Literary Journal for Young Writers
Hewson Duffy is a junior at St. Anne’s Belfield in Charlottesville, VA. He has been published in Polyphony Lit and Aerie International, and recognized by the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. As a complement to writing, he enjoys practicing photography.
Ripunjay Kumawat is fifteen years years old. He is very fond of photography and wants to pursue it as a career. He is an amateur photographer right now, and more into photography of flora and fauna.
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.
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!
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.
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.