Artist Statement

Auralee Engstrom

Art has always been my favorite subject. I love art, and I love stories. I have so many ideas for stories, and since I am terrible at writing them down, I draw them. AP Studio Art has been so helpful with getting me out of my comfort zone, and with giving me opportunities to experiment with new mediums. A lot of times I will store my ideas in my head because I feel like I don't have the skill to draw some of them. This year I've both improved my skill, and with simply trying to draw what I want, even if I am unsure of my ability to do so. I've learned to take risks with my art, and to let those risks help me improve.

It took me forever to decide on what my sustained investigation was going to be about, but I finally decided on "What are the different elements of making a decision?" I am a very indecisive person, and I am terrible at making decisions. Part of my inability to choose a sustained investigation led me to this topic. As I am getting older, I am faced with more and more difficult choices, and It made me wonder what all the parts of making a decision were, such as how people's decisions can affect other people, and what the possible consequences/repercussions of a decision could be.

I decided to tie this topic with one of the story ideas I had. It follows a woman named Rosalind, and it is about how she faces the daunting task of making a decision and how she not only has to face the consequences of her own choices, but the choices of others as well.