Sydney16557's Comments (68)

This is a special piece of artwork because Art Class has come to a close and you gave me this house made of clay as a Christmas gift. It reminds me of our house with the multicolor outdoor lights we put on the house for the first time this year. I will treasure this forever. I love you big and so proud of you.

Oh, saddened that someone would see this as ugly. One man’s ugly is another man’s beauty. Tough to be put in the position of commenting on something deemed ugly... I like it and just think how it will look once someone puts it on their body... Would it still be ugly? I’ve enjoyed seeing your art work over the years. Hope you always have a creative mind and not be afraid to express yourself. Uniqueness is always the best way to be!

Really love this basket! The shading is great and the handle is the bomb (off center and dark.....) The weave is so nice. It reminds me of bamboo - which brings to mind a tea basket I have. It could be a fishing basket, too - framed and hung beside a bamboo fishing pole, it would look great on a wall. What kind of basket would you like it to be? Nice job. Thanks for posting.

Merry Christmas! What says Christmas more than gingerbread men and snowflakes??? Not much. Sometimes when I look at this I immediately notice the snowflake. Other times, I find I see the gingerbread men first. Totally fine — I enjoy looking at both! Thanks for sharing.

I enjoy viewing your artwork. When I first looked at this, I thought of a chimney top. However I saw the handle on the top and saw it as a wooden box. The shading is so cool.

Certainly could be the deconstruction of a spirograph image... Yet, my first thought was of a spin art picture. Have you ever done spin art? When I was young, I got a spin art machine for Christmas. I loved it SO much. It came complete with the spinner machine, the perfectly sized blank canvases, and the squirt bottles of paint. When I saw this work, it immediately took me back to spin art and the smell of the paint. Not sure which part I enjoyed the most - the paint smell, the actual making the picture, or the finished work. Truthfully, I think it was all the parts equally making the finished product! Wonderful memory! Here’s something I bet you didn’t know — my first time making spin art was at Lakeshore Methodist Camp, and your Big John was at the camp when I was that very summer!! We were talking about it one day and that’s when we realized that we had been there at the same time!!! So, from one piece of artwork, you get spirograph, spin art, paint smells and a Big John!!! Keep up the interesting work! Love ya.

This one is much brighter in coloring and more menacing in design. The previous one could have represented a flower opening up into full bloom, while this one - I can imagine barbed wire starting to envelop the center - rolling faster and faster from the outside as it goes. To me, the use of purple adds to the sinister-like appearance. Maybe the red and yellow pieces were the protectors for the middle and they have been broken up by the barbs and allowing the smaller barbs to edge closer to the middle - lighter purple, almost to the center. Oh, and what are they after - well, it certainly seems they really want to acquire a green paper clip sculpture!! Imagination in overdrive! Yes, but it was really fun!! Thanks!

Reminds me of my spirograph days! Also, it’s much like a kaleidoscope object. Guess I should go ahead and say it has similarities to a tie dye shirt —-a very washed one! I love all the above. Now that you have me flipping through memories, I think I’ll go dig out my Birkenstocks and patchouli - and maybe even find my inner dancing bear..... thanks for sharing!

Inserting the warm color block into the cool color block makes it the focal point of the art. You made it interesting by varying the shades within each block. Like the changing of color for the background in the cool color section. Would it look different if you had used shapes other than circles? Would the cool color block be more of the focal point if it were placed into the warm colors? What would happen if you made the warm color area much larger but left it in the middle? What about making one area much darker in shading than the other? Lots of things to experiment with when using cool v warm.... Which group is your favorite? My favorite is the cool color group. Good job-thanks for sharing.

This is so dang cute! I want to give it a hug!! He looks like he has been going around and around and has worn himself down so much he is panting. Just think how much fun you can have with this newly learned skill — there are SO many words just waiting for their turn to become something special. So, the very first thing I thought of when I saw this - after thinking it was so cute - was something that Grammy had told me. I had planned to be there when you were born - but - you came a little early and I was still sitting in Japan, with ticket in hand and all packed up, waiting for the day of my flight. Meantime, Grammy had already been to see you. She called me right afterwards and told me that when I saw you and looked into your big blue eyes that I would be yours forever. She was right!! You had the most beautiful bluest blue eyes in the world. When I first looked at you, I felt I was melting into you through your eyes. They were truly beautiful and mesmerizing - just like this little Sydney guy’s!! Grammy and I saw each other for the last time when we were both at your house right after you came home from being born. You have pic of Grammy, me, your dad and you from when we were all there - 4 generations! I love this art work, but I love the memories it stirs in me a teeny bit more. Funny how something can touch each person in such a different way. Thanks for sharing and letting me share with you. (You might want to get a patent for the glasses you could create from you drawing....super cool!)

Welcome back to school! This looks like a perfect summer day! It reminds me of being young and making clover necklaces in the evenings when the hot summer days gave way to cooler evenings. The grown ups would be sitting around in the yard catching up on the latest and we would be sitting in the cool grass picking the clover blooms, tying them together, and each of us hoping we would be the lucky one to find a 4 leaf clover! If we sat there long enough, the dew would start to cover the grass and we would begin to get damp. Time to go inside! Nice work!

How sweet of you to make this for your mom. Hope you have enjoyed working with her in the flower beds. Glad you shared your work.

Like your temp heart. It is like drawing one on your Buddha board. A good lesson to remind you that nothing is permanent - not even things of beauty. You and your partner used some nice colors and did a good job of placing them. Thanks for sharing.

Hope you got lots of love stuffed into your bag. It looks very calming!

Very Cool! Happy Valentines Day! Love you big, Tina

Love you big! Mom

Love is in the air! Your heart reminds me of Valentines. But it also displays the kindness and love you display within yourself. Love you big! Mom

Very first thought - snowmen bending over looking at themselves in a frozen pond!! Awesome! Like that you gave the snowmen across from each other similar traits but kept them individual. I’m going with mom in the green hat, dad in the black one and sweet little ones with no hat(of course) and a scarf around the neck! Perfect time for them to be out and about ‘cause it’s snowing. Seems like a wonderful family outing. Good job to not add any other elements so attention is totally focused on the snowmen. I really like it. Thanks for sharing!

Nice work Sydney. The snowmen remind me of winter. I know you look forward to us getting snow and possibly building your own snowman! I personally like watching from the window sipping on hot chocolate! Love, Mom

Your red bird of winter makes me think of your dad when he was very young. I used to think of him as “my little red bird.” I bought a small sculpture of a red bird to honor that thought and used to quietly whisper in your dad’s ear that he was “my little red bird.” I love your winter sky in the background. It adds just the perfect touch to make a wonderful winter scene. Using just a tad of blue and smearing it really gives me the sensation of it being cold and windy! The branches are my favorite item in the picture! I’m really into that vibe and have lots of them in our house. As soon as I saw your picture, I thought of the hanging lights that I have made recently - made them from branches!! Maybe I will add a bird or two to give them the holiday feel. It will also be a wonderful way to have you with me during the holidays. Thanks for letting me see your latest work.

This one warms my heart. It makes me think of papaw Gene. Love, Mom

I love a Christmas that isn’t precisely perfect along the edges. The needles really make this tree - love how they are a little lighter shade. The first thing I noticed was the needles! If all the green had been exactly the same, I would not have even noticed you put needles on the it. Nice job on decorating. Like that you didn’t cram all the ornaments into the center and your tree topper is a show stopper!!! Oh, and I really like the green at the bottom left corner! Special memory the picture brings to mind....the very first Christmas that your dad had.... did you know he owned a Christmas tree farm? We used to go and cut the trees in the afternoon, put them in the back of the truck and head down towards Germantown. We would get some of the trees out and lean them against the truck so people driving by could see them. We always sold all the ones we had cut for the day, and sometimes people would ask us to cut a certain size and bring it the next day. We took hot chocolate to sip on the colder nights. Of course, your dad slept through it all and stayed nice and warm all bundled up in the truck!! I know Christmas is a favorite at your house. Enjoy making lots and lots of memories now that you can think of as you get older and may they always bring a smile to your face and warmth into your heart. Thanks for sharing your artwork.

Absolutely love the Christmas tree. It was neat learning that you used forks to create the tree needles. The tree brings warm memories of us decorating our tress at home. I always look forward to sharing those times with you. Love, Mom

Pumpkin time! This pumpkin looks so much more mature than the ones you have done before! Your skills are showing through on this picture. The way the pumpkin is shaded really brings it to life. The shape is so nice and your sectional lines are spot on. Having the curly stem still attached and green tells me it is a really fresh pumpkin. Your simple use of colors gives the whole thing a peaceful feeling. I’m getting a maximum autumnal vibe from a minimalist drawing! Good job. Oh, and please give Mr. Monster my apology for saying he had springs of hair on his head ——- I meant sprigs!

Absolutely love this artwork! Your pumpkin puts my mind and heart into Fall season. Leaves are changing and pumpkins and mums are decorating front yards and porches. Defiantly a framer! Love, Mom

I have to say that your use of colors allows me to see so many different things in this one picture - and the first thing that pops out at me is not a monster at all! As a matter of fact, it’s not even monster teeth. First thing I noticed is the green area towards the bottom, and since I was immediately drawn to that space, I didn’t even look at the picture as a whole. My first thought was a green apron with very long strings. My second was a pair of green pants hanging on a clothesline! My eyes moved up and saw the two yellow orbs. Could that be mom and daughter having an “eye to eye” on a certain topic? Could it be mom and daughter having a sweet moment of affection by touching heads? Then I notice the setting is a blue hill with a leafless tree at the apex. Oh, and there is a beautifully colored sunset as the background. Now, I’ve noticed each piece as individuals and start to bring my focus out of the picture......OH, look, I see a big blue yellow-eyed, green-toothed monster with a few springs of hair at the top of his head!!! He’s been hiding in plain sight all this time. Love the colors and the funny things you allowed me to imagine! Do you think different colors would change the image???

You drew your lines perfectly to draw me into the star - the center is like a black hole to my eye! The way you layered the colors adds to the mesmerizing factor. The background is neutral and plays no part in the picture. The lighter shade seems to be there only to make the purple noticeable. Then, the purple fades away as I am drawn into the center of the star by the turquoise shade. The green narrows my focus even further into the center shape. My eyes find themselves looking right into the center of the star... What’s back there? Will we ever know for certain? I AM certain that your choice of cooler colors is the reason I see this picture as I do. Calming and enjoyable and holds my attention much longer than if you had used warmer shades. Nice work!

Ahh, the cycle continues. Seems like just yesterday when Grandma and Grandpa B watched their young ones heading off to begin life away from home. Now, they are all back on the family farm raising their own young stalks. Everyone agrees that it just isn’t the same without Grandma and Grandpa around to share their knowledge and experience. The little ones never stop to wonder why they are so healthy and happy in their field, while neighboring fields are dealing with some difficult situations. Drought, rot, wilt, leaf spot, blight, mildew - none of this in the Boll’s field - just healthy, growing young stalks on their way to maturity. Seems Sydney Sullivan may have unknowingly captured the secret of the Boll family good fortune on a recent trip to the farm. She was invited to be the official portrait artist for the young stalks this year. When she finished her work, everyone was surprised to see that the little stalks were not the only ones in the picture. Grandma and Grandpa Boll have been there right above their family loving and protecting them all this time!! Thank you, Sydney, for sharing this awesome picture and reminding me that we are never alone and there is always love around us. Let’s not forget to take time to feel it!

Love the blue background. It makes the cotton bolls pop! I can't wait to add it to gifts. Love Mom
-- Tina

I think many wonderful things are going to be accomplished with this hand. I am so blessed to be able to follow along with the journey that this hand leads me on... It looks strong and gentle, smooth and rough, tense and relaxed. It looks like it can handle whatever life brings but can still grab on if it needs help and will be able to grasp the hand that comes to it in need. I love you Sydney, and I hope our hands are always there for each other.
-- Marmar

LOVE these! How hippie cool! I feel like I’ve gone back in time when I look at this. Your choice of colors is awesome. I love the different patterns you gave each flower and that they all tie in together so well. This makes me incredibly happy, stirs up wonderful memories, and puts a huge smile on my face. I’m thinking this would make an excellent wallpaper. One of my favorites of all your works. FYI... when I was about your age, I took some crayons and drew a single flower with the stem and leaves on the wall in my closet. I even signed it!! I was worried that I would be in trouble if my mom ever looked back there, but when she saw it, she told me she loved it!!! Her approval and encouragement really helped me to stay interested in art. I hope you will keep an interest, too —- but maybe don’t draw on your closet wall.... sketch pads are awesome!
-- Marmar

Nice job on the 3D aspect. (I’ve always enjoyed doing this with letters, numbers and all types of items! It’s a fun way for me to doddle.) The picture brings me memories of my dad. His favorite hymn was “The Old Rugged Cross.” Your picture suggests you have had experience with sunrise services! When I was young, my county had a county-wide sunrise service held at the drive-in theater! Ha, I haven’t thought of that in a long time - thanks for taking me back for a little while.
-- Marmar

I love this artwork because as we approach Easter and your baptism, it's a reminder of God's mercy and faithfulness to us. I love the 3 dimensional look. I'm so proud of you and watching you mature and grow into a young lady. Love, Mom
-- Tina

Your farm would certainly be loved here in California!!! You don’t have any cages, you don’t have any fences, you’ve got greens for the animals to eat, and you have lots of room for them to spread out - plus, you’ve probably got nice big beds in the bedrooms of each animal inside the barn! I like your use of primary colors, and it’s awesome that it has turned into spring! Now, I’m going to use my imagination as I look at this work and I’m going to say that the items in the bottom left are forks!!! It makes me want to build a little fork fence around my raised beds! Your work has made me think and made me want to get into action! Also, I really like the font in the title. Happy farming and bon appetite!!
-- Marmar

I know this piece of artwork is probably your favorite since you are wishing for a snow day! The purple sky is a nice touch! The shadows of the trees casting on the snow really makes you feel like you are part of the winter scene. Love, Mom
-- Tina

Happy Valentine's Day! This artwork displays how truly big of a heart you have and I'm so proud of you. You are becoming a beautiful young lady. Love, Mom
-- Tina

Ahhh, and there it is! What a nice piece of art completed just in time for Valentine’s Day. The yarn gives the whole thing a three dimensional look. It also gives the picture a nice texture. I like that you picked a contrasting color for the yarn so it would stand out as the main attraction. Happy Valentine’s Day!
-- Marmar

Oh, Sydney, this touches my heart so deeply! One of my top favorites... I absolutely love a cold, snowy night. It is the most perfect environment I’ve ever experienced. It’s freezing, it’s shadowy, it’s numbing, it’s exhilarating, it’s vibrant, it’s mind-blowingly quiet, it’s encapsulating, it’s pristine and pure... Guess you can tell it makes me emotional! Your art has managed to capture all these feelings into one beautiful work and makes me so nostalgic. When your dad was very young, I used to take him outside at night when we had a snowfall. We would go into the front yard where it was like a perfectly untouched white blanket and make snow angels frst. Then, we would run around and fall down and touch the snow and listen to the nothingness that was there. He little nose would get so red! It took so long to get off all the snow clothes that I had put on him! I’m surprised he could even move around with all the layers. Then it was time to have some hot chocolate and warm up by the fire. Memories from a wonderful time can be so powerful. I can close my eyes and really, really rexperience those snowy nights with your dad. SO, I love your clipped winter branches waiting to capture the snow, the moon hanging in the beautiful sky casting the shadows on the snow. Embrace the cold!! Love you.
-- Marmar

Awesome job of the bird. Giving him a neutral background ensures that he gets the attention. The branch is too perfect - a bird has gotta have a branch, right - and you kept it so minimal - like here it is... the must-have branch!! The coloring is so nice. It’s a great mixture and really lets each one be seen. It reminds me of a map. Maybe it’s a map tattoo of his journey through life. Some filled in with the places he has been and lots of empty space for the places he has yet to explore. I can now think about this bird and his many adventuresome flights, (and I can wonder to what kind of tree that branch is attached...) Thank you for stirring my imagination, and may you have many exciting adventures on your journey through life. I used to call your dad my little blue bird!!
-- Marmar

Can’t wait to see the final product! I always really enjoy your projects that come together over several sessions. As I look at this step in the progression, I can imagine so many possibilites... so, it’s already an intriguing piece of art!
-- Marmar

Reminds me of Christmas from my childhood. I get the feeling of this being right after Christmas - taking the ornaments off the tree with dead twigs getting caught on the hooks, gently placing them on the tree skirt in piles, and finally tucking them back into their boxes. The colorful selection reminds me of looking at the boxes of new ornaments at the store and secretly longing to take them all home with me. My mother’s gentle tug on my hand placed happily in hers reminds me that we came for only one new box... I pick the box with all the different colored ornaments. We put them on the tree and remark on how the lights shine on each one and give us different colored glows on the branches - and if we get close enough, we can see ourselves in the colors of the decorations. Now, it’s time to carefully store the ornaments in the box and the memories in our mind where they will be kept until we need them again. Wishing you a merry Christmas, warm memories and much love... Thanks for sharing! P.S. Remember to take the hooks off the decorations before storing them — makes it much easier for the next year!!!
-- Marmar

WOW! I love it! Would never have guessed this would be the final artwork. Isn’t it amazing how changing the placement turns it into something so different? What a wonderful concept for you to learn. Makes me want to blow on it to see if I can make the ends of the strips flutter!! The vibrant colors really bring it to life. Good work and good job on learning to upload your artwork. School is AWESOME!
-- Marmar

Great skull - has all the necessary “parts” a skull needs while using minimal lines to produce the image. Favorite part has to be the smearing of the graphite. That gives it an old appearance and a mysterious aura. Also, your placement of the object on the page is awesome. (I can’t stop looking at the smears!! It gives so much depth and it almost seems as though it gets more noticeable the longer I look!!!). Thanks for giving me a treat...
-- Marmar

SCARY!!! Although I do love that your skull has a smile/grin which makes it less scary. :) Your new artwork goes along with upcoming Halloween. I read Mrs. Laura's comment that you uploaded this photo by yourself which is awesome. Keep learning and growing in your art skills. As always, love you! Mom
-- Tina

Interesting - can’t wait to see what you are going to do with this! You know, I really appreciate how if you take the top left corner and the bottom right corner and fold them so they touch, you have the prefect continuation of the order of the colors!!
-- Marmar

Ohhh, I think you have a future in tile making. Move over Ann Sacks, outta my way Walker Zanger - here comes Syd Sull!! Love what you did. It’s so precise. Gotta love something that can supply you with endless possibilites. How you see it depends upon how you feel when you look at it - OR - is it how you feel when you look at it that determines how you see it??? Calm, anxious, dizzy, expanding, squeezing, tall, vertical, horizontal, rows, columns, diamonds, squares, pairs, singles, zigzags, shadows, centers, left, right, the list is endless!!!
-- Marmar

Ahh, here they are, Mr. and Mrs. Boll, recent empty-nesters, standing at the edge of the field at sunset. I’m sure they must be thinking about how lucky they were to raise their little ones in such a wonderul spot. They were so well taken care of - the best of everything - as they prepared them to go out into the world. Some headed to Levi, others off to Wrangler, and even a few on to Adriano Goldschmied - what more could the Bolls want? A job well done, but they can’t linger too long, as they hear the creaking of the rocking chairs just off to the right side of the picture...
-- Marmar

Love the cotton picture and I know your dad will be proud of it. Each year, you improve in your skills. Keep up the awesome job! Love, Mom
-- Tina

very colorful hand! I love each finger! Love, Mom
-- Tina

Nice job on the Viking Center! You really managed to create the 3D effect. The roofline is excellent and your lettering is awesome. Love the speck of green tree above the roof! The Viking Center didn’t exist when I was there, so the next time we chat, you can tell me all about it! Thanks for sharing...
-- Marmar

Fantastic job on your drawing of the Viking Center. You stayed true to the detail of the building. As always, I'm so proud of you. Love , Mom
-- Tina

Really like this bird art!! Gives me a feeling that the birds are really into helping out each other. I like that they face different directions - gives stability to the stack! They are smart to know to stack up by size, too! By using teamwork, the smallest bird is perfectly able to reach the flower. Also, I like that the textures of the sky and the grass are different. The sky seems to be a typical spring sky - could be a little shower or a sunny day on the way. Your grass looks so soft and cool, and shouldn’t grass always give us that feeling?! One thing remains a mystery, though. Hmm, wonder what the birds are going to do with the flower?? Thanks for sharing.
-- Marmar

I enjoyed viewing your newest artwork. I love all the colors. It makes me look forward to spring. Love Mom
-- Tina

Oh, Sydney! You’ll never believe this, but I looked at the original marbled paper work and thought it reminded me of an Easter egg!!! Now, it IS an Easter egg! The colors are so spring-like, and I see that your favorite colors are there. I love the effect you were able to produce on the paper. I am very impressed by the weighted bottom - putting 3 smaller eggs on the bottom and only 2 on the top makes it seem well-grounded. Since the bottom of the egg is larger than the top, you have to make sure it doesn’t fall and break. If it did, you would have to paint a Humpty Dumpty portrait!! Thanks for getting me in the mood for spring’s arrival - such a wonderful time of year. What’s next? Can’t wait to see...
-- Mar mar

Good job on the cat! I like that you gave him some nice cheeks and a fun chin!! His fur looks soft and he has a great Cat in the Hat shape. His eyebrows give him such a quizzical expression! I have to wonder what he is thinking... Oh, and I really like the texture of your background. Thanks for sharing!
-- Mar mar

Love the cool marbled egg. Easter is my favorite holiday. I love the story of Jesus but also that my Sydney Ann was born around my favorite holiday. :) Love, Mom
-- Tina

Love your drawing of the cat in the hat! You have grown into a great artist this year and you keep improving with every stroke. I'm so proud of you! Love, Mom
-- Tina

My favorite picture so far!! Awesome detail in this picutre. The sky sets the tone for the scene and makes it believable that a snowman belongs there. The shading and the blending of the blue with the white mixed in is a “snowman sky” for certain. The white swirls tell me that it is snowing and the wind is blowing! The proportions of the eyes, nose and mouth to the face are spot on... Love the little dark smudges on the face. I can imagine the coal being swiped across the fresh snow and leaving a trail. I like the placement of the snowman in the picture. I see him first, but I’m really drawn to the sky that gives me the cold snowman feeling. His arm looks like it is reaching out to catch a snowflake swirling by him! With his hat, his scarf, and the cardinal on his carrot nose, he is a truly fine snowman. No wonder he is smiling so big!!
-- Marmar

Great attention to detail by making her antlers different. The gray background gives the feeling that it is a cloudy, freezing day. Having the ends of her scarf out from her body makes me think that the wind is blowing. Also, I notice that the end of the scarf in the background is a slightly different shade - awesome use of detail. I get a real feel for a winter day by looking at this picture! Thanks for allowing Rosie to bring me a little taste of winter!!
-- Marmar

The shading really gives the owl some nice texture. Like the way you used the strokes of the crayon to define his body. Using the black to show his feathers is a nice touch. Also, like how you gave him big owl eyes! The green background is a really good choice. I wonder if the owl outside my bedroom window is as handsome as the one you drew? Probably not!
-- Marmar

Great elf! I really like his sideburns. They make him look old and wise - lots of hard work in his past! Putting his hands behind his back really gets my attention. Hmmm, we all know elves can be a little mischievous... Good job on the background, too. Actually looks like he is in a very cold place.
-- Marmar

Love the snowman but what caught my eye was the pretty cardinal on the tip of nose. As you have heard, cardinals symbolize a loved one that has passed away so it reminds me of papaw Gene visiting us during the winter. :) Love Mom
-- Tina

Owls are fascinating creatures! You did another amazing job with your artwork. I'm very proud of you! Love Mom
-- Tina

Tis the season! Love the new artwork and how well you are drawing details! Keep up the great job! Love Mom
-- Tina

Rosie the reindeer has a big head! She must be eating a lot of daddy's corn and soybeans! Love Mom
-- Tina

I really like this Sydney! Cool textures. Great job!
-- Cool Mike

Although simple in appearance, this painting is very thought provoking. Looking at it takes me on a sensory journey - the smell in the air when it's time to pick cotton; the way the sky looks in the early autumn; the hum of the cotton picker as it travels down the rows; the feel of the freshly picked bolls as they fall into the trailer. Love the texture and that each boll has a different texture. It does exactly what a piece of art should do - allows each person to experience it in their own way. Thank you for sharing your painting and for letting me share what it means to me. Looking forward to the next one!
-- Marmar

Awesome job Sydney! You are a beautiful artist!
-- Tina