Tell us a little bit about your journey as a young and developing artist.

As long as I can remember I have been making art. It started out as using crayons to draw “pancake machines” on napkins during lunchtime to hopefully something I will pursue as my career. I have always loved painting and drawing, specifically using acrylic paints to create realistic portraits of people and animals. This past year One River gave me the opportunity to try out oil paint, which is something I wouldn’t be able to do on my own. I have discovered that oil paint is a medium I truly love working with. I can’t wait to continue my journey at One River and in college to learn and expand my knowledge of art.

Which has been your favorite project to work on at One River and why?

I really loved the self portrait in oil paint project because it was what introduced me to oil. I truly struggle with self portraits, but using the oil paint made it really fun. I love a good challenge!

Describe One River in 3 words and tell us why.

Personalized, educational, and fun! The staff at One River take time to focus on each student and personalizes each project for every student in order to make the most educational experience possible, while still having fun!

What would you tell people who’ve never dabbled in art making are the real benefits to trying it?

Art is a wonderful way to express yourself! When people hear this they often think their art needs to be “good” or have meaning. It doesn’t! Art can be anything you want it to be. It doesn’t necessarily need to have a lesson, and you don’t have to be “perfect” for it to be truly art.