Architecture Admission
Portfolio
August 2022
Alexa L. Cotesta
Photograph Limestone & Terracotta facade building in Manhattan
Page 2 – Ancient (Series)
Page 3 – Rainbow Pathways
Page 8– No Strings Attached
Page 10 – Blocks
Page 4 – Picturesque Poppy Field
Page 5 – Ziggy Stardust
Page 6 – Lonely
Page 7 – Pure Chaos
Page 10 – The Year 2123
Page 11 – Purposeful Purple
Page 12-13 –Intertwined Emotions
Page 14-15 – Sketchbook
Table of contents Page 1 – Nature
Within
Nature Within
Acrylic paint & water-based marker
October 2021
24 cm x 30.5 cm
School assignment
The assignment for this piece was to create anything while using pointillism techniques. With the liberty I was given to create this piece, I wanted to capture how nature is intricately intertwined with humans.
01
Process Finished piece
Ancient (2-piece series)
Gouache paint & Posca paint pens July 2022
10cm x 21.5cm Independent Project
I have always been fascinated by ancient sculptures and how realistic they are. I wanted to paint certain parts of some roman sculptures in vibrant colours to honour the art style in my own way.
02
Rainbow Pathways
Gouache paint
January 2022
14cm x 21.6cm
Independent Project
I received a HIMI gouache paint set for Christmas. I wanted to challenge myself and create an art piece using every colour in the set. I was inspired by water and how it flows so smoothly and I wanted to represent that with every brush stroke I made on the canvas.
03
Picturesque Poppy Field
Acrylic paint
August 2022
20.5cm x 25.5cm
Independent Project
One of my favourite things is giving the people I love gifts. I painted this landscape scene for my grandmother’s 65th birthday. My goal for this piece was to play with distance and scale to highlight various aspects of the painting. I thickened some red acrylic paint and piped it to create three-dimensional flowers on the canvas for texture.
04
Ziggy Stardust
Oil paint
March 2021
20.5cm x 25.5cm
Independent Project
Music is a big part of who I am. Music is an art form that brings people together despite barriers in language, race or culture. My hope as a future architect would be to create spaces that accomplish the same goal. I wanted to honour David Bowie by creating a painting inspired by one of his most iconic looks. It was also my first time using oil paints and I had a great time learning to use the media while listening to some of David Bowies best hits.
05
Lonely
Gouache paint
January 2023
14cm x 21.5cm
Independent Project
I have always struggled with the feeling of loneliness. I wanted to represent that feeling in a light-hearted way to help myself and others who may also struggle with that feeling.
06
Pure Chaos
Acrylic paint, gold leaf & glitter
December 2022
30.5cm x 23cm
Independent Project
After a chaotic week at school, I felt the urge to let loose and create something and channel my feelings. I decided to grab some colours and materials and place things in random areas. There are many different emotions represented in this piece with something new to discover every time you look at it.
07
No Strings Attached
Copic alcohol-based markers
September 2022
14cm x 21.6cm
Independent Project
I don’t often use markers, so I wanted to try and make an interesting piece with them. I experimented with layering different colours and shading. I chose vibrant contrasting colours to make the hands pop and eye-catching. I also wanted unclean lines to add to the overall style of the piece.
08
Blocks
Graphite pencil
December 2022
14cm x 21.6cm
Independent Project
I had no plan when I started this piece. I began with a small square near the center of the page and drew other shapes around it. I felt it was too plain and boring to look at and decided to add some shading, which helped bring the piece together. Although it may appear random, every shape was carefully placed to fill in each space.
09
The Year 2123
Wax-based coloured pencils & Copic alcohol-based markers
October 2022
22.8cm x 30.4cm
Independent Project
In one hundred years our world will surely be different. There will be new technology and amazing things, however, one day we will run out of materials and we will need to start reusing old things, such as cars, and repurposing them to match the technological standards of the time. I wanted to showcase past and future coexisting in a unique way.
10
Purposeful Purple
Acrylic paint
July 2022
24 cm x 30.5 cm
Independent project
Before this piece, I had never created something using only one colour. I chose rounded primitive shapes and this rich purple colour because it’s calming to me. I wanted to purposefully explore using different shades of a single colour.
11
Process Finished piece
Intertwined Emotions
Process
12
Intertwined Emotions
Chalk pastels & pastel pencils
June 2022
23cm x 30 cm
School assignment
The goal of this assignment was to create something in threes. I decided to draw three faces, representing a person’s complexity in emotions. Another part of this assignment was to draw it on sandpaper. It was a great experience that made me think outside the box.
Finished piece
13
Sketchbook Drawings
14
Sketchbook Drawings
15
