By: Bailey Emerson and Allie Owens

To celebrate the Art Show, we have highlighted 4 special art students and asked them about their journey of making these beautiful pieces. 

Elle Sheehan

Inspiration behind: Elle tells us this is a photo she found of just some flowers in a vase, but after painting it, she added her own artistic touch. She added more color and variation to the flowers, created a neat blue-lined background, added a beautiful butterfly, and a red-and-white checkered tablecloth. This painting shows how you never know where your creativity will take you!

Quote: “I found the flower painting on Pinterest, and I changed the color of the background. I took some flowers out and added other ones. At the end of my painting, I was looking at it and wanted to add more, so I ended up adding the bugs and the tablecloths, and added extra to the background!”

Keeley Austell

Inspiration behind: This painting is inspired by Virgess Falls. Keeley tells us that this waterfall is where she met her current stepfather for the first time. It reminds her of a special moment in her life that has changed the way she lives today. Her attention to detail in this painting really conveys the beauty of this place to her.

Quote: “The backstory is that I went to Virgess Falls for the first time with my stepdad and my mom, and it was the first time I had ever met my stepdad. That’s how I was introduced to him.”

Abby Hurley

Inspiration behind: Abby told us she had never really had the opportunity to draw animals before. This painting helped her explore a side of drawing she did not know she was capable of. She felt super proud of how her work turned out. She also had two other animal paintings in the Art Show. Everything about this painting is just so beautifully well done, which made it and all of her artwork at the Art Show a crowd favorite.

Quote: “I’ve just been wanting to paint animals for a really long time, and I was kind of trying out a bunch of different art mediums, and I ended up getting really comfortable with the watercolor. I hadn’t actually tried to paint water or animals before, so that was branching out of my comfort zone, and it actually turned out really well.”

Elizabeth Spence 

Inspiration behind: Liz tells us she has always admired Greek architecture, especially the beautiful doors you see in Greece. She added her own spin to this picture by introducing a pink element, which we personally think really ties the whole painting together and makes it more visually appealing. Overall, we really love how this painting captures that Mamma Mia feeling!

Quote: “I was inspired by the doors in Greece because I thought they were pretty and I liked the flowers in the greenery!”

All of the hard work by these students truly paid off, and we were so glad to put the spotlight on them! Can’t wait to see where their creativity takes them!