Wakefield High School students showcase their art
May 26, 2021
Wakefield High School offers a wide variety of visual art classes for its students to choose from. Everything from pottery to painting is covered in our art program. Many students who take those classes say they feel that Wakefield has something unique to offer.
“The art program at WHS helps students learn about other artists, their art styles, and the history of art,” said Atmaja Lohar, a sophomore at Wakefield. “The program has given me an above-average knowledge of art and artists.”
The students who choose to enroll in visual art classes at Wakefield have all different backgrounds and inspirations.
“Watching my mom paint always inspired me to become an artist like her one day,” Lohar said. “Other artists such as Michelangelo, Salvador Dali, and Rosa Bonheur have also inspired me.”
Alexandria Jordan is also a student who is currently studying in Wakefield’s visual arts program. While Jordan didn’t have an artistic parent growing up, she did have a unique start to her career as a student artist.
“This past year, I was watching a cartoon show called She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, and I connected strongly with one of the characters. I started sketching her everywhere,” Jordan said. “Eventually, I decided I wanted to learn how to make her look better, so I sat on my floor every day for about four months just copying poses and styles off Pinterest.”
These artists each believe that WHS classes offer unique insights into the world of art. Whether that be through projects, rare mediums, memorable experiences or new ways of thinking, these students all seem to think highly of Wakefield’s creative art classes.
“[Wakefield] has given me opportunities to work in mediums that I have never worked with before,” Lohar said. “It has also helped strengthen my art skills by working on different mediums for each project.”
Lohar isn’t the only student who has paid particular attention to these new opportunities. Emi Ollice is a junior currently enrolled in Art Three Honors.
“My favorite part about the Wakefield art programs is the community and the opportunities that come with it. For example, the National Art Honors Society houses opportunities outside of class to show off your work and learn new types of art,” Ollice said.
Every artist has their preferences when it comes to stylistic choices, mediums and techniques. It can be something as simple as a brush brand or something as unique as homemade canvases.
Some examples of mediums in paintings include watercolor, acrylic, oil and fresco. Each of these mediums will behave differently on different canvases and papers. Watercolor paints will appear more opaque and are usually used on a paper-based canvas or special paper.
“My favorite medium is watercolor. It’s definitely one of my strong suits in art. Minimalistic is my favorite style and I like that it’s easy on the eyes,” Ollice said.
However, Jordan prefers a more cartoon-based style, usually created digitally. This shows that any two artists can have a different perspective regardless of their backgrounds or experience.
“My favorite style to draw in is cartoony with semi-realistic features. Lines for the eyes and mouth and sometimes details in the muscles and clothes,” Jordan said. “My favorite medium is either digital on my iPad or watercolor cause I can usually create the exact color I want to use.”
Artwork is not just painting and drawing though. There are many forms of art that most people don’t think of.
“I first fell in love with doing craft projects first like sewing, macrame and card making,” Ollice said. “I got into painting later when I started high school because the medians were more easily accessible and I had an excuse to buy supplies.”
You don’t even need to be good at painting to become an artist. Anything from pottery to animation can be classified as artwork.
“My favorite medium would be digital. I never got used to using traditional mediums like watercolor, acrylic, etc,” said Hannah Franks, an AP art student at WHS. “Using a wide variety of tools on art programs like Photoshop is a lot easier for me.”
Have you ever considered trying your hand at expressing yourself through artwork? Well, you are not alone, but don’t let your hesitation hold you back. Art is subjective, so find a style and medium you love and go for it.
“Art is a fun career to pursue because you will be exploring your creativity throughout your career and you get to view the world in a different way as an artist,” Lohar said. “The beauty of art is seen through different eyes and perceived in different ways.”
