Tatum

 My name is Tatum, and I love art because it lets your mind roam free. There are so many different ways of creating art. It doesn’t always have to be paper and paint, it can be dance music, photography and so much more. You can connect with family, friends, and even strangers through art. There's always a story behind a piece of art, always making you wonder. You can express your culture, values, or even issues in the world through art. 

One day I went to my neighbor's house (Eva) and started felting for the first time. I broke a couple of needles along the way, but then I made my first-ever mushroom. For my 8th grade project, I wanted to do felting, so I put my mind to it and made it possible. I made flowers from small to big. Or simple to colorful. My favorite flower is the big sunflower, I love sunflowers. Felting takes patience and creativity. I did so many flowers that I didn’t know what to do next, so I looked at my friends. They are the ones who gave me ideas and positivity through this art project. My friend Kate gave me the idea of doing a caterpillar, and Taliesin (another friend) showed me how to do a mushroom. That is what kept my ideas flowing. Taliesin was struggling and so was I. So sometimes we would switch projects, I would paint and she would felt. Taking a break from felting helped me process my ideas better. Through thick and thin my friends were there, cheering me on when things got rough. I hope you see my hard work growing through this artwork.    

Growing through the Canvas, 2024

Felted flowers on canvas