About the Artist
Since a young age, I was always passionate about drawing. I would doodle in the middle of class, staring at my unpolished doodles in awe, and continue to develop my skills overtime. Though my drawings were not the level of Leonardo Da Vinci, or Mozart, drawing was always a passion of mine, and now with the pandemic, it has become a major part of my life that helps me relieve my stress and express my vivid imagination.
By joining Cartoon and Comic Creation, I have the opportunity to share my drawings with others, and to acquire creative approaches when expressing my style. For most of my artwork, I use pencils, pens, and my handy-dandy sketchbook. Most of my inspiration comes from my experiences, and from other artworks I see online and at school.
From one artist to another, continue to draw, sketch, and dream above and beyond.
-- Jaylene, YPIE Scholar 2025
Project Gallery
Rate
May 2021
Rate is about how a teenage girl, Sky, struggles with the daily trifle: trying to fit in with the crowd. In her world, the amount of likes and followers is the determining factor of rating a person’s value. Whether it be jobs, schools or airports, a person with a lot of likes receives fame, attention and above all else: acceptance. That’s why it's so important for Sky to maintain her image - to appear as the pitch-perfect, people-pleaser, model student. However, when she herself faces the consequences of what “rating” people can do, she is left with a decision: to stop wearing a facade, or rise to the very top.
Inner Emotions
December 2020
This comic was inspired by the artist’s personal experiences during the pandemic: the difficult transition to remote learning, the stress building up from college applications, and the sleepless nights. No one expected the year of 2020 would be so chaotic, and with the heavy workload, and applying to college, life can be stressful. This comic is about how our negative thoughts can be overbearing, but be aware that those negative thoughts don’t define who you are, and you are able to overcome them.
Short Stories
June 2020
I wrote a short story, “Don’t Guard Your Heart”, which is about how a cynical woman, Casey, detest love, and hardens her heart, until one day, her guardian angel magically appears, promising her he would help her find happiness again. This is a tale on how she begins to trust others again, beginning to fall in love once more.
Excerpt
The icy cold wind suffocated my lungs as I ran away from his dejected face. My legs became the wings of an eagle; soaring above the stone-cold ground. Gloomy, ashy-gray clouds began to loom overhead, hiding any hint of sunshine. Darkness took root in my heart, as an endless sea of raindrops spilled from above; masking the beauty of groves. Inside, my chest was hollow; a broken record that can never be rewound. I cried with the rain, still venturing on the winding path laid before a broken, shattered heart.
Casey.
I found myself back at the bar, staring at a pair of sea-blue specs.
“Hello, Casey.”
“And you..are?” I questioned dubiously.
“I’m your guardian angel. My mission is to help you discover happiness again.” It was at this moment, the whole world was closing in on me, confining the depths of my mind; making me question my sanity. I lowered my wine gently on the table, feeling my head swimming.
“My what now!?”
I wrote another short story, “Astronaut Boy”, which is about how a strange boy on Willow Street wears a spacesuit. There are rumors as to why he wears the spacesuit, and the one to find out the truth will be Magnolia. Read a story about how a determined girl would stop at nothing to learn the truth behind the spacesuit. Interested in mystery and unexpected plot twists, then you have come to the right place.
Excerpt
Nothing new happens at Willow Street, except for our neighbor’s son, oddly enough, who wears a spacesuit. He’s the “neighborhood’s spectacle” as some adults call it. Ever since elementary school, he always wore that buffy-looking, and worn out suit, that we see on astronauts buckling down in a space rocket, and being shot to outer space. No one really knows the real reason why he wears that absurd attire, nevertheless rumors have circulated around the neighborhood - some were nonsense - but there was a time I encountered the truth, or so I thought.
Life is Filled With Color
June 2020
This comic was inspired by the artist’s personal experience with moving from the Bronx to Yonkers after graduating middle school. At first, she felt overwhelmed by the change but when she joined the church and after-school clubs, she felt right at home. When reading this comic, know that you're not alone and that everyone goes through the motions of life at times.