SSAE Online Exhibit: Pinellas County 2022

Adrianna Pignato
Melting Zombie
Mixed Media
Academie Da Vinci Charter School
Teacher: Wendy Stanziano
Grade 6

I was inspired by the time when I went to a new school in sixth grade. It represents me in both elementary and middle school. The eyes in the background represent all the people I thought were “watching” me. When I heard that the theme was “The Metamorphic Moment,” I immediately thought of melting or forming – that is how I came up with this. I used watercolor, colored pencil, and acrylic paint.

Faye Collord
Resume Of Friends And Foe
Mixed Media
Academie Da Vinci Charter School
Teacher: Wendy Stanziano
Grade 7

My grandmother’s old saying of “Friend or Foe?” whenever I came down the stairs was my inspiration for this piece. This saying influenced me because it gave me the question, “Who or what are my friends and foes?” which led to the theme of my piece and the elements in it. These elements represent things that I want and do not want in my future: my friends and foes. This is also why this piece is a “resume.”

Isabella Longano
Watching Me
Mixed Media
Academie Da Vinci Charter School
Teacher: Wendy Stanziano
Grade 8

My artwork is surreal because the girl is being watched by many creepy eyes as she’s transforming into a skeleton. I was inspired by my mom after she saw my sketches and said, “That looks like it would be on a human trafficking poster.“ My method for creating this piece was salt and watercolor for the background and then I drew the eyes with sharpie. The girl was drawn on an iPad.

Malik Tepp
Untitled
Digital Art
Azalea Middle School
Teacher: Melanie Coney
Grade 8

Haylee Hampton
Underwater City
Digital Art
Bay Point Middle School
Teacher: Lisa Stefanik
Grade 8

The reason I made Underwater City was because I like going to the beach. Is it possible to have a city under the sea? It could be if the ice rocks ever melted, but for now it’s not possible. We just have art made of underwater cities.

Zamariyah Haugabook
Solar Reading
Digital Art
Bay Point Middle School
Teacher: Lisa Stefanik
Grade 8

I was inspired to create Solar Reading because their minds were out of this world.  To me they appeared very creative.  Reading books can take you to other worlds.

Claire Ray
Surreal Beasts
Painting
Carwise Middle School
Teacher: Lori Manning
Grade 8

Anabella Garnica
Entemophobia
Drawing
Dunedin Middle School
Teacher: Tom Schreiber
Grade 8

The prompt of ‘metamorphoses’ inspired me to think of the ways things change. With that idea, I thought of something that used metamorphoses in its life and wanted to make something transform with that idea. The piece is surreal because it is a human turning into a beetle, which seems like it would only happen in your dreams.

Sophia Valentino
Apple Of My Eyes
Mixed Media
Dunedin Middle School
Teacher: Tom Schreiber
Grade 8

My surrealist artwork, Apple of My Eyes, connects to
the theme “The Metamorphic Moment” by showing that
overtime when things change, they can rot, grow new
parts, and start to look other worldly. For some, the
idea of change or metamorphosis can look scary or
surreal, so that’s what I tried to capture in this painting
by using watercolor, acrylic paint and colored pencil.

Aiden Stanton
Floating Past Life
Mixed Media
John Hopkins Middle School
Teacher: Sara Black
Grade 7

What inspired me was that I wanted to do something that
I don’t normally do. Something that looks real. I want the
viewer to know that this was based off a story I was told
and I added my own touch to it. It influenced me to do
someone looking at their past life. The person who taught
me the story was a huge impact on my life. I learned
while doing this to take risks and do something different.

Aniyah Warfield
Halucineyeing
Drawing
John Hopkins Middle School
Teacher: Sara Black
Grade 7

What inspired me the most was wanting to try something
new. My piece was based off of disassociation and the
stages of life. I connected to this piece because of the
supernatural. Some surrealist techniques that I used
were disassociation and glitch. It took me about 1 month
to finish this work.

Gabriella Dykstra
Seas Of Sorrow
Digital Art
John Hopkins Middle School
Teacher: Krista Schilling
Grade 6

I was very inspired for this piece because I when I was little, I used to go to The Dalí Museum all the time with my family and I was fascinated by all of the art. The thought of my own art at The Dalí Museum made me really excited. It was important to me to create something I loved that would be worthy of hanging in the museum. Something that would make my parents and uncle so proud.

Isla Hoffmann
Credited Conclusions
Drawing
John Hopkins Middle School
Teacher: Sara Black
Grade 7

My work is about how people pay attention to the end
product of anything and kind of completely ignore the
process someone took to get there. My work is surreal
because it’s not something you would see in real life.
This is because I used a surrealist technique of
displacement. This means that you put things in places
that they wouldn’t normally be in. For example, a hand in
the sky.

Kendall Kenas
Born Again As A Frog
Digital Art
John Hopkins Middle School
Teacher: Sara Black
Grade 7

I didn’t have much inspiration except for Animorphs.
The man turning into a frog is calmly reflecting on his life
before he turns into a frog completely. Other than that,
interpret my piece as you wish. The theme this year was
tough, how were we supposed to show change through
one picture? I had no idea, but as you can see, I came up
with something.

Kennedy Hang
We’re Watching
Mixed Media
John Hopkins Middle School
Teacher: Krista Schilling
Grade 6

I was inspired by a random book about birds in my teacher’s classroom. I decided it would be a fun challenge to draw one using Dalí’s method of surrealism. This was my first time attempting any surrealism in my work so I incorporated the dislocation technique and assembled by own fantasy through my imagination. What I learned from this piece is that anything is possible with a keen sense of creativity.

Joe Reynoso
No Mo Tech No
Digital Art
John Hopkins Middle School
Teacher: Krista Schilling
Grade 6

What inspired me to create this is the fact that technology is such a big part of all of our lives. In this fantasy world I’ve created, this is taken to the extreme, as people are so attached to their phones that they put them in their hands. Will this be our future?

Yavonne Forbes
Mother Bird
Digital Art
John Hopkins Middle School
Teacher: Sara Black
Grade 8

I was inspired by this year’s theme and it reminded me of
birds hatching. I used digital collage and painting to create
this composition. My work is surreal because even though
these are real things (people, animals), this is something
that could never actually happen. While making this work,
I learned that trying a different medium can be fun!

Katarina Decesare
Fool
Drawing
Largo Middle School
Teacher: Anthony Powell
Grade 8

My artwork Fool is an artwork based on that “one time” in
my life that I felt changed me, making it my metamorphic
moment. In the artwork I tried to draw it to how I felt
during that time making things clash and look unnatural.
I really wanted this piece to be a mirror of my emotions,
through it’s mostly exaggerated.

Satori Sampson
Quarantine
Drawing
Largo Middle School
Teacher: Anthony Powell
Grade 8

Art is all about pushing the limits and thinking outside the
box, for this piece I wanted to be confident about my work
and choose a subject I know everyone could see relations
to. Covid-19 has impacted us all across the globe, and has
made these last two years extremely tough.

Alexis Staples
Want And Need
Painting
Madeira Beach Fund Middle School
Teacher: Kurt Schuster
Grade 8

My piece shows a flower having grown out of a human heart freshly taken and placed on a surgical tray. Instead of an average floret, the flower instead reveals an eyeball. To the side of the heart is a surgical blade that reminds me of events in my childhood. Everything in this piece was a part of a reoccurring dream I had for a while.

Jayla Nguyen
Last Season Of Valentine
Painting
Madeira Beach Fund Middle School
Teacher: Kurt Schuster
Grade 8

My work is about Valentine, a character in a story I plan to illustrate. Surprise! He dies! In this scene, Valentine sees all the seasons that passed while he spent time with his partner. The green waves represent the hair of his lover. The fantastical themes of the story fit well with the theme of the competition “the Metamorphic Moment.”

Lilyin Butler
Change Of Self
Painting
Madeira Beach Fund Middle School
Teacher: Kurt Schuster
Grade 7

A Metamorphic Moment is usually something, or someone, going through a change. Through life humans often show complex emotions and change their perspective on things they encounter. I wanted to show this metamorphosis in my painting. In one moment, you may be feeling happy or joyful, in another you may feel scared or anxious. The world around us is often changing and not always what we expect it to be.

Melinda Iliz
Melting Mind Palace
Painting
Madeira Beach Fund Middle School
Teacher: Kurt Schuster
Grade 8

This piece showcases my perspective of the metamorphic moment. What influenced me to follow such a peculiar scene is the desire for satisfaction. To me, I feel that the need for contentment leads people to slowly tear away
at their mentality to find fulfillment. The wax figure represents the individual melting into the mind and the candles represent thoughts, and the persistency of desire which slowly changes or melts away a person into their own mentality, spiking the metamorphosis.

Dalianna Ingold
Surreal Butterfly
Drawing
Osceola Middle School
Teacher: Dwayne Shepherd
Grade 8

I wanted a butterfly to be in my Surrealism Project because they have a metamorphic stage. Originally, I was going to draw a butterfly with apple slices as wings, but I decided to name it first, then make the drawing. Therefore, the name morphed into the image as it is now.

Eli Lincoln
Metamorphosis
Mixed Media
Palm Harbor Middle School
Teacher: Lisa Akers
Grade 8

I love fantasy. In the exhibit, I loved some of the more sketchy designs.  When I made this work, the first thing I saw was an eye and a shape that looked like a one-eyed skeleton, which I turned into a cyclops. This work is important to me because I used my eyes and my imagination. For this piece, I used coffee to create shading, value and streaky texture. From this art piece, I learned to use creativity and imagination.  The surrealist technique I used was automatism – the spontaneous, free association of images that my imagination showed me and my eye interpreted.

Hailey Rider
Koroke’s Forest
Digital Art
Palm Harbor Middle School
Teacher: Lori Foster
Grade 8

Katelynn Anderson
The Kudlow Shroom
Digital Art
Palm Harbor Middle School
Teacher: Lori Foster
Grade 8

Abigail Curtin
The Lamp
Drawing
Pinellas Park Middle School
Teacher: Sandra Robinette
Grade 8

If anything, I was inspired by Neil Cicierega, who is an American entertainer. The theme “Metaphoric Moment” influenced me by making me think about transformation in people. My artwork is important to me because it did take me a few class periods to complete and I am proud of it. I used colored pencils, crayon and an eraser to create my piece. The surrealist technique I used was transformation between a human man and a lamp. I want the viewer to bring their own perspective to my work because even I don’t know what it is.

Sabrina Herrington
Deep Blue Wonders
Digital Art
Seminole Middle School
Teacher: Courtney Timm
Grade 8

I was inspired by the older 1900s style and fantasy. They associated people with futuristic ideas. I have seen such work at places like Disney World. When I found out the theme, I instantly thought of people underwater. It came to mind that the world could possibly become so populated that there would need to be new ways to live. That is how I thought of this dreamlike piece where humans started civilization underwater.

Aurea Norris
Living Sky
Painting
Tarpon Springs Middle School
Teacher: Gabrielle Medina
Grade 8

My artwork Living Sky was inspired by the formations that clouds make that remind you of something else. I chose the clouds to transform into plants and animals to add surrealism and metamorphosis, and to show what I see when I look to the sky. This idea was brought to life with watercolors and ink.

Delaney Vessey
Chrysanthemum
Painting
Tarpon Springs Middle School
Teacher: Gabrielle Medina
Grade 8

The inspiration for my artwork was mainly based on the presence of the chrysanthemums, as chrysanthemum can represent happiness, beauty, joy, but also death. Most of my art in the past held specific meaning while I was creating them, but this piece was solely inspired by creating something bright amid the dark.

Delilah Ladd
Open Up Your Mind
Drawing
Tarpon Springs Middle School
Teacher: Gabrielle Medina
Grade 7

I was inspired by surrealism. This work is important because I’m proud of the hands and my coloring of the skin. My surrealist techniques were using exaggerated features and bright colors. I liked to draw this because it was a nice challenge to change it up from drawing normal portraits, and to add more meaning to it.

Esther Bailey
All Seeing
Painting
Tarpon Springs Middle School
Teacher: Gabrielle Medina
Grade 8

My inspiration for my artwork was Surrealism. The idea of creating something unrealistic and being able to draw anything I want is very inspiring, and I was able to learn and improve my art style at the same
time. When creating my painting, I was able to learn more about watercolor and a lot about perspective.

Sophia Marrero
Worst Nightmare
Painting
Tarpon Springs Middle School
Teacher: Gabrielle Medina
Grade 7

I chose mannequins as a subject to represent a nightmare because I once saw a video that said that kids are afraid of them because they look like people but aren’t—they have no faces and can’t move. In my artwork, the subject hiding was inspired by my sheet ghost Halloween costume. The mannequin and snake are juxtaposed together to create the worst nightmare of the subject, and they chase him as he hides.

Elisabeth Santana
Butterflies of Life
Drawing
Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle School
Teacher: Lizz De La Torre
Grade 7

My artwork is about going through life and slowly becoming free and finding your way. My art shows an elderly man being blown into butterflies. This symbolizes ecoming free and deciding to be happy and live your life. I was inspired to make this because right now in my life, I want to live life to the fullest.

Angelina Melendez
Medusa’s Garden
Drawing
Boca Ciega High School
Teacher: Mark Villinger
Grade 12

The theme of Metamorphosis allowed me to explore the idea of transformation. I decided to select different objects, animals and human beings to represent my defining of metamorphosis. The idea of “things don’t have to be just one way” kept prompting me to change the forms and shapes, as well as the colors.

Britney Meza
Natural Religion
Mixed Media
Boca Ciega High School
Teacher: Mark Villinger
Grade 11

Dali has been my greatest inspiration. My idea began with incorporating my favorite artist into my artwork by making him the central focus, and making him almost celestial or messiah-like. I would like to connect my idea between an artist and singer with how they both present inspirational and almost divine perceptions of themselves. I was very much influenced by the colors of Apparatus and Hand along with the idea of making marker look as much like airbrush as possible.

Kayla Rodrigues
The Moment of Transformation
Painting
Clearwater High School
Teacher: Marcia Reybitz
Grade 12

The concept of this piece was a challenge. The point of the artwork was to illustrate maturity and the conflicts that come with growing up. Within the image, many details are missing; the iris is missing and a person in the coffin has been replaced with a kidney. The environment itself is dead with little bits of life scattered around the picture, with the sky looking the liveliest. The symbol meant to stand out the most was the bright blue seats, replicating those found at airports. A representation of moving on, departing. The devastation and worries are slowly replaced with the blue skies and the idea of moving on represented by the chairs. Life‘s challenges can be left behind and transform into new beginnings.

Remy Griffin
Observational Transformation
Mixed Media
Clearwater High School
Teacher: Clayton Burkey
Grade 12

Shelby Smith
The Weeping Woman
Drawing
Clearwater High School
Teacher: Marcia Reybitz
Grade 11

My artwork is telling a story, the story is how women face harmful body standards. Also, including religion and nature. I believe in Hinduism, so in my art I chose to do the symbol of Lord Ganesha and the Hindu swastika, symbolizing great luck to believers. Shame and harsh beauty standards from society hurt women and change them, as seen with the blood and tears. The skinny face and skeleton neck symbolize how women need to be skinny to be “beautiful” according to society. Unfortunately, this is a part and a way of life. Finally, I added beautiful, long, grey hair to the women representing how society has pressured women to be a specific way for many years.

Summer Landrum-Russell
The Metaphoric Moment
Mixed Media
Clearwater High School
Teacher: Clayton Burkey
Grade 12

Avery Clemens
The Brink Of Agony
Painting
Countryside High School
Teacher: Allyson Leja
Grade 12

Cheyenne Kulesa
Machina
Drawing
Countryside High School
Teacher: Allyson Leja
Grade 12

Devin Strittmatter
Metamorphosis
Mixed Media
Countryside High School
Teacher: Maria Andersen
Grade 11

Lindsay Neufarth
The Intangible Storm
Painting
Countryside High School
Teacher: Allyson Leja
Grade 12

Veronica Mackenzie-Santiago
Fashion Show
Painting
Countryside High School
Teacher: Allyson Leja
Grade 12

Alicia Marcial
Raven
Drawing
Dunedin High School
Teacher: Lilah Schipporeit
Grade 9

When learning the theme, I knew I wanted to have a story
behind it. A metamorphic moment, a transformation. A raven represents death in the world of symbolism. My art which shows the transition from human to raven, we can see the final moments before social norms overwhelm the person. The final moments you could say. The rest of the story writes itself for each viewer.

Avery Krebs
An Open Mind
Sculpture
Dunedin High School
Teacher: Sal Gulino
Grade 12

This piece is inspired by the desire to keep an open mind. To visualize literally how it feels to grasp onto your surroundings. Afraid to be so pessimistic, I find it important to be vulnerable and remind myself to consider the best outcome, and being able to form that into art helps me understand that feeling.

Maya Rossi
All From The Tip Of A Finger
Painting
Dunedin High School
Teacher: Sal Gulino
Grade 12

I wanted to create a piece that although not obvious, there is a transformation present. Flowing figures gravitating towards each other, combining to create one thing. Metamorphosis can be the connecting
of something, along with growing. The artwork is surreal because it is not something you would see in our world, but still reflects conceivable imagery.

Rian Schultz
Melting Away
Drawing
Dunedin High School
Teacher: Lilah Schipporeit
Grade 10

When creating Melting Away, my biggest inspiration was horror. I took my inspiration from horror movies and books I have read in the past. My goal was to create a work of art that both unsettled viewers and related to others feelings of stress and anxiety. I commonly feel as though I want to melt away when in an uncomfortable situation, and I feel as though viewers would relate.

Sarah Gerber
Wheel Of Time
Drawing
Dunedin High School
Teacher: Lilah Schipporeit
Grade 10

When creating this work, Wheel of Time, I focused on using the Surrealist technique automatism. I focused on drawing whatever came to mind, even if it did not necessarily make sense. I used this same technique while creating the title. After creating my piece, I analyzed it and came to the conclusion that it focused on the meaninglessness of time.

Sara Hasne
Spectral Beauty
Drawing
Dunedin High School
Teacher: Lilah Schipporeit
Grade 11

My piece, Spectral Beauty, was inspired by impossible beauty standards that society places on women. I wanted to show how damaging those expectations could be. I also took inspiration from a well-known Asian myth about a victim of a one-sided love. The person in this myth began to vomit flowers which I chose to incorporated into my work.

Sara Smuk
The Stretching Of One’s Self
Drawing
Dunedin High School
Teacher: Sal Gulino
Grade 11

This piece is inspired by the feeling of being stretched and pulled apart by your emotions. The expressions of frustration or confusion and the emotionless and numbness are juxtaposed. It is frustrating to not know how to feel and being tugged around by your own mind. The metamorphosis-theme inspired me to contrast two very different emotions. The busy background can represent the busyness of the mind.

Ariana Khodadoost
Descend
Digital Art
East Lake High School
Teacher: Eileen Iacobucci
Grade 12

Tries to speak, its mouth fills with water. Tries to pull off the tank, it will not budge. The octopus symbolizes the strife that we face, as some of us morph into our greatest fears. We may feel as though we are trapped.
However, we can learn to let our struggles descend, as we overcome them and rise back up. The yin and the yang, we know how to sink before we learn how to float.

Chrys Sison
Feed The Machine
Mixed Media
East Lake High School
Teacher: Rob Golombek
Grade 12

My piece, Feed the Machine, was inspired by the manufacturing of mankind. What does the manufacturing of mankind look like? Surely it isn’t truly like robots being built, but we’re still manufactured in a sense. Workers stuck in cubicles, society establishing an industry standard for how people should look and act… The line between man and machine is slim. Dangerously so.

Delaney Rosson
Emerging Into Perfection
Drawing
East Lake High School
Teacher: Eileen Iacobucci
Grade 12

Metamorphosing into the best version of yourself… a state in which the outer layers of your past fall away and you are centered at the peak of life. Our past experiences help us get to where we are today, and our growth we undergo help us bloom into the people we are destined to become.

Grace Iberg
Rebloom
Digital Art
East Lake High School
Teacher: Eileen Iacobucci
Grade 12

In Buddhism, the lotus symbolizes rebirth because it grows from a dark area within deep mud then eventually reaches the sunlight, which captures all of the flower’s beauty. My metamorphic moment is a woman morphing into a better version of herself through rebirth similar to how the lotus flower morphs into a better version of itself.

Luna Garcia
The Sweetness Within
Drawing
East Lake High School
Teacher: Eileen Iacobucci
Grade 12

With an intake of breath, the aroma of lavender consumes her. Days spent playing in the field resurface. Her cheek dampens as she remembers the insects that chased after her. Now, the bees seem to be the only ones to console her. Using the yellow dust of her flower to make a home out of her heart, her body. Turning her tears into sticky sweetness.

Mikaela Parrish
The Swan Lake
Drawing
East Lake High School
Teacher: Rob Golombek
Grade 11

Taking inspiration from the ballet Swan Lake where Odette transforms from a girl into a swan and back again. Similarly, my piece can be seen in two ways, a dancer leaping under the moon metamorphosizing into a swan as the sun rises. Then the cycle continues as the two become one.

Nicole Bonfiglio
Rest in Peace the Reefs
Digital Art
East Lake High School
Teacher: Eileen Iacobucci
Grade 12

Our environment goes through a metamorphosis over time as humanity evolves. But is our impact a positive one? Our reefs would disagree. They are dying because of our actions. As they fly up to the heavens, they say goodbye to the world they once knew. Can we change their future? Only time will tell.

Kaitlyn Sudduth
Rapunzel’s Confusion
Digital Art
Gibbs High School
Teacher: Steve Beverage
Grade 9

Alina Liashchova
Sunken Mother Earth
Painting
Gibbs High School
Teacher: Brian McAllister
Grade 10

Amanda Vehorn
New Skin: To Discard Or Become
Painting
Gibbs High School
Teacher: Brian McAllister
Grade 10

Angelina Lopez
Love Sick
Digital Art
Gibbs High School
Teacher: Amber Quimby
Grade 11

Jada Calhoun
Growth
Painting
Gibbs High School
Teacher: Amber Quimby
Grade 11

The piece I made was inspired by what I have been exploring through art in school. I wanted to explore the similarities between humans and nature. Although metamorphosis is a unique process on its own, it can still be broken down into basic stages of life, like a human’s life cycle. To represent this, I portrayed both life cycles interacting with each other.

Jayda Emerson
The Moment After Fall
Drawing
Gibbs High School
Teacher: Steve Beverage
Grade 12

Kailyn Placey
The Slippage Of Time Observed
Drawing
Gibbs High School
Teacher: Steve Beverage
Grade 9

Kristopher Minnie
The Deep Sea
Digital Art
Gibbs High School
Teacher: Amber Quimby
Grade 11

When making this piece I looked to create a disturbing image that could express how I imagine the deep sea. The deep sea has always interested me and I found it was a great way to gather creative ideas to reimagine and create this artwork. My learning experience from this piece has helped me develop my skills to create completely original artworks that develop from one idea.

Marcus Rideout
Plasticine Smile
Painting
Gibbs High School
Teacher: Brian McAllister
Grade 10

Natalie Galan
Escape From Samsara
Drawing
Gibbs High School
Teacher: Steve Beverage
Grade 9

Reign Fritz
The Monster He Became
Drawing
Gibbs High School
Teacher: Steve Beverage
Grade 12

Verity Skelton
The Moulting Of Memory
Drawing
Gibbs High School
Teacher: Steve Beverage
Grade 9

Chau Huynh
Island Bones
Drawing
Hollins High School
Teacher: Heather Shell
Grade 10

Alessandra Williams-Kemmerer
Nothing Is Valued Here
Digital Art
Lakewood High School
Teacher: Sandra Bourne
Grade 10

The exhibit’s theme was a major influencer on what the piece ended up as- insectoid legs, cicada wings, and some sort of momentous thing, something that would make a massive change in your life. I tried my best to make it feel as monumental as the creature looks, especially to the small fella beneath.

Cayla Lyman
The Forest Of Innocuous Fungus
Painting
Lakewood High School
Teacher: Sandra Bourne
Grade 10

The Forest of Innocuous Fungus is based on the idea that
no one is perfect and that everyone has good and bad
flaws. The mushrooms shown are a metaphor for our
imperfect lives. That is due to the various types of fungi
that could be dangerous or beneficial to our bodies.

Ava Melton
Man-Eater
Sculpture
Largo High School
Teacher: Lisa Bagley
Grade 12

My artwork resembles Medusa, but the title of my artwork is different from the story of Medusa herself. Man-Eater resembles a beautiful woman who has a lot of power over men; the snakes scare off anybody who comes too close.

Ava Menke
The Transition
Drawing
Largo High School
Teacher: Erik Nordstrom
Grade 10

My metamorphosis artwork is a representation of changes butterflies go though as they develop, emphasizing the idea that after undergoing metamorphosis, butterflies are substantially different. They show the transition.

Bich Thi Mai
Drift
Painting
Largo High School
Teacher: Erik Nordstrom
Grade 10

My goal for this piece was to create a sense of unity. The muted color palette lets everything blend. The fish represents us, drifting along with many other things in life. I wanted to showcase how in life, everything flows together effortlessly without us knowing.

Caeton Barber
Serpentress
Mixed Media
Largo High School
Teacher: Erik Nordstrom
Grade 10

Jason (Anneka) Berg
Serpentive
Drawing
Largo High School
Teacher: Erik Nordstrom
Grade

I wanted to exhibit the way metamorphosis affects the balance of the world. As snakes shed their skin, they become a new creature, with different scales than the last. Clouds change shape as we stare at them, never in the same place again. This ominous juxtaposition of change against the stable tranquility of the girl forms a connection between our physical reality and the unknown of a dreamlike state.

Lana Newalu
Seasick
Drawing
Largo High School
Teacher: Erik Nordstrom
Grade 9

This work is especially important to me because it is the first thing I have made that I have been proud of in a while. I was inspired by the feeling of wanting to escape. In my piece, a girl reads a book, and is transported to the ocean, even though she is only in her living room. The book morphs into the sea that she so desperately wants to visit.

Sofia Figueroa
Scylla
Sculpture
Largo High School
Teacher: Lisa Bagley
Grade 12

Hadleigh Kreger
Finding New Light
Mixed Media
Northeast High School
Teacher: Kevin Olis
Grade 12

The main change occurring in this piece is the rising and setting of the sun and moon. As the light from the sun is still visible, it is melting the wings of the butterfly. The butterfly is seeking to find a new source of light not only to better itself, but also to create a new normal in its changing environment. Change does not always mean one thing and it is important to recognize it.

Joanna Godfrey
Forced Change
Drawing
Northeast High School
Teacher: Kevin Olis
Grade 12

Forced Change is a take on the pain of beauty. Although
something may turn out stunning and entrancing, if
one does not consent to the suffering then it becomes
hideous. The darkness consumes the person. Rain
comes to highlight the vulnerability of loneliness
and toil. The charcoal utilized in this piece perfectly
illustrates the messy nature of such a change, focusing
on the shambolic metamorphosis of an individual.

Reyna Schemel-Jones
Room no. Dalí
Drawing
Northeast High School
Teacher: Kevin Olis
Grade 12

I started this piece by researching pieces that scream surrealism. I found two photos online, one called “Diviare, Salvador Dalí, Oscar Tusquets Blanca ” and another of a picture of Dalí by “Mental Floss, Salvador Dalí Artist Facts”. In my mind I saw these two photos collide. By the time completed  “Room no. Dalí” I realized I created a piece that morphed from a room to face and back again.

Isabel Mahoney
Nightmares
Drawing
Osceola Fundamental High School
Teacher: Julianna Guccione
Grade 10

Jenny Li
Freeze
Digital Art
Osceola Fundamental High School
Teacher: Julianna Guccione
Grade 11

My piece was inspired by a recent discovery of an island
dominated by snakes called Ilha da Queimada Grande off
the coast of Brazil. Learning about this, I thought about
one of the three monstrous Gorgons, named Medusa.
This piece represents metamorphosis because Medusa’s
head was merged with the ‘Snake Island’ which in all was
representing the island and how it’s dominated by snakes.

Kassidy Woestmann
Representation
Drawing
Osceola Fundamental High School
Teacher: Julianna Guccione
Grade 11

For this project, I took into account the theme, metamorphosis, and my own interpretation of it. I showed metamorphosis by showing a beetle going through all the stages of metamorphosis, from egg to beetle. I also incorporated surrealism into this by making the bug people mutants and adding a strange background.

Monserrat Hernandez Alamilla
Deathly Dance
Digital Art
Osceola Fundamental High School
Teacher: Julianna Guccione
Grade 9

My painting shows how life and death plays a role in our universe, sometimes even dancing with each other. I did this by creating a hideous creature wearing the face of death, as well as dancing with it.

Paige Williams
Adaptation
Painting
Osceola Fundamental High School
Teacher: Julianna Guccione
Grade 10

My piece demonstrates the metamorphosis of nature. Humans have an extreme impact on the environment and climate, which can make survival difficult for many plants and animals. My painting represents the idea that nature must go through a metamorphosis to become more like humans in order to survive in changing conditions. This is shown by a cicada emerging from its shell in a human form, and the branches of trees in the background taking the form of human faces.

Sophia Giannotti
Etherial
Painting
Osceola Fundamental High School
Teacher: Julianna Guccione
Grade 11

The shining orb of hope is all-consuming,
It makes you want to soar above,
And absorb all it has to offer.
As the years go on,
Things begin to get dimmer, darker and wiser.
This hope is never forgotten,
But hidden behind a cloak of time.

Dana Moorehouse
Pedisitic Façade
Drawing
Palm Harbor University High School
Teacher: Wipoj Huse
Grade 10

Pedisitic Facade is a play on “parasitic” and the Latin root “ped,” which means “child.” The parasite sucks up liquid from the doll, representing someone taking joy and happiness from a child as they leave the child empty. This is the metamorphosis, as the doll looks less and less lively and will never be the same. The parasite wears a mask, disguising itself as human to hide its disgusting reality.

Grace Raszka
The Unusual Growth
Painting
Palm Harbor University High School
Teacher: Wipoj Huse
Grade 11

The exhibits theme reminded me of an idea I had a while ago, to have a box placed in an unusual place (dislocation) with something growing out of a TV
(transformation). I chose a flower with clock features that symbolizes Dalí’s use of clocks in his work. The way the flower is growing out of a nonliving object is surreal and adds to the change of nature. My method to create this was to add unusual items, just like Dalí.

Laney Reed
Metamorphosis
Drawing
Palm Harbor University High School
Teacher: Wipoj Huse
Grade 10

This piece is about transitioning. When I saw the theme, I thought about the life cycle of a butterfly. So, I decided to use the life stages of, specifically, a Blue Morpho Butterfly to convey the steps of transitioning. From feeling odd and wrong in your body, to feeling trapped, to finally feeling free and yourself, being transgender is a surreal, but beautiful thing.

Leana Brogan
Rot
Digital Art
Palm Harbor University High School
Teacher: Wipoj Huse
Grade 12

The thing that inspired me to make this piece is the history of famous people and their eventual downfall, either by their own hands or outside forces, focusing on the iconic face of Marilyn. This work is very important
to me; it is one of my most realistic, effort-filled pieces. I used Procreate on my iPad, exploring different values and textures to give it a real but almost uncanny feeling. I definitely learned about value shading, light working
and grayscale. What makes the art the surreal is the way I was able to split her face using transformation and fill it with HEAVY symbolism pertaining to her and her life.

Natalia Derylo
Mediocre Media
Painting
Palm Harbor University High School
Teacher: Wipoj Huse
Grade 10

I was inspired to do this piece during my English class when we discussed the pros and the cons of the film adaptations of books. The original story is often changed due to the influence of the director’s unique interpretation of the book, which limits the viewer’s ability to interpret a story on their own. By using transformation, I was able to show this change and how the end result is not as impressive as it may seem.

Reighla Hill
Mutation
Drawing
Palm Harbor University High School
Teacher: Wipoj Huse
Grade 12

This work was inspired by a strong monster design I did back in 2018. “How can I do this and still follow the Dalí techniques?” Mutation becomes surreal
through its mutation of a human body becoming a grotesque monster. My process—I sketched it and retouched it, then I began on my final paper. I explored scale, contrast, juxtaposition, dislocation and texture. From this project I learned that it’s okay to expand my horizons and try out new techniques. This was a fun art – don’t be afraid of trying something new!

Estella Nguyen
Change Of Heart
Mixed Media
Pinellas Park High School
Teacher: Dana Smalley
Grade 12

When I initially heard of the art theme, “Metamorphosis”, I immediately thought of the natural changes of the world. As time passes, I can see myself and others changing, adapting and overcoming the adversity that governs our lives. This piece represents the growth of an individual starting from within the heart and spreading outwards.

Jae Pasilan
Who I Am
Digital Art
Pinellas Park High School
Teacher: Kelly Kreps
Grade 12

What inspired me were the aesthetic categories of art called “Weirdcore” and Vaporwave”. This art piece is important to me because my best friend and boyfriend helped me. The face consists of us three. I took png photos and collaged them everywhere. Some of them are hand drawn, others are from the internet, and a small portion were photographed by me. I actually learned that I progress properly with the people I am closest with, it was fun working with them and I plan to work as a group again.

Leana Patt
Spider City
Drawing
Pinellas Park High School
Teacher: Kelly Kreps
Grade 10

My inspiration for this was everything that brings me joy, everything that I love. I have been playing guitar for over 12 years and the music inspires me. The ocean and the city bring me joy and comfort. I love the calmness of the night, the power of the fire and the strength of the wolf. My drawing is all the things that I love, that inspire me and that let me create pictures in my mind that I can paint later.

Samantha Davis-Castro
Dreamer
Drawing
Pinellas Park High School
Teacher: Kelly Kreps
Grade 11

My work is inspired by surreal art. Seeing the prompt as surreal, it gave me many ideas as to what to make. You can see surrealism in my art through the humanoid man and unordinary things in strange places. I also took inspiration from the concept of and abstraction of dreams. Therefore, giving the name Dreamer.

Aaliyah Gray
Life in a Barren Place
Digital Art
Seminole High School
Teacher: Blaine Barden
Grade 12

The meaning of metamorphosis means transformation. I interpreted this theme by wanting to turn a natural process into something almost organic, but not exactly. The human embryo develops through the nutrients of
its guardian. In a barren place, like the desert, life needs to find creative ways to survive day by day. Shown is a blue toned embryo surviving by means of a split geode rock. The crimson sands and golden clouds draw contrast to the embryo, in its icy palette. Under the golden light, its skin reflects tremendously. A slimy feel to the now bursting embryo; greeted by the unwelcoming world. It leaves the wonder: what happens now to this creature?

Alexis Gniewosz
Inside The Hive
Digital Art
Seminole High School
Teacher: Blaine Barden
Grade 12

In my piece, I wanted to show the inner workings of a beehive, mixed with elements of gothic architecture. In the corner there is a bee breaking free of a statue, experiencing metamorphosis, while in the back there are gargoyles pouring honey onto a sea of honeycombs below. There are also honeycombs off in the distance, which are parts of the hive being built. Above the bee and the statue there is a stained glass window shining light
down on them making them the focal point of the piece.

Brendan Sperry
Metal Meloneye
Digital Art
Seminole High School
Teacher: Blaine Barden
Grade 12

For this work, I started by drawing a character with a worm’s eye view perspective as practice, which I ended up liking and using. Afterwards, I brainstormed ideas on what would be surreal, eventually coming up with
a metal ball splitting in half, revealing a melon on the inside, being pulled on by chains. I realized that eyes could work as the things connected to the chains and ball, as if they were eyestalks. I wanted to make them
made of metal as well, to give metallic textures to nonmetal things. For the background, I decided to make an explosion with contrasting colors.

Sara Slocum
A Shifted Ordinary
Digital Art
Seminole High School
Teacher: Blaine Barden
Grade 12

In this work, ordinary things are shifted into different perspectives and the idea of a metaphoric moment is explored. A small girl is lying on a mushroom whose spots have gone through a metamorphosis, turning into eyes. The snake has experienced metamorphosis as its’ rattle has changed into a honey dipper that is dripping with glowing honey. Under the mushroom, is a city within the grass where grass has changed into lamp posts. Everything in this piece is either smaller or larger than normal, or has
experienced some sort of metamorphic moment.

Ava Kerns
Tender Octahedron
Mixed Media
Tarpon Springs High School
Teacher: Jessica Marmorale
Grade 10

When I think of Surrealism, I think of the old sci-fi graphic novels at thrift stores, full of bright contrasting colors and interesting shapes. I tried to reflect this in my art, taking inspiration from Moroccan and Russian revivalist architecture for the palace in the background, and using floating tetrahedral shapes and spacecraft to create Surrealism. The most satisfying part of this project was outlining everything in pen. Metamorphosis can be seen in the transformation from our reality to a sci-fi one with endless possibilities.

Elisabetta Dosi
Foolish Ego
Painting
St. Petersburg High School
Teacher: Jenny Trewin
Grade 12

The myth of Narcissus and Echo notes the downfall of ego, and how foolishness only presents clown-like behaviors. Both characters fell in love with something unattainable to them, and when they tried to reach the stars, they fell back down to earth. Their death presented their rebirth, their revival created new pieces of nature, separated but connected by their selfishness.

Jorden Schutte
Siren’s Trap
Mixed Media
Tarpon Springs High School
Teacher: Jessica Marmorale
Grade 11

Siren’s Trap is based on people’s sweet facades towards others and an internal metamorphosis. One moment people can be so kind and caring toward you and the next use that same kindness as guilt and leverage. A
siren calls fishermen toward them with their gorgeous voice and kindness, snatching them up the moment they let their guard down. I wanted to incorporate that idea into my artwork. I used vibrant but dark tones and
colors to make the piece look comfortable but dark to look at and think about. This work’s theme is important to think deeply about not only to protect yourself from that trauma but also to help protect others from it.

Lee Chemlen
Watching Him Wither with Time
Mixed Media
Tarpon Springs High School
Teacher: Jessica Marmorale
Grade 10

From the work of Salvador Dalí himself, I became intrigued with the idea of making imagery that one could only see in one’s dreams. I personally have
a history of drawing scenes that take place in my somewhat unsettling dreams and nightmares. Using a combination of watercolor and inking pens, I created the melting and withering effect resembling the aging metamorphosis of a figure I once saw in a dream.

Nevana Taylor
Blooming Transfiguration
Mixed Media
Tarpon Springs High School
Teacher: Jessica Marmorale
Grade 12

I was inspired by gender transformation in relation to metamorphosis. Specifically, how that conversion influences the individual, and the sharp contrast of societal views upon the person once they have blossomed. This work is important because it conveys an ability to thrive despite chaos and prejudice surrounding you, as well as being a tribute to the trials that transgender people often endure.

Sarah Ramsdell
Feline Feast
Mixed Media
Tarpon Springs High School
Teacher: Jessica Marmorale
Grade 12

This work is meant to explore the inhumane consumption of meat and how that creates the idea of metamorphosis—changing humans from the predators to prey. A cat is fulfilling the role of a human to draw attention to the detachment that people often have to the animals that they are consuming. Through utilizing a vibrant color palette, I aimed to make the piece visually compelling while conveying deeper meaning.

Sav Mangin
Relapse And Rebirth
Mixed Media
Tarpon Springs High School
Teacher: Jessica Marmorale
Grade 11

Symbolically, mushrooms are very versatile in their meaning. They can represent death, rebirth, even psychedelic drugs—and this is where I found my initial idea. I decided to focus on drug use, metamorphosis and rebirth. Specifically looking at pharmaceutical versus recreational drugs. It shows how, situationally, two of the same things can have monumentally different effects. The piece uses the theme of metamorphosis not only literally, but also symbolically with this transition from harm to help.