“the metamorphic moment“
Initiated in 1985, this annual juried art exhibition presents work by Pinellas middle and high school students whom are invited to explore ideas and visions similar to those explored by Salvador Dalí and the surrealists. This year, the theme is “The Metamorphic Moment,” a theme that encourages students to explore the process and meaning of transformation through time, myth and literature.
Metamorphosis is “a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means.” With insects or amphibians, metamorphosis is “the process of transformation from an immature form to an adult form in two or more distinct stages.” Metamorphosis relates to the age-old experience of looking at clouds and recognizing familiar images, like seeing a face transition into a bird. The concept is also woven into our culture. In Greek mythology, metamorphosis explains Zeus’ transformation into a swan to visit Leda, or Daphne turning into a laurel tree to escape Apollo’s advances. In modern culture, Kafka’s short story, “The Metamorphosis,” focuses on Gregor Samsa’s inexplicable transformation into a cockroach. In X-Men, Mystique is a shapeshifter who can morph into another shape or state at will. Western culture is bound by both the delight and terror of metamorphosis. In some situations, it is seen as a punishment, while in other contexts, it is seen as a superpower.
In the visual arts, metamorphosis is often the domain of the surrealists. From René Magritte to Max Ernst, the representation of metamorphosis is a central subject. One of Salvador Dalí’s most celebrated skills was his ability to see the world differently, recognize how to see something transform into something completely different by simply by refocusing one’s view, then use his refined techniques to capture that vision for others to see.
“The Metamorphic Moment” theme invites students to reflect on the idea of metamorphosis and create their own visual interpretation of “the metamorphic moment.” All 2D media types are welcomed and encouraged as submissions.
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middle school
Alphabetical order by school
(Click images to enlarge)
Lillian Bodenhorn
Rabid Rabbit
Ink
Buffalo Creek Middle School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Tatiana Hernandez
Grade: 8
Something that inspired me was the concept of bunnies. I think they are really cool and scary. When I see my artwork, I think of the feeling of being trapped—not being able to speak, running as fast as you can but still going nowhere, trying to get away from the darkness but for it to only get darker.
Hannah Rene
Look…Watch…Form
Watercolor and colored pencil
Buffalo Creek Middle School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Tatiana Hernandez
Grade: 7
The meaning behind Look…. Watch… Form… is basically to accept who we are. This is why it looks like they are reaching for each other. I used watercolor for the base colors and colored pencils and pencils for shading. The person on the right is a creature with a mix of human emotions. The body on the left is somewhat a human body. This took a while, but it was worth it.
Kaleb Hernandez
Steampunk Sea
Prismacolors
Conway Middle School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Amanda Morehead
Grade: 7
My drawing is inspired by my own world that exists in my dreams. I am very influenced by the steampunk style. I chose to include my version of steampunk ships flying through the clouds at midnight when there was a full moon. This artwork reminds me of how amazing the world could be and I hope it encourages the viewer to never stop dreaming.
Allie Lewis
Split Earth Problems
Watercolor paint
Davidsen Middle School Center for the Arts
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Vanessa Smith
Grade: 7
I created this work to illustrate the growing problems occurring in our world. Climate change has been looming in the shadows and was declared a national issue in June of 1988. Soon, Europe and the United States were seeing a 1.89 degree increase in their heat index and some smaller countries climbed even higher. Split Earth Problems demonstrates the increasing impact that oil, machines, greenhouse gasses, litter, and other types of pollutions have on our Earth.
Celie Ngo
Invasion of Le Cygne
Colored pencil and marker
Davidsen Middle School Center for the Arts
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Vanessa Smith
Grade: 8
Katelyn Calovich
Between Seasons
Mix Media
Dr. Mona Jain Middle School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Jeannie Mendez
Grade: 8
I love watching the season’s transform into something remarkable. For me, nature is an exquisite thing. My artwork became surreal when I transformed the lightbulb into a hot air balloon and drew the beach inside. The exhibit’s theme influenced me by showing that seasons change overtime, just like people do. In good or bad ways, they evolve.
S’Mya Duncan
We’re All High
Watercolor
Explorer K-8
Hernando County
Art Teacher: Melanie Dilly
Grade: 7
My artwork is of a woman being reborn from the remains of a man after fighting for power. As you can see, the woman won. As a person who identifies as a P.O.C and as a woman, it is important to me that we are treated equally. After years of oppression, we deserve to be in power now.
Dominic Dorado
Type Three
Drawing pencils, micron pens and alcohol-based markers
Glades Middle School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Mirena Suarez
Grade: 8
Type Three is inspired by two YouTube videos – a freeze-frame image from the video The Mandala Catalogue, volume 1, and an Analogue Horror video explaining what “alternates” are and what to do in the event of an alternate encounter. My image depicts two faces, one a normal person, the other a category 3 of the “alternate.” The alternate is a highly dangerous species – they pose as humans with the intent to remake the Earth in their image. They look like us, but with biological impossible characteristics. Some have abnormalities including long limbs and large heads. Some have no face, and are emotionless. My goal with this piece was to make you feel that you are in danger.
Natalia Gomez
Merged
Mixed media
Glades Middle School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Mirena Suarez
Grade: 8
My work started as a sketch. I wanted to work with animals, and I wanted it to look realistic. Goats are interesting to me because they look cute and are outgoing and energetic. I decided to transform the animal, and tried to think of places you would not normally find animals. I included bars to make it look like my abomination was in jail. It reminds a science experiment or mutation. I call it Merged because it is merging many different animals into one. On a deep level, my work is an exploration of how people go to great lengths to fit into society. This a exacerbated by social media’s standards of success or beauty. People transform themselves into a mix of many things of which they are not – a mutation.
Valeska Luna
Klara
Pencil
Hammocks Middle School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Katherine Martinez
Grade: 8
My inspiration was the principal character of my favorite book – Klara. My artwork represents anxiety. It is one of the most known mental disorders and it can affect anyone, yet many people think it is not “real” or they just do not care about it. But I know how it feels. I wanted to represent how this can feel, the feeling of being alone, judged, observed, lost.
Luna Vega
Entangled
Paper, pencil, charcoal
Hammocks Middle School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Katherine Martinez
Grade: 7
André Breton and Dorothea Tanning inspired me to make the piece. The theme really inspired me to think outside the box. This piece means a lot to me because I put all my thoughts into one drawing. I started collaging images together, then I drew with charcoal and pencil. It is both dreamlike and strange; collaging helped to produce these ideas.
Sharon Hecker
The Cheese Recipe
Prismacolor pencil
Highland Oaks Middle School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Anna Weiss
Grade: 8
I explore this year’s theme “Metamorphosis” by combining two unrelated things – cheese and paper. The paper and a slice of cheese have similar shape, but they are totally different objects. The concept of changing a piece of paper into a piece of cheese seemed intriguing, especially when that paper happened to be a cheese recipe from a cookbook. I loved adding humor to this Surrealist artwork.
Angel Rivera
Slithering from Change
Graphite on Paper
Hill-Gustat Middle School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Megan Ekenstedt
Grade: 8
People often try to escape from their past. However, more often than not, your past self will catch up with you no matter how hard you try to leave it behind. My work, Slithering from Change, emerged as a way for me to express my subject’s desire to escape from the past. While many people believe change to be a welcomed event, the monochrome palate I used was intended to convey that change isn’t always a cheerful nor enjoyable process. This was my first exploration into Surrealism and I hope to further my abilities while I explore this area of the art world.
Julius Handford
Hatched Entity
Colored pencil
Jewett Middle Academy
Polk County
Art Teacher: Caitlin Friedenstein
Grade: 7
My piece is called Hatched Entity. There is no name for the entity. It is a creature that just exists, in a void area, with its creators. The artwork has three characters to it. They represent an intercultural family. The cookie on the left is the father and the basketball on the right is the mother. The entity is a combination of the cookie and the basketball hatching out of an egg. The purple background represents the void they are trying to exist in as an intercultural family.
Madison Shetterly
Mad Batter
Mixed Media
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy
Polk County
Art Teacher: Areti Clark
Grade: 8
My art incorporates various surreal techniques, including dislocation, including the wooden spoon through the subject’s ears, and the sprinkles pouring down. The sprinkles represent freckles, the egg as her eye, and so on. Metamorphic symbolism is shown by the ingredients transforming into a cupcake. The pastry chef is being converted into this delicacy, becoming one with the ingredients to show she is engulfed in what she loves.
Tatiana Laput
Metamorphic Man
Marker on canvas
Ronald McNair Magnet Middle
School
Brevard County
Art Teacher: Jennifer Bergendahl
Grade: 8
This artwork was inspired by a dream. The man you see is free-falling. He is translucent which allows him to become whatever he chooses to be. Some consider this a desirable quality, the ability to fit into any place. However, Metamorphosis Man desperately wants to have his own identity. The Amulet around his neck was passed down from his Navy ancestors. He holds it and looks at it to help him find where he belongs in hopes to become his own man.
Jack Fravel
Cocoon
Digital
Rochelle School of the Arts
Polk County
Art Teacher: Rick Runion
Grade: 8
Zoe Sweeny
Coming Out
Colored pencil
Rochelle School of the Arts
Polk County
Art Teacher: Brandie King
Grade: 6
Kaylin Waller
Melting
Colored pencil
Rochelle School of the Arts
Polk County
Art Teacher: Simoni
Limeira-Bonadies
Grade: 7
Melting is what my artwork is called because sometimes the world can be a bad place. So, if you are sad, just melt into your favorite thing to do, such as music, sleeping, art, etc.
Austen Bergbom
Snatching Life
Photography and digital
Rowlett Middle Academy
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Brittany Braniger
Grade: 7
Pollution and nature inspired this art piece. I express metamorphic moment by making the hands come out of the trees; all the elements of life are being dragged down by the hands into the water. It represents surrealism because there are so many different weird unreal things happening. It represents all the things I love being dragged down.
Nia Raulerson
Carving Contest
Photography and digital
Rowlett Middle Academy
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Brittany Braniger
Grade: 7
This piece was inspired by pumpkin carving. I wanted to have a dark twist on surrealism because those are the vibes it gives off to me. This art piece shows the other point of view which I want the viewer to be left thinking about. Looking in the other person’s point of view is important to understand any issue.
Laura Bone
Seeing Clearly
Mixed Media
Sims Middle School
Santa Rosa County
Art Teacher: Michele Dinwiddie
Grade: 8
My inspiration, in a way, was trying to project my mind into an image. I wanted to connect with the viewers, especially those that are like-minded. The exhibit gave me an outlet to express myself fully and openly. Drawing inspiration from the concept that the eyes are the window to the soul, my hope was to express myself. The surrealist techniques and concepts allowed me the opportunity to feel like I could accurately unveil the inner workings of my mind.
Olivia Marrero
Ondulado
Mixed Media
South Miami K-8 Center
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Lisa Oberlander
Grade: 7
The theme “metamorphosis” inspired me to create a piece that is supposed to be crazy and weird. I decided to incorporate eyeballs and mushrooms since drawing them was always something that I did for fun and something that I love. My method was to keep my idea in my head the whole time, so I didn’t lose that mindset. As I was creating my piece, I learned that there are so many types of mushrooms out there that I did not even know existed. I used mushrooms in the veins of the eyes to create a surreal feeling.
Jose Romagoza
The Axolot
Digital photography and collage
South Miami K-8 Center
Dade County
Art Teacher: Xonia Regalado
Grade: 8
Inspired by the beauty and feel of nature, I want the viewer to know that if you give up, you won’t reach big dreams. The metamorphosis theme influenced me to incorporate the importance of caring for animals and nature. I connected to the idea by understanding and using surrealist strategies and methods of work. My method was using the online photo-editing tool, Photo pea, to create a surreal mash-up of creatures in a natural dreamlike setting.
Sebastian Mendieta
Man
Colored pencil and marker
St. Theresa Catholic School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Christine Prieto
Grade: 7
This artwork is connected to me because I love to draw and create cartoons. I repositioned “the guy”, and instead of drawing different steps to create one picture, I spread out those steps into a series of a person falling. I learned that it is harder to draw in the early stages. It is surreal because it is a drawing of a man slowly getting reanimated while falling. The drawing itself is a form of evolution.
Isabella Salazar
The Secret of the Valley of Roses
Marker, colored pencil, pen
St. Theresa Catholic School Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Elisa Cantero
Grade: 7
Roses inspired me. What if they could grow into monsters? I love scary movies and TV, so I wanted to transform a creature from my favorite show, Stranger Things. I wanted to create something surreal and mystical. The red sky has several moons. The valley is empty except for the roses. But the valley has a secret: all the roses come alive. The petals grow teeth, the stems become bodies, and the leaves become arms.
Andrea Hernandez
The Lobster Man
Mixed Media collage
Timber Springs Middle
Orange County
Art Teacher: Amber Estes
Grade: 6
I was inspired by Dalí’s Lobster Phone. I used metamorphosis to show what it’s like to be seen as a monster and becoming it. I wanted to show how he feels scared while changing into a lobster.
Madeline Katz
Ghosts in My Head
Digital
Wedgefield K-8
Orange County
Art Teacher: Ellen Kramer
Grade: 7
When I was creating Ghosts in my Head, I wanted it to look like what it feels like to have a lot on someone’s mind. The ghosts symbolized all the different thoughts and feelings in someone’s head. The person in the middle symbolizes the person experiencing this feeling. The flowers covering their eyes show how someone can be blinded with all the things on their mind.
high school
Alphabetical order by school
Delfina Gambaro
90% Chance of Cherries
Acrylic paint on canvas board
All Saints Academy
Polk County
Art Teacher: Nancy Fonseca
Grade: 9
My color theory assignment was to paint a cherry exactly without using black. Then, inspired by Dali’s Surrealism, it transitioned into the metamorphosis moment of clouds “raining cherries.” The cherries are now morphing into hot air balloons.
Rania Brown
The Secret Ingredient
Colored pencil and pen
AP Mays Conservatory of the Arts
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Gerald Obregon
Grade: 12
I want the viewer to know to challenge their imagination. Someone who greatly inspired me was Salvador Dali. I made this piece by asking my friend to randomly name three objects: I noticed that randomization of objects is a common theme. Surrealism is one of my favorite art themes since it is an interesting way to connect unrelated elements together. I favor this style since it is similar to a fever dream.
Yaditzel Mendoza
Waking Nightmare
Colored pencil
AP Mays Conservatory of the Arts
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Gerald Obregon
Grade: 9
I was inspired by a passage from my reading class about a man turning into a life-sized insect. I imagined a person turning into, a beetle screaming in fear and scared that someone could find out. The metamorphosis theme led me to recreate the image I had in my head. I first drew with markers then I drawer in color pencils to give it more of a smooth affect.
Sarahi Quevedo
Coordination
Acrylic
AP Mays Conservatory of the Arts
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Gerald Obregon
Grade: 10
What inspired me was Salvador Dali’s art. I wanted to draw something suggesting the world of Surrealism. Surrealist art is unique and interesting to look at. What makes this important work to me is its beauty, value, creativity and how it stands out. My method for creating the work was to throw in a mix of items and objects and then making them all fall into place.
Tyler Chase
Skeletons at a Crossroad
Oil on canvas
Conway Middle School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Amanda Hunt
Grade: 12
The inspiration for my painting was Dalí and how he used Surrealism to capture where he grew up, his desires, and his dreams. My painting takes place at a crossroads in my hometown. The symbolism of the crossroads represents a metamorphosis I recently experienced that shifted the course of my future. The sky represents my future, revealing a glimpse of the artists who inspire me and how I strive to be.
Ridjy Hilaire
Tree Breeze
Scratch board and chewing gum wrappers
Boynton Beach Community High School
Palm Beach County
Art Teacher: Gwenn Seuling
Grade: 11
Tree Breeze consists of scratchboard and aluminum foil from a chewing gum wrapper. It shows a tree bending in the wind and taking form with the wind, changing and morphing its form, and starting to bend. I wanted to do something different; I have been working on scratchboard for a while and when I finished the piece something did not feel right, so out of nowhere I had a gum wrapper and started to peel it back. That is when the idea came to me to make something unexpected out of the ordinary. The reason I do art is that it brings different ideas to me in a way I myself don’t understand and just expands my mind. That is what I expect Tree Breeze is going to bring to you – something curious and thought-provoking. The idea of working with unexpected materials appeals to me.
Aureus Claudio
Re:Birth
Procreate digital print
Brandon High School
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Erin Mulvihill Luke
Grade: 12
An entity resembling a human, of which inherited elements seem to be butterflies. In a stage of our life, we experience a “rebirth” where we feel new to the world again and our eyes are open to completely new concepts. This vision gives us wings. Some of us feel the life and energy in nature around us. We embody something beyond typical human identity. There is no physical form we can take that can represent us. The changes we’ve gone through and what we’ve become. We are butterflies in a world of caterpillars.
Jennifer Lopez Ricardo
Eyeland
Watercolor paint and colored pencil
Brandon High School
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Erin Mulvihill Luke
Grade: 12
The “Eyeland” is that place all the unwanted go to, all raptured and taken to join and be one with the island. Don’t visit. Many don’t and this catches the island’s attention, looking in its eyes will suck you in.
Alexis Funes Mejia
Windows of Imagination
Digital
Charles W. Flanagan High School
Broward County
Teacher: Jamie Filo
Grade: 11
Your voice is a mechanism of self-expression. Simple words have the power to bring about imagination & creation; they create a tropical environment in my work – waves, calm breeze, palm trees and even bananas. Language can create a whole new, intricate world that could not have existed without it. This piece shows what can come from the imagination after the use of words & language.
Stacey Mwangi
The Unholy Trinity
Ceramic clay, rope, cardboard
Charles W. Flanagan High School
Broward County
Art Teacher: Darlene
Vasano-Jones
Grade: 12
The theme surrounding this artwork is mental illnesses and their physical expression. This piece is influenced by manic depression. Each face dramatizes the emotions experienced during an episode. From left to right, the faces express depression, fury, and mania.
Alicia Minaya Ramos
All Eyes on You
Digital
Charles W. Flanagan High School
Broward County
Teacher: Jamie Filo
Grade: 10
My art is about how people put their eyes on you, making you want to look away and keep going. The mushroom is closing its eyes because of the other eyes. The eyes are leaves that are falling down from a vine. The mushroom doesn’t want to be looked at. The art piece was inspired by Salvador Dalí. He combines human features with objects and natural forms. I decided to use those in my art.
Destiny Lester
Disguise
Colored pencil and watercolor
Citrus High School
Citrus County
Art Teacher: Nancy Klark
Grade: 10
Surrealism is really enjoyable for me- there are other art styles, but Surrealism is more captivating. I believe that not all art comes from the mind, from other art styles that influence your own. This is the first time doing a mixed media piece, and it showed me that trying new ways of working isn’t really that bad.
Cyres West
Tongues and Teeth
Graphite
Citrus High School
Art Teacher: Nancy Klark
Grade: 11
I didn’t know what I was drawing, but most likely I drew it because Surrealist stuff is the most fun to draw in my opinion. I can make it look as strange as I want. It is what I draw best… also, it looks funny.
Annabell Hernandez
Horse in the Land of Peppers
Acrylic
Coral Reef Senior High School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Grace Cox
Grade: 10
I feel inspired by horses and how their coats reflect light. The horse, in addition to bright colors, should bring a feeling of reminiscence and childhood memories to mind. By rendering the horse in realistic, dark tones, the bright colors I chose emerge and enhance the subject. In fusing several unrelated ideas of childhood such as horses, birds, and clouds into one, I hoped to create a dreamlike scene evoking nostalgia.
Isaac Edward
Drowning Sundial
Pen and ink
Coral Reef Senior High
Dade County
Art Teacher: Perri Cox
Grade: 10
The clock can be interpreted as overarching time. Water incorporated with the clock can constitute the time one has left, or time being “flooded”. By including the distorted perspective of the clock through the bowl, time can be interpreted as being warped further. I hope to intrigue the viewer in wonder and to think on their time left on this earth – is the glass half-full or half-empty? How much time do we have left? What is reality?
Veronica Garcia
Watching Washing
Pen and ink
Coral Reef Senior High
Dade County
Art Teacher: Perri Cox
Grade: 10
Although my dreams begin in ordinary places, they quickly twist into nightmarish hellscapes where I cannot do anything but watch as I panic. This theme provides a way to illustrate this fear. Using linear perspective, I pull the viewer to the center before the hidden oddities throughout the piece can be explored. Through the transformation of the eye to the machine, my dreams turn into a surrealist artwork.
Anne Reichle
Windows to the Soul
Pen and ink
Coral Reef Senior High
Dade County
Art Teacher: Perri Cox
Grade: 10
Everything about eyes has always fascinated me – how they are all unique, how they absorb light, how they shape what we see and how we perceive each other. By using a variety of lines and values, I create movement – drawing the viewer to the eyes, which are often called windows to the soul. I wanted to portray how eyes are connected to our hearts and ultimately express who we are.
Richard Riley
Inevitable
Digital painting with Photoshop
Cypress Lake High School Center for the Arts
Lee County
Art Teacher: Marguerite Petcher
Grade: 12
This piece is about inevitability, and my expression towards events that I had claimed to be out of my control. I made the piece so that individuals could interpret it in any way they choose. Although most people will take the inevitable event to be death, it was made to express my struggle with weight gain/loss and how I have wrongly acclimated myself to my inability to change my body.
Skyla Gronigan
Montezuma’s Cattleheart
Colored pencils and markers
Dr. Phillips High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Abigail Callaway
Grade: 11
Montezuma’s Cattleheart is a type of black butterfly with delicate red spots. Black butterflies symbolize change and rebellion. This self-portrait uses colored pencils and Copic markers (my first attempt at using markers in a project). The butterflies turned out blue through my mistake of not buying black markers, so I went with it and formed the image of someone peeking through, seeking change and uniqueness.
Ethan Datil
Mystery Tower
Gouache on illustration board
East River High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Sarah Ferguson
Grade: 11
This piece explores the sort of spaces that don’t really exist, but feel familiar. My process was spontaneous. I began with an underpainting in burnt umber, and then began painting the forms into the space. I find that not focusing on the final outcome of a piece results in a painting that I find more visually appealing. For the work I was predominantly interested in experimentation, and the sort of automatic creative processes common to Surrealist artists.
Daniel Huang
Perfect Places
Graphite pencil and colored pencil
Eastside High School
Alachua County
Art Teacher: Luann Howard-Blaskowsk
Grade: 10
Perfect Places is a representation of my struggle to realize that not everything has to be perfect. From color-coding each shirt in rainbow order to making sure every glass of water I drank fell right above the line, it was clear I struggled with OCD. My OCD quickly became my excuse for why things went wrong for me, and through the white string, it was like a chain holding me from achieving what I could’ve.
Gian Carlo Arias
Flourish
Colored pencil and graphite
Felix Varela High School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Heather Cipriani
Grade: 12
Daniel Soriano
Control
Micro pen, paper
Felix Varela High School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Maria Lantigua
Grade: 12
In a society where we encounter the pronounced ability to control others like puppets driven by strings, I portrayed the thematic and metamorphic thought that domesticated dogs, once untamed, have undergone subjugation and become manageable, only to engage in directed activities by us. I emphasized this with the application of stippled black ink with gradient highlights and shadows to display a hunting dog fetching a pheasant realistically and metaphorically under human domesticity.
Jackie Downey
East Meets West
Colored pencil
Hudson High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Cynthia Zozaya
Grade: 10
I like Dragons, so I was inspired to use the Dragon image for this metamorphosis theme. While I was thinking of ideas, I thought about adding string lights to the Dragon as its scales. In the background, I drew a night sky so the string lights would “light up” and make sense. I felt that the temples in the background were perfect to represent the ancient Dragon.
Danna Gonzalez-Feliciano
The Metamorphic Moment
Colored pencil and alcohol markers
Hudson High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Faith Neris
Grade: 10
This artwork was inspired by a song called “Mirrors-Tincup.” It can be interpreted how you like. I like to think that artworks have many meanings. This theme “Metamorphosis” means changing to another thing. This theme was hard and took time to come up with something. Listening to music helped me create this idea of “Smoke and Mirrors.” I draw digitally, so drawing on paper again was pretty weird but I enjoyed it. It helped me remember the old days when I was younger, about 6-8 years old, when I drew on paper a lot
Sofia Johnson
Street Rat
Drypoint etching with watercolor
Jupiter Community High School
Palm Beach County
Art Teacher: Sarah Knudtson
Grade: 11
Sexualization of the female form has left women and young girls feeling stuck in a cycle of placing priority on prettiness, while simultaneously being blamed for the disgust and danger that this expectation can bring. To show this repulsiveness, I drew a woman — pale skin, hourglass figure, feminine: the height of western beauty expectations — transforming into a rat. Using bizarre juxtaposition, I hoped to recreate the shock of such a pressuring society.
Elena Oberst
Nectar Blues
Digital painting
Jupiter Community High School
Palm Beach County
Art Teacher: Sarah Knudtson
Grade: 10
My piece was inspired by a hummingbird. The exhibit’s theme, metamorphosis, led me to expand on my drawing techniques and combine things in a different way. This work was drawn from the thought of hummingbirds, which are beautiful and interesting creatures. I drew a hummingbird-like body and a flower and then combine them both to make something surreal. Creating this work, I learned a new technique of art.
Nate Montgomery
Smoke and Oil
Collage with graphite and marker
Keystone Prep High School
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Stacey Rusch
Grade: 9
Endless smoke and oil then rain. Many work in the factory for years. The endless oil used manned things. The endless smoke will be used for oil or wood. The smoke will come to a cloud or fog. The smoke air covers the land of the factory. The smoke cloud will cover the sun, sky, moon, night and day. The smoke cloud rains endless oil. The endless oil rains true into a pond and river.
Alena Cerrillo
Against Nature
Acrylic paint
Lake Mary High School
Seminole County
Art Teacher: Karen LeBlanc
Grade: 11
My main inspiration for this art piece would be my love for all animals, great to small. I used a transformation of an elephant into a snake showing a creative yet elegant creature.
Lane Gallagher
Pushing Forth Developments
Colored pencil
Horizon High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Christine Murphy
Grade: 11
Jay Liao-Troth
Paper Life
Charcoal
Horizon High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Christine Murphy
Grade: 11
Connor Dodd
Regrets of Modern Man
Acrylic paint
Lake Mary High School
Seminole County
Art Teacher: Karen LeBlanc
Grade: 11
The main focus of this artwork is the idea that a teenager has wasted their life on simple escapes or pleasures that harm them. In order to become the adult they aspire to be, they must shed off their mistakes to become a new person.
Beatrice Divinagracia
Bubbles and Eyeballs
Micro-pen, ink, watercolor
Lakewood Ranch High School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Adela Salas
Grade: 11
The theme “Metamorphic Moment” inspired me to create Bubbles and Eyeballs because I wanted to capture the transformation part. For this I used body parts morphing into different objects; I was inspired by Jaehoon Choi’s art. For the drawing of the Man, the eyeballs represent a hateful society thus locking up one’s true heart and thoughts. The Woman was inspired by Mermaids, bubbles meaning short-lived happiness and that the eyes tell the truth more than the voice.
Kathleen Montanaro
The Color Complex
Colored pencil
Lakewood Ranch High School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Adela Salas
Grade: 10
This year’s exhibit theme “Metamorphic moment” inspired me to create The Color Complex. This piece is the transformation of one creature into another, and I executed such in my artwork. The creature is a fish which is in the process of transformation into a new creature. Inside the fishbowl there are body part of a human body, the creature is not going to be a human. The whole scene is under deep water in the ocean. The fishbowl symbolizes humanity and how we take over and do not take good care of our oceans. All is interconnected within the piece to the lively colors that are chosen.
Sara Itzel Majano Perez
Memories of the Anti-Matter Future
Stoneware ceramic clay
Lakewood Ranch High School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Laura Victore
Grade: 10
I was inspired by the horror manga called Uzumaki by Junji Ito. I thought about the word metamorphosis and automatically a snail with human-like eyes and mouth came to mind; I imagined a shelled gastropod becoming a messy collage of different “human-like” characteristics… This piece is nothing but the anti-matter, my anti-matter, the moment and confusion between a dream and reality where it feels like a jumbled mess of nothing.
Eris Cruz
Assimilating Time
Acrylic paint on canvas
Merritt Island High School
Brevard County
Art Teacher: Amy Martin
Grade: 11
The frog in my drawing represents metamorphosis and going through changes. My painting portrays the digestion of time and understanding what it really means and becoming a part of time itself. As humans, we can never truly and fully understand time since time is forever changing.
Penelope Richardson
Lady
Alcohol marker and ink
Merritt Island High School
Brevard County
Art Teacher: Lauren Sorey
Grade: 12
A figure with long hair is ripping their head off, while their ribcage and intestines are showing. Their intestines slowly change into flowers, and the flowers flow into blood. They are done in shades of pink and red due to the constant association with the female gender and stereotypical femininity. This piece was made as a gift for my friends, as they go through their journey of becoming who they truly are – transgendered. The main figure of the piece is tearing their head off in an attempt to “fix” themself, being so desperate to be comfortable in their own skin.
Jade Blanco-Vazquez
Self-Altering
Mixed media
Miami Arts Studio 6-12
Dade County
Art Teacher: Brian Reedy
Grade: 11
In this piece, I worked solely based on emotion. I wanted to communicate the feeling of somebody who is lost in their own dissociation, where everything is in your body – but it does not feel that way. The “organs” spilling out contrast the face of the girl, who is unfazed by what is going on around her. There is a sense of detachment from her mind and body. The background is voided to match what is going on in her mind: nothing. The organs move around in fluid shapes, even circling above her. While she changes with the world around her, she does not seem to feel connected to it. A part of her is being changed. She alters to fit in the best way she can, to make sense of what is going on, despite her indifference to it.
Yliana Burgos
Fractured Psyche
Photo of work in clay, floral foam, wood, acrylic paint and found objects
New Smyrna Beach High School
Volusia County
Teacher: Kristen Gregor
Grade: 12
For several years I have struggled along with the world through the depths of mental illness. I used my Fractured Psyche sculpture to convey the message that nothing is unescapable. The chains represent being captured and bonded by the norms of society. The nails represent the trauma they are holding onto. She is still struggling to overcome the pain and brokenness she feels daily.
Danielle Murphy
The Balance between Life and Death
Graphite pencil
New Smyrna Beach High School
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Laura Johnson
Grade: 12
I wanted to draw zygotes and this piece created the opportunity. I chose a chicken, a rabbit, a human, and a tortoise. I then divided the paper into four equal parts. The background consists of Salmon throughout the piece. I chose to place Salmon because they mate, then they swim upstream to spawn, and then they die. That is their whole life’s purpose. Even in death, we use them. That is why I added the can to the piece. Everything is one big cycle – the balance of life and death.
Teja Firmin Reaves
The Pleasure of a Pen in Hand
Digital illustration
New Smyrna Beach High School
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Tina Curry
Grade: 12
Megan Schlack
Flesh Cup of Joe
Ceramics and glaze
New Smyrna Beach High
School
Volusia County
Teacher: Kristen Gregor
Grade: 10
Tersea Vordenberg
Cat Racing in Hillsborough
Camera and digital imaging
New Smyrna Beach High School
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Tina Curry
Grade: 11
Bailey Yonts
My Little Teapot
Acrylic with collaged area
North Marion High School
Marion County
Art Teacher: Gloria Sed
Grade: 12
This painting shows the transformation of a woman as the result of the destruction left behind by a man. It is about how some men use and manipulate women. The painting shows a restaurant scene at teatime with a beautiful spread of food. He used her, drank her tea, ate the food, and left a mess. We see him walking out the door, not caring about leaving her broken. She is broken but glued back together with gold. The golden cracks making the vessel more beautiful. She is beautiful and graceful, and she will be okay over time. She will change, grow, and shapeshift, to represent women in the world. She represents the strength and resilience that comes from overcoming pain.
Deiyaliz Adorno
Society
Paint
Osceola High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Maria Custis
Grade: 10
Society is an art piece based on our actual society, in which money controls everything. People’s decisions are controlled by their desire for money, however, our deepest thoughts are hidden in our heart. The piece also represents our life as humans, how we grow from difficulties, making our roots strong, protecting our true selves from the influence of society. The flames represent the pain we find in life, but it also is the light that guides us.
Anahroy Ruiz
Beat to the Stars
Acrylic paint and collage
Osceola High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Lena Warner
Grade: 10
The word “metamorphosis” means so much to me. It’s a word I keep in my mind as the day-to-day evolutions come around, as well as my art. I wanted to capture the idea of making magic with your hands, creating something beautiful out of nothing, connecting with your unconscious and letting It guide you through your creations. What makes my work surreal is your unique interpretation, as you gained intellect from my art.
Victoria Sierra
Mythical Chaos of Growth
Paint
Osceola High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Maria Custis
Grade: 11
An art piece depicting the human mentality of growth in oneself. There are two sides to this piece, one dark and tainted and the other side filled with possibility. The allegory is to not allow something to hinder you, even through all the negatives, you will find a way. Paths will always be connected to the door of opportunities; you must allow yourself to open it.
Bellamy Long
Killer Dinner
Colored pencil
Olympia High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Joanna Levine
Grade: 12
The omnipresence of time and my love of pasta was my inspiration. I explored the expression of terror without a dark realistic theme. The ridiculousness of meatballs allows the audience to view a gruesome scene, yet feel amused. Creating this piece, I learned more about character design and how expressions affect us emotionally. I used the surrealist technique of dislocation to turn something familiar into something unusual, disturbing, and delicious.
Daniella Molina-Bello
Fish Formal
Digital
Olympia High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Joanna Levine
Grade: 12
I was inspired by childhood trips to Chinatown, aquariums and deceased goldfish. I layered textures and portrait styles from different centuries.
Natalia Oviedo
Inner Dragon
Acrylic paint
Park Vista High School
Palm Beach County
Art Teacher: Laura Mambourg
Grade: 12
This is an original character. He fights with his inner self because of the power he was granted from a past generation that he never wanted. I created it to show that he has finally accepted who he is — not only a person with powers, but also with the strength of the dragon within him. With this metamorphosis painting, I created him so that he uses his dragon powers to help the people around him, not to hide who he is.
Mia Gonzalez
Time’s Threshold
Acrylic paint
Parrish Community
High School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Hailey Patalano Grade: 9
In this artwork, I use elements such as scale, dislocation, metamorphosis, symbolism, and dreamlike settings. I display metamorphosis by painting time’s grasp on the butterflies and their growth. The dreamlike setting adds an eeriness to the painting while also theorizing how time affects living beings. The unique scale of the hourglass portrays the immense amount of power time holds amongst living beings. Time leads to growth and development, yet it forecasts an eventual doom- death.
Keenan McRoberts
Human
Digital photo, Photoshop
Parrish Community High School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Erin Lisch
Grade: 9
My inspiration for Human stems from seeing the beauty in things that shouldn’t go together. My idea is to show that as humans, we’re different yet the same, and no one is better than another. Contrasting to the black and white, I added hints of color to show our unique personalities can shine and blend with each other. Using surrealism techniques like transformation and double images, I hope viewers see the “Metamorphic Moment” in my art.
Madelyn Wilson
Time Shift
Digital Media
Parrish Community High School
High School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Hailey Patalano
Grade: 11
Considering the theme of metamorphosis, I chose to create a surrealist piece depicting a break from reality, symbolizing the separation of one’s emotion from one’s physical state. By using transparency in the image, the art reveals the internal state of mind that cannot be seen on the surface. Inspired by deep emotions, my artwork shows the transformation of one’s physical expression to one’s emotional being.
Alexandria Kahl
Natural Occurrence
Pencil
Pine View School
Sarasota County
Art Teacher: Louis Miller
Grade: 9
The inspiration behind this piece was that I have been really infatuated with drawing people and snakes recently so when I discovered this contest and its theme of metamorphosis, I thought it would be an opportune moment to combine the two things. This work is important to me because I feel as if I had to push myself to get the result I desired and overall, I am extremely proud of how it turned out.
Jackie Wasserman
Saccharine
Digital painting
Pine View School
Sarasota County
Art Teacher: Louis Miller
Grade: 11
My piece depicts a Barbie doll atop a stack of pancakes, surrounded by wasps. The piece and the title were inspired by the classic song, “Pour Some Sugar on Me” by Def Leppard. The creation of the piece involved the close study of how syrup interacts with other materials. In all, from sketch to final, the piece took around 13 hours. I hope it makes you smile!
Monte Meyer
Ever Evolving
Magazine collage
with digital additions
Plant City High School
Hillsborough County
Teacher: Niki Carpenter
Grade: 12
This piece is based around the idea of an ever-evolving identity. We as people are ever evolving in our outward appearance and internal sense of self, and though we may not be sure of what exactly that is, that journey to find ourselves is a very much a part of who we are. For me, this is a representation of my struggles with my own gender identity. However, this piece can resonate with anyone who struggles to find their identity.
Corinne Candelario
Ocean Goddess
Colored pencil
River Ridge High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Ted LoCascio
Grade: 11
My artwork is a mixed media drawing of a woman’s hair transitioning into the ocean. I created this piece to emphasize that we need to care for the ocean by giving it life. For this piece, I used colored pencils, alcohol-based markers, posca paint pens, and a micron fine liner. Researching Dalí for this piece helped me explore new ideas and techniques.
Alydia Dumpert
Embryonic
Colored pencil, watercolor
River Ridge High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Ted LoCascio
Grade: 11
To come up with a unique concept based around the idea of metamorphosis, I reverted back to the basics: the biological process of a caterpillar to butterfly. This idea of evolution and rebirth inspired the “fetus-seeds,” taking the phrases “seed of life” and “planting your seed” to a literal sense. Both these phrases can be symbolized by a seed or a baby. All these seeds need is their cocoon, which is the green pepper.
Jess Johnson
Valentine
Pen, marker
River Ridge High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Ted LoCascio
Grade: 11
This piece explores love as an addiction, and the false notion that your status is determined by your relationships. The work is also a commentary about capitalism surrounding Valentine’s Day and what it feels like to not have someone to buy for. The mediums used were alcohol markers, colored pencils, pens, and oil pastel.
Laela Broad
Non GMO
Mixed media
Seabreeze High School
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Christine Colby
Grade: 10
My sculpture, Non-GMO, is a mixed-media artwork based off the meals served at upscale restaurants. I sculpted a ceramic half dead/half alive salmon cradled with asparagus-like fingers. I added a scoop of mashed potatoes sprinkled with tiny eyeballs. The added human anatomy combined with the food on the plate is what makes my artwork surreal; the viewer looks closely at the details and realizes it is not a typical dinner.
Kaja Ehrhardt
Alchemized Error
Marker
Seabreeze High School
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Kasondra Price
Grade: 11
Alchemized Error showcases a demon with the head of a lamb breaking out of a gooey cocoon while the gracious butterfly’s watch all around. It symbolizes how change cannot always be good. While the pink butterfly’s metamorphosis is a wonderful one, the demon comes out “wrong” and attempts to hide its corruptness with a pure lamb head.
Summer Moore
Tongue Dispenser
Ceramic Mixed Media
Seabreeze High School
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Christine Colby
Grade: 10
When hearing about the project, I knew wanted to do something involving the human body. While looking around the room for inspiration, it hit me. I decided to combine an exaggerated tongue with a common classroom object—the tape dispenser. My piece Tongue Dispenser is supposed to represent the displacement of human body parts. My art shows scale and juxtaposition from its large size and its strange parts.
Acacia Myara
Baby Sushi Rolls
Ceramic
Seabreeze High School
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Christine Colby
Grade: 12
Emma Fordham
Renewal
Oil painting
Sebring High School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Steven VanDam
Grade: 11
The metamorphosis of the simplistic naturalistic approach into the evolving formation from the depths of humankind biologically, illustrates the bond and release from horticulture to the human form pictured. The basis of existence morphed from the biological organisms into the modern mortal only through the connective relationship in opposition to distance placed upon.
Emily Marquez
Nativity
Colored pencil
Sebring High School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Kristy Harris
Grade: 11
This was inspired by a book I read, as well as the birthing element of butterflies and how they remain still after hatching to dry in preparation for their first flight. The women attached to the sides are its source of nutrients, so once fully hatched, the creatures will devour what remains, so as to reach their peak which is what I feel metamorphosis is. Becoming something greater than before, no matter the cost.
Katrina Siason
Between Binaries
Digital
Sebring High School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Steven Van Dam
Grade: 11 grade
My artwork is a reflection over the pride and beauty of finding your gender identity. This work explores transexuality and the bridge from a person’s gender at birth to who they are now. The use of the colors pink and blue are a representation of the male and female gender and are used to contrast between identities. The butterflies and cherry trees serve as a metaphor for change/metamorphosis.
Lizandra Amador
Off
Colored pencil
South Miami Senior High School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Lizzie Hunter
Grade: 10
My piece symbolizes burn out. A lack of ideas is represented by a broken lightbulb that won’t turn on, and a feeling of heartbreak is implied by the cracked lightbulb transforming into a heart. The light switches are there for emphasis and to convey a feeling of desperation, and the pitch black background represents a blank mind. I was inspired by surrealism’s dream-like nature as I often associate dreams with indirect yet significant meanings.
Liana Emanuel
Dos Mundos (Latin: Two Worlds)
Picsart digital print
South Walton High School
Walton County
Art Teacher: Rhonda McEnany
Grade: 9
Duos Mundos is inspired by how both land and sea would coexist in the same biome. This is important to me because I feel marine life should be represented in Surrealism. I used Rene Magritte’s technique of dislocation by manipulating a picture I took of Chinatown with octopus and jellyfish inhabiting the environment. This digital art piece was created using the PicsArt app, incorporating the “Badlands” filter and images of sea life.
Jessica Hankinson
Always Watching
Picsart digital print
South Walton High School
Walton County
Art Teacher: Rhonda McEnany
Grade: 9
My surreal artwork, Always Watching, is a digital art piece inspired by a human’s iris. Each iris displayed and layered throughout the piece was a different eye or a manipulated version. The concept of Surrealism influenced me to think outside the boundaries of art to imagine what realistically cannot be done. Through the PicsArt Photo Editing App, I explored this idea through displacement, levitation, and scale. The eye placement makes Always Watching a surreal creation.
Daniella Costa
Time Flies
Acrylic paint
Steinbrenner High School
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Kris Watkinson
Grade: 10
Adrien Csatlos
Fishy Business
Digital
Sunlake High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Jill Hallauer
Grade: 11
I wanted to convey the absurdity of how much the social aspect of life is changing. The fish-people represent how, even though we are always changing, we come down to be simple creatures when put in the right situations. In addition, the exchanging of regular fish to and from the fish-people demonstrate how society, as of now, puts more value on how mentally complex people seem to be. The entire piece represents a metamorphism of how society, and even the environment around us, is ever-changing.
Laura Quijano
I’m Growing Up
Acrylic on canvas board
Sunlake High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Jill Hallauer
Grade: 11
A painting which illustrates the transition from adolescence to adulthood; the breaking of dependency and the blossoming of independence that one feels when no longer held back by authority. The slow transition of adapting to a foreign society and becoming a person with a new set of values and a new train of thought.
Destiny Wilford
Influence the Little Ones
Colored pencil and marker
Sunlake High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Stefanie Francis
Grade: 12
Transforming into who you want to be, not because someone told you to be something, explains why some of the mushrooms have two heads or different colors. The goal of my artwork was to represent the change in someone’s appearance. I also wanted the mushroom person up close to show that they are the center of attention and that it’s okay to change no matter what is going on in your life, day or night, raining and sunny.
Lucy Jolicoeur
Discovery of the Unknown
Watercolor, colored pencil
Suwannee High School
Suwannee County
Art Teacher: Pamela Williams
Grade: 11
The idea behind a book can be one of the most surreal things ever. The vivid descriptions encased in a book make the story come alive and make one feel immersed in the story. One can travel the world and experience many adventures all while sitting in one place.
Miriam Quiterio-Mendoza
Victim Noir
Book, paper, paint
Suwannee High School
Suwannee County
Art Teacher: Traci Green
Grade: 11
This art piece was inspired by my favorite genre, murder mystery. The book is turning into a crime scene in a garden, with the red roses and black butterflies as sign that a death has occurred. IT shows the opening of a new mystery ready to be solved. The title comes from the theme of only black and white with hints of red, thus the victim of noir.
Czera Benny
An Absurd Day
Acrylic
Tohopekaliga High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Jackelyn Adkins
Grade: 9
The world isn’t always what it seems. My piece depicts a beautiful, yet bizarre scene that I believe elegantly captures the beauty and absurdity of our world and nature. This is what I think is the soul of Surrealism; not to present the world the way it is, but to bring the beauty to the unusual.
Madison Hartley
Deadly Change
Acrylic
Tohopekaliga High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Jackelyn Adkins
Grade: 9
I thought about growth and change and how life can go on even after death. The field of sunflowers represents life, while the skulls inside of the sunflowers represent death. I added sea life in the sky to represent how life can change and show the possibilities depending on how you look at it. Although life can be unpredictable, there is always something beautiful to discover within the struggle.
Mia Hawkins
IOS Tree
Digital
Tohopekaliga High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Kayla Helmus
Grade: 10
To create my message, I focused on the differences between nature and technology to depict the separation of society. I used the floating island to represent the isolation that I feel mentally. The clock represents the passing of time and how we should not let it slip away. The rocks with faces show that we take part in nature itself and that we shouldn’t separate ourselves from it. The overall organic composition suggests that time and nature are precious.
Sarah Bachrach
The Birth of Knowledge
Oil on canvas
Trinity Preparatory School
Orange & Seminole Counties
Art Teacher: Irina Ashcraft
Grade: 11
My piece takes inspiration from the Greek myth, the birth of Athena. When Athena came out of Zeus’ skull, she was not born an infant, but a fully-grown warrior. My piece illustrates the moment Athena bursts through Zeus’ head. Instead of Athena’s eyes, there are yellow owl eyes behind her head. Athena’s metamorphosis became her superpower. The circumstances of her birth made her the goddess of wisdom and intelligence.
Chrishawna Harris
My Dream as a Baby
Mixed media
Vanguard High School
Marion County
Art Teacher: Tasha Strigle
Grade: 9
My own personal dream inspired me. My drawing is surreal and represents the baby’s life, now to when she is older, and her experience of the world. The butterflies symbolize her mindset blooming from a baby to an adult. This painting is important to me because it shows the viewer that everyone’s life changes as you grow older. It reminds me of how crazy, wild, and fun dreams can be.
Samantha Alvarez
Look at Me, I’m Happy
Colored pencil, Sharpie
West Port High School
Marion County
Art Teacher: Jessica Carter
Grade: 10
My inspiration was the social pressure we constantly experience, expected to be happy and perfect. The sun and moon are included as references to the perfect balance, as slowly the moon is taking over creating chaos. Our negative emotions can sometimes make us collapse thanks to the pressure and expectations of other people, waiting for us to be perfect. Placing a constant pressure on myself has slowly been consuming me, until I completely detached myself from all those thoughts. Everything that happened helped me connect in a good way with my drawing. It reminds me that I should not always pretend to be fine.
Melissa Lubitz
Circus
Mixed media
West Port High School
Marion County
Art Teacher: Jennifer Moore
Grade: 11
‘The Metamorphic Moment’ is a flexible and open-ended prompt; I chose to use color and subject to best convey this theme. The subjects almost morph into each other, with one object leading to the next; colors adding impact to the piece. Maximalism is the inspiration here, filled with vibrancy and the result of a detailed ‘Blink and You’ll Miss It’ product. By avoiding simplicity and straightforwardness, this is how I convey the metamorphic moment.
Alilia Whitt
Birthday Dreamscape
Watercolor and acrylic
West Port High School
Marion County
Art Teacher: Jennifer Moore
Grade: 11
Morwyn Kelso
Liquescent Identity
Watercolor and ink
Westminster Christian School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: April Sharpe-Shirk
Grade: 10
When encountering strangers, people often wear a mask. They act in a way that is not who they are just to make a good impression. Only once you truly get to know someone do you witness the metamorphosis of the outward display to the inner self.
Lara Japiassu
Mature
Pencil
Wiregrass Ranch High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Paula Smith
Grade: 12
I aim to explore the relationship between my own thoughts and emotions and how they apply to more generalized patterns I see in the world around me. I wanted to explore the concept of the metamorphic moment through the process of maturity, and the effects of this transition on both identity and perception.
Olivia Robertson
Stain
Colored pencil
Wiregrass Ranch High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Paula Smith
Grade: 11
The “Metamorphic Moment” depicted in my piece is the people in my life morphing me into who I am today, using imagery of the face stretching, or morphing. I took inspiration from Dalí portraits like Faces of War and Sleep, his bizarre spin on portraits. I attempted to paint troubled emotion on the face, but used bright colors to contradict, this to communicate how change, while often troubling, is necessary for growth
Runner Ups
Alphabetical order by school
Cameron Simpson
Untitled
Ink
Buffalo Creek Middle School
Art Teacher: Tatiana Hernandez
Manatee County
Grade: 8th
Marli Brocious
Melting Away Feeling
Graphite, Colored Pencil, Ink
Conway Middle School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Amanda Morehead
Grade: 7
Saniyah Jackson
Obstacles (Octopus) of the Sea
Graphite and Ink
Conway Middle School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Amanda Morehead
Grade: 8
Janna Rodriguez
Bubbling Elephants
Watercolor Paint
Davidsen Middle School Center for the Arts
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Venessa Smith
Grade: 8
Isis Mango
Nature Bleeds
Acrylic, Watercolor
Explorer K-8
Hernando County
Art Teacher: Melanie Dilly
Grade: 8
Carolina Aguila
Fami-tweet Drama
Mixed Media
Glades Middle School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Mirena Suarez
Grade: 8th
Alexia Aguirre
At Night
Pen Drawing
Hammocks Middle School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Katherine Martinez
Grade: 7thGrade: 6
Milah Restrepo
Time to Peel
Acrylic Paint on canvas board
Highland Oaks Middle
Dade County
Art Teacher: Anna Weiss
Grade: 8
Al’Lonah Jones
Part of Nature
Prismacolor pencils on paper
Highland Oaks Middle
Dade County
Art Teacher: Anna Weiss
Grade: 8
Moises Cespedes
THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE CHANGE
Ink on paper
Hill-Gustat Middle School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Megan Ekenstedt
Grade: 6
Jena Roberts
Flying Waters
Marker & colored pencil
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy
Polk County
Art Teacher: Areti Clark
Grade: 8
Aisha Rodriguez
Lost Souls
Marker
Lawton Chiles Middle Academy
Polk County
Art Teacher: Areti Clark
Grade: 8
Zoe Barlow
Favorite Coloring Book
Colored Pencils
Rochelle School of the Arts
Polk County
Art Teacher: Brandie King
Grade: 6
Jude Steel
Snake Flavored Ramen
Watercolor
Rochelle School of the Arts
Polk County
Art Teacher: Brandie King
Grade: 7
Dominic Deweese
The Twistiest Building
Color Pencils on Pastel Paper
Ronald McNair Magnet Middle
School
Brevard County
Art Teacher: Jennifer Bergendahl
Grade: 8
Emma Guignardi
Journey of the Monarch
Mixed Media
Ronald McNair Magnet Middle
School
Brevard County
Art Teacher: Jennifer Bergendahl
Grade: 8
Vadin Cordes
The Contents of My Head
Graphite on paper/digital photography and color
South Miami K-8 Center
Dade County
Art Teacher: Xonia Regalado
Grade: 8
Jillian Foley
Metamorphic Masquerade
Graphite on paper/digital paint
South Miami K-8 Center
Dade County
Art Teacher: Xonia Regalado
Grade: 8
Isabelle Smith
Coming Together Apart
Charcoal on paper, Digital tin ting
South Miami K-8 Center
Dade County
Art Teacher: Xonia Regalado
Grade: 7
Idhra Tueros
Time Goes By So Slowly
Pencil Drawing
South Miami K-8 Center
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Lisa Oberlander
Grade: 8
Danny Linares
Spirit of the Sea
Colored Pencil and Marker
St. Theresa Catholic School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Christine Prieto
Grade: 7
Rosario Bohil
Untitled
Digital Photography
Timber Springs Middle
Orange County
Art Teacher: Amber Estes
Grade: 8th
Leah Ramos
Hot Dog Fingers
Mixed Media Collage
Timber Springs Middle
Orange County
Art Teacher: Amber Estes
Grade: 6th
Trinity Wiggs
Not-so Cuddly Cactus
Colored Pencils
Rochelle School of the Arts
Polk County
Art Teacher: Simoni Limeira-Bonadies
Grade: 7th
Annissa Lamb
We’re watching you
Colored pencils
Rochelle SOTA
Polk County
Art Teacher: Rick Runion
Grade: 7th
Mercedes Kent
Aquatic Flower Fish
Colored Pencils
Rochelle School of the Arts
Polk County
Art Teacher: Simoni Limeira-Bonadies
Grade: 8th
Timothy Klys
In the Garden of Eatin
Digital
Wedgefield K-8
Orange County
Art Teacher: Ellen Kramer
Grade: 7
Sharon Sanabani
In Pursuit of Them
Digital
Wedgefield K-8
Orange County
Art Teacher: Ellen Kramer
Grade: 8
Nicole Carlin
Dangerous
Oil Pastel and Acrylic
AP Mays Conservatory of the Arts
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Gerarld Obregon
Grade: 11
Patricia Pichardo
Hypnotic
Acrylic
AP Mays Conservatory of the Arts
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Gerarld Obregon
Grade: 10
Jalia Williams
Elephant Tears
Oil Pastel and Acrylic
AP Mays Conservatory of the Arts
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Gerarld Obregon
Grade: 12
Sydnee Kinart
The Face of the Swallowtail is Unrecognizable
Colored Pencils, Alcohol Markers, White Gel Pen
Brandon High School
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Erin Mulvihill Luke
Grade: 12
Anthony Beasley
Back in time
Digital
Charles W. Flanagan High School
Broward County
Art Teacher: Jamie Filo
Grade: 11
Stephanie Pichardo
Pearple
Ceramic Clay
Charles W. Flanagan High School
Broward County
Art Teacher: Darlene Vasano-Jones
Grade: 11
Erika Ramos
Beyond the Flowers
Ceramic Clay
Charles W. Flanagan High School
Broward County
Art Teacher: Darlene Vasano-Jones
Grade: 11th
Kaly Rodriguez
Evolution
Digital
Charles W. Flanagan High School
Broward County
Art Teacher: Jamie Filo
Grade: 11
Vivian Diep
Confined
Acrylic
Coral Reef Senior High School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Grace Cox
Grade: 10
Julia Guimaraes
The Balance of Lotus
Pen and Ink
Coral Reef Senior High
Dade County
Art Teacher: Perri Cox
Grade: 10
Lily Valdes
Aging Mushrooms
Pen and Ink
Coral Reef Senior High
Dade County
Art Teacher: Perri Cox
Grade: 10
Ana Avila
Thought Police
Adobe Photoshop, digital camera
Felix Varela High School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Maria Lantigua
Grade: 11
Sarah Foust
The Metamorphic Moment
Graphite and alcohol marker
Hudson High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Faith Neris
Grade: 12
Yashvi Purohit
Self Void
Digital Photography
Jupiter Community High School
Palm Beach County
Art Teacher: Sarah Knudtson
Grade: 11
Nevin Hatfield
Time Changes But Memories Don’t
photography and digital editing software
Keystone Prep High School
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Stacey Rusch
Grade: 12
Ethan Nel
Moon
Oil pastels
Keystone Prep High School
Hillsborough County
Art Teacher: Stacey Rusch
Grade: 10
Cadence Hoback
Desert Molt
Colored Pencil
Lake Mary High School
Seminole County
Art Teacher: Karen LeBlanc
Grade: 12
Isabel Arias
Counterpart Situations, She is my Pillow
Acrylic, Watercolor, and Ink
Osceola High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Lena Warner
Grade: 12
Vaishali Salecha
Boots
Material: Colored Pencil, Watercolor
Olympia High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Joanna Levine
Grade: 9
Sara Uribe
Cat Perspective
Colored Pencil
Olympia High School
Orange County
Art Teacher: Joanna Levine
Grade: 11
Madelyn Davies
Fish Farmers Market
Colored pencils
Okeechobee High School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Adela Salas
Grade: 9
Mia Garcia
Killer Parasites
Colored Pencil
Park Vista High School
Palm Beach County
Art Teacher: Laura Mambourg
Grade: 10
Tyler Lobiondo
On the Flip Side
Marker, ink
Park Vista High School
Palm Beach County
Art Teacher: Laura Mambourg
Grade: 11
Rylie O’Fallon
Storytelling Through the Ages
Acrylic paint
Pine View School
Sarasota County
Art Teacher: Louis Miller
Grade: 12
Layna Malave
Unicorn’s Truth
Colored pencil
Pine View School
Sarasota County
Art Teacher: Louis Miller
Grade: 12
Chloe Kortie
Dreams
Acrylic
Pine View School for the Gifted
Sarasota County
Art Teacher: Sharon Salamon
Grade: 12
Paulette Martinez
du fond du coeur
acrylic
Miami Arts Studio 6-12
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Brian Reedy
Grade: 9
Kathryn Glass
Overhead Waves
Acrylic paint on canvas
Merritt Island High School
Brevard County
Art Teacher: Amy Martin
Grade: 11
Emma Cooley
Shoe Cat
Watercolor, Micron Pen, White Gel Pen
River Ridge High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Ted LoCascio
Grade: 12
Dani Delgado
Swimming Through the Galaxy
Watercolor, Pencil, Magazine Collage
River Ridge High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Ted LoCascio
Grade: 9
Brooke Hagans
Bat Girl
Pen
River Ridge High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Ted LoCascio
Grade: 12
Jorge Martinez
La Metamorfosis de Satanas
Pencil
Miami Arts Studio 6-12
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Brian Reedy
Grade: 11
Leah Masvidal
cambios en el sol y la luna
Linocut
Miami Arts Studio 6-12
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Brian Reedy
Grade: 10
Mariah Wischmeier
Point of View
Ceramics and glaze
New Smyrna Beach High
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Kristen Gregor
Grade: 9
Sarah Hutto
Business As Usual
Digital illustration
New Smyrna Beach High School
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Tina Curry
Grade: 12
Sabrina Nelson
Human Bridge
Acrylic Paint and Marker
New Smyrna Beach High
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Laura Johnson
Grade: 12
Neena Hassler
Sprouting & Growing
Digital Media
Parrish Community
High School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Hailey Patalano
Grade: 11th Grade
Ella Streich
Changing Tides
Acrylic Paint and Pen
Parrish Community
High School
Manatee County
Art Teacher: Hailey Patalano
Grade: 10th Grade
Chase Drane
How the World Blooms
Magazine Collage
Seabreeze High School
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Kasondra Price
Grade: 11
Abigail Greene
Handy Octopus
Ceramic
Seabreeze High School
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Christine Colby
Grade: 11
Anne McGrath
Deep Sea Teddy
Color Pencil and Watercolor
Seabreeze High School
Volusia County
Art Teacher: Kasondra Price
Grade: 11
Kaylie Drake
Butterfl-eye
Colored Pencil and Marker
Sebring High School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Kristy Harris
Grade: 11
Kontessa Muncy
The Nature of Nurture
Colored Pencil
Sebring High School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Kristy Harris
Grade: 12
Brianna Salter
Tears of Death and Beauty
Pencil
Sebring High School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Kristy Harris
Grade: 12
Abigail Williams
Life as We Knew It
Color Pencil and Marker
Sunlake High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Stefanie Francis
Grade: 10
Jeannie Paguagua
Elemental
Graphite and watercolor
South Miami Senior High School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Lizzie Hunter
Grade: 10
Kira Chavers
Silhouette of the Mind
Clay
Suwannee High School
Suwannee County
Art Teacher: Traci Green
Grade: 12
Kinsley Myers
The Coming of Age
Watercolor and ink
Sebring High School
Highlands County
Art Teacher: Steven Van Dam
Grade: 10
Yanett Aleman Martinez
Untitled
Digital
Tohopekaliga High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Kayla Helmus
Grade: 9
Taylor Pitone
Prisma Life
Digital artwork
Trinity Preparatory School
Seminole and Orange Counties
Art Teacher: Irina Ashcraft
Grade: 10
Kierra Lewis
The Frog of Many Colors
Colored Pencil
West Port High School
Marion County
Art Teacher: Jessica Carter
Grade: 9th
Avery Villa
‘Something Critical’
Prismacolor Pencil, Watercolor & Inking Pens
South Walton High School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: Rhonda McEnany
Grade: 10th
Madison Troiani
Tied
Collage, ink, and watercolor
Sunlake High School
Pasco County
Art Teacher: Jill Hallauer
Grade: 9
Lydia Warren
Anxiety
Pencil, Charcoal
Suwannee High School
Suwannee County
Art Teacher: Pamela Williams
Grade: 12
Johann Rosalio
A Slice I Give to You
Color Pencil
Suwannee High School
Suwannee County
Art Teacher: Pamela Williams
Grade: 11
Shelby Crossno
Please Don’t Take My Wings
Pen
Suwannee High School
Suwannee County
Art Teacher: Pamela Williams
Grade: 10
Shania Burton
Self-Confidence Evolution
Acrylic
Tohopekaliga High School
Osceola County
Art Teacher: Jakelyn Adkins
Grade: 11
Lili Diaz-Silveira
Overgrown
Chalk pastel
Westminster Christian School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: April Sharpe-Shirk
Grade: 12
Camila Valdes
Operator?
Marker & colored pencil
Westminster Christian School
Miami-Dade County
Art Teacher: April Sharpe-Shirk
Grade: 11
Tina Ni
Floating Water
Acrylic Paint
West Port High School
Marion County
Art Teacher: Jennifer Moore
Grade: 10