Sweet Suit
Sebastian Gaytan
Pencil, 2024
Sweet Suit was made with a pencil, I used a picture of me that was taken during my sister’s wedding day. I had just served at my sister's wedding, and was on my way to the wedding reception. I was in a rush to get to my brother's car, and you can see that my suit lappet is popped. This day was very important to me because my sister was getting married, and my whole family came to see this happen. I had a lot of fun with my friends there, and that day was a very special day to me. This picture will probably be one of my favorites ever probably, due its professionalism, and the rush that I was in, that made it look very professional.

Dark Candy Corn
Sebastian Gaytan
Colored pencil, 2024
I took a picture with an apple, candy corn, and a pumpkin. I created an artwork with it, called “Dark Candy Corn.” I called this the Dark Candy Corn because I was told by a fellow student that I should call it that. This artwork has a halloween theme. Candy corn is associated with Halloween because of the color scheme. It also started to become popular when trick or treating began. I have always gone trick or treating as a kid, and one time I got candy corn from my grandma. She passed away, so now candy corn means alot to me, and brings me back to my childhood.

This tapestry celebrates the vibrant energy and connection that color can bring into our lives. Woven from wool, each thread is carefully chosen to embody the vivid spectrum of a rainbow—an enduring symbol of hope, diversity, and transformation. The piece is designed to energize, with its bright, flowing hues encouraging a dynamic, uplifting interaction with the viewer.

Chocolate Milk
Sebastian Gaytan
Acrylic paint, 2025
For this art project I searched up a picture of someone pouring a drink of chocolate milk. With this picture I grabbed an empty canvas, and put four squares on it for the 4 different forms of painting. The four different types of painting I did were Realism, Pointillism, Abstract, and Impressionism. I like chocolate milk a lot, there was a period of time in my life when I was drinking half a gallon of it a day. A friend in my class sent me a picture of the person pouring the chocolate milk into a cup of milk. I think chocolate milk is the best drink in the world. It has good protein, taste very good. I like to usually drink it on a dirty bulk, but when I'm cutting I can’t drink it due to it having a lot of sugar.

Mountains
Sebastian Gaytan
Watercolor, 2025
This artwork was highly inspired by a tv show I watched called berserk. For this artwork I had to go online and find pictures of what I wanted to make, from there I sketched it all out and made what I wanted it to look like. Once I finished all the pre-work of everything I finally could begin with the painting aspect of my art. I began somewhere in the beginning of March, and I finished around mid April. This is probably the best art I have made in my opinion. I put a lot of effort into it, and tried to make it look as good as possible. This picture has a lot of meaning to me, it tells a story of a man who has gone through hardship and adversity, and now he has to conquer another challenge. This challenge is to climb a mountain to a castle where his enemy awaits. Although I am not in the same scenario as him, I feel the same way with many aspects of my life. That castle is my goal, such as getting closer to God, getting better at a sport, or anything that you want to achieve. That journey may be hard, but the reward is worth it. But one thing I forgot to mention is the cross, that cross represents my faith. I believe that God will be with me on every step of my journey, and that I can do all things through him.

School
Sebastian Gaytan
Charcoal, 2025

This artwork was made by collecting items around my art class room. Mrs. Worden helped me pick 3 items, the first one was a bus, the second was a figure, and the last one was a donkey. When creating the artwork I accidentally made the figure too big, and it made it zoom in so the donkey can’t be seen. I started this project in early September, and finished in late September. This artwork is one of my favorite ones I’ve done so far.

One element I used in this is the shape of the character figure, he has a weird body shape. Another element is the color, it is all made with white chalk and a black background. There are different shades of white around the whole project. One principle of this piece is the movement, it starts from the character figure, he is wearing a jersey, then it moves to the bus which has the Hillsboro school name on it. After that it goes to the donkey, which isn’t in the piece but the original picture. The last one is emphasis, I put the most work into the bus. I shaded different areas darker, and you can see the details the most on that piece specifically.

About me
Sebastian Gaytan
Ipad, 2025

This artwork was designed on an ipad, and I took the picture in the school hallways. My teacher Mrs. Worden took the picture, I was jumping for the first picture and then she told me to stand still and that's how the project picture came around. When working on this project, I made a lot of progress in it, when I came back and someone deleted everything on it. I had to restart the whole thing, and the finished project came out really well.

One element I used in this is the shape of me, he has his thumbs up. Another element is the color, I like the color of my character and everything. There are different shades of color around the whole project. One principle of this piece is the movement, it starts from me, he is holding a thumbs up, then it moves to the things behind me. These include my favorite things, and everything I love to do. After that it goes to the circle around it, it is blue and kinda oval shaped. The last one is emphasis, I put the most work into this piece. I put the most effort into drawing me, and just the different tones and shades of me.

Montana Cabin
Sebastian Gaytan
Pen, 2025

This artwork was made using a reference photo of a cabin in Montana. I chose this picture because I like how calm and quiet it feels, especially with the snow and the trees around the cabin. I drew this piece using only a pen, so everything is black and white. When working on this project, it took time because there are a lot of details in the cabin, trees, and snow. I had to be careful with my lines so it didn’t get too dark. In the end, the drawing came out really clean and I’m happy with how it looks.

One element I used in this is line. I used different types of lines to show the wood on the cabin, the trees, and the snow. Another element is value, even though it is black and white, I used light and dark areas to show shadows. One principle of this piece is balance, because the cabin and trees are spread out evenly. Another principle is movement, your eyes start at the cabin and then move to the trees and mountains in the background. The last one is emphasis, I put the most work into the cabin because it is the main focus and has the most detail.

Conical Peak
Sebastian Gaytan
Acrylic Paint, 2025

This artwork was made using acrylic paint based on a photo I took in Montana in the Crazy Mountains. This was when my boss Nik from Grosfield Ranch brought me along to climb Conical Peak near Twins Lake. I chose this moment because it felt calm and peaceful, but also important to me since I was actually there. The mountains were glowing from the sun, and the lake and trees made everything feel quiet and open. I added myself into the painting to make it more personal and show that I was part of that experience, not just looking at it.

One element I used in this painting is a line to show the sharp edges of the mountains and the texture in the trees and grass. I also used value by mixing lighter and darker shades to show where the sunlight hits the peaks and where the shadows fall. One principle I used is balance because the mountains fill the top while the lake and trees fill the bottom, so it doesn’t look uneven. Another principle is emphasis. The mountains stand out the most because of the bright light on them, but the figure of me also creates a focus point that makes the painting more meaningful.

Cattle Drive
Sebastian Gaytan
Watercolor, 2026

This artwork was inspired by my trip to Montana, where I worked on a ranch in Big Timber called Grosfield Ranch. While I was there, I spent time around cattle every day and really enjoyed the scenery. The mountains, open land, and peaceful feeling of being out there made a big impression on me. I loved seeing the different cows and how each one had its own look and personality. This project shows five cows, starting with a calf and moving through five stages of growth until the last one, an older mama cow. Their colors are all different: one is a darker yellow, one is tan, one is an orangish brown, one is dark brown, and one has black and white spots. In the background, I painted four layers of blue mountains, starting with darker mountains in the front and fading into lighter ones farther back. I can’t wait to go back this summer and work on the ranch again because I really enjoyed the experience.

One element I used in this artwork is shape, especially in the bodies of the cows. Each cow has a different size and form to show the stages of life from young calf to old mama cow. Another element is color, since I used warm earthy tones for the cows and cool blues for the mountains in the background. Using watercolor helped create softer blends in the mountains and smooth transitions between the shades of blue. The different shades help create contrast and make the cows stand out more. One principle of this piece is movement, because your eyes move from the smallest calf to the largest cow, following the transitions of growth. Then your focus moves into the background mountains, which create depth and lead the eye farther into the painting. Another principle is emphasis, because I put the most detail and attention into the cows, especially the older mama cow, making them the main focus of the piece. This artwork is special to me because it connects to a real experience I had and reminds me of how much I loved Montana and ranch life.

Montana Shack
Sebastian Gaytan
Clay, 2026

My artwork is based on the theme of Montana ranch life, inspired by my experience working on the Grosfield Ranch in Big Timber, Montana. I created this dwelling sculpture to reflect the environment and memories from living and working on a ranch. The house represents a simple ranch home, while the added features, like the snake, and pot, these pieces make the art more creative and personal. I wanted the sculpture to combine the rugged outdoor feeling of Montana with imaginative details that make it unique.

One element I used in this artwork is shape, especially in the structure of the house and the added features. The house itself is a simple square form, but the snake, pot, and head introduce more organic shapes that contrast with the geometric base and connect to nature and wildlife found around ranch land. Another element is color, since I chose a greenish-purple tone for the house to make it stand out and give it a slightly surreal feeling. One principle of this piece is movement, because your eye travels from the base of the house along the snake and up to the head with the mohawk. Another principle is emphasis, because the most attention is drawn to the detailed top of the sculpture and the snake wrapping around the house, making them strong focal points.