Art

Dreamer, Separate

By Elaine Han

I used different methods for each painting, as I love exploring different medias. I try to keep my mind open towards many creative possibilities. My creative process for these pieces comes from my perspective of balancing between reality and dreams.

In the piece, “Separate,” the lines show movement. I saw feathers in my backyard that are carried by wind. The feathers can be very quiet and still, but the wind can carry them to different places, thus showing the many possibilities in life. In the piece, “Dreamer,” the young woman in the center of the piece is me, and the letter “E” is my initial. The rigid box that I am within represents reality. The sharp lines coming off the box on the left are glass, which depict the struggles of reality. The feathers are light and they resemble dreams. To me, feathers mean hope and freedom.

Elaine Han is a junior at Palo Alto High School in California. As an artist, she enjoys using pencil, watercolor, and mixed media to express herself. Last year, her charcoal still life was exhibited in the Mitchell Park Library. Two of her favorite artists are Jacob Lawrence for his expressive subject matter and bold usage of color, and Pablo Picasso for his unique shapes and vibrant colors. Outside of art, she enjoys playing the piano and emulating Lang Lang. She also enjoys yoga. The medium for her two pieces includes mixed media and pencil. The theme of her series revolves around the concept of feathers.

Light, Life, Sunrise

By Avika Patel

**Light:**This picture was taken at Antelope Canyon. Created by a series of flash floods, the canyon has a smooth finish and intricate array of channels and passageways below the walking surface. As the sun shines down through the slits above, beautiful streaks of light project on the sandstone and create a warm red hue. While walking through the slot canyon I took this picture from a lower angle to create a powerful aura and draw attention to the light stream that stood strongly capturing our attention.

**Life:** This picture was taken for my AP Language visual podcast on Perseverance. Perseverance, to me, is standing up for what you believe in life and continuing despite the setbacks you encounter. I wanted to create a montage of items in my home that were important to me and showcased my personality. The aerial angle was used to signal all I can do is go up, and perseverance is the best trait to have in that process.

**Sunrise:** This image was taken at Arches National Park. Created by a process of weathering, thawing, and crumbling, the arches are special formations that have been formed throughout the southwestern U.S. I took this image during sunrise, hiking up the mountain at 5am, and setting up my camera for the majestic sun to rise up and cast its light along the smooth underbelly of the arch. Standing strong above the horizon, I took this image from a lower angle to highlight the majestic sky and warm colors of the beautiful morning, while also showing the deep canyon below the prominent arch.

Avika Patel is an avid high school photographer in Southern California. In addition to having her photographs published on multiple platforms, she is a twice-published author for almost twenty school districts and the American Association of University Women. When she’s not out with her camera shooting the most beautiful landscapes, you can find Avika programming, playing tennis, or solving escape rooms with her friends!

Bubbling Dreams, Blue Symphony, Self-Portrait

By Amelia Ao

My medium for these submissions is just color pencil. I really just try to look at the things around me and the emotions inside me for inspiration. For the dog, I tried to reflect a human kind of longing in his expression–he is dreaming of the red string, and yet he looks wistful and longing of something from the past. I feel like animals are really our natural counterparts and so tried to mirror a human emotion in his eyes. This was connected to my self-portrait, which portrays me looking towards the future while thinking of the past. For the shells I just really loved the curves and shapes they formed together and tried to convey the sound of the ocean through the image. I thought the color blue would be a fitting theme for the nostalgic, wistful feel I wanted. My creative process isn’t really a process; it’s just picking and choosing from certain experiences and things I’m lucky enough to witness to try and piece together an emotion or message. I’ve loved art for as long as I can remember, ever since my first art class at five years old. It’s something I hope to keep doing for the rest of my life.

Amelia Ao lives in Wayland, Massachusetts with her parents and sister. Art has been a fundamental part of her identity, and she’s excited to be sharing her work.

Cole World, Golden Girl

By Denver Evans

I was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas and lived there almost my entire life. I’m the eldest of eight children. I am fifteen and first found my love for art in sixth grade. In seventh grade, my art piece “Myself” was selected to be displayed in the Arkansas Young Artist Exhibit. I love drawing people. My school art teacher told me “You always find a way to put a person in your artwork!” I love painting mostly because if I make a mistake it can turn out to make my artwork beautiful! I think my grandmother inspires me the most. She beat leukemia and throughout it she was filled with humor or joy every time I saw her. She didn’t let it affect her.

Denver Evans is an aspiring artist in Jonesboro, Arkansas. She loves art media such as acrylic, pencil, and charcoal. Her artwork was a part of the Arkansas Young Artist Exhibit in Little Rock. She won principal choice at her school district art show, and attends Jonesboro School of Art.

Tear of the Earth

By Sohee Myung

Our Earth is full of water, nature, lands, and humans; all of these make our Earth alive, however, the reality is that humans are the destroyers of the Earth’s nature. Our lives depend on these beautiful creations that we relentlessly destroy for our supplies every second. We must realize the seriousness of environmental pollution and start to think about what we can do for our Earth. We are not only destroyers of the Earth, but also the solutions to saving it.

Sohee Myung, was born in Daegu, South Korea, and at the age of twelve, came to the US as an international student to pursue a better art career. Sohee is a junior at Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Feminine and Ferocious

By Rhea Bhatnagar

Raised by an empowering and supportive family, I have always been taught to speak up for what I believe in but many girls are told to abide by certain gender roles since birth, they are raised to be submissive and quiet, afraid of and unable to speak their mind. Their individuality is extracted and they are forced to float along the current of society’s river till they drown. This piece is symbolic of fighting these false impositions and speaking up for girls and women everywhere. Ferocity and femininity go hand in hand; women can fight and women, everywhere, need to fight against the system of inequality and ignorance for it can no longer be tolerated.

Rhea Bhatnagar is a high school student who takes pleasure in spending her free time jamming to indie pop music and advocating for what she believes in. She is a self-taught digital artist who is constantly on the lookout for venturing into the ether and adding to her knowledge.