My journey through DRHS Art has been one of the most precious and pleasurable. I’ll be honest, like most others, I signed up for Art I because I thought I’d enjoy doodling and earning an easy grade. However, this attitude soon changed when I entered Art II, when you challenged me to go beyond my formerly realistic style with the Artist Mash-Up Project. Indeed, having studied Hans Hoffman’s vibrant and explosive colors, I experienced an inkling of the appeal of abstract expressionism. Opportunely, Art III further indulged my curiosity for abstract art. While the Old Masters Project allowed me to improve my craftsmanship, the tedious and uncreative process made me feel rather - unoriginal. Once again, it was the Subject, Media, and Art Mash-Up Project that propelled me into a fun, creative, and experimental mode of art. I never truly understood the joy of play and exploration until I dipped my hand into the water and smoothed the plastered strips across the tin foil on the board to sculpt a three dimensional landscape. By the end of my junior year, I was completely drawn into creating abstract works as both my Sum of the Parts painting and my summer works reflected my growing tendency to paint with punchy and emotional colors. And since then, I have always been searching for new ways to expand my styles. Through the Drawing Inspired Drawings Project, I discovered a perfect material to unite my love for both painting and sculpture: polymer clay. By molding the clay into a 3D canvas, I was able to highlight its sculptural form and its colorful, painted finish. Although college applications and AP exams may have disrupted my progress with clay art, I nonetheless benefitted from the break as my re-familiarization with watercolor allowed me to realize the meditative qualities of art. Who knew that observing the color pigments spread and thin on water following the flow of music could be so soothing? Those nights spent painting to music became one of my most memorable experience inspired by art. In the end, through art, I have not only developed my unique, emotional abstract style, but also an effective, personal method to reduce stress.
To progress through my artistic journey, I have invested a lot of time to make sure my craftsmanship satisfies my own expectations. This was a huge commitment, because with my academic workload getting heavier and heavier each year, it became increasingly different to dedicate a block of time specifically to art. To complete the Drawings Inspired Drawings Project on time during the college application season, for example, I had to stay up two hours after midnight for a week to ensure each piece reflected my effort and creativity. The clay piece I made before midterms required even more hard work, because sculpting, baking, and painting clay requires significantly more time than making a traditional, 2D painting. On top of that, I had to manage my time very carefully among studying, schoolwork, and art. I remember working from 12 to 4 am one day because I realized that I would have no free time for a week until critique. Yet, despite all the frustration, stress, and many tiring nights, I managed. It was one of my proudest moments - when I stood in front the class with my clay painting during critique, knowing that my hard work and dedication were what drove me to create a work of art that went beyond my artistic realm, on time.
Although my time in DRHSArt is mostly filled with pleasant memories, looking back, there are times when I wish I have done things differently. For one, I remained relatively close to myself, often choosing not to socialize as much since I viewed it as a distraction. While my approach definitely helped me stay on task, I did not realize I was missing valuable opportunities to expand my horizons through experimentation and through others’ opinions. They were certainly insightful and influential when I discussed my designs with my closer, digital media art classmates. Therefore, if I could relive this past year, I would like to become more involved in the program, not only by just finishing my pieces and meeting expectations, but also offering my voice and ear to others. To the future students of DRHSArt, I hope you all can do the same thing. Art is the only class unbound by tests, homework, or any formal requirements of an academic class. So, why not have fun and work hard with your classmates, and let your creativity run free?
To progress through my artistic journey, I have invested a lot of time to make sure my craftsmanship satisfies my own expectations. This was a huge commitment, because with my academic workload getting heavier and heavier each year, it became increasingly different to dedicate a block of time specifically to art. To complete the Drawings Inspired Drawings Project on time during the college application season, for example, I had to stay up two hours after midnight for a week to ensure each piece reflected my effort and creativity. The clay piece I made before midterms required even more hard work, because sculpting, baking, and painting clay requires significantly more time than making a traditional, 2D painting. On top of that, I had to manage my time very carefully among studying, schoolwork, and art. I remember working from 12 to 4 am one day because I realized that I would have no free time for a week until critique. Yet, despite all the frustration, stress, and many tiring nights, I managed. It was one of my proudest moments - when I stood in front the class with my clay painting during critique, knowing that my hard work and dedication were what drove me to create a work of art that went beyond my artistic realm, on time.
Although my time in DRHSArt is mostly filled with pleasant memories, looking back, there are times when I wish I have done things differently. For one, I remained relatively close to myself, often choosing not to socialize as much since I viewed it as a distraction. While my approach definitely helped me stay on task, I did not realize I was missing valuable opportunities to expand my horizons through experimentation and through others’ opinions. They were certainly insightful and influential when I discussed my designs with my closer, digital media art classmates. Therefore, if I could relive this past year, I would like to become more involved in the program, not only by just finishing my pieces and meeting expectations, but also offering my voice and ear to others. To the future students of DRHSArt, I hope you all can do the same thing. Art is the only class unbound by tests, homework, or any formal requirements of an academic class. So, why not have fun and work hard with your classmates, and let your creativity run free?