By: Monica Aviles
There are many forms of art like drawing, paintings, digital art, paper mache, etc. At Redwood there is Studio and 3D art classes that have many talented artists. Art can be a creative outlet for some, that requires inspiration, and takes on quite a few struggles. Each person has their own hopes and obstacles when working with art, such as these Redwood seniors.
Jung Lee
Jung Lee (’21) has taken studio art 3 at Redwood. Her art style is sometimes semi – realism or realism. “I remember growing up doodling when I was younger, but I took art more seriously when I was in 4th – 5th grade.” Lee gets her inspiration from other artists and was able to make many friends through her art. She even entered a contest from Japan in Summer of 2017, and received 2nd place.
Recently, Lee has struggles with getting motivation to draw, “I used to draw almost everyday, but now I spend 1 – 2 days per week… I don’t have enough ideas or skills to draw what I want to draw.” Lee hopes to continue on drawing what comes to her mind on any given day.
“Don’t stress about improvement. You’ll improve as long as you enjoy drawing, painting etc.” – Jung Lee
Sherrie N. Clark
Sherrie N. Clark (’21) took studio art for 2 years. Her art style revolves around cartoons and anime. Clark’s childhood “consisted of fairies and dragons, etc.” which encouraged her to create stories through her art. Her art is inspired by “friends who encourage me to keep going and my love for anything fantasy.” Art has also been a creative outlet for Clark, where she can cope and “vent out whatever emotion.” She also explains how art is “another way of expression…It’s a connection to the creator’s mind and the real world.”
She has faced many struggles with art, especially comparison, “Whether it’s social media or your friends, It can really bring your spirits down and make you question “Am I really good enough?” After high school, Clark plans on getting a job involving art “so I can keep doing what I love.”
“Create what makes you happy. Don’t change or force yourself to make something in hopes to get others to like you/gain a following on social media. Numbers don’t determine your art value. “ – Sherrie N. Clark
Malia Gonzales
Malia Gonzales (‘21) took studio art for 2 years as well. She first started out with creating fan art, but then moved onto creating her own cartoon characters. Gonzales has always been fascinated with art, “ My father is an artist himself (not as a career)…we would always bond over cartoons and drawing.” For Gonzalez, art is her way of escaping and expressing. She gets her inspiration from the stories she wants to tell, “I like the idea of being able to create a real world from still pictures.”
Some struggles she faces with art is being a perfectionist, “I’m so terrified of making bad art that I get stuck in a place which only makes me hate my art more.” Gonzales has also entered many contests in the past, but the one she’s most proud of is the Slick Rock Student Film festival, where her and two other students created an animated short, “Almost.” After high school, she plans on majoring in art and hopes of creating her own comic or cartoon.
“Make bad art. Make as much bad art as you can. Make all the mistakes you can because failure is the first step to improving.” – Malia Gonzales
Monica Aviles
Monica Aviles ('21) is a senior, and is in her second year of writing for the arts & entertainment section. The majority of her writing revolves around culture, activism, and different forms of art. Outside of the Gigantea, Monica is on the girl's wrestling team, president of the asl club, and is involved with many other clubs like Red Ink. You can reach her by email at monic.av3959@vusd.us
Tags: art, digital art, drawing, Monica A., painting, seniors, studio art
