The KO art department has selected junior Nick Stolfi as February’s Artist of the Month. You may know that Nick loves to play football and guitar, but what you probably didn’t realize is that he is also a passionate artist. Nick said the visual arts have always been a major part of his life. “I’ve been interested in art for as long as I can remember,” he said. “Ever since I was little kid, I’ve loved to draw.” Between academics and sports, Nick doesn’t have a lot of free time but when he does, he often uses it to work on his drawings. Nick’s favorite medium to work with is graphite and colored pencils. “I’ve tried pretty much every medium, but I always come back to the basics, ” he said.
In terms of specific styles, Nick is especially interested in hyper-realism. “I like being able to look at something and draw it so perfectly that it almost comes alive on the paper,” he said. According to Nick, famous artist Marcello Barenghi has greatly influenced his work. So far, Nick has been enjoying his experience with the arts at KO, pointing to the freedom he has in art classes like Portfolio Prep to choose his own project.
Creative arts teacher Scott McDonald and Greg Scranton each teach a semester of Portfolio Prep, so they have both had the opportunity to have Nick as their student. “It has been a pleasure being Nick’s teacher; he is a very independent student so I have enjoyed watching him work,” Mr. Scranton said. “His realistic style is one that many students shy away from because it is so time consuming and meticulous.” Mr. Scranton compares Nick’s process of creating art to that of a surgeon in an operating room. “He always organizes his materials and develops a plan before he begins,” Mr. Scranton said. Mr. McDonald said that Nick is one of the most technically talented students that he’s worked with. “His art reflects his dedication and hard work,” Mr. McDonald said. “Nick often comes in to the art room during his free periods and works on his drawings.”
It is clear that art has had a meaningful impact on Nick’s life in several ways. “Being an artist definitely challenges me to see things differently and through multiple perspectives,” Nick said. He also explained that art has taught him valuable lessons about work ethic and has helped him to develop time management skills. “You can’t just make a great piece in one day,” he said. “It’s all about the process.”
