Jia-Ming Gong Senior Stoplight

What sparked your interest in art?

I’ve always been interested in art and drawing. I think what first started it was watching Disney movies as a kid, like I could sit down and watch Bambi or Nemo over and over. I liked to draw different characters from cartoons and comics as well. 

What inspired you to create the senior sweatshirts?

I’ve made some spirit week shirts in the past so I decided I wanted to submit a design when the opportunity came up. I was also worried no one else would submit one and we wouldn’t have a sweatshirt design so I was happy to fill that role. The idea for the sweatshirt came from a Pinterest picture I saw, though.  

What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?

I like to read a lot. I’ve just finished reading Buck by M.K. Asante, a memoir about a teenager who grew up in North Philadelphia, was really interesting. I also like to figure skate, go on walks, take pictures, and doom scroll.

Where is your favorite place to hang out outside of school?

I like hanging out around Penn’s campus a lot. Locust walk is really scenic and there are also a lot of places to get ice cream or froyo. I’ve also tried standing on the sidewalk and sketching the shops and students passing by, and sometimes people come up to you and you get really interesting conversations.

What are your plans after high school? What career do you want to pursue in college?

I want to continue pursuing art and specifically animation. The films that I’ve watched as a kid have affected me a lot and I’m sure many others as well, and I really love creating characters and telling stories about things people can relate to but also things that spark people’s imaginations and inspire people. 

What skills have you learned in high school that will stick with you forever?

I would say learning to stay on top of my work and being communicative with teachers, since it didn’t come naturally and I had to learn, especially in my last two years of high school.

What inspired you to start playing the French horn and piano?

For piano, which I’ve been playing since I was 5 years old, I started because there was an old piano at my church that I used to go to, so I told me parents I wanted to learn how to play. I started French horn in tenth grade because I heard the Masterman orchestra needed low brass like trombone, french horn, or tuba, so I chose french horn because I liked how it sounded the most. It’s also just a really beautiful instrument so there’s that too.

How do you begin an art piece?

It depends on what medium I’m using but I usually start with a reference photo. I take reference photos according to whatever happens to catch my eye and then I’ll probably try out different croppings and use my phone to edit the shadows and lighting a bit. Then I’ll do a pencil sketch and figure out the composition, like where I want everything to be, and then finally I’ll use ink.

Why did you join the Philadelphia Sketch Club? How has it impacted you? 

Ms. Aubrey was the reason I submitted my piece to the Philadelphia Sketch Club, and I’m really grateful for that and all that she does for her students. I also joined to go to their life drawing sessions, which is a really important part of learning observational drawing. I think it’s been nice to be around other artists especially since they have a lot of experience and are really helpful and nice!

How did it make you feel after winning Juror's Choice (the top prize)? 

I honestly didn’t process it for a while, and I am very excited, but it was also heartwarming to receive so many people’s support afterwards.