Sophomore Evelyn Nelson has turned the art room into one of her favorite spaces to go to at KO during any spare time she has. She paints and draws to express herself, but also sees time in the art room as a chance to rest and take a break from KO’s rigorous school life. Although she is only a sophomore, she has already accomplished several works of art and taken plenty of classes to fulfill her qualifications.
This school year alone, Evelyn has already had multiple pieces on display in the school gallery, including a drawing of an eye and a recent portrait of the famous singer, Adele.
Evelyn was involved in art for many years before starting high school, but she said her interest has only grown since coming to KO and receiving more opportunities to work on her art skills. Coming to KO, she has taken an art class every single semester, building her skills through Foundations, Painting I, Studio Art Lab, and now, Painting II. She has also participated in after-school art, which gave her even more time in the studio to explore her ideas and work on other pieces she wouldn’t normally have the chance to. “It was studio time to do whatever we wanted,” Evelyn said. “I worked on the Adele painting, but I also went to do quick sketches that I didn’t have the chance to do in class.”
One of Evelyn’s favorite and most time-consuming pieces was the Adele painting she did this year, which took her around two and a half months to fully complete. Still, she says her favorite piece that she has done might have to be her eye painting, along with some of her earlier sketches. “They’re not as finalized, but I still like them,” Eveyln said. Currently, she is working on painting a deck of cards, creating ones that look similar to an original deck, but also ones for amusement, such as fun characters.
When it comes to her favorite type of art, Evelyn leans more towards painting, although she still enjoys doing other art forms, such as drawing. She really loves taking the time to sit down and work on her paintings. Looking ahead into her future in art, she hasn’t fully figured out what she plans to do. Although she isn’t planning on art as a career path – directly – she is still planning on taking more advanced classes and possibly trying Advanced Studio or Portfolio Prep for her junior and senior years.
For Evelyn, art is less about pressure and perfection, like some of her academic classes can be. Art for her is more about sitting down and doing what she loves to do. “It gives me a break and an escape from school,” Eveyln said. “I enjoy my time in the art room; it’s a really relaxing space.”
We can’t wait to see what Evelyn continues to create. Make sure to stop by the gallery to look at some of her work that is there now!
