Artist Notes
Issue Six
Fall 2024
Carly Andersen (b. 2001): Candlelit Study (2022) is a charcoal drawing that depicts a work desk lit by candlelight.
Aniya Foster (b. 2003): Pinion (2024) is a pencil drawing displaying a humble family, grinning with love and simplicity. The father guarding his little one, as she holds onto his wings for protection, and his significant other right by his side.
Carrie Gangwish (b. 2004): Deep Inside (2024) focuses on layers. Layers in us, in them, and everything around. There is a larger story that we can’t see. Deep Inside stands as a reminder that not everything is surface level. Growth (2024) connects the inner child to the adult. So many humans experience trauma as children, and with this, an aspect of youth is lost. Learning to accept the child within takes time, but it can lead to considerable amounts of curiosity and wonder.
Camille Nichole (b. 1998): Paper Heart (2024) is an artist exploration of simplifying the pieces of the human heart. Each part was separately painted and cut out, then digitally pieced together.
Shiloh King (b. 1994): Ghosting Marshmallows (2023) is a humorous oil painting disrupting the status quo of what a person thinks about when it comes to a night of toasting marshmallows around the campfire, telling scary stories.
Emily Langford (b. 2002): Deposits (2022) is a graphite drawing that combines human figures and anatomy into a composition that reflects the artist's personal experiences with physical pain.
Spencer Long (b. 2002): Move on Up (2024) addresses how isolation and depression are not always obvious, even for the person experiencing them. "The grind," "hustle culture," and "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps" often serve as rose-colored glasses for those who suffer from these plights. Obsessively throwing oneself into one's work is a form of escapism. Like anything else, it is good in moderation. Perseverance in the face of depression is not optional, and the road to self-actualization is often littered with distractions. The confrontational composition of "If I Had a Hammer" is meant to provoke contemplation about one's own inherited traits and habits, good or bad. Inheritance often conjures up images of property, wealth, or capital. For some, it can refer to the preservation of tradition and the passing on of culture. In other cases, mental health struggles, substance abuse, and social status can be inherited just as easily.
Ethan Robles (b. 2003): Implosion (2023) is an ink painting that aims to capture the claustrophobia of intense distress, utilizing an indistinct contour and harsh contrast to emphasize the dissonance and volatility of human emotion.
Clarissa Weitzel (b. 2002): Torso (2023) is a vulnerable self-portrait where I examine and expose that which I've become accustomed to hiding—from others but also myself. I looked upon my curves, rolls, textures, and stretched patterns with a neutral fascination and appreciation for the vessel that devoutly shields my soul.