It’s late and a teen is lying down in her room. Indie music playing peacefully into her ears as her hand is flowing on her canvas. This is her zone. Her emotions rapidly spilling onto the page. The next night, she realizes that might have been her best work yet. Senior Kaitlin Arnold, is an aspiring artist at SHS.

“You can see in my art if I am in a bad mood by the certain drawing,” Kaitlin said. “If (I am) in a good mood it is very colorful and very happy.”

Kaitlin started drawing when she was in the 5th grade. She is also into ceramics and is new to painting. And recently, she discovered digital art.

Digital art was introduced to Kaitlin this past summer. She uses her IPad Pro and Apple Pen, which simulates a real pencil, to draw. Arnold claims it took her a few months to get used to the transfer from pencil to digital art.

In her transition, Kaitlin uses Pinterest to find examples of art work that she wants to recreate. She says that she is not comfortable enough to make originals yet, so she like to find drawings that other artists do and tries to create them herself. According to Kaitlin she does a split screen on her ipad, so she can easily look at the original on one side of the screen, and free hand draw it herself on the other side.

“I just do it for fun,” Kaitlin said. “Like if I’m on Pinterest or something and see a drawing I like, I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s cool. I want to draw it.’ I never say anything is mine.”

According to Kaitlin, art is a stress reliever and feel good hobby. She says digital art is much easier when it comes to relieving stress because she does not have to worry about messing up as much as she does on paper. Kaitlin does art for friends and family, it gives her a great amount of confidence in her creations.

“It makes me feel good when somebody thinks my art is cool,” Kaitlin said.

A main cause for her love in art is her mother, Mary Arnold. Mary has always had a passion for art. She focused on art in high school but never throughout college. She now uses art as a hobby. Mary has even painted a mural for Clinton Young Elementary, and takes requests from family and friends.

Mary says she sees herself in her daughter in several different ways when it comes to art. One is that they both use the same fantasy, cartoon style when drawing. So when it comes to art, she is always answering question for her daughter and helping her the best way she can.

“I hope she continues it,” Mary said. “I think she has a bright future.”

Kaitlin does hope to continue it. She says she wishes to make a career out of her passion by becoming an elementary school teacher or art teacher. While she is still unsure of what college she wants to attend, she does know she will major in general education and minor in art. She just wants to pursue her passion.

“I find what I’m doing, get my sketch down, put my earbuds in, then I am good,” Kaitlin said.

Gallery • 16 Photos

Art contributed by Kaitlin Arnold