Abby Boquist

I find myself in the process of creation: the scratch-scratch-scratch of a pencil, the wet sweep of a paintbrush, the push and pull of clay between my palms. Going into high school, I knew that a schedule of honors and AP classes would demand a lot of energy from the “academic” side of my brain. Art allows me to achieve a mental balance. In the 45 minutes of art class, I mold my inner chaos into a tangible medium. When I leave, I approach both school and life more mindfully. The art classes at North Penn have also influenced the way I approach other subjects! Studying light and shadow in Portfolio Prep with Mrs. Cooney drew my attention to different sources of light within The Great Gatsby. It was because of art that I noticed a relationship between moonlight/shiny objects/lightbulbs/the sun and the stages of Gatsby and Daisy’s relationship. Art has shaped the way I approach the world. Though I am not going into art as a career, I am going into my career--and into the world--as an artist.