When I think of digital art, logos and big brand advertising comes to mind, not pieces that communicate movement and breath through color. Roxanne Carlos Mendoza’s piece “Flying Away” shows life through bones and butterflies. The familiar anatomy of a human skeleton is brought to new light as the spine is rainbow, communicating how colorful and brilliant the human body is. The complex systems we are physically made of, the rainbow spine, directly correlates to the complex things we can create outside ourselves, the rainbow butterflies. 

“To be honest I don’t know where I got my inspiration for my artwork,” said Sophomore Roxanne Carlos Mendoza. “At first it was just going to be butterflies but that was too simple so I sketched a few things out and I liked how the skeleton and butterflies cooperated with each other.” 

When looking at “Flying Away” it seems like the kind of piece simply comes to you rather than something that is planned out carefully. When asked if taking digital art online was different the in person she responded with;

“In my opinion yes there is because through virtual classes the teacher is not able to comment on your artwork to give you advice on how you can make the work of art better. Rather than being in class you can ask for help and get feedback on your project to improve it.” 

Even if creating art for classes is harder when its virtual Roxanne Carlos Mendoza did an astounding job. 

The particular positioning of these items not only looks familiar but opens up a bud of curiosity inside me. Where did these objects come from and what stories do they have? 

“The objects in my still life are ones that not only represent the history of who I am, but also simply make me smile when I hold them.” Said senior Keolani Dickson. 

Taking a deeper look at the objects it is apart that the way the necklace wraps around than other objects and the guard like position of the mug provides a look of security and protection. The yellow elephant facing outward balances out the security of the all white objects, coming through with adventurous characteristics. Because of the perfect blend of emotions throughout this piece, a sentimental energy can be felt from looking at it.

You can see that each item has a simplistic exterior but anyone could tell you that the memories and meaning they hold are far from simple. 

“The main message that my piece communicates is that I am real and I am tethered to everything around me,” said Senior Keolani Dickson. “I feel that, especially when disconnected from others, it’s hard to remember that we are tied to the world, people, and even objects around us, in ways that are more profound than we even realize. The objects that I drew are ones that remind me of this fact.” 

Keolani’s inspiration for his piece is so profound that it not only makes me take a second look at her mesmerizing piece but it also makes me reflect on what ties me to life. 

The raw power that comes with being able to make someone stop and think is stronger than most abilities out there. Keolani’s piece truly stands for so much, so I encourage you to take a second look at his drawing and think what objects connect you to your life. 

Still Life with Wolf, Apple, and Mug by sophomore Jonathon Guerrero Palma 

This next vibrant piece by sophomore Jonathon Guerrero Palma has quite the array of different items that leads one to wonder if it was a random choice or if these objects have some secret congruence. When asked why he chose the objects he responded, 

“Definitely the color and texture of the objects,” said sophomore Jonathon Guerrero Palma. “I wanted to experiment with blending and creating textures with color pencils since I’m relatively new to using color pencils. ”

While he might be new to using colored pencils, but to the untrained eye that is the least noticeable quality of this piece. 

“I was inspired to realistically draw what I saw. I like drawing little details that make the art piece stand out and I tried doing it in this still life,” said Jonathon Guerrero Palma.

Jonathon’s inspiration of liking to draw little details is something we all could learn from. Being able to stop worrying about large things that are out of our control and focus on little, joy bringing things is eternally beneficial. So going forward into this crazy year hopefully we can slow down a little (but it’s too much because 2020 already feels eternally long) and enjoy the little things. 

I hope these art pieces not only pleased your eyes but sparked creativity in you, have a art filled November!