Photo courtesy of junior Linnaea Marks

  As the semester comes to a close, students in San Luis Obispo High School’s AP Studio Art 2D class are still hard at work on their sustained investigations. A few months ago, Expressions interviewed three students from the class to talk about their investigation topic and how their first pieces were coming. This time around, we talk to three new students about their investigations, their pieces, and how they’ve changed since the last time we checked in with the class.

Expressions: What questions/ideas are you going to explore in your portfolio? Why did you choose this?

Senior Belle Rudd: I’m basing my portfolio around dementia and the impact it has on people. I chose this because this past year I watched my grandpa suffer from it and wanted to show people what it does through artwork. 

Junior Linnaea Marks: For my portfolio, I am exploring the evolution of makeup: from an industry that capitalizes on women’s insecurities to a way for people of all genders to express themselves. I chose this theme mostly because of my own interest in makeup and my ability to use it as a medium for the assignment.

Expressions: Since the completion of your first piece, has anything changed? Have you changed your topic from an initial idea? What caused this change (if any)?

Rudd: I am keeping the same overall idea of dementia, I’ve just been changing ideas for my next pieces to see what is most cohesive. 

Marks: Oh my gosh so much has changed. I basically changed my entire theme from gender oppression to this idea surrounding makeup. Originally, I wasn’t even planning on using photography or makeup in my portfolio, but a mini assignment made me realize that I was way better at it than using traditional mediums.

Expressions: How will you explore these ideas (what mediums will you use, any basic ideas for plans, etc.)?

Rudd: I’ve been using acrylic paint for my first piece but I’m going to experiment with oil pastels and collage work in my next pieces. The main idea of these pieces is to display the feelings of being stuck in your own body and the loss of all memories.    

Marks: Basically, my mediums entail me doing a makeup look and putting on a very simple costume (the main focus is the makeup), taking a photo of it, and photoshopping the background to adhere to the theme of the photo. I’m not creating the pieces in order so far; I’m mostly just going by different ideas I have.