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

I started getting into art a little bit before COVID, but when the lockdown happened is when I really started getting into it and spending more time learning different materials and subject matter. I remember I used to paint on the floors in my bedroom and watch tutorials on how to paint and draw in different ways and spent any free time on practicing. I want to pursue art as a career and go to school for art.

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

The oil painting portrait project. I painted Billie Eilish and I had never used oil paints before so it was fun learning how to use all the different materials and how to layer the paints. I ended up being able to paint interesting people that I never would have thought to paint or was capable of painting. I was so proud of the outcome and made me excited to use oil paints again.

Describe One River in 3 words and tell us why.

Supportive, artistic, fun. My teachers here are always nice and encouraging with my projects and make the environment a positive and fun learning environment. I love having a space to grow artistically.

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

I would tell them that there is a lot of work that goes into it and they have to practice a lot. They might not be so good at it right away but if you can get passed the bad beginning stages of learning and can continue practicing, you will get better everyday. Art is meant to be fun and you should not be so hard on yourself and enjoy the process.