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Artists among us
by Larisa Sparling, Editor-in-Chief and Kayla Pollard, Arts Editor
Ever had a project that you had a to draw a picture for,
and dicovered that it was more diffcult than you
thought? It is an understood fact that to be able to
draw takes some kind of innate talent. Senior Jennette
Hylkema, it would seem, possesses that talent.
"I like to pretend I'm somewhere and draw what I
see. Fairy lands and mystical castles and
farms...anywhere." Hylkema said. She has been an avid artist since she was
"a little kid."
Hylkema feels her art has been influenced by
many people. "Probably my dad because he wanted to be an
artist, but his mom wouldn't let him," she said. Hylkema also
was influenced by fantasy writers. "[Their books] aren't
like movies, you have to picture the stuff in your head."
Hylkema's pictures aren't always perfect, however.
"I go through phases where sometimes it looks really nice
and sometimes it sucks, for weeks." But she seems able to
pull it back together. The drawing at the bottom of the page
was done by Hylkema in the last year.
If you attended the productions of
Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, or The Little
Mermaid, you may already have seen some of Hylkema's work. She helped
with the set painting on Peter Pan and Sleeping
Beauty, and painted an underwater scene on the stage for
The Little Mermaid.
Hylkema doesn't spend all her time drawing.
She also enjoys painting and writing "poetry mostly, not
so many stories," she said. As a graduating senior,
Hylkema is thinking about what she is going to do with the
rest of her life. "I want to study a lot of art in college. I'd like
to just spend a year taking all the art classes I can," she
said. Hylkema is looking into a career in the visual arts.
"Maybe architecture, or illustrating children's books. I don't
know," she said.
For those of you who don't feel you have that
inner talent, Hylkema has some advice. "When you are
first starting out, look at something. It's easier to draw
something you see than something you picture in your head. You
have to get used to proportions," she said. She also advises
using pencil for a draft, then penning it in once it looks
the way you want.
On the subject of her art Hylkema says,
"I just hope it goes somewhere."
Painting, sculpting, writing, photography.....all these things are considered to be artwork. But does "jew
eler" ever spring to mind when you think of an artist?
Abby Richards, senior, has been taking jewelry
classes off and on since her sophomore year. Though she claims
she is "not artistic," her quality works earned her the Student
of the Month award for art in January. "I like jewelry
because it's free. You can make anything you want- rings or
pendants or bracelets-and they're all unique pieces that nobody
else has," Richards said.
Richards' works do more than hang around the
display cases though. One of her favorite rings earned a
place on the hand of a celebrity. "Once I went to a
concert for the band Train and gave the lead singer one
of my crown rings," she commented. Richards often makes
jewelry that reflects her favorite bands or songs.
Though she can't exactly cite any jewelers for inspirations in her
craft, she admitted that she was quite impressed with the work
of alumnus Andrea Nelson. "She was in my class my
sophomore year," Richards said. "Her stuff was amazing."
Richards gives her instructor Mr. Lunders credit for giving her help
in perfecting her art. "He's really understanding about
me using so many stones and so much metal."
Although Richards generally enjoys her jewelry
class, there are some negative aspects. "If I melt one of my rings
I get really [irate] for the whole rest of the
day," she said. "Also it drives me nuts that
the classes are so short. I get really excited about my rings
and 50 minutes isn't enough to finish a ring. I get
impatient," she added.
Richards admittedly has a gift for making fine
jewelry, however she doesn't think she'll pursue a career in the
future. "If I become poor and I have nothing else to do, I'll
sell jewelry at Pike Place Market," she joked.
Richards leaves prospective jewelers with this
advice: "Heat glass beads very slowly. Don't make rings that are
too heavy or have a thick band. They're really expensive
and you'll never wear them."
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