Aimee Leong Public Feed

Senior Portfolio

Posted by Aimee Leong in Art - Senior Art - Hull on
In our final quarter of Senior Art, we were suppose to add new pieces to our portfolio:
-Sculpture
-5 Photoshop Photos
-Copy of a piece of art work by a famous artist
-Line, Shading, Negative Space Bike Drawings
-Outside drawing

I did a few drawings that met with the guidelines but unfortunately I wasn't able to get to all of them. I worked very hard throughout the marking period though. First on the list, I started with a copy of a piece of art work by a famous artist. I didn't actually know where to start in the beginning. I've been attracted to modern art for a while and thought that maybe I should start there. As of right now while I type of my blog post, I can't exactly remember the artist's name but I will update this post as soon as I get it out from the textbook back in the classroom. But I was pretty proud of this piece because it took me as long as the paper beads I made (the sculpture), probably even longer
Getting the colors for the painting was probably the most difficult because I wanted to get a wide variety of colors and colors that actually mixed well together. This was sort of my first painting ever and I had to adjust to a certain brush stroke. I had to stop myself multiple times from drowning the whole paint brush into the paint but I eventually got the hang of it.

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I also spent quite a long time on my paper beads. I have seen Emma and Kimberly try to do this and I have always been interested in recycling paper in that manner. I took a while for me to get the strips cut out the right way and then keep rolling them around a toothpick. It was very tiresome. I got that much done and thought yarn would work to thread them together but it ended up failing. The yarn of course wouldn't go through the beads and just overall wouldn't be able to hold them together. I looked though a few website and they have suggest that hemp wouldn't have worked perfectly. I didn't have enough time to obtain that though. I'll probably grab it though sometime in the future to finish the project.
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I must admit the bike drawings were quite challenging. I wasn't able have to finish it completely. I usually get a better turn out when I'm really captured by the object. The bike didn't hold my interest for long. But one thing I was able to take away from this drawing is that sometimes you won't fall in love with every drawing you do, you just have to keep drawing until you do fall in love with a piece.
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2011-06-03 17.39.19

4th and Final Benchmark for Globalization

Posted by Aimee Leong in Globalization - Laufenberg on
To finish off the year, we were assigned a project to take notice and find the influences of global factors in our day to day activities. We were to show how the world is generally connected. At first I didn't think the project would be too difficult because I assume most parts of the world just weaved together somehow of some sort. But in a sense I was wrong. I wanted to find deeper connections between things and not be so obvious but the more I thought about it the more exhausting it got. It was challenging to take/chose photos. I started off with a bunch of photos that eventually ended up being to only a few/couple photos at max. I just went a little crazy with the camera for a bit but I had to get that under control after reviewing the photos and not being able to make sense of the things I captured. It was either no connection at all (that I could think of) or I already have something like this.


I would have to say the favorite image of the entire project is a tie between the distinguish school 2009-2010 banner (education) and CASA set up in liberty place (organization). It's a tie between the two because I guess they mean the most to me. The banner picture is one of my favorites because I have pride going to Science Leadership Academy and I was extremely excited to see this hanging up in our building. The CASA is also one of my favorites because of what they do and stand for. I appreciate how they work to advocate safety for abused or neglected children. But I'll tell you, it wasn't easy finding these images or connections. I'm not sure but I would have to say it wasn't the easiest assignment for me, just me though. I think if I traveled more it would have been helpful. I feel like in the city of Philadelphia that evident of globalization would be pretty prevalent and not less evident. Philadelphia is an average city in my opinion, but very very diverse so cultures definitely pop up everywhere. I think it be even more evident in bigger cities because in small cities, I feel like some things would be uniformed or of the same thing.

Day In A Life: Fiji

Posted by Aimee Leong in Globalization - Laufenberg on
I think a day in the life of a 12 yo girl in Fiji would be a bit tough because Fiji has been a source of children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation and also a place for a few women from China and India to be trafficked too. They're forced to do labor and also sexual exploitation. I'm not exactly sure how old these women are or how old is too young for a person to be trafficked but I can imagine it not even being a problem.

If the child was going to school instead, I could imagine it still being a bit rough, even though the ministry of education is steadily trying to uplift Fiji's education system. The Fiji Education System is taken care of by the government, so is health care. "The Ministry of Education in Fiji is taking major steps to subsidize the educational fees and other costs related to it and hence bringing it under the affordability of everyone." But Fiji's economy is totally decreasing because tourism is down and sugar exports are in danger. And most kids usually miss out on primary schooling.

Q3 Benchmark Drawings

Posted by Aimee Leong in Art - Senior Art - Hull on
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Bottom bottle
Bottom bottle
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Our first drawing of our portfolios was hand drawings. It was interesting enough to start us off by training our eyes to see what was there and not 'what we thought' was there. It was difficult at first to not make up things as I drew them because that's what I thought it was suppose to look like. The self portraits and clear glass drawing were the most difficult ones. The hands I thought were a great start because it seemed to me as the simplest drawing of them all and totally jumped start the things that came after.

It was just a bit frustrating for all of the drawings to get things to look like they did realistically. To transfer what I saw, through my hand, and onto the paper. Getting the shading down for the self portraits and see through glass was not particularly easy either because the lighting was always different each time I got back to my drawings. I think the drawing I spent the most time with is my self portraits because it was had to make it look real and like me. It was challenging to the right amount of shading, to shade and erase. It was also frustrating to hold the mirror and draw, it was not something I was use to.

The last assignment (to chose a genre and create works of art that are inspired by that era or that are copies of those chosen pieces) for this 3rd quarter was a bit difficult for me to finish because I didn't manage my time correctly thus why I didn't finish it. I put a lot of time into it, it was the most interesting learning experience because I didn't get directions from Ms. Hull but I just mimicked the pieces I found. I chose to do modern art because it's appealing to me how they mix such colors and shapes so beautifully. But I think thats why it took me so long because I kept mixing paint to try to get the right colors. I not only learned how to mimic their art but also learned how to somewhat mix paint.

The quarter was the most exciting because there were guidelines but we had a lot of freedom. It was like we had a destination but the adventure or journey there was totally in our hands and we could do whatever we wanted. The still life was my favorite because I was able to experiment with different colors instead of black charcoal. I was able to mix and shade on a different level. It was also interesting using white with the other colors. This quarter challenged me and definitely brought something out of me that I didn't think I had. 

Collapse'ability of Sudan and Vietnam

Posted by Aimee Leong in Globalization - Laufenberg on
My Project here

During my research, I was able to see that Sudan and Vietnam was more similar than I thought. At first I thought they were totally random and different. But Sudan and Vietnam both have a very warm climate and are both affected by climate change. It was perplexing to figure out the different five frame points because while I did research, the frame points seemed to overlapped a lot of the times. It was a bit difficult because I was confused the more I researched the information. I was super unsure about what to put under the different topics, afraid that I would probably repeat myself. It was also a bit frustrating to decipher the information I was reading because most of it didn't match up and I didn't exactly know which one I could trust. But I was able to get the project done in a one piece.

Three Branches

Posted by Aimee Leong in American Government - Laufenberg on
When I started the assignment, my instinct was to look up laws or cases that revolved around education. Out of all my roles, I value my role as a student more than anything. Although, I had much difficulty trying to pinpoint exactly which ones I wanted to do, I was able to find some neat sources and websites. It was also nice to look into and play up on my minority card, which I don't do very often or use. I kind of anticipate my life becoming a bit more affected by the government as I get older because a lot of the ones I chose were about me being a student and a minor. As I get older, those won't apply to me as much anymore. But new and probably more laws and such will take the place of those. During my research, I was a bit surprised by how much my life would be different if certain bills weren't passed or court cases didn't happen. It was very interesting to see how they were ruled also. Learning this made me more interested in how government works and makes me want to stay more engaged or involved in the things the government do.

Silhouette T-Shirts

Posted by Aimee Leong in Art - Senior Art - Hull on
​ Second quarter started and I had no idea what to do for my project. Until I figured that I might as well screen print t-shirts if I enjoy them so much. One of the most difficult parts was to actually pick what I wanted to print on these shirts. My first instinct was to think of inspirational quotes because who wouldn't like wake up every morning to put on a shirt that had an awesome saying on it like, "happiness depends on ourselves" or "years teach us more than books". I just thought was too 'corny' or bland and boring. So I started thinking and remembered that I have always been fascinated with silhouettes. So here are my sketches:
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Unfortunately, I didn't plan accordingly and didn't expect to need so much time. At first I transferred those sketches onto freezer paper and cut them out but it was very time consuming. I was aware that I could cut them out on contact paper (shelving paper) but unfortunately, I couldn't get my hands on it for a while. I will most definitely never under estimate a project like that again. But the MOST MOST difficult part of the process was cutting the images out of the freezer paper. I forgot how its very challenging to get the contrast right. I had to compromise some of my cutting because I didn't want to have just random pieces cut out. I was able to finish one shirt. I will try to finish the rest of the shirt during third quarter right along with the third quarter project.
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Final Transportation Lobbying Post

Posted by Aimee Leong in American Government - Laufenberg on
To wrap it up, Teila and I were going to talk to the representative of our area code, Joe Roebuck. We sent Congressman Joe Sestak a letter but we have not received a response yet. Prior to the letter, we have been researching plenty of background info on our topic but I don't think I still understand the real depths of our topic unless we hear from an official. Maybe our letter or our position as students, wasn't thought provoking or 'interesting' for anyone to get ahold of anyone's attention or a response. We thought if we get in touch with Joe Roebuck, who lives nearby Teila, we would at least get a proper introduction or be a stronger outreach than a regular e-mail could do. We were going to present a presentation to Joe Roebuck, in order to try to get our point across.

Issues with Septa:

-Making it more reliable and accessible

-Running faster on snow days

"If the weather becomes too severe for regular operation of any route or service, SEPTA will announce the suspension of service one hour before the scheduled time service ends." (http://www.septa.org/sustain/index.html)

-More bus shelters and benches.

People wait too long outside in the cold for the the bus or trolley. Especially for the elderly and disable. And if the city is worrying about keeping those clean then they could make people who need community service hours or organizations like "Unlitter Us" to keep these stops in good condition.

"Philadelphia deserves better, and the Streets Department stands firm in its commitment to attack litter on every front." (http://www.philadelphiastreets.com/unlitter-us-intro.aspx)

-"At SEPTA, we too find ourselves in a position of uncertainty. Regional unemployment has eroded ridership gains in prior years, while a sudden shortfall in state transportation funding has left a $110 million gap in SEPTA's capital program. Constraints have resulted in cutbacks on previously-planned projects funded through the operating and capital budgets."


I think one thing we would have done differently is find ways of where we could fund for these 'shortfalls'. I think this is such an important topic though because public transit have so much to do with our sustainability as a community and how much it impacts all our lives. Now that gas prices are hiking up, many people may now have to rely on SEPTA more than ever before. We need to "a more affordable, socially responsible, and environmentally friendly way to travel". And with more people (not just Teila and I) become more aware and involved, we will be able to achieve it.

Food Stamps

Posted by Aimee Leong in American Government - Laufenberg on

My partner, Sophia Moreno and I did our bureaucratic project on food stamps. The Food Stamp Program or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a system made by the federal government in 1939, to provide food benefits to people with little or no income. Individuals such as the elderly, children, or disabled are given an ACCESS card, which are used at most grocery stores.

We started our project by researching the background information on our topic and how the system works. We printed out all the necessary forms that we would have to ‘fictionally’ fill out to apply for food stamps. After going through the research, we had to pull out all the requirements that a person would have to meet to be able to receive food stamps. Knowing that information is what really helped us with the putting together the flow chart.

I must say, the paperwork was bit perplexing. Trying to correctly fill out the forms in the correct boxes and such was sort of confusing, especially working with a fictional character that we were making up along the way. There were a lot of steps and outside of influences that would affect the process of filling the forms out. The flow chart was a bit even more complicated. We didn’t exactly know how to start or go about it but I think we pulled it off pretty well.

If I were to do this project again, I would try and do deeper research on trying to figure out the loopholes around it. I would try to see why there are so many people are on welfare. I really enjoyed this project and going through the process with my partner.

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Public Transit Lobbying Post #3 & 4

Posted by Aimee Leong in American Government - Laufenberg on

A few elected officials have indicated that they support our issue such as Joe Sestak and Raymond LaHood. SEPTA seems to sort of be behind it, they are trying to take steps to make their service more sustainable. 

"SEPTA is in the business of sustainability. Each of our buses, trolleys, and trains provides residents of Greater Philadelphia with an alternative to the automobile - a more affordable, socially responsible, and environmentally friendly way to travel. Our services take cars off the road, reducing congestion, supporting livable communities, and enhance the overall quality of life in our great region."

This link is found on their front page but isn't really known because it's on a slide show and you have to wait for it to go by to then click on it. 


We thought to be more effective we should write a letter to our congressman. We introduced ourselves and what we were lobbying. We wanted to reach out to Congressman Joe Sestak to try and ensure that awareness would some way spread. We would like to discuss the possible techniques to reduce the price and increase SEPTA's dependability. Of course, Teila and I will take charge of other actions but this is what we was able to. We have yet to hear a response. 

"Congressman Joe Sestak,

My classmate and I are working on lobbying the affordability and reliability of our local means of transportation, SETPA. We are both high school students that attend Science Leadership Academy in Central Philadelphia therefore we ride SEPTA quite often. Besides this, we are also traveling to sports games our friend’s houses so we’ve experienced almost every aspect of SEPTA whether bus, trolley, train or el. which requires us to rely heavily on the idea that SEPTA will consistently be a means by which we can travel effectively and at the same time not destroy our pockets. (we have very low budgets) Which means we have been practically taking SEPTA for some part of our lives.

In those few years of experience, several things have changed since then. November 2009, Septa protested because of their disagreement with their current budget. It wasn’t until March 2010 when they went on strike to fight for their compromise. Many Philadelphians were greatly impacted by this because many students and adults weren’t able to go to school or work. Now with Septa’s spiking budget and Philadelphia’s debt along with it, SEPTA have sold the rights to the name of Pattison Station to AT&T for 5 million dollars. This is a definite reflection of the amount of debt that they are in because they are willing to sell and sacrifice the dignity of their station name to a company for a resolution of about 3% of their debt.

These points are crucial to the success and endearment that the city of Philadelphia wants to allot this transportation association. Please we are asking if you can take this in consideration and give us feedback to improve the affordability and reliability of SEPTA.

Teila Allmond and Aimee Leong,

Science Leadership Academy, Philadelphia."

Aimee's Artist Statement

Posted by Aimee Leong in Art - Senior Art - Hull on
When I was given this project, so many ideas flowed into my head. There was this battle going in my head about what I wanted to do. I had many ideas but I kept knocking them down because I didn’t feel like I had enough time or materials to accomplish what I wanted. The project that Ms. Hull assigned was to turn recyclables or trash into a piece of work. This project sort of piggy backed off of our previous project where we made bottle cap posters.

My thought process was to go through a list of recyclables and see if I could make anything out of them. However, I started wonder, Why recyclables if they can actually be recycled?  I thought my project should be made out of something that is not able to be recycled. It would be a more effective way of helping out with the environment and it would make sense to use something that can’t be recycled because it would be going towards art instead of wasting away.

My original idea was to make a collage out of light bulbs shaped as a human brain. Once I had the collage of light bulbs together I would break some of the lights bulbs in a area on the brain to symbol the damage it could do. Light bulbs because you can’t throw them in the recycling bin and not everyone choose to carefully package them and properly dispose of them. The dangerous toxins that are released mercury that can damage your brain and other parts of your body. I thought that would be cool but 1) I didn’t know where to get all those light bulbs, if I brought them I didn’t think that would help either and 2) I wasn’t sure if it would inspire anyone to do the same thing or ‘recycle their light bulbs properly’. So in the end it might not have been a ‘cool’ idea.

Then I came to thinking about this plastic bag video I saw in my physics class last year. I learned that plastic bags takes about anywhere form 450 to 1,000 years to break down. And between that I can used to hold your lunch, pick up your dog’s poop, fly away until it gets caught on a fence or even the throats of birds, or swimming in waterways and into the throats of fishes.

And then I came across this blog with this idea of taking all the plastics bags in my home and fusing them together to make a bigger and durable bag that I can use everyday and take with me everywhere. I wanted to make something that would be handy and that even I would use. I used scissors, iron, copy paper, thread, sewing machine, and of course plastic bags. I would cut off the handles and the bottom of the bag. If there were ink on the bag (which majority of my bags did) I would open them up and turned it inside out. Then folded them in half a couples of times or you can layer that bag with a couple more bags. Place it on top of the copying paper and then put another page of copying paper on top, sort of sandwich it between the two copying papers. Turn on the iron and swivel the iron on the paper a couples of times, make sure to get the corners because you need to make sure those are melted together pretty good. After that you have your patch! After that, I made a bunch more and sew them together. Here's my process:
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​Before and after:
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Finishing product:
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Election Day! 11/2/10

Posted by Aimee Leong in American Government - Laufenberg on
​Today I went to visit my local voting poll, Paschalville Library and spent some time with a few friendly people. A few polling officials recognized me from last year when I came to interview people. This year I interviewed a nice lady, Mary Jones.

Q: What would you like to see changed in our political system?
A: The school system, to have smaller classes, better teachers, and more after school programs. And jobs, of course.

Q: Do you vote in every election? (How regularly do you vote?)
A: Every six months. Every Election.

Q: Do you know why we vote on Tuesday?
A: No (looks around and asked everyone else. Everyone else said the same thing.)

Q: Where have you encountered the highest amount of ad campaigning? Radio, TV, print, internet, other.
A: The radio. (nods head)

Me: Oh haha is that because you listen to the radio more anything else.
MJ: Mhmm.

Q: What was the most memorable campaign ad that you have encountered?
A: One of the presidential campaign for Obama.

Q: What changes do you hope to see in Philadelphia as a result of this election?
A: More jobs.


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The awesome polling officials and librarians also let me chalk the sidewalk in front of the ramp that lead to the polls. I apologize it was extremely sunny this morning so I couldn't capture it as clearly I wanted to.
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