The Kartik-Sphere

Book Review : The Mighty Dynamo

Book: The Mighty Dynamo| Author: Kieran Crowley | Genre: Sports / Fiction | Age: 11+

Passion is a virtue that can drive you anywhere. For example, if you play a sport, you are always ready to give your all for a victory. After the game, you celebrate with your teammates and are ready to go home. But you don’t worry about anything, you just play for fun. But, not Noah Murphy. Soccer is a dome of joy and fun for everyone, but Noah depends on it to keep his family together. “The Mighty Dynamo” will take you on a journey of fun, teamwork, sorrows, setbacks, victories, and more!

I would recommend this book for 11+ year-olds, agreeing with the publishers that this book is for tweens. Even though there could be some challenging words or points that you may have trouble comprehending, the book conveys its story in a good manner. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, meaning that the book is great, and definitely deserves a spot in a library or in opinions just as a precious diamond would. As for me, personally, I REALLY LIKE IT!

In this book, the story revolves around the main character, 12-year-old Noah Murphy, a soccer player living in Carraig Cruach (Ireland). Noah’s world is soccer, his passion is soccer, and his dream is to become a professional soccer player, so you could say that he’s a soccer guy. Noah plays for his school team, St. Killian’s. Life is going steady for Noah and his family until Noah’s father, Joe Murphy had to move to Australia for work to pay off mortgage loans and take care of the family, and his sister Simone had to put off going to university and had to focus on earning for daily needs by working small jobs at her high school. Noah couldn’t stand this big change in his life and since his father left, he made it his goal to bring his father back by becoming a professional soccer player. Even though he has issues with his principal, Mr. Hegarty, and gets kicked off his school soccer team for unknown reasons, Noah and his friend Stevie find an opportunity to still compete in an all-Ireland “School World Cup”. The problem is that they need to play for a school team, but there is no other school in Carraig Cruach other than St. Mary’s Girls High School. Along with some help from Noah’s sister and her friend, they enter the competition with St. Mary’s Girls High School. All that’s left is to assemble a team. Moreover, practice for games, and actually make it to the “World Cup”. Can Noah pull it off? Can he use this chance to go forward and help bring his dad back from Australia alongside forming a winning team? Can he live up to his late mother’s nickname for him: “Mighty Dynamo”? Will he go pro? Read ‘Mighty Dynamo’ to find out!

The things I like about this book are the imagery, action, emotion, and goals that Noah has. His determination is inspiring for any soccer player, and so are his skills. But what I love the most about ‘The Mighty Dynamo’, is the morals it teaches. Here are some I have been able to find :

Hard work pays off
Never give up
Trust your friends
Keep fighting until your last battle
Everything will work out as long as you try to
Always have a positive mindset
Care for your teammates and friends
Play your best game
Believe in your dreams
Have fun!

Important Links!

If you are interested in reading this epic, action-filled book buy it at: Amazon.com – The Mighty Dynamo

Extra Info!

More Info On Soccer

Soccer World Cup

That was it for my book review of ‘The Mighty Dynamo’, written by Kieran Crowley. Comment below on what you think of this book, and your learnings from this book, and please do write some feedback. For more, subscribe to my blog! Thanks!

-Kartik Lakhwani

Book Review : Gym Candy

Book: Gym Candy | Author: Carl Deuker | Genre: Sports Drama | Age: 12+

Sports is an area of space where people can find their all, and even give their all for a victory. One of those sports is football (American football). A fun but harsh tackling and contact sport, football is something that many Americans play and love. People love the NFL and its team and hype, and also love any other football team, whether it be recreation, middle school, high school, or college ball because of how fun and exciting the game is. But from a player’s perspective, it’s not always sunshine and rainbows. Football has competition, and to meet that competition, you need to have a lot. In the book, Gym Candy, Carl Deuker presents us with Running Back Mick Johnson and his complex high school football life.

If I were asked to recommend this book for an age group, I would agree with the publishers and recommend it for ages 12+. This is because of all the feelings and content of steroids and high school life in the book, which only a mature child will understand. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, meaning that this book is good, and is extremely exciting and interesting, making you want to read on an on about what happens next.

In this book, there is one main character, who is our amazing high school football star Running Back Mick Johnson, who has been playing football since the age of a toddler, when his dad Mike Johnson gives him his first mini-football, and the two play in the back yard. Mick is all grown up now and goes to Pop Warner football to train and play. Mick is known to be his pop-warner team’s star, even though he is a year older than all players (Mick started a year late). Facing challenges on and off the field, either with his performance or a new coach, Mick’s talent makes him onto a tryout for his next year’s high school football team. Making the varsity team along with his friends Drew Carney and DeShawn Free, Mick is all excited for what a star he could become, inspired by his dad, Mike Johnson, who played great high school and college football and even made Round 3 NFL pick for the San Diego Chargers. However, Mick is faced with loads of competition on the team from his seniors, especially Matt Drager, junior year, starting running-back. Mick is told he will never be starting but is made special teams captain, and even has a chance to bring the team to glory and into the championships in a game against Foothill High after Drager is suspended from the team. After a harsh first half, in the last seconds of the fourth quarter, Mick has to face a linebacker one-on-one for the winning touchdown in the endzone but is shoved out, making Shilshole lose to Foothill. Mick is told not to give up by his dad and coach, and to just get stronger for next time. After trying useless supplements and protein shakes, Mick joins Popeyes and is offered some steroids and injections. Will he take them? What will happen to Mick’s career? What if somebody found out? Read the book to find out!

The thing I like about this book is the imagery, realisticness, information, emotions of the characters, and how the dramatic events are portrayed along with their effects on Mick. But what I love the most about “Gym Candy”, is the morals it teaches. Here are some I have been able to find :

Don’t deny your dreams, live up to them
Recover from the past
Don’t run away from things that you fear, face them
Always hope for the best
Think twice before acting
Use your mind in difficult situations, and you could be saved
Whatever happens is for the future’s greater good
Sometimes, you just have to control your emotions
Think about others by stepping into their shoes, not judging them by what you think should be right
There is no crying or giving up in football
WORK HARD, PLAY HARD, HAVE FUN!!!

Also, here is a bonus slideshow that I made to reflect on the book as well as to show its key characteristics!

Gym Candy : Book Overview Slideshow

Important Links!

If you are interested in reading this detailed, action-filled, sports/drama book buy it at: Amazon.com – Gym Candy

Extra Info!

Football

Steroids

That was it for my book review of “Gym Candy”, written by Carl Deuker. Comment below on what you think of this book, and your learnings from this book, and please do write some feedback. For more, subscribe to my blog! Thanks!

-Kartik Lakhwani

Book Review : Alone

Book: Alone | Author: Megan E. Freeman | Genre: Survival / Fiction | Age: 12+

All may agree that adventurous books are wild since they take you to a whole new world, with unveiling action and possibilities coming at the protagonist one after another. But there is no other book of adventure and action like this one! Long gone are the happy hill, sunshine/rainbow adventures. “Alone”, by Megan Freeman takes you on a journey with action, survival, fear, and more through a creatively written, novel-in-verse format.

I would recommend this book for 12+ year-olds, agreeing with the publishers that this book is for tweens. I feel that with all the tragic events, sadness, loneliness, actions, and feelings need some maturity to clearly understand. Also, since the novel is written in verse, which makes things different in a good way, not all children under 12 will be able to comprehend it. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, meaning that the book is great, and definitely deserves a spot in a library or in opinions just as a precious diamond would. As for me, personally, I LOVE IT!

In this book, the main character the story revolves around is Maddie Harrison, a 12-year-old girl who cannot wait to get out of the boring reality of her life and spend some fun time with her friends at a secretly planned sleepover at Maddie’s grandparents’ open summer apartment. Free from annoying little brothers, boring school life, and split-up parents, all Maddie wants is some fun. Preparing for the sleepover, Maddie tells her dad that she will be at her mom’s house, and tells her mom that she will be at her dad’s house, putting her into a confusing plot. Afterward, she buys food and drinks and waits for her friends to arrive for the fun sleepover. However, none of them make it. Ashanti doesn’t feel well and vomits, while Emma isn’t allowed to go. Feeling to not waste the whole plan, Maddie chills out and spends time with herself. Little would she know, that the next morning, the whole state would be gone, traveling in transports to escape the ‘tragic incident’. Instead of thinking about hanging out with friends, school life, and sports, Maddie now has to think about how to stay alive and survive. And that too, all Alone. What happens next? Does Maddie find some company? Does she find food? Does she survive? Read ‘Alone’ to find out!

The thing I like about this book is the imagery, time settings, descriptive words, and feelings that Maddie has. But what I love the most about ‘Alone’, is the morals it teaches. Here are some I have been able to find :

Be grateful for what you have
Stay safe and smart for survival
Be brave and keep calm
Never lose hope
Do anything that you please, freely, but know that there may be consequences
Don’t go off running stupidly out of fear
Think twice before acting
Don’t be too emotional
Be optimistic
Nature is a beautiful place, and works at its own pace without any relation to things going on around it, unaffected
Keep at peace, and take a rest
Do whatever it takes to survive
Act smart
Forget the past, Be in the present, and Don’t think much of the future

Important Links!

If you are interested in reading this epic, action-filled book buy it at: Amazon.com – Alone

Extra Info!

How To Survive!

How to Survive Alone in the World

That was it for my book review of ‘Alone’, written by Megan E. Freeman. Comment below on what you think of this book, and your learnings from this book, and please do write some feedback. For more, subscribe to my blog! Thanks!

-Kartik Lakhwani

Why AI is Beneficial and Cool

Have you ever thought that those sci-fi movies that say that robots and AI might take over the world are true? I hate to break it to those of you who don’t know yet, but it’s not that likely. However, I never said that it isn’t beneficial to society or uncool. Welcome to the amazing world of AI. My name is Kartik Lakhwani, and I will be telling you all about how artificial intelligence (AI) is cool and beneficial to society.

So, what is AI? AI is a technology that mimics human intelligence to perform tasks and can iteratively improve itself based on responses and reviews. AI helps human lives become easier by doing simple tasks that are programmed into its system, which can help save time and effort in various fields such as healthcare, education, finance, transportation, and entertainment. AI can help us process things fast, and make informed decisions. Some personal examples and uses of AI and some tasks that it can do are how the famous ChatGPT can have a conversation with you and help you write essays, emails, etc, saving your time, and making life easier.

But that’s just helping individuals. AI is powerful enough to help all of society, currently and in the future. AI can improve healthcare by analyzing medicinal data, enhance education by personalizing student data and tailoring the students’ learning experiences, and make safer communities environmentally and criminally. AI has so many benefits to society which will improve it greatly!

Now hear me out. You may think that I may be some tech freak talking about AI and how it is cool, which you may not believe. But think of it like this: technology has advanced so much that now humans can have simple or dangerous tasks done for them, such as email writing or deep sea explorations! Not to mention, who doesn’t love Siri or Alexa to talk to? Compared to previous or current technologies, AI is far more advanced. Instead of a search engine like Google showing relative results, it is almost like another person (just emotionless) who can do something specific!

In conclusion, AI is very beneficial to society, and also is a very cool thing that can help out and fascinate people! So whenever you watch those sci-fi movies, don’t be afraid of the robots, but instead, think of it like this: humans and technology: best friends!

I learned quite a lot from writing this post, such as what AI really is, and how it can help society in various ways. I also enjoyed writing this post a lot, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. If you liked this post please leave a like, and do share your comments/thoughts/feedback. For more, please subscribe to my blog!

-Kartik Lakhwani

(PS: What is your favorite AI? Comment down below!!!)

What is the IMPORTANCE of EXERCISE to OUR BODIES??

Exercise is something that many people talk about frequently, and generally is considered as something important. After hearing that, people usually start exercising, and well, that’s that, end of story. But, on the other hand, there are some crazy and curious people like me who ask “WHY?!” and start digging up Google for data. And as you might have guessed by now, that’s what this post is about!

Let’s backtrack for a second first… Why am I randomly posting about exercising? Well, it all started at the start of 7th grade when I joined the Athletic program. I knew we’d exercise to stay in shape, but that wasn’t enough for my crazy intellect. I had various conversations with my parents on that subject as well, and got some answers such as a healthy body works best, and that we should exercise so we don’t get out of shape and stay able-bodied, etc. I started thinking of other things to ponder of and slipped off from the topic of exercise until Monday, January 23, 2023, when I received an English assignment to make an infographic on a topic of my choice. Even though I had many topics to consider, I came back to that one topic that I had been thinking of all year – Exercise! And why not? Fitness is something that is important and can be referred to anytime in any shape!

I immediately started Googling, and found websites and articles with many signposts, which in ELA means something that stands out. It could be data, word gaps, boastful/exaggerative language, quotes, etc. And I am very glad to say that all my sources are credible, such as the CDC!

Now, “Why Is Exercise Important?” is a very very vague and deep topic, and my task was to create a simple infographic that could give the gist of my topic so that anybody can understand. So, I focused on things that would really appeal to somebody reading it, which would be you because I’m giving you the first views of my creation! Furthermore, for this post, I’ve included a list/timeline of events of what happens in different parts of your body when you exercise along with the infographic! I even have a special name to go along with all of that. I present to you, for free (even though I am no doctor/trainer/practitioner):

“The Exerciser’s Informative Package by Kartik Lakhwani” ©
Copyright (©) 2/1/2023 by Kartik Lakhwani | All Rights Reserved

I hope you enjoy it, and learn something new from it! Here it is:

“The Exerciser’s Informative Package by Kartik Lakhwani”

Why is Exercise Important to Our Bodies? – Infographic

What Occur’s In Your Body During Exercise? – Timeline

For a more interactive visit, go to https://thekartiksphere.involve.me/new-project-25e5!

So, how’d you like it? I hope you learned something new from my research project! Now, there may be some things that I may not have mentioned in the package because exercise has innumerable benefits. But there is one thing that I can tell you for sure: Consistency is the key to exercising. The more consistent you are, the more benefits you will reap by exercising!

Extra Info! / My Sources!

Benefits of Exercise – NHS.UK

Benefits of Physical Activity – CDC

What happens to my body when I exercise? – BBC Science Focus

This Is What Happens To Your Body When You Exercise – Huffpost

Honestly, I also learned quite a lot from this research project myself, such as how exercise is really important for our bodies, how we shouldn’t avoid challenging workouts, how we shouldn’t stay inside and do sedentary work, and to always know that exercise is a privilege, not a punishment. There is one thing my mother also taught me, which I think is something that you should remember while doing exercise: A healthy mind lives in a healthy body! And believe me, if you exercise well, your body will thank you!

I hope you enjoyed reading and learning my work as much as I did creating it. If you liked this post please leave a like, and do share your comments/thoughts/feedback. For more, please subscribe to my blog! And stay tuned, because there will be a PART TWO to this post, which is “How Do You Implement Exercise?”!

(PS: Comment down below when you will start exercising if you already haven’t, what exercise you are doing, and what is your favorite workout!)

Book Review : Tyrannosaurus Wrecks

Book: Tyrannosaurus Wrecks| Author: Stuart Gibbs | Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Humor | Age: 10+

Consider books like a cone of ice cream. The genre is the flavor, more genres the book has within, the more flavorful it is! And when it comes to this book, you get a whole lot of flavor! To start of with, you get the mystery! Mystery books are by far of the most popular book genres in all of literary existence. Almost everyone loves a suspenseful page-turning book that can entice you to read it till the end, even though it may cost you a day! And on top of that, you get a good imaginative fiction! AND ON TOP OF THAT, you get the big laughs or little giggles with the Hilarious Humor! Oh, what a cone of ice cream… If you liked the sound of that, Tyrannosaurus Wrecks is for you!

If you’d ask me, I would recommend this book for 10-12-year-olds. Although the publishers have recommended it as 9+, I feel that with high vocabulary terms used, and the deep and detailed plot, a nine-year-old may find this book either a bit hard, or a bit too twisty. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars -⭐⭐⭐⭐ / ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, meaning that the book is a great book, but if thoroughly judged, the book may not be the best among all books. Now that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good book, it just means that it has some aspects in which not everyone would like it – (I LOVE IT!)

In this book, the protagonist is the all-time FunJungle (a fictional theme park) detective and whiz, Teddy Fitzroy, with the deuteragonists being his friends Summer and Sage. It’s the middle of the Texas summer, with crazy heat, and some harsh rainstorms. Teddy Fitzroy is all set for a campout at his friend Sage Bonotto’s ranch, where Sage has a surprise that awaits for Teddy when there is an unexpected problem. The surprise, which is a TYRANNOSAURUS SKULL that Sage found and dug up in his ranch has been stolen! And that too, in the middle of a rainstorm! With the reputation that he has of being better that the best (the police, the professional detectives, etc.), Sage pleads to Teddy to crack this case! Teddy hesitates but takes on the case. And at the same time, there is another problem. The bullies at Teddy’s school (Tim and Jim Barksdale) call him and say their new pet anaconda ate their mom’s cat Griselda, and since he’s such a whiz, he needs to help them. But where can you get an anaconda in a civilized and legal area? Now Teddy has two cases to crack! Where did the T.rex skull go, and where the Barksdale’s get their no-good hands on an anaconda?! What happens next? Well, since I’m not a book spoiler, you’d better get reading to find out!

The things I like about this book is the imagery, suspense, humor, and how everything comes together in the end. But what I love the most about ‘Tryannosaurus Wrecks‘, is that it touches on the illegal and exotic pet trades, and animal cruelty.

You see, without animals, our world is pretty unsightly. Our world without nature is just roads, cities, humans, CO2, and factories. And the illegal and exotic pet trades are not helping. Poachers kill or capture exotic animals very roughly. Then smugglers bring the animals are brought to third-world countries where there are loose rules relating to animals so they can get legal paperwork, and cannot get caught doing what they are. Then the smugglers take the animals through crazy conditions, which are very harsh for them, like on ships, in huge bags, etc. to smuggle them to the US. The animals are in unbearable conditions, without food and water, and suffocating conditions. Some die, and the smugglers sell their body parts if it has value, and then sells the left over alive one’s to illegal dealers, who seem to have legal paperwork. And boy do the smugglers go crazy to do what they do! There was a case where a smuggler smuggles endangered Fiji Iguanas to the US by stuffing them in a compartment he designed in his prosthetic leg, and then casually boarding a flight as though he did nothing! He did it several times, but finally caught when the flight attendent accidental rolled the meal trolley over he prosthetic leg while he was sleeping, which pulled it off, and let out all the iguanas! More on that here.

It may sound like it’s only a couple of animals dying here and there, but IT IS NOT! In fact, through the illegal trade, around 30, 000 animal species are being driven to death each year by being hunted, captured or killed by poachers. The industry makes around 4.2 to 9.5 billion dollars in revenue a year! And at least 75% of pet snakes, lizards, tortoises, and turtles die within one year of becoming a pet! All of this needs to stop! If it doesn’t, planet Earth will become a Mars or some other planet without any life forms!

Important Links!

If you are interested to a change in the world and save animals, support the WORLD ANIMAL PROTECTION ORGANIZATION! More on them here: World Animal Protection

If you are interested to read this epic, action-filled, mystery book, buy it at: Amazon.com – Tryannosaurus Wrecks

Extra Info!

An Adventure on the Enchanted Rock

An Adventurous Experience

Gorgeous sunsets. Fun hikes. Hilly terrain. Welcome to the Hill Country, the home of the Enchanted Rock. On Sunday, November 27, the last day of Thanksgiving Break, my family and I set out on an adventure to summit the great Enchanted Rock!

Thanksgiving Break was fun, but our family felt it needed a touch of some outdoor, natural, adventurous fun. And that’s why, on November 27, at 2:30 PM, my family and I set out for the Enchanted Rock! The Enchanted Rock is a pink granite mountain located in the Llano Uplift of Texas (17 miles north of Fredericksburg, TX, and 24 miles south of Llano, TX).

Sounds exciting right? For me at that time, YES and NO! Why? Well, it’s going to be fun climbing up the Enchanted Rock and everything, but you have to go through a 1-hour 30-minute car drive! It may sound not as bad, but sometimes car drives for me are very tedious.

We had finally arrived at the state park! Boy, didn’t it feel great to stretch my legs! My father picked up some Park maps which he gave to each family member. We then drove down to the famous SUMMIT TRAIL. I quickly hopped out of the car, pulling my cousin brother out with me. As we made our way to the trail, I teased him about beating him to the top of the rock. He laughed, and we immediately set off after each other, parents and sister trailing behind us.

Most of the time, I was ahead of the whole group, partially because I wanted to beat my brother, and somewhat because the others kept on stopping for short breaks to see the hill country views around them (My thought on views would be to observe the Hill Country on the summit of the Enchanted Rock for best sights).

To be honest, the rock formations along the trail were pretty cool, and a bit funny. One of my favorites was what I named “The Old Boot”. It actually looks like one, and when you think about it, it kind of seems a bit odd how weathering and erosion can form such weird-looking rock formations! I even cooked up a little story about how a giant ruled the rock, but when it got extinct, all it left behind was an old boot!

The Old Boot!
All of us, around the boot
All of us with the old boot
Me, climbing up the boot!

We quickly got far up. At one point, I told my father that the summit was right ahead. Turns out… it was thrice the distance I predicted. At that point, I could say that even I was tired. We all sat down to “look” at the scenic views, but instead I was really just pondering about the sunset. One of the reasons that our family loved the Enchanted Rock was because of the gorgeous summit sunset view, and its lovely colors.

After a few silent minutes, we all got up and resumed the hike. I, as usual, climbed ahead, and in what was actually a few minutes, but felt like a few eternities, I summited the Enchanted Rock.

It all felt like a mission, where professionals climb mountains to attain something. And I, definitely not a professional, had attained a victory over my brother, and a first glimpse of the sunset. It was around 5 – 5:30 PM. I didn’t notice time flying by, but when I zoned back into the real world, I realized that my family hadn’t gotten up till where I was. When I looked down from the “edge” of the rock, I saw 5 teeny-tinny people (my family) about 50 feet away from where I was. And within 5 minutes, came my real-sized family! We found a spot to sit, and then eagerly waited for the full-fledged sunset to appear.

And, you know what? All the work and patience was worth it! The sunset we got to see was mind-blowing!

An “Enchanting” sunset on the Enchanted Rock

Like they say “Every sunset brings a new dawn”, and for our family to get a new dawn, we’d have to get down from the rock, and go home! It was time to say goodbye to the Enchanted Rock. We took a last opportunity to snag some beautiful photos along the way.

Swallowing the Sun?
The View
Scenic Views
My Mother, Father, and Sister
My Aunt and Brother
Me
Nightime
Nightime Sunset
A Perfect Nightime Scene

The trek going down was far easier and shorter in time than the trek going upward. But there is one thing you should take note of while trekking down the Enchanted Rock at night time, and that is there will be unpredicted twists and turns from which you won’t be able to decipher which way to go. We almost got trapped, but luckily I remembered the way out. We got into our car, and headed home after an adventurous day.

My experience at the Enchanted Rock was amazing, with funny old boots, gorgeous sunsets, and family fun.

I also learned quite a lot from this experience, such as how things may seem boring, but always have a surprise at the end, how sunsets can enchant life, how to never give up and stay determined, and to always watch out for yourself when you’re surrounded by the wilderness. I also enjoyed this experience a lot, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did experiencing and writing it. If you liked this post please leave a like, and do share your comments/thoughts/feedback. For more, please subscribe to my blog!

-Kartik Lakhwani

(PS: If you go to the Enchanted Rock and see an “Old Boot” along the SUMMIT TRAIL, comment down below!!!)

The Wanted Vampire – Tim Burton Art

Dark depths. Solid blacks. Spooky turns! Welcome to Tim Burton’s World of HORROR! Tim Burton is an American filmmaker and artist, known for his gothic fantasy and horror productions. Not only is Burton known for being a great director, but also for being an excellent cartoonist. He is known for his German Expressionism, and his famous productions such as Beetlejuice (1988), Edward Scissorhands (1990), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), etc. (More on Tim Burton Here).

But wait… Why did I start talking about Tim Burton all of a sudden?

Because on October 5, 2022, my 7th-grade art class at Santa Rita Middle School got inspired by Tim Burton’s horror cartoon art, and decided to make our own horrific cartoon characters that we either made up, or that resembled us. But before all that could start, we went through Tim Burton cartooning training!

So did we go to some training camp? NO! I mean we could have but what I mean by training is that we practiced the cartooning style of Tim Burton, so that our drawing could look the most Tim Burtonesque as possible. We were given a set of cartoons to practice drawing (ie. Eyes, Heads, Mouths, etc).

Once we were done with our practice, we had to make a list of key things we were going to include in our final drawing (hairline, eyes, etc), and show a little sketch of how we’d include them in our final. I tried as much as possible to detail my sketches and drawings, and took as much time as needed, as we were given 2 days to practice cartooning. I quite enjoyed sketching little cartoons, as the designs were funny and really creative. Once done, I was given a thumbs up by my art teacher, Mrs. Doerr, to start my rough draft. Since Halloween was coming up, I had an idea of what to make! A Vampire! Just what I wanted to be for Halloween to get some spooks!

I started making it look like me, but a bit cartoony, and vampirish. Sketching it took a long time, and I really loved how it looked! I didn’t believe that I could make it look so maniacal!

Even though it didn’t look as much like a vampire, it was still cool. My art teacher loved my drawing and gave me a go-ahead! I was really excited to make my vampire, which I really hoped would come out well. The only problem was that I was worried I couldn’t redraw the maniac I had made. Next to me sat my friend Jonas, who made a mad scientist for his draft, which came out perfectly on his final. I gathered up some hope, and started sketching out my vampire, which surprisingly turned out well. I even came up with a cool way to make a cape!

Things looked good, but when it was time to sharpie and color, I was nervous. What if I messed up the design? Pushing through, and putting out my best artist, I sharpied my drawing, and hand-picked perfect shades for the vampire. I colored and colored, and finally made what looked like a vampire! (EVEN THOUGH I HAD TO SHARPEN THE COLORED PENCILS I WAS USING A BILLION TIMES, SHRINKING THEM TO TINY INCHES).

The only problem was that I didn’t have a background! Jonas had made a perfect lab background, but mine looked pretty plain. Then, a game-changing idea came to my mind. What if I made a wanted poster for a criminal vampire?! And that’s what I did. Writing WANTED in huge letters on top, I created a criminal mastermind! The #1 PUNK, MANIAC, & SAVAGE!!! I added Halloween-themed cobwebs on the sides, and voila, I was done! It looked just perfect (to me, at least). Drumroll please….

I really had fun seeing the Wanted Vampire come into form. Now, I did mention that we were supposed to make a character of our own, or a cartoon based on ourselves. And let me get this straight: I am not a wanted criminal! I am just a boy who was a vampire for Halloween! I really liked my drawing, and so did my teacher! Mine got put on display with a bunch of other masterpieces other students made, and when I brought mine’s home, my family loved it! Especially my father, who couldn’t believe I made the vampire, and my brother, who kept on teasing me of drawing a wanted criminal that was supposed to be me (WHICH IT IS NOT!)!

Here’s a comparison of the Wanted Vampire (made by me, looks like me), and The Vampire Boy (me on Halloween) (THIS IS WHAT MY BROTHER MEANT):

Other than having so much fun, I learned quite a lot during this art project, such as:

To not give up when things look tough
To not judge what the end result will come out as
To not become nervous if things look hard
To not look at somebody else’s work and think that you cannot make something good yourself!
AND TO MAKE A TIM BURTON MASTERPIECE

Bonus! :

Here’s a Tim Burton short film for you all to enjoy!

Vincent (1982) – Tim Burton Short Film

I really enjoyed this art experience, and I hope you liked reading it as much as I did writing it. I also hope that you learned something new from this experience, because I sure did! If you have any questions/comments/feedback for me please comment down below and leave a like on this post. And for more, subscribe to my blog!!

-Kartik Lakhwani

The Little Lotus – Georgia O’Keeffe Art

What comes to mind when you think of art? Dazzling colors? Amazing textures? Majestic creations? Yep. Art is a dimension that has no end. Speaking of art, I attend Santa Rita Middle School (7th grade) and take art as an elective. Art class may not be given that much favor by “the cool kids”, but it is an absolutely fabulous class. Why? Because there are no criteria for what you do in art. The sky is the limit, giving you all the freedom you want. No art is terrible, because every artist’s art is good in one way. Something that people always say when they think of art is sculptures and paintings. But that’s not it! Art can also be seen in the real world. Every little aspect has some specialty and has a good look! It all depends on the viewer. Take flowers for an example! They are filled with vibrant colors, soft textures, and are practically art themselves!

Speaking of flower art, there have been a lot of artists who drew or painted flowers as their artist’s profession. And one of the best was Georgia O’Keeffe. O’Keeffe was known for her abstract and enlarged flower paintings, as she made them look beautiful, interesting, and abstract all at once! (MORE ON O’KEEFFE HERE ). Georgia O’Keeffe was a very inspiring artist to many, as people adored her paintings. Speaking of inspiration, my art teacher, Mrs. Doerr, and our whole class was inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe, and started making our own abstract/big flower designs. But, instead of water coloring our final drafts, we’d make them using oil pastel.

It was quite hard to make up my mind on what flower I should draw, as there were many options. But finally, I came up with the idea of drawing the lotus, as it looked great, and it was my mother’s favorite flower (early birthday present in the making 😂).

I loved the image of the flower as soon as I saw it, and quickly decided it was the flower I was going to draw! The only problem was that I didn’t know if I could draw something so complicated. Little by little, I sketched the petals and details of the lotus. I never thought I could draw something so detailed, but by opening my drawing eye, and with focused strokes, I drew the impossible:

To people who are excellent artists, it may not look like much. But to me, it looked like a masterpiece! I received an all-set from my art teacher, and started my final draft. I re-did my sketch, but on a larger sheet of construction paper. It was now time for the feared oil pastels! My teacher had told us that we could mess up in many ways, and gave us helpful tips on how to use the pastels. I had picked specific colors, and on a course of 3 days of coloring, I made one of the best pieces of art in my whole life! Drumroll please……..

Things weren’t easy though… I kept on mixing the colors up, and had trouble blending the colors perfectly. But still, by pushing through and using all the creativity I had, I made it!

Art was always interesting for me, and this was one of my best art experiences and creations ever! I learned several things, such as if you never give up, you will always succeed and get great results, and that if you use your creativity at full potential, you can make something great! My father thought my lotus was so good, he said he’ll frame it on the wall! If you want to learn how to make your own oil pastel masterpieces, check out the following helpful links:

The Complete Guide to Oil Pastel

The 6 BEST techniques using OIL PASTEL [for beginners]

Oil Pastel Techniques

Northern Lights | Easy Oil Pastel

I really enjoyed this experience, and I hope you liked reading it as much as I did writing it. I also hope that you learned something new from this experience, because I sure did! If you have any questions/comments/feedback for me please comment down below and leave a like on this post. And for more, subscribe to my blog!!

-Kartik Lakhwani

The Stone Haul

An Industrious Experience

It was Saturday, June 11th, 2022, and it was also a normal 7 am, and as usual, I was one of those kids who were sleeping in, dreaming about things that are interesting to them. I, personally was dreaming about being the lead racer in a city street race. “Zooming down that road at turbo-speed, in a cool-looking Lamborghini Veneno is Kartik Lakhwani, 500 feet from winning the 2022 Racing Cup!” But it all had to come to an end right at the second I crossed the finish line! My father came to wake me up since I had gotten a call from my family in India.

After having a nice chat with them, I stalled for a bit, got ready, had breakfast, and then having nothing to do, loafed on the couch. Time passed and I decided to go talk to my mother about what I should take on. I was blindly guessing it would be some chores, or to go play outside with my friends, but, she gave me a totally unusual surprise. I was told that my whole family (Mother, Father, Sister, & I) were headed to check on our new home, which was currently under construction (almost finished), and to pick up some leftover stones from our construction site so that we could make garden beds in our backyard. Like they say, trash can be turned into treasure! While we drove there, I was wondering how heavy each stone piece would be, and how many I could lift… My guess was that each piece would be about 5 pounds each, and that I could lift at least 2 at a time, maybe even 3…

Once we got there, I jumped out of the car, ready for heavy stone-lifting, only to realize that it was hot as a stove outside. It was around 100°F (38°C) 🥵🥵🥵! Still, my family and I walked over into our house to check the progress inside, and then quickly walked out to start stone lifting. But you can’t just lift stones!!!!! You need the STONE-LIFTING ESSENTIALS!!! They are:

A place to put the stones
A way to lift the stones with your bare hands
An idea of how many stones we can lift and if we need extra help
Most Importantly: SOMETHING TO WORK TOWARDS!!!!

Here is how we solved these:

We can place the stones in our kind neighbor’s/friend’s house
We can carefully lift the stone from underneath, and slowly pick it up. And when putting it down, we can slowly bend over and let it go! (also making sure our fingers aren’t crushed or squished in the process)
We could lift as many stones as possible (I lifted about 2-3, depending on the size of the stone), and the more help we can get, the better!
ICE CREAM!! (My mother promised me and my sister that after a long day of hauling stones, we could go out to eat and also have ice cream!

We talked to our neighbors about our stones, and they were fine with it, so we started picking them up, and taking them to our neighbor’s garage. But just a few minutes in, and very strong and nice man, Chris, showed up, and without even knowing us, started helping out!

Teamwork is also is an essential in all kinds of jobs, and in this stone-hauling one, it was crucial. We were in a really hot environment but we still pushed through and made it, only because we worked as a team. We had fun doing the stone hauling even in those rough conditions, and to enhance our team-building skills even more, we created a chain system, where a person would pick up a rock, pass it to the next person, who would pass it to the next person, who would pass it to the stone stacker. By the time the stone stacker was done stacking the stone passed to him/her, another stone would arrive to them! In this process, transferring heavy stones became easier!

Stone Hauling in Action!

(Click each image for a bigger view, and for a description of the image)

After one whole hour of heavy stone lifting, we were finally finished. In total, we gathered and hauled around 75-100 stones, which each had a different shape and size. Something that was funny was that each stone, either big or small had unproportionate and weird weights. I lifted a 18X15 stone that only weighed about 8 pounds, and then lifted a 9X3 stone which weighed a whopping 13 pounds!! 🤪

After a tiring hour, we headed home. We were out in 100°F (38°C) conditions, with the hot Texas sun radiantly blazing upon us. Our clothes were all powdery from lifting stones, our hands were all white and sore, and we were drenched from sweating. Sitting back in the car, with the cool A/C on, I could almost taste cool ice cream on my tongue, and some good beats going on in the background while I ate it.

Other than having an industrious experience, I also learned a lot. Such as how being kind is the best thing to be, and that you create a ripple effect when you are kind to somebody, without thinking about yourself, and surely one day that kindness will come back to you. And also how hard work pays off if you get your scoop of the ice cream!

When You Hear About Ice Cream
When You Get The Ice Cream

I really enjoyed this experience, and I hope you liked reading it as much as I did writing it. I also hope that you learned something new from this experience because I sure did! If you have any questions/comments/feedback for me please comment down below and leave a like on this post. And for more, subscribe to my blog!!

-Kartik Lakhwani

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