Embedded Files
2022 Spring Issue
Caitlin Mifsud
As the theme of this Stargazer edition is botanicals, I thought it would be the perfect time to practice an art form significant to my heritage. Ganutell is the creation of intricate flowers from wire, thread, and beads. This art form dates back to the 16th century, and was practiced by nuns in Maltese monasteries. In an effort to keep this art form alive, my mom has been teaching me ganutell. My piece is inspired by tiger lillies (purple), wild roses (yellow), and periwinkles (blue). I hope to continue and master this art form, and pass to future generations.
Annie Chen
The Lotus
Ink Wash Painting
莲，花之君子者也。
Unknown
It’s Black All the Way Out
by Amelia Will
They walk along the pier at sunset.
Fresh ocean rubs against a sky angry with violent reds, and clots of white.
Salt infuses with cold puffing exhales, and wide eyes break contact with the breaking waves at the sound of the water against the beach.
They sit against the side, toying with a weed broken through rocks.
The pieces of cemented mineral are a frigid black, broken apart, with smooth edges like salt.
Its gall pushes it to strike against black sandy chunks of earth, even in the frays of winter's end.
The green matches his eyes, and her ring.
A ring she’s tempted to toss in the water.
The stones are rough, and chalky scrapes line their edges.
She notices brown rims his eyes, as they scan her face.
Nothing else lies on the rocks surrounding the docks.
No people or plants yet, though the future remains to be seen.
Its black all the way out
The lighthouse on the end shines no light
And soon not much more will be seen of the flower
As the sun's translucent rays spread their thinning light closer and closer to the water.
She rubs the leaves of the plant between her fingers.
Almost gentle, almost pained.
But almost is not anything.
He stares at her still.
He starts to say something.
But a start is not a move,
and she’s too absorbed to notice.
Years later the weed remains.
Not very much bigger than before, but it still stains the beach.
It still pulls at the nutrients
The rock can’t be at peace, and the weed has no where to grow.
Both of the plants are still alone
But where can it go from that rock?
It’s black all the way out.
Virginia Bluebells 1.0
Lee Vtorov
This piece is a depiction of my favorite spring flowers: Virginia Bluebells. Scattered throughout Central Park, they continue to grow undisturbed by the outside world. Humanity tends to interfere with the growth of beautiful things, but these flowers are cropping up in whatever open land remains. I find them beautiful because of their resilience over time, as the natural landscape of this city has changed but the flowers still remain.
I wanted my work to convey the vibrancy these flowers have in real life, to the extent that they almost look like they were pulled directly from a botanical textbook. This prompted me to use multiple materials, namely watercolor pencils and acrylic paint. This was challenging because of the permanence of both materials, but I’m proud of the result.
Violeta
Abigail Eng
My intention was to create a lively and joyful depiction of spring. I took my inspiration from a color palette that I found on the web. I used watercolors to paint a bouquet of 12 flowers. A challenge I faced was that I did not have any white paint so I had to use a cream color instead, which changed the pastel colors. But I like these colors too.
Niya Bardarova
Efflorescence’s Beginning
Dora Chen
The essence of the floras
each one blooming
in their own equinoxes.
The dotted ones frolicking
happily in a field
or an individual wilting
in its own pot.
Through the blessings
of rain from the sky and her loved ones,
the dotted one unfolds perfectly.
The individual has to pray
for the water to seep through his roots,
only to bloom halfway without the fulfillment of peers.
To seed and bloom idyllically,
there is no precise way.
But to have a place in the luscious field,
that is a start.
Paulina Yushuvayev
Credits
Credits
Caitlin Misfud
Annie Chen
Amelia Will
Lee Vtorov
Abigail Eng
Paulina Yushuvayev
Dora Chen
Niya Bardarova
and our wonderful editors: Ruby Hentoff and Cat Tabasso
Mission statement
Mission statement
Founded with the intent to celebrate our writers’ and artists’ creativity, StarGazer has published numerous magazines to honor the great works of so many prior to 2020. Due to the unfortunate event of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are determined to adopt a new form that promises continued support for our community. With restrictions applied, we can no longer guarantee a physical publication (though this year we will certainly be trying) and have transitioned into an online publication. We wish–with our new medium–for our members to be able to continue exploring their inspirations and creativities, but also inspire others in our community to explore theirs in unprecedented times like these.
Letter from the editors
Letter from the editors
Dear ElRo community,
After what feels like a two-and-a-half-year long hibernation, Stargazer Magazine decided that it was time to jump back into the swing of things. We are excited for students to continue their exploration of self-discovery and the world around them through ElRo’s literary magazine. Writing and visual art are often used as a coping mechanism for stress, anxiety, and the everyday pressure of school and society. Through writing poetry, inventing new characters, and designing new universes, we can briefly set aside our troubles and focus on what we can create. What makes Stargazer so significant to the ElRo community is that it’s an outlet for high school students to express themselves and let their creative voices be heard.
As we return to another year of in-person learning, we’re excited for you to read this season’s collection of masterpieces, as lots of thought and passion was put into them. We thought that ‘botany’ would be the perfect theme to remind people that they should continue seeing the beauty in everyday life and pursuing inspiration in our world–even as we return to the reality of school and society.
It is our greatest hope that the following pieces allow you to put you creativity on paper as well. We welcome any and all new members on Thursdays in room 212. We will always be here to help you grow and evolve into the best artist you can be.
Sincerely,
The Stargazer Editing Committee
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