UofL the Still Life

So as you know since i posted last time, I have been working on UofL stuff. I also did a five item still life which took me about 9 hours to do, i dk y, but i worked non stop almost on it.
The items are: converse shoe, glass of tea, guitar pedal, guitar reverb pedal. and a tabletop surface.
The background was just something i saw. rising zigzag and arch.
I'm also doing a portrait of my madre (mom), but i decided not to post it because i want to do something with the background.
Tell me what you think. I'm done with uofl stuff now. All that's left is the hardest part, the long wait that determines my life. Acceptance or total rejection.
Think I'll get accepted?

Portrait: Claustrophobia

So I haven't posted anything in a little while.
My bad. I've been doing alot of things to submit a portfolio and stuff for UofL School of Art.
aka Hite Art Institution.
But I just got done with this today. My first ever Charcoal drawing portrait of myself.
I stood in front of my mirror for about four hours and did this, i'm so stoked. Hahaha.
It's not amazing. I think over time my stuff will turn out better, but i just didn't expect it to be as good as it was. I was scared. Haha.
Tell me what you think.
Two things i already know are:
One, my height on my face is a little off, not too much, but a little. not a big deal or very noticeable.
My eyes are almost perfect, but in the process of outlining them I made one look a bit different.
So yeah. Its harder to do without the shading. The outlining is harder i mean.
Tell me what you think. The background just came to me. :]

Banana Heaven

So this is what happens when you chomp/squish/blend/chop a banana.

Yeah so, I did a banana a long time ago, and i think it's obvious which is that is......or not.

So I decided i'd face it again. And dominate it.
I feel alright about it. I actually do like it.
I really like that light purple. alot. it may be one of my new fave colors.
I got a little messy, and used my fingers, and pants, to paint and dry my brush.
The old one was the first painting i ever really did, back in like october/september.
I discovered that adding the slightest black can ruin the whole thing.
and i discovered how clumsy i was when it came to making small dots.
i still am. not as bad though.
I showed that to Mr. R, and anthony, they said it was alright/good for my first painting.
now that I think back, they were crapping right out of there mouths to me.
hahahaha.
Thanks to you to for the encouragement though. maybe you meant it.
But all i know is at least i'm not there anymore, i'm here.
hopefully the progress will continue.
no, i don't expect to become a photorealist or something, but i want to reach my full potential.
Whatever that may be, by that i mean however that mastered/matured style will look like.
like raising a pokemon.
who knows what it'll look like in it's final stage, but it'll be obvious.
hopefully.
haha.
Thanks for all the support, that means negative and positive critique.
They all mean alot.
Keep checking in.