Especially because I’m a high school student, art is not only an outlet for expression, but also a way for me to help center myself within my busy schedule. Out of all forms of de-stressing, art is the only one where I find myself able to remain focused on the task at hand and phase out any other thoughts.

Whether it’s Claude Monet’s The Water Lily Pond, or paintings of Monterey Bay itself, I find that impressionist landscapes have never failed to catch my eye. I can spend hours studying the texture and dimensions of each brush stroke, and how it can form such a unique interpretation of any composition. With that being said, Impressionism is a major inspiration for my art. I love to work from an image merely for reference, but the natural flow of my hand dictates the emphasis and texture of the paint. I enjoy working in both acrylics and watercolors, depending on the effect I am aiming for in each piece.

For this submission, I wanted to focus on something that represents my identity. Attending an American high school as an international student from Singapore — halfway around the world, I often forget how much my childhood years there have meant to me. This piece, Garden of Home, illustrates an impressionistic perspective of the Singapore landmark ‘Gardens by the Bay,’ that brings me back to my experience there and the memories I have retained from it.