My name is Arianna Zunich. I am a senior at Pacific Grove High School taking Advanced 2D Design. Ever since I was a young child art has been a great creative outlet for me. Over the years, I have gradually developed my skills and branched out in the types of art I make. After years of being almost entirely self-taught, I'm thrilled that I was finally able to fit an art class in my high school schedule. Art is a great respite from an otherwise difficult course load. When doing art, I can relax and express myself, which I've found to be a great method of relieving stress.

I love dabbling in different art forms, whether that's graphite, paint, digital, or crafting with materials like resin and leather. As a result, I find myself drawn to creating mixed media pieces. Recently I've been exploring laser cutting as an artistic medium combining it with other materials. Creating and painting laser cut models and scenes has been very enjoyable, and I've found that it is a great intersection between art and technology, two of my greatest passions. It is incredibly satisfying to go from a digital 3D model to a physical work of art, and I love being able to incorporate skills I learned in STEM classes into my creative work.

My piece, "Beast Feast," depicts the natural scene of a grizzly bear catching salmon in a river. The terrain, bear, and fish are all laser cut and then painted with acrylic. The water is made with epoxy resin, with some Mod Podge on top to create a ripple effect. I sought to create an interesting contrast within the piece by utilizing the perfect, machine precision one can achieve with a laser cutter in an otherwise organic, nature inspired work. It is my largest laser cut piece to date. I view it as a key part of my artistic journey; an example of how much I learned throughout the process.