<p>Hi TrueDreamer. Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog/portfolio! Your kind words mean a lot. Youngarts was definitely a tough rejection letter to open but I think you’re right; it’s just such a competitive and subjective field. But luckily, I went to Cooper Union this year again for a portfolio review and got a faculty referred early decision packet- which was a pleasant surprise! As for your portfolio, I think that you have some really solid pieces in there and a distinct style. I would recommend signing your pieces on the back, or a bit smaller so it doesn’t distract the viewer, but that’s just personal perference. I think your strongest pieces are “Reach for it” (definitely shows an understanding of the human figure), “Comfort in a Glass” (rendering fabric and glass, really difficult technical feats), and “Lose Control”. How did you make “Lose Control”? I admire the abstraction- it really is the most unique piece out of the paintings I’ve seen. Yet there is a feeling of realism to it; as though it is a reflection in tumultuous seas or something. I love it. You do a really good job with a limited palette but I’d love to see you take it a little further. Pay a lot of attention to the general form of a figure- sometimes your proportion is a bit off even though the individual details are well rendered. Are you painting from photographs? Some of the paintings appear somewhat flat. Do you work in any other media besides paint? I’d love to see more work.</p>