Portfolio of Work

Maala Mecha

Mother Moon "Maala Mecha" is the mother of all creation in the Yaqui culture. I did this pencil drawing as part of my AP Drawing portfolio.

Kenzie

This is a pencil drawing of my golden retriever (and best friend) Kenzie. In this piece I used an effect called negative drawing - leaving the white of the paper to form the fur on her face.

Achai Taa Ah

Father Sun "Achai Taa Ah" is the father of all creation in the Yaqui culture. I did this pencil drawing as part of my AP Drawing portfolio.

Kurt in Thought

Combining hand-drawn illustration and digital media techniques, I created this artwork of Kurt Cobain. As a fan of Nirvana, I was inspired to include some of their song titles within his image using typography.

Don Juan Matus

Inspired by Carlos Castaneda's book "The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge", this pencil drawing is of Don Juan. There was no image of Don Juan in the book, but this is how I imagined him to look.

Timeless Tombs

A shot I took in Southern Cemetery in Manchester, UK. I chose a secluded area of the cemetery where most of the gravestones were from the 1800's. It was a bright yet crisp winter morning and I loved how you can almost feel the crispness of the weather through the image.

The Nagual’s Journey

Nspired by the Yaqui belief that shamans can transform into animals or birds, this drawing shows a Yaqui Indian viewing the world through the eye of a raven.

Building The Eight Towns

This oil painting depicts a scene from the early 1600's in valley of the Río Yaqui in the Mexican state of Sonora. In the late 1500's Jesuit missionaries from Spain settled in the region and began persuading the Yaqui Indians to move to the areas around eight churches that had been built. This painting was part of my AP Drawing Portfolio for which I did a series of pieces depicting how Yaqui culture had changed throughout history.

Sign of the Saguaro

Sonoran Desert landscape featuring Saguaro Cacti. This piece features surrealism with the inclusion of a cactus-like hand.

La Danza del Venado

The Deer Dance, or "La Danza del Venado", is a native Yaqui Indian dance that was traditionally performed in the Yaqui homeland of Sonora, most prominently at Easter. This oil painting is part of my AP Drawing Portfolio work which includes a series of pieces that focus on the Yaqui Indian culture and how it has changed over time. This was the first time using this medium. I used palette knives which allowed me to create a wide variety of effects to give the piece texture and depth.

The Koffee Pot

Inspired by the "greasy spoon" cafe "The Koffee Pot" that has been an iconic part of Manchester, UK since 1976. I did this poster using a combination of Photoshop and Illustrator. The Koffee Pot is not in the same location as when my Dad used to frequent it in the 1990's, but on our last trip back to the UK we visited it in the new location; and it's true - it does serve the best breakfast in Manchester.

The Dragon’s Wisdom

As an admirer of Bruce Lee, his martial arts and his movies, I designed this artwork using Bruce Lee quotes to create some of the features of his face.

Remember The 5th

A Resting Place by the Sea

A shot I took in a small village called Aberdaron while on vacation in 2019 in Wales. I've often heard cemeteries / graveyards called a "Resting Place". This shot summed up that phrase for me. A beautiful, tranquil place that looked like a peaceful resting place for those that had passed before they continued their journey.

Nizhóní Skincare Ad

Packaging design mockup for four Nizhóní skincare products. Nizhóní is a fictitious brand I created to showcase my design skills. Nizhóní is the Navajo word for "Beautiful".

Eliana

A charcoal portrait of my younger sister Eliana.

Mad Fer It

As part of my AP 2-D Design Portfolio work I created a series of pieces centered around my British heritage and how British culture has influenced me. This poster was a fun one to create and features two characters having a phone conversation, framed by a variety of Manchester slang words.

The Silent Gap

Photograph of a departing train at Wimbledon South tube station on the London Underground. The shot captures the eerie stillness of an empty platform - a public place which would usually be bustling with crowds.

Champagne Supervova

A poster I created in Adobe Illustrator using a photograph of Noel Gallagher that I took at his High Flying Birds concert in Los Angeles.

London 1966

As part of my AP 2-D Design portfolio I created a series of artworks that reflect my interest in British culture. In this piece I wanted to create the feeling of a memento photograph taken in the 1960's. I displaced the Mini outside the image for effect.

Lake District Scene

Autumn scene with reflections in a lake, inspired by my visit to the UK and the English countryside.

Nizhóní Logo Design

Logo design for Nizhóní, a fictitious brand of natural skin care products. I created this logo for my portfolio to showcase my design skills. Nizhóní is the Navajo word for "Beautiful".

Kava’i

Charcoal sketch of "The Black Horse", from Yaqui folklore.

Venus Hair Salon Logo Design

Logo design for Venus, a fictitious hair salon. I created this logo for my portfolio to showcase my design skills.

The Secret Garden

Photograph of an English country garden, belonging to Tyas Cottage a 17th / 18th Century Grade 2 listed building located within a secluded hamlet in Merrydale, near Slaithwaite, Yorkshire. I loved the scenery and the feeling that this remote part of the garden was forgotten in time.

Banana to Koi Transition

This was a school project where we had to show the metamorphosis of one object into another via several steps. I chose to paint the transformation of a banana into a Koi Fish with a peeling banana effect.

The King of Manchester

A graphic design piece I created that plays off Eric Cantona memorabilia. Eric Cantona was a Manchester United soccer player in the 1990's and was fondly referred to as the King of Manchester. I took a photo of my younger brother in his Manchester United top and placed him in front of a photo of a soccer crowd which I turned to grayscale and blurred for effect. I then added my brothers signature and put it in a photo frame so that it would look like an autographed memorabilia photo.

Self Portrait

Oil pastel self portrait referencing a recent photograph of myself.

Tyas Cottage

During my visit to the UK in 2019 we stayed at Tyas Cottage a 17th / 18th Century Grade 2 listed building located within a secluded hamlet in Merrydale, near Slaithwaite, Yorkshire. The cottage is is accessed via an ancient, cobbled pack horse road and the scenery around the hamlet was amazing. This was one of my favorite shots

Shoshone by the River

A watercolor piece showing a camp of Shoshone Indians alongside Snake River in Wyoming.

Healey Dell

Photograph of my three younger siblings overlooking Healey Dell in Lancashire, UK.

Mustang Memories

The first memories I have of being driven around in a car https://www.amfcreations.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/maala-mecha-150x150.jpgwas in a lime green Mustang, belonging to my Dad. Although he no longer has the car, this ink drawing will serve as a fond reminder of my early years!

Kaldi Coffeehouse Logo Design

Logo design for Kaldi, a fictitious coffeehouse. I created this logo for my portfolio to showcase my design skills. Kaldi was a legendary Ethiopian goat herder who discovered the coffee plant around 850 AD.

Liberty Enlightening the World

I took this shot of the Statue of Liberty during a trip to Liberty Island in New York Harbor. We made the trip just after my parents and I became US citizens. The immense statue serves as a beacon of light and symbolizes freedom and democracy for so many around the world. For me it also symbolizes the sacrifices that my parents made for me and my siblings to grow up in such a wonderful country. It symbolizes the end of a journey, and the beginning of a new one.

Michael Jackson

A color pencil portrait of Michael Jackson. One of my early portrait pieces.

Sea of Harm

Borne of concern for the increasing amount of plastics in the world's oceans, this poster depicts the harmful effects of plastic waste on our environment and sea life. The whale is constructed of geometric shapes of images of plastics, amid a sea of plastic bottles.

The National Wallace Monument

My favorite movie of all time is Braveheart. On our 6 week long trip around the UK in 2019 I wanted to visit the William Wallace monument in Sterling, Scotland. This was a memorable trip for me and one where I learned a lot about the history of Scotland and England. This shot of the National Wallace Monument makes me think about the beautiful countryside in Scotland and what the Scots were fighting for at that time - their homeland. The tower reaches up into the sky which symbolizes for me a proud people that reached for hope and for freedom.

Furever Friends Logo Design

Logo design for Furever Friends, a fictitious pet care and grooming salon. I created this logo for my portfolio to showcase my design skills.

Pastel Fruit

My first piece of art using oil pastels.

Miraculous Ladybug

I drew this for my sister, who loves the computer animated television series, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir.

Tupac

This is one of my first portrait drawings: a pencil sketch of Tupac Shakur.

Damon

Illustration of 2-D, the animated character of the band, Gorillaz. I drew this using colored pencils.

Melanie Martinez

Color pencil portrait of Melanie Martinez.