Artist Statement: From showcasing the relationship of light on the body  and the relationship with the human experience I create graphite  drawings that explore the diversity of textures and bodies as a whole,  to creating artwork while using the human body as a canvas. By drawing  realism I am able to take control of the narratives of the bodies in my  artwork, allowing me to have the power I lacked in my early life.  Starting to work with this medium when I struggled to stay employed,  helped me with the hopes of bettering my skills, and learning a new  technique for the future of my work. I started to work on realism as a  way to expand the tools that allowed me to create. My drive as an artist  started once when a kid in elementary school asked me to draw her a  little doll, and as soon as I showed her my results she said “It turned  out so ugly”. That provocation and disbelief have stayed with me ever  since then and have pushed me to better myself as an artist.