Tell us a little bit about your journey as an artist.

At first, I started drawing cars because I wanted to be a mechanical design expert. Then, I started getting into comic books and animated series. I started drawing characters from these series and my own. I hope to go to art school and become a comic illustrator.

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

My favorite project to work on at One River was the last art show project for Teen Art Shuffle Plus, Nature Maché. I made a papier-mâché gorilla hiding in a forest. Since I had only really done pencil drawing before, it was exciting to try sculpting for the first time. I enjoyed the process of sculpting with papier-mâché and other materials, like armature wire for the trees. Painting all of the details was fun, too. The project pushed me to use new materials and new processes for those materials.

Describe One River in 3 words and tell us why.

The first word I would use to describe One River is inclusive. There are so many different people in the arts, and One River embodies that in their community and philosophically through the diverse projects. The environment makes any newcomers feel included. I wasn’t sure if I’d fit in because I had never been around a large group of creative people before, but I learned that everyone is welcoming and teachers are adapting.

The second word I would use to describe One River is imaginative. Students are encouraged to incorporate their interests, ideas, styles, and messages into what they’re creating. I started working with materials I had never even tried before. I also learned how to incorporate my characters into the projects. It improves my character-making because I had never thought about things like the character’s environment before, or certain poses.

The last word I would use to describe One River is inspiring. I have many different ideas on my own, but through One River, I’m able to come up with more ideas, open up to more mediums, styles… I even did fabric painting! Teachers show they really care, and I’m able to connect with other people through the facilitated classroom conversations.

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

Art is a human thing; everyone has some kind of creativity in them, even if it’s just stick figures. One River is a good place to start, and maybe even build up to a college portfolio one day.

Would you like to share anything else about your experience at One River?

It allowed me to enjoy art even more, meet new people, develop new ideas, and everything. I enjoy the freedom to make the projects my own.