I’d like to believe that from the very millisecond my hands could hold a pencil and paintbrush in a classic toddler vice, a passion and utter fascination for art was ignited within me. From that point onward, much of my childhood consisted of the walls of my house being plastered in my creations: squiggles and series of circles and lines intended to be people, or childhood cartoons. I suppose in a sense, nearly fourteen years later, it still is -- but with less glitter and more precision. I grew up with art, though I was never truly conscious of how involved in the hobby that I was, that is, until I began to feel the elation of getting wrapped up in a painting and all that is learned in the process, and the euphoria of sharing that passion with others. (Winning an art show or two isn't a half bad feeling either). Art is perhaps one of, if not the most important piece of my life, as it is not only what I consider to be my strongest talent, but also something in which I find passion, challenges, and most importantly, myself. It is part of who I am as an individual -- and not only for the reason that my hands and jeans (and occasionally, my face) are perpetually dappled in paint and pencil, in spite of my best attempts to keep clean.

Nearly ten years into art lessons and numerous art shows and competitions, I find it hard to recollect a point that art wasn’t part of my life. I’ve drawn and painted to my heart’s content every Tuesday night by the comfort of paint-speckled wooden stools and mismatched newspaper-covered desks for what feels like my whole life, under the instruction an Energizer bunny and well-known veteran of art teachers. My parents had seen my talent early on, enrolling me in art classes at her little art studio as soon as I was old enough, and I’ve gone ever since. I have collected quite the book of stories and screw-ups since then. Even so, art was just something that I could do, and while it was fun, it was not much more than that.

It really wasn’t until high school hit that art became something so much deeper, and I hit what I’d like to consider my “art growth spurt”. I met my quirky, mild mannered school art teacher, with whom I instantly connected with, and my world of art was questioned and forever changed. I had merely scratched the surface before the meticulous, technical influence of my out-of-school teacher met with the expressive, abstract influence of Room 101 Art. I am forever grateful to have had the influence of such contrasting environments, as they are what I attribute my success as an art student and accomplishments in the art community to. These two worlds dragged me from my comfort zone (and frustratingly so), teaching me the many different possibilities and techniques and overall outlooks of art, and truly shaped every facet of my style as an artist -- from color to perspective to minute details. Art then became a series of challenges that I've always been willing to take in order to grow and improve.

Despite popular misconception, art is much more than a few strategically placed splotches of paint on a canvas. One of the more frustrating aspects of art is that it is not always well understood. It is its own animal, and an ambiguous creature at that -- one that grows and changes and teaches and challenges those that wish to pursue it. Nonetheless, it is this fact that has instilled in me such a deep love. Sports are not the only activity that teaches discipline and instills a certain determination within people. With that being said, what I admire about painting and drawing is that not one individual can ever truly master art -- there is always, always room for growth and change and improvement. Each brush stroke, every thrown brush, is part of what one's work will teach him/her. Much like a coach critique's his player's stance or strategy, the exact same goes for art. It has taught me trial and error, and success and failure. I find that in order to be the absolute best one can be, one will always take on what is out of their comfort zone -- this is critical in any piece of life, and something I try to practice frequently.

I believe art to be one of my lifelong loves. While I look back on my successes as an aspiring artist, I see a whole world of experiences and lessons yet to learn, but it does not discourage me. I look ahead with great optimism and determination, and aim for successes to come. If nothing else, I have met my lifelong love, and I plan to keep it around for as long as I can.