of melting objects in the girl. The train in the background represents a train of thought. 

Gianna DiGiorgio
Creatures of the Abyss
Color Pencil
Durant High School
Art Teacher: Jaclyn Bowers
12

I want people to look at this artwork and come up with their own point of view. What do they see? What do they feel? But I also want them to feel how my creatures feel in the moment. This piece of work is a recreation of an idea I had two years ago. It’s a variation of living things being confused with what’s happening. I’m confused too, but that’s the point. It causes you to question what is happening on that small piece of paper.

Jayden Foss
The Sirens
Mixed Media
Durant High School
Art Teacher: Jaclyn Bowers
Grade: 10

I put my own spin on the siren creature with a Blue-ringed octopus head and unproportional fish with eyes swimming away from a sunken building. I like to sketch these often and I thought it would add personality to my piece.

Alyssa Knecht
Spillways
Mixed Media
Durant High School
Art Teacher: David Veto
Grade: 10

I enjoy surrealism because you can combine so many different ideas into one painting. When I learned about the Fantastic theme, I wanted to stick with mythological things since that has always interested me. The textures, colors and design all connect with the theme. This piece started with a sketch inspired by the Geryon. A bright color palette of pinks, purples, oranges, blues and greens contrast with the serious three-headed warrior with eyes on her hands. Transparency was used for making her ribs and heart visible. Water fills the area around her slowly.

Aimee Quinones
Monstrosity in the Supermarket
Color Pencil
Durant High School
Art Teacher: Jaclyn Bowers
Grade: 10

My inspiration came from liminal spaces, which are dreamlike, but I wanted to make it somewhat comical. I put mythological creatures that you might see destroying towns or people into one of the most mundane and boring places: the supermarket. I think it would be pretty surreal to see monsters there, but it would also be exciting! I hope my piece helps people realize that, because real life is boring, it doesn’t hurt to daydream and use your imagination every now and then.

Abigail Araniego
Masked Lies
Mixed Media
Freedom High School
Art Teacher: D.J. Fintel
Grade: 12

My piece Masked Lies was inspired by past insincere relationships. In response to the exhibit’s theme of “Fears and Fascinations of the Fantastic”, I chose The Fox and The Goat as main centerpieces. Butterflies are shown masking the Fox’s true nature of deception and trickery, while the Goat exemplifies power and authority. Elements of biblical symbolism, ideas of temptation, and humanoid figures are displayed through line art and color to connect with The Fantastic.

Reanna Ewen
Philophobia
Digital Art
Freedom High School
Art Teacher: D.J. Fintel
Grade: 11

When creating this artwork, I thought about a book. Two people, madly in love, they felt butterflies every time they saw each other. Once they were separated, their butterflies fell in the tears of their heartbreaks. When I was told what the topic was for this year’s competition, I was excited! I could show my emotions through a new lens. My work connects to the fantastic by working with the parts of love and heartbreak.

Laila Plaire
Untitled
Mixed Media
Freedom High School
Art Teacher: D.J. Fintel
Grade: 12

This current body of work is inspired by the delicate balance between the phenomenally personal things we explore on a daily basis and the way in which those experiences hold influence in our lives. Scopophobia is the fear of being watched, and can often be looked at as scary, but to me it’s all about the way you endure it. Our fears could be our biggest enemies or our most useful allies.

Cora Bowen
Fish for Thought
Mixed Media
Howard W. Blake High School
Art Teacher: Caitlin Clay
Grade: 10

Seeing the beauty in the mundane can be something as little as seeing the details in a small can of sardines. From their shimmering scales to their delicate iridescent fins, slowing down, noticing, making note of those small details that make up the people we are, and identify with today.

Morgan Cole
State of Unknown
Mixed Media
Howard W. Blake High School
Art Teachers: Linda Galgani & Molly Dressel
Grade: 12

I wanted my piece to show the fantastical and intense idea of nature and overgrowth and the subconscious fear humans have of nature and the unknown. I used juxtaposition and displacement of a human girl’s head and a sheep’s head morphing into a log. I was inspired by the ritual sacrifice of sheep’s blood and maidens for protection because people in the past were afraid of the unknown and the fear of wild nature.

Petra Dizon
Dreams in the Mindscape
Digital Art
Howard W. Blake High School
Art Teacher: Linda Galgani
Grade: 11

My piece is a collage of textures and creepy components in an otherwise banal but bright scene of rolling hills and less than pretty flowers. The landscape proves attention grabbing from the use of photocopied textures on a flat surface, and the flowers are grossly out of proportion to give the piece a dreamlike setting; while the features that make up the landscape itself prove fear instilling once you take a better look. By utilizing contrast and saturation, the composition masks the juxtaposition of realistic elements in the landscape and helps incorporate the more fearful details to completely integrate every part of the artwork.

Sarah Nakano
Octopus to Doom
Mixed Media
Howard W. Blake High School
Art Teacher: Molly Dressel
Grade: 11

Aubrey (Scout) Pytlak
Crumb
Digital Art
Howard W. Blake High School
Art Teacher: Linda Galgani
Grade: 11

In this work, I wanted to portray a sense of familiarity yet invoke a sense of uneasiness and tie it all into a dream-like setting. My piece is a mix of photography and digital drawing. The large, animal-like figure on two legs is a character I created by the name of “Crumb. Crumb was created specifically for this contest. He was designed simply to just to stand there and look out, causing the viewer to experience an unsettling feeling.

Marjorie Stockard
Teenage Dreams
Acrylic
Howard W. Blake High School
Art Teacher: Molly Dressel
Grade: 11

As a teenager and artist, I am constantly thinking, creating, and planning out my future in the safety of my bedroom. However, this balance is quickly disrupted by the other side of my mind which overthinks, oversimplifies, and fears too much, especially of my future. These elements represent those fears.

Benjamin Smith
Circus Charade
Ink
Jesuit High School
Art Teacher: Kevin Ball
Grade: 11

My inspiration for this piece, Circus Charade, comes primarily from iconic imagery from under the big top. The piece blends traditional illustrative styles with surrealist qualities by adding playfully disturbing juxtapositions and human traits to unexpected objects. It responds to the theme of Fear and Fascination by emphasizing an Edward Hopper-like sorrowful clown, creating a looming sense of allurement and underlying dread.

Nate Montgomery
Man, Machine, Ocean of Oil, Lies in the Ticking Coffin
Mixed Media
Keystone Prep High School
Art Teacher: Stacey Rusch
Grade: 11

Allysa Johnson
Burning the Candle
Graphite
Leto High School
Art Teacher: Jackie Lucas
Grade: 12

Dianne Torres-Camano
Silence of the Heart
Mixed Media
Leto High School
Art Teacher: Jackie Lucas
Grade: 12

Xaineth Colon Garcia
Eyes of Fears
Mixed Media
Plant City High School
Art Teacher: Walter Baucom
Grade: 9

What inspired me was creating details in my surreal work. I had an idea of making my surreal art about the feeling that wherever you go, you still feel watched or followed by a person, creature, or animal. The techniques I used are juxtaposition and proportion.

Jada Gordon
The Fear of Imperfection
Mixed Media
Plant City High School
Art Teacher: Walter Baucom
Grade: 10

When you sit down and close your eyes, sometimes you over think about something embarrassing you did, your outfit, what you’ve said, arguments, and even just feelings you get. That feeling of silence-anxiety is what I connected for the fears of the fantastic. While your eye is drawn to the bright colors of the body, the many eyes represent people watching you. I used transparency to see emotions through the body represented in color.

Sarah Olsen
Subordination
Marker
Plant City High School
Art Teacher: Niki Carpenter
Grade: 12

I found inspiration through the corruption I see in all forms of media, particularly social media. I connected to the exhibit’s themes through metamorphosis and juxtaposition to create a fantastical depiction of greed and hunger for power. I put the fear aspect into the lifeless rabbits, grinning puppet-dogs, and deceitful stoat. All of these convey the consequence of the desire for a controlled narrative to feed an agenda.

Yarely Orozco-Jaimes
Yellow and Blue
Mixed Media
Plant City High School
Art Teacher: Niki Carpenter
Grade: 11

What inspired me originally was an image of a woman with multiple hands, strange and unusual. This relates to the theme by representing fears in a beautiful and fantastic way. There are multiple key elements, almost every little detail representing something that’s fantastic, such as the colors, shapes, and lines, but there is a lot of details to express. I used levitation with floating fish along with superimposition and juxtaposition.

Alyssa Stanley
Something Fishy
Ink
Plant City High School
Art Teacher: Niki Carpenter
Grade: 10

I was inspired by my dad’s interest in fishing. My art is dreamlike, since normally you wouldn’t see a fish head on a human’s body being chased by a lure. In general, the stippling pops out at the viewer, bringing their attention to it. The texture from the indents and dots created by the pen makes the drawing attractive to the eye. I also used dislocation, as the flower is placed where it normally wouldn’t be.

Ansley Gonzales
Contemporary Venus
Digital Art
Plant High School
Art Teacher: Brian Taylor
Grade: 11

Vanessa Brauner
Pilots of Dystopia
Mixed Media
Plant High School
Art Teacher: Brian Taylor
Grade: 11

Gracie Haas
Woman in the Lilies
Watercolor
Plant High School
Art Teacher: Josephine Johnson
Grade: 10

In my painting, I used mainly shades and hues of blue, green and violets. I was heavily inspired by the painting Ophelia by John Everett Millais and his composition when it came to the brightness in colors contrasting the despair of Ophelia herself. I connect myself to this artwork because it is supposed to represent my fears of death or failure, especially in the reflection of society. This piece relates to the fears of death and failure as represented with the image of the woman. The contrast of the woman to the water as she floats also shows the fear of being forgotten as she floats away as life continues.

In my painting, I mainly used shades of blues, greens and violets. I was heavily inspired by the painting Ophelia by John Everett Millais and his composition, with brightness in colors contrasting the despair of Ophelia. I connect myself to this artwork because it represent my fears of death or failure, especially in the reflection of society. This piece connects to these fears, represented with the image of the woman. The contrast of the woman to the water also shows the fear of being forgotten as she floats away while life continues.

Giselle Krittberg-Leon
Strawberry Genetics
Watercolor
Plant High School
Art Teacher: Brian Taylor
Grade: 11

Karina Kuiper
The Sneerth
Mixed Media
Plant High School
Art Teacher: Josephine Johnson
Grade: 9

A Sneerth is a creature that came to life from the depths of my imagination. It combines the fierce nature of a snake, the majestic qualities of a deer and the free spirit of a beautiful moth. It is unlike anything you have seen before, much like how different people are from one another; we are all unique.

Augie Richardson
The Rabbit
Mixed Media
Plant High School
Art Teacher: Josephine Johnson
Grade: 9

I used complementary colors to make my piece darker, especially for the shadows and blood. I lowered the intensity to create a scary atmosphere. What inspired me was stories about disabled people being discriminated, taken advantage of, and not getting the help they need. I connect to this because I am disabled and more importantly, have been discriminated against and taken advantage of. It relates to the theme by showing the fear of being taken advantage of by someone who seems trustworthy, all while keeping it strange with one man with a rabbit head and another with no limbs.

Nikcaela Elleby
Look Up
Color Pencil
Rampello K-8 Downtown Partnership Magnet School
Art Teacher: Elizabeth Van Allen
Grade: 8

Look Up is a surrealist mixed media artwork that shines light on how the anonymous cover up and hide the truth by diverting our attention with distractions to keep their power. It is crazy how much power someone can have while still staying incognito.

Hayden Adtkinson
Working With Your Hands
Color Pencil
Riverview High School
Art Teacher: Emily Griest
Grade: 12

Working with your hands refers to my hands that I used to create this art piece and others like it. This work is like an ode to every wild dream I’ve dreamt and a metaphor for me being the “grand creator” (god) of my own worlds. The hands are like my tools. The finger-people represent my weirdness where they worship me and live amongst all hands. The guy in the forearm square is Greg, who is in prison for questioning his reality. The finger spider is one my failed creations who seeks revenge on me. I am made of hands because I can edit my form into whatever I want in my own worlds, so that’s how I appear to my people. The sky is red because the atmosphere is composed of red blood cells.

Kayla Datelle
Paludis Somnia
Digital Art
Riverview High School
Art Teacher: Emily Griest
Grade: 12

Paludis Somnia transports viewers into the eerie depths of a murky swamp. Amidst the dense foliage, a monstrous figure emerges, its sinister silhouette illuminated by the glow of night-vision goggles. The creature’s piercing white eyes reflect a sense of otherworldly terror while the surrounding darkness hints at mysteries lurking just out of sight.

Laura Garcia
Trypophobia
Graphite
Sickles High School
Art Teacher: Cheyanne Causby
Grade: 10

This piece is inspired by trypophobia, based on 2 women’s faces. It is made in black and white with a realistic touch, focusing on the beauty of fears.

Claudia Ledo
Coulrophobia
Ink
Sickles High School
Art Teacher: Cheyanne Causby
Grade: 12

This phobia caught my attention because clowns incite fear in people. Complexity is created with the use of value and line work to show a clown in a scarier way, as people with this phobia would see them.

Samantha Naval
Deadline’s at 4:13
Watercolor
Sickles High School
Art Teacher: Cheyanne Causby
Grade: 11

Influenced and inspired by scopophobia, this piece thrives off the concept of abnormality in a state of conformity. Its purpose is to stimulate a common or normal setting amidst the ruined man in the piece. The sense of security of familiarity in contrast with the disturbing and distorted subject matter at its surface.

Cailee Cuffle
Nightmare of a Meditative Escape
Acrylic
Steinbrenner High School
Art Teacher: Kris Watkinson
Grade: 12

Violet Durango
Forbidden
Mixed Media
Steinbrenner High School
Art Teacher: Kris Watkinson
Grade: 12

Maya Elwassef
Curls of Time
Mixed Media
Steinbrenner High School
Kris Watkinson
Grade: 10

Jessie Andrew
Galactic Unity
Oil Pastel
Strawberry Crest High School
Art Teacher: Kirsten Whittaker
Grade: 10

I was inspired by the idea of discovering the unknown and everything that may happen when we’re not looking. To respond to the exhibit theme, I made a piece correlating with fascination by making it look like a dreamy, unreal universe. Within my piece I’ve included color, tone, contrast, unity, and movement to be able to connect to the fantastic.

Hannah Banks
Food Chain
Color Pencil
Strawberry Crest High School
Art Teacher: Kirsten Whittaker
Grade: 11

I focused on juxtaposition to create this artwork by switching the roles of predator and prey. My piece gives the vibe of levity by showing light-hearted fish taking care of cats at a meat market. My reference was that of a fish market, but I wanted to alter the viewer’s point of view by making the fish human-like and the cats be the deliCATessen.

Daniella Costa
Across the Universe
Mixed Media
Steinbrenner High School
Art Teacher: Kristin Watkinson
Grade: 12

Morgan Culver
See Food
Mixed Media
Strawberry Crest High School
Art Teacher: Barbara Lawton
Grade: 11

One of things I look forward to is starting my day off with my first meal, BREAKFAST! My idea was to explore and juxtapose my favorite breakfast foods with parts of the human body. I thought about how having an eye look back at me would be off-putting but strangely interesting. Unexpectedly a bizarre face-like being emerged when I flipped my composition upside down, creating an optical illusion. My food sees me as I see it.

Faith Graham
Captured by Elite
Mixed Media
Strawberry Crest High School
Art Teacher: Barbara Lawton
Grade: 10

The artwork was inspired by my personal experiences. The title, Captured by Elite, refers to feeling chained back by someone of greater power than you. This is represented by the elegant woman and the hand to her right, desperately reaching out for help which I used scale for to create an image with interesting depth. “The Fantastic” is also represented by the black curved lines representing an inescapable evil force.

Havyn Hines
The Near-Sighted Agoraphobic
Digital Art
Strawberry Crest High School
Art Teacher: Kirsten Whittaker
Grade: 11

I was inspired to create The Near-Sighted Agoraphobic because it’s something I have dealt with most of my life, and still occasionally do. I obscured the figure’s face in an attempt to let other people see in, in a way. I played with scale by showing the figure twice the size they should be; seeming as though they have outgrown comfort, but is too anxious to explore the unknown. I wanted to convey the lightbulb as their only source of light, and the outside world being all light, to show that staying stagnant forever can only get you so far when there’s a world of possibilities waiting to be explored.

Samantha Hinson
The Mundane
Acrylic
Strawberry Crest High School
Art Teacher: Barbara Lawton
Grade: 11

I used acrylic paint to formulate all of my ideas. I was inspired by René Margritte and his use of floating rocks in his paintings. The piece illustrates the eerie feeling that something is off on a seemingly normal day. I did this by painting the pond at my school and a black cloud looming over the grass. The black cloud creates a sense of fear and a juxtaposition to the mundane life around it.

Briseida Islas-Rubio
Eternal Reunion
Mixed Media
Strawberry Crest High School
Art Teacher: Kirsten Whittaker
Grade: 12

With the recent passing of my beloved dog, I implemented the concept of death to respond to the theme, embracing elements of the fantastic by juxtaposing dog heads with the human body, symbolizing the relationship between a dog and their human. I created a sense of place by imagining the world my pack now resides in. This piece aims to illustrate a dream that both fascinates and haunts me: the hope of reuniting one day.

Barbara Soto
Where Are We Free?
Color Pencil
Strawberry Crest High School
Art Teacher: Kirsten Whittaker
Grade: 12

The inspiration behind my piece (Where are we Free?) was the strange blank stares that goldfish always seem to have. While coming up with ideas I wondered, what could make this surreal? Thats when I added the cat inside the fishbowl, how ironic to have them freely swimming about while the cat is enclosed. I focused on color, using colored pencils, and space as my main elements.

Erison Vail-Carreto
Self-Checkout
Digital Art
Strawberry Crest High School
Art Teacher: Barbara Lawton
Grade: 11

The relationship between fear and the fantastic inspired my exploration of the cardboard box and human grasp. Delving into the interplay of the unexpected and the anticipated, I aimed to merge form and perspective within my creation. Through this, I sought to make a piece that artfully portrayed the fascination of unpredictability.

Sericy Woods
Magic Man Stan Stuffed Animalized a Toucan
Acrylic
Strawberry Crest High School
Art Teacher: Barbara Lawton
Grade: 9

Focused on creating an abstract, morphing toucan. Person in the background is casting a spell on the bird. Applied movement through the dramatic use of color and swirls.

Valerie Dominguez
Decomposition
Acrylic
Sumner High School
Art Teacher: Juan Duarte
Grade: 12

My artwork explores the relationship between humans and nature with themes of decay and renewal. The focal point is a woman being disturbingly reclaimed by Earth, surrounded by nature’s powers. The concept of decomposition and our “return to earth” is depicted by the mushrooms and the presence of scavengers such as vultures. As the girl gets pulled into the earth, she undergoes a metamorphosis, becoming one with nature and crossing the line between life and death. It is grotesque and dreamlike to reflect on the beauty and complexity of nature. I challenge viewers to confront the fears and fascinations in the lifecycle.

Ava Foreman
Change
Color Pencil
Sumner High School
Art Teacher: Juan Duarte
Grade: 9

A whale, a mammal of the sea, now in the sky. A dreamlike experience filled with endless possibilities, but something is wrong. This dream is ending. Hot air balloons are melting, and a whale is slowly dying, turning into its skeleton. The artwork shows the beauty of a dream quickly being destroyed, slowly being forgotten. It depicts a fear of change. Something that can never be controlled but only embraced.

Esteban Lopez-Clemente
Untitled
Graphite
Sumner High School
Art Teacher: Juan Duarte
Grade: 9

I was inspired by the ocean and how vast it is. Like the ocean, outer space is also vast. Both are scary and frighten me. The winged aquatic creature signifies the freedom one can feel while in the ocean. With space, there is no gravity. You’re free from many restraints in both, although they can be terrifying.

Genesis Perez
Coquette
Acrylic
Sumner High School
Art Teacher: Juan Duarte
Grade: 12

I wanted to create a dream-like art piece, so I decided to paint a coquette-inspired surrealist piece to achieve a dreamy, soft, and hyper-feminine style. Coquette aesthetics has been one of the trending aesthetics I found very cute and girly from the baby pink bows, flowy dresses with ruffles, and the lace pattern clothing. I think taking inspiration from this aesthetic and colliding it with surreal art challenges me to create art.

Sanaya Sudderth
Untitled
Mixed Media
Sumner High School
Art Teacher: Juan Duarte
Grade: 12

This piece was inspired by the thought of twisted unconditional and eternal love. Here in my artwork, a young, demented doctor dances with the corpse of one of his deceased patients whom he fell madly in love with. Even through death, he felt their bond could not be broken. Even through death, his attraction towards her never depleted as her corpse blossoms with fluorescent roses (roses, which are the flowers of love). He dances and waltzes night and day with her as his equipment and experiments slowly rot just as her corpse does.

Avery Burns
Daughter of Eden
Digital Art
Tampa Preparatory School
Art Teacher: Martha DeAmbrose
Grade: 11

Elizabeth (Lili) Lechman
The Leaches of Womanhood
Watercolor
Tampa Preparatory School
Art Teacher: Martha DeAmbrose
Grade: 11

Paxton Martin
The Fear of Seppuku
Mixed Media
Wharton High School
Art Teacher: Ching-Yi (Eva) Chen
Grade: 10

I made this piece based off my love for the Samurai and their culture. This piece uses ceremonial blades and two pieces of a Samurai mask both with expressions to show fear. These blades were used in the ceremonial practice of Seppuku. I used the mask in the reflection of the blade to connect this to the fears and Fascinations of the Fantastic.

Shriya Patnaik
The Tea Party
Watercolor
Wharton High School
Art Teacher: Ching-Yi (Eva) Chen
Grade: 11

The Tea Party is about portraying how modern society works us like animals which causes us to fear if we have enough time to do everything that we wanted. It has gotten to the extent that even animals have started to fear time and how much of it they have left.

Nur Abu Shihadeh
A Little Spaced Out
Mixed Media
Wharton High School
Art Teacher: Ching-Yi (Eva) Chen
Grade: 11

This piece consists of a rocket-boat in a desert surrounded by cacti. The spacecraft represents my fascination with space and the marines. Placing it underground in the desert adds a touch of fear, reflecting my anxiety about getting stranded in such a barren landscape. The piece captures both the allure and apprehension tied to the fantastic, offering a glimpse into my mixed feelings about exploration and isolation.

Simran Wadhera
I’m Always Watching…
Mixed Media
Wharton High School
Art Teacher: Ching-Yi (Eva) Chen
Grade: 10

My inspiration for this piece was to display a fear that many people may have, which is the feeling of being watched, but personally, I don’t have this fear. The main element of this piece that connects to the “Fantastic” is the red flower with an eyeball in the center, this gives viewers the feeling that they are always being watched, even when they least expect it.