One of the many things KO prides itself on is its artists, and this month, junior Kami Tarantino is the KO News’ Artist of the Month.
Kami started creating art when she was very young. “I used to go to art classes when I was seven, eight years old,” Kami said, “and I always had so much fun just creating at a young age.”
Kami was inspired by many things to start creating art, especially her father. “He used to draw with me in coloring books,” Kami commented, “and when I got out of that phase, we would sometimes do a watercolor painting or just a drawing in general together.”
While working on art for years, Kami has adopted many different artistic styles. From abstract paintings to her more common realistic acrylic paintings, Kami has done it all.
Although it is hard for many people to choose their favorite piece of art, Kami was able to answer quickly. “I made this snowscape,” Kami said, “a ski mountain painting.”
Even though Kami has created a lot of pieces over the years, it still takes a long time for her to complete some. “The self-portrait that I have hung up in the gallery took me quite a long time,” Kami said. “That was about three months of time, but if I’m doing a realistic drawing or painting, that takes longer than just an abstract painting for me, because I usually go through that kind of art quicker.”
Even though Kami mainly creates art, she is also involved in a lot of other activities at KO. “I play lacrosse,” Kami said. “I run cross country in the fall, and then I also ski in the winter.”
The future looks bright for Kami, and she still has a lot to look forward to at KO. “I’m in the portfolio prep class,” Kami said, “which is a year-long art class, and then next year I am planning on taking Advanced Studio Art, which is the class that you do after portfolio prep.”
One of the best things about being an artist is the effect you can have on the community around you. “I like to create art that’s fun to look at,” Kami said, “especially the cakes that I recently created. I think I partly wanted to create something that was unique, that could catch the community’s eyes.”
From painting to sports, Kami is an amazing part of the Kingswood Oxford community, and we can’t wait to see what she does next.
