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

I feel like before I joined One River, I was more closed off, especially about what type of art I liked to do. I didn’t know what my art style was. Now I feel like I’m more open to different techniques, instead of just always sticking with what I know. I also now prefer to work with mixed media, cause I can give it different details and textures and make it look more realistic, or old fashioned, etc. depending on what style I’m going for. I don’t think I could ever get bored of art; there are so many styles and techniques.

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

I think my favorite was a self portrait with geometric shapes last year that I did with Mr. Jung. I liked it because I feel like it turned out exactly how I wanted. First, I started out by sketching out my features, but that was hard because it wasn’t proportional. So, I had to learn different techniques to make it look like me. Then, I outlined it with different types of markers, and I feel like it was simple, but also kinda modern and unique. It was me, but kinda as a cyborg. I enjoyed having to learn something new in order to be able to make the portrait. I had to learn how to do it, then I had to practice, and then I could actually make it. They taught me how to look a the picture and make my hand movements go along with what I saw.

How would you describe One River to your friends?

I’d describe One River as a place where you can relax and have fun. A place where you can find what you like to do, because I personally found out I like to draw with different perspectives to make things more interesting, more 3D or make things pop out. One River also has a lot of people who support you, and it’s a judgement-free space. It’s a respectful place and people respect your opinions. A lot of the teachers are very informed on the different types of art and I feel like you can make a personal connection. It’s not only about doing your work, cause you talk about how your day was and the teachers actually care. I also really appreciate how they let me in and gave me a scholarship, and also gave one to my brother. My family can’t afford a lot of activities, but thanks to One River we don’t have to worry about whether we can do things. I also like how it’s very diverse and there are many types of people.

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

I would just say the benefit is finding yourself, finding a way to de-stress. It’s a way to mess around and have fun. It doesn’t have to look a certain way to be considered art. I would say you should just try it, because you might find out you’re talented! And it also helps you take risks, take care of your mental health, and deal with problems. I’ve also heard that art can help people with mental disorders or help them control their emotions or calm down.