Welcome to our TDVAM 2021 digital art show!
In February 2021, during the annual Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, our youth advocates visited Cypress, San Lorenzo, and Soquel High Schools with some of our evidence-based workshops on healthy relationships. Many of the teens gave us their permission to share their art with everyone. For more information about how this project went and what we learned, check out our blog post here!
You can also visit our education page for more information on bringing speakers, panelists, or workshops into your own space, visit our Services for Children & Youth section for more information on teen groups and advocacy, or our Early Education Center’s page for early childhood education and support.
Thank you to the teachers who offered this opportunity
& the artists who made it happen!
☀️
Schools are listed alphabetically and the artists in no intentional order. All works, names, titles, and statements below are presented with consent from the artist and remain under the artist’s ownership. If you are the artist in question and would like to have us edit or remove your work from this gallery at any time, please contact the community engagement coordinator at mcoffey@wafwc.org and they’ll be happy to do so.
Cypress High School
Cypress High Click-Through Gallery
- maeva, 17
In my art piece I used the rule of thirds by placing the main character with the green hair on the dividing line to the left side of the page. On the right side dividing line of the page, I placed the thought bubble of his thoughts about his abusive relationship, also using the rule of thirds. I tried to make the focal point the man with the green hair by having his hair be the most outstanding colour from the purple background. After you see the green haired man you see his thoughts and focus in on the green haired man being slapped by the red haired women.
- Alexander A.
Sophia, 15 Years Old - “Those Butterfly Feelings”
Paper, 2b pencil, watercolors, and a multiple of erasers
I was trying to say it’s safe to have boundaries but that crossing those barriers is also healthy sometimes; That boundaries are healthy; That watercolors are harder to work with then I thought. First I sketched out the pencil part and then I waited until i laid down a flat wash of water that then was absorbed by yellows and oranges from the watercolor.
- sophia
My name is Marianna and I am 17 years old. The title of my piece is “We can connect and maintain separate identities." I used watercolor, gouache, and pen. The message I was trying to convey is that in relationships, platonic or romantic, you can enjoy each other's presence while still maintaining boundaries and having connections with other people. I hope that people who see my artwork think about whether they’re respecting their boundaries and other’s boundaries. While making this piece, I learned more about the different forms boundaries can take; sometimes it means taking a step back from relationships and other times it means being more supportive; boundaries are rather fluid. I did a base of watercolor for each blob, then painted the face shapes in gouache, and finished it off with inking the faces with pen.
- marianna
Sophia, 16 - “Isolation”
I used graphite and watercolor. I sketched out the human form, and then the flowers with a pencil, and then I watercolored it.
Isolation is a very difficult thing. When you are going through something like abuse, you feel alone. Reaching out is incredibly difficult and not always safe. There are other people who know what you are going through, because they have gone through it too. And they made it to the other side, which means that you can too. Because you deserve to be treated well. You deserve people in your life who know how special and valuable you are. There is hope and beauty all around you, you just might need to look a little harder to see it.
This was an interesting project for me. I’ve never made art about such a specific topic before, but that made it easier for me to find inspiration. I connected with this prompt, and all of my love and hope goes out to the people in these situations.
- sofia
My name is Iris and I’m sixteen years old. I haven’t really given the title much thought but it might be along the lines of “What is Consent?” In terms of materials this project was more on the simple side as the only resources used were paper and colored pencils, but that also kinda goes along with what I was trying to say in my art piece, which goes with the promptly about consent. In my drawing I’m trying to represent consent and mainly what doesn’t qualify as consent as the examples in the piece are often used as excuses for consent. I didn’t want to add a ton of detail and such and rather have it plain and simple just like what the act of consent doesn’t look like and as simple as no means no. I hope that if people were to see this it would educate others about what consent does and does not look like as well as maybe inspire others to continue to shine light on this important topic. I learned that even though this topic is talked about fairly often it’s still something that is so common and normalized and people should continue to speak up about it.
- iris
My name is Carmea. I am 15 years old. This piece is a digital painting called “Bound to Boundaries”. It is saying that it is good to acknowledge your and others boundaries. I hope others view this piece seeing that they should share (understand) the boundary line, but never cross over it. I learned that many people don’t think to ask about each other's boundaries, and they shouldn’t assume.
- Carmea
- anonymous
San Lorenzo Valley High School
San Lorenzo High Click-Through Gallery
My piece is called “it takes two”. This piece says that you need respect and communication and all sorts of other aspects from both people in the relationship to make a healthy relationship or friendship. It isn’t something only one person can accomplish. What I hope people take from this piece is that respect and communication in a relationship and isn’t an easy feat. What I learned from this is that making a healthy friendship or relationship takes work and patience and there are a lot of components to it that a lot of people might think aren’t important. How I made my piece is that I hand drew it then I made changes on Pixlr which is an online editing program.
- rylie, 15
the title of my work is “Love starts from within”. The materials I used include a Canon Rebel T6 camera, Tripod, and Adobe Photoshop. Love is something that an individual can give to another, but if someone isn’t able to show themselves love, can they show others love too? Of course, people can, but without loving yourself a person can’t truly understand the love they give. This piece demonstrates 1. The importance of self-love, and 2. That loving yourself can help you love others as well.
- dylan, 18
my work is titled “reaching for hope”. with this piece, i was trying the express how happy a healthy relationship can make somebody even if they had a troubled past. i hope that anybody who might be in the best place can understand that a good relationship can make them happy. i learned that relationships are very important. my process of making the piece itself was very simple. i just got a bunch of stock images online cropped them and made them transparent.
- andrew, 14
- jacob
My piece is called "Forced" and it's about people in toxic relationships who are being forced to stay, whether physically forced or not. I made this piece to show people that it is important to watch for the signs of being in a toxic relationship, and that if you're in a toxic relationship there are ways of getting help. I used an iPad to draw this piece, the program used is IbisPaint. I used a watercolor brush, and at the end, I added grain to make it look like it was made on paper.
- mikayla, 14
My art piece is a take on the yin yang symbol. This piece is portraying the differences and similarities between the male and female sexes. The darkness of night and the brightness of the day is just an example of two differences that are necessary for each other to exist. I hope that people see this piece and recognize the way people interact with each other. I made this piece using pixlr E.
- iain, 15
This piece is called “Unlocking a Healthy Relationship.” This piece is illustrating the importance of consent, and the importance of equal and shared trust and respect in a relationship. I hope people who see this piece walk away with an understanding that a healthy relationship needs trust, respect, and consent to be built into the foundations of the relationship. I learned that unhealthy relationships can look perfectly normal to outsiders and that only the people in the relationship know the full story. I learned that having mutual trust is something that only the people in the relationship can control. This piece was made through the use of various online editing tools.
- anna, 17
- anonymous
“Love holds all beauty”
Pencil, colored pencils, colored markers
The world looks most beautiful with the right person so treat them like it’s just the two of you on Earth. How we can all be dark on the inside, but the right person can bring the truth and beauty out of us. I learned that love comes in many different forms and if you want to be happy you must find the one that best fits you. For me it’s companionship and truth. I went over my drawing first with pencil to form the outline then I went over it with colored pencils and drew in most of the design then finished it with the markers to make everything stand out more clear.
- zane, 17
I drew a heart with the word ¨LOVE¨ inside of it because it is a very strong and important part of a relationship.
- taylor
Title: SPEAK UP
When being in a relationship of any kind, you should always speak up no matter what problems you are afraid of. You may be physically or mentally abused in many different kinds of relationships in, for example, a family relationship, a partner relationship, and even a relationship within your family. You should always speak up about your relationship if you or someone you know is being abused.
- connor
I have not come up with a name for this piece, my art is trying to give the message that you should, in a relationship, should always get consent before you do anything, and you should always communicate in a relationship. I hope that people who look at this art will realize that consent is key in a relationship, I learned that anyone and everyone can suffer from a bad relationship. I used felt tip ink markers for the color.
- lexi, 16
the piece i made doesnt have a name really. it can be called whatever the viewer wants it to be. i did this art in pixlr e. what im trying to say in the art is that love is fragile and hearts that have been broken went from smooth to ridged. I let my brain go wild with the lines in this and then I resolved it to be a heart.
- quinn, 15
The title of my work is ¨Always Better¨. I used my computer at first to search up an image that I liked. Then I found the quote that I like and decided to combine them in an art piece. The quote is “it's always better when we're together.” My purpose of this quote was I was trying to say that if you are not having fun with your partner then you probably shouldn't be in a relationship with them and I hoped that's what people took away from that. I first drew the whole art piece in pencil and then outlined the letters in sharpie and the actual picture in colored pencil. Both in black.
- kai, 15
The name of my art piece is called Triangles. I used Pixlr E. What I am saying with my artwork is, don’t try to force a relationship, you can always find someone else that’s a near-perfect match. I hope the take away for other’s is that it reminds them not to force a relationship. This assignment taught me that there are different ways of expressing your feelings other than words. Through images and color, you can express yourself. I used shapes and basic geometry to create the message.
- thomas, 14
This piece is called ¨Consent is Key¨. The piece is saying that all healthy relationships require mutual consent and that is the key to healthy and happy relationships. I hope that others when they see this piece can understand that consent is the building block that healthy relationships require to be successful. I learned that consent really is the foundation of healthy relationships and is one the important building blocks in any relationship. I made this piece using an ink pen and colored pencils.
- nathan, 16
- Arderew
This piece is called "abuse is not the answer." This piece explains that no form of abuse whether it be physical or mental abuse, is ever ok. There are so many people you can talk to and get help from, you are never alone.
I hope that for anyone in an abusive relationship, they know there are always ways to get help, and I hope everyone knows what a healthy relationship looks like. I've learned what a healthy relationship looks like compared to an abusive one, and what I should do in that situation. I made this piece by using colored pencils.
- kyla, 15
This piece is called "The distance between us". I hope others know that they don't have to give all of themselves and extra to a person to have a good relationship, give as much as you receive. I want people, no matter what age or type of relationship, to know that they are important; taking care of yourself is sometimes more important than keeping your partner happy, they should be happy when you are happy. If they aren't then they aren't worth your time. I learned that a lot of relationships have one person giving more than another, and I don't think that is how a relationship should be. I made this on Pixlr E.
- kayla, 14
- thomas
The title of my work is “Caring Matters” I made it on pixlr to draw and color it. I trying to say that you should care for one another and make people feel special by caring for them. I hope people will realize that giving someone a hug or telling them something they like about them can help them feel good about themselves. I learned that its important to help people and make them feel better about themselves.
- james, 18
This artwork that I did is called, “Self love & change”. The materials that I used were a Nikon D300 Camera, Lightroom and Photoshop. My message for this piece is about finding the courage within yourself to stand and speak up when in difficult times such as being in a rough relationship. What I learned from this was that many people suffer from toxic relationships whether it's romantic or not. I made this artwork by taking a photo of these beautiful orange flowers that I thought represented growth, love, and positive energy. I then edited my piece in photoshop and blurred the background and wrote a meaningful message.
- allison, 18
My artwork is called “Healthy Relationships” andI made this piece with a photoshop application. I created it to represent the ways our personal relationships can influence our mindset and feelings, so it is very important to be careful who you allow into your life. I hope that my artwork will make people consider how important it is to be aware of the effect other people can have on your own life.
- sofi, 18
this art piece is called The basis of a healthy relationship. This art piece is saying that respect and love are the basis for a good relationship but the thing you have to look out for is signs of an unhealthy relationship. I hope that other people view my artwork and learn to recognize an unhealthy relationship and get out of it. I learned while making this art piece that it is very important to notice when you’re in an unhealthy relationship. I made this art piece in photoshop in Pixlr E.
- matthew, 14
The title of my piece is Sky Of Dreams. I used Pixlr to create my piece. My artwork is meant to state that in a relationship you should be united and help each other reach your dreams. The large circle there holding represents their dreams and hopes, the piece shows them placing their dreams into the stars showing how they are accomplishing their dreams as a united front.
- jon, 15
My name is Benjamin, my piece is called Support. It is meant to say things like don't push people away or make others feel respected and don't push others away. To keep good relationships and to eliminate the bad ones. I made this with colored pencils.
- Ben
The title of my work is “So Close Yet So Far” and I used Pixlr to create it. The message behind my artwork is not everything is meant to be, sometimes even a little obstacle is enough to keep two people apart but that is just the way life goes and you can’t force a relationship to happen if something is standing in the way. I learned that a relationship is only good if it is healthy and it is only healthy if both partners are happy and on the same page. I made this artwork using different shapes to make a very simple and basic piece.
- daniel, 17
- jac
This piece is called “Lyrics of Love” and I created it with Papermate Inkjoy pens. This artwork is trying to say that, while relationships look different to everyone, the foundation should always be the same; love. I hope that others will be able to take away the knowledge that people in healthy relationships should love each other, whether that be platonic or romantically, and that fear or violence should never be the foundation of a relationship. From this, I learned that everyone has different expectations of relationships, but anyone can experience teen dating violence and I hope everyone will someday know what a truly healthy relationship means
- sydney, 15
My Piece is untitled. This piece is saying that we should reach out, whether it is for help or to an old friend. I hope this piece inspires people to reach out. I made this piece using old magazines and cutting and pasting them into a collage.
- jonah, 16
- durga
Dominic - Today I created a poster called “ The Importance To Move On” and was about teen dating and relationships . Some of the materials I used to create my piece of artwork were pixlr and google drawing. I was working with my partner Aiden and he created the background on pixlr to create the colorful and Neatness to it and I created the cool lettering on google drawing. What I was trying to say with my artwork is that basically just move on if you and someone break up or something and have the courage to maybe go out there and find someone else to maybe start talking too or be friends even. From this experience I learned that doing projects online with your friend or with a classmate is way better than doing it by yourself.
Aiden - I did my art with my peer Dominic . We used two different platforms to make this piece of art. To make the background, I made blended two colors together on Pixlr, which is an online platform used for making designs and artwork. As I did that, my partner Dominic arranged a phrase on Google Drawings using different fonts and styles. Our art represents moving on from a difficult relationship.
- dominic, 14, and aiden
This peace is called “Love, Respect, Honesty”. This piece is saying that love, respect, and honesty are the most important parts of a healthy relationship. I hope whoever is to see my work is reminded of the importance of those things in a relationship. I learned that relationships can come in many forms. But the good ones have love, respect, and honesty. I made this using pens and a highlighter.
- artem, 16
My piece is called “A woman’s perspective”. The message behind this piece is showing what life can feel like for a woman. I can’t speak to the male perspective, but for me and many women I know, we often feel like our bodies aren’t our own. The woman in this piece is trying to cover up her body while these dark, unwanted hands come closer and closer. I made this piece on pixlr and cut out the different silhouettes from online.
- maddy, 18
- serena
I think that my art piece really shows love at its raw form. It has a more spiritual vibe than most other pieces and really just shows two souls, together hence the reason I slapped a gian TOGETHERNESS in the middle.
- malcolm
Soquel High School
Soquel High Click-Through Gallery
- lilah, 18
My work is titled “Not Your Fault” in regards to many victims of dating violence worsening their situations by mistakenly blaming themselves forthe abuse that they suffer. I want those that see this to realize that they are not at fault for beingin those situations and they should try and get help whenever they can. It is also to encouragepeople that witness teen dating violence to step up and try and help as well. I learned that a lotmore teens than I thought suffer from abusive relationships. I made this piece using Adobe Photoshop.
- Avery, 17
My name is Reilly Turner. I am 17 years old. This piece is called “Straight Talk”. I used Adobe Illustrator throughout the process. I was trying to convey the message of the importance of telling the truth in relationships. I hope that viewers take away how the way we communicate to our partners is important. Making this PSA poster made me realize how useful truthful communication is in a relationship. I wanted this artwork to be minimalistic yet bring attention to it at the same time, the use of contrasting colors and bold type help with bringing that idea across.
- Reilly, 17
I am 18 years old andhave lived in Santa Cruz for my entire life.My piece is called “That Doesn’t Happen To Boys.”I created this piece to say that physicalabuse within a relationship isn’t limited to justwomen. I believe that it is important for youngmen to feel as if they aren’t going to be looked downupon for revealing abuse they may havefaced from a partner, and that they should not feelashamed for what they have endured. I hopeothers can look at my piece and realize that abuseis not limited to gender. I also hope thatpeople can help men if they come forward with theirstory of abuse. I want to encourage strong,healthy relationships for all couples and their partners.I made this piece by using AdobePhotoshop
- lilah, 18
the topic of my work is “Ask Before YouHold.” It is supposed to convey the idea that consent is not just for sex, but also for personalspace which is precisely what I want people to take away from this when observing it. From thisexperience, I learned that it’s common and totally fine to not want to hold your partner’s handsat times. I made this with a photo from my camera and photoshop to piece everything together.
- Christian, 18
- alison
This poster is called “Love Should beUnconditional.” This piece is meant to portray themessage that if you are in a relationship, loveshould not be aggressive or depending on certaincircumstances or situations. It should beunconditional, and you should enjoy being with yourpartner at all times. I hope that others whoview this art piece will see that teenagers know whathealthy relationships look like and willknow how to treat their partner with respect as wellas loving them unconditionally. I learned thatteen dating violence comes in many different shapesand forms, ranging from physical abuse tomental abuse. I made this piece by using Adobe Photoshopand Illustrator.
- nicholas, 17
- matthew
This piece is called “Healthy RelationshipsHave Trust and Support.” This piece is saying that people in a relationship should support andrespect the goals, feelings, friends, activities, and opinions of their partner. The takeaway I wantviewers to have is that being in a relationship without trust and support is usually unhealthy andneeds something to change. I learned from this experience that any relationship should feelcomfortable and safe and if a relationship isn’t healthy it should either be improved or ended. Tomake this, I found a picture of rocks stacked by the ocean to represent support and stability.Then, I used an overlay blend effect to blend the image with a gradient in Adobe Photoshop.Then I brightened the image and added text over the image to show the piece’s message.
- kevin, 17