26 Apr 2010 Canvas of life: Art provides helpful outlet

“We have several very talented students graduating this year,” said Principal Susan Jackson. “We wanted to honor them and the work they’ve done while they’ve been studying here.”

Three will tell you that art can serve as a catharsis, an emotional life preserver or an outlet for unwieldy feelings.
Peyton King’s art helped see her through tough family times.

“Everything I do has to do with art; even my homework has doodles on it,” she said.

Aerial Peacock credits art with helping her resolve feelings about a relationship break-up.

“Some of my best pieces came from that,” she said. “Art is my way of expressing pent-up emotions.”

Aerial works in several media, including fingernail polish – “basically, whatever I can get my hands on,” she said.

Moriah Gould said art provided her with a productive outlet for emotions that threatened to overflow during a rough time.

“I have a vibrant imagination,” she said. “Everything that goes on in my head shows up in my art.”

Art can provide inspiration, a break from life’s troubles, a vehicle for growth or a path to the future.

Stacee Gallina says art has allowed her “a chance to express myself in a different way; my muse is California.”

Being from California shapes Stacee’s viewpoint. She likes bright colors and quirky expressions. She prefers to work in ink and watercolor, although she also enjoys photography.

Bethany Morgan likes to draw faces because they are difficult to capture and thus challenge her.

“I have to work to get the emotions right,” she said. “Art helps me a lot in school because I’ve had to take a lot of hard Advanced Placement classes,” she added. “It’s the only class where I don’t have to think as hard.”

Brandon Riddle plans to begin college at the University of Central Arkansas, then transfer to the journalism school at the University of Missouri. He would like to pursue a career in journalism and graphic design.

 “Art has given me my passion for photography and graphic design,” he said. “It has also shown me what I want to do in life.”

And then there are those for whom art is as natural as breathing: R.J. Goodnight and Daniel Lawrence, for example.
R.J. says for him, art “comes naturally to an extent.” Because he drag-races, R.J. likes to draw cars and trucks. He’s unsure what he will do after graduation, because, as he puts it, “there are so many options.”

Daniel has a different angle. Asked what art means to him, he replied: “It’s a good way to make money.” He has already created – for pay – several portraits, which he obviously has a knack for. He likes to work in graphite and is “big on detail.”

“I always drew,” he said, “but didn’t get serious about it until high school.” As for the future, he plans to begin at one of the nearby community colleges and go from there.

“I don’t know if art might support me,” he said, “but it will always be a side job.”

All these students’ different visions came together in a combined effort: “The Art Tree,” which represents their growth in art, according to instructor Lisa Foster. The project also serves as a portfolio of their works.

The tree has roots, a trunk and branches of welded rebar. The leaves are formed of various materials to represent different facets of art. Some are spin-offs of the students’ studies of the Great Masters; i.e., one leaf represents Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.”

Others represent various cultures, media and techniques. The tree has been exhibited at the Arkansas Art Center during the Arkansas Young Artists’ Exhibit as well as at “Art in March.”