Welcome to the 3rd edition of the Artists’ Showcase! At Fox Lane High school, we value creativity. Here is a section dedicated to the artists and photographers of our community!
Embedded Files
Cakespot Digital Art
Nate Fishkin, 10th Grade
Digital Art
My friend Andrew Catalanello asked me to make digital art of his character, Cakespot. I created it using Pixlr, a photo editing software.
Left: Glenn
Right: Cakespot
Andrew Catalanello, 12th Grade
Digital Art
Glenn: This is a weird picture of my original character Glenn stepping out of a window-type structure wiggling his fingers above the heads of his bandmates.
Cakespot: This is a picture I drew of Cakespot, my own original creation I made five years ago, playing Sonic 3 & Knuckles on a Sega Nomad with a Game Genie.
Friend Poster
Alexa Schuster, 12th Grade
Digital Artwork
I started this in late May 2022 and finished it in early June 2022. The people here are my online associates/friends. I’m in the middle. I drew this using Procreate Pocket on my phone. The background is a photo I took of crumpled paper with a pastel rainbow overlay. Unfortunately, I drew this BEFORE I ordered my stylus, so my index finger suffered very much.
Gaze
Emma Chang (Xiong), 9th Grade
Colored Pencil Drawing
On Pinterest, I found a reference with a beautiful, moonlit scenario, with neon lights in the back. I wanted to capture that moment of light in this drawing. It took me several weeks. I outlined the sketch with a blue Sharpie fine liner, and colored it with Prismacolor pencils.
Bubble
Rowan Mouravskiy, 10th Grade
Digital Drawing (iPad; ibisPaint X)
@bastettart on Instagram
Character featured (Spaghetti) is of my own design and ownership
For a long time, The Thing About Jellyfish had been my favorite book, and I'm only now starting to realize why. The theme of silence and lack of understanding is something I've been able to relate to my entire life. To be silent in a world full of sound feels like you're trapped in a bubble under the waves of the ocean, too far away and too muffled to let your voice break through - so eventually, you just stop trying to speak.
Flower Boy
Aidan Weise, 10th Grade
Digital Art
I made this digitally and was inspired by the album cover with the same name. I redrew this album cover with my own take on the characters presented in the cover. I really like the music and cover for this album which inspired me to draw this.
"Binjo" Cartoon On Air
Written by Nate Fishkin
The very first episode of Binjo was recently released. This film was developed in F119, Mrs. Salerno’s animation class. My animation classmates say that “Binjo” contains nice sound effects, a good storyline, and an incredible culmination of different art styles. This exciting, humorous, and wacky animated film by Snowman Labs Inc. Productions Fishkin Grunkorn Catalanello Enterprises (Nate Fishkin, Andrew Catalanello, and Max Grunkorn) features our yellow fellow, Binjo, and his pet, Smogel, as they journey through a mysterious white void (literally just the canvas). They happen to spot Grug, a mysterious “cat” who bites off Binjo’s finger and immediately eats Smogel afterwards. However, dinnertime has come to a close when Cakespot (Andrew’s character) slurps the stray up. The animation finishes with Binjo (who is apparently still alive after blood loss from his finger) zooms up to the camera and says his name in an intense and hilarious fashion with a realistic version of him to end it off. If you are looking to view the cartoon yourself, “Binjo” is available to watch here: https://tinyurl.com/yc534app
(Binjo Cartoon Cover Image Credit: Nate Fishkin)
How Art Improves Mental Health
Written by Alexa Schuster
For those who struggle with managing their mental health, it is not abnormal to seek help from a professional. However, therapy can be expensive and people often find it difficult to afford weekly sessions. Besides the cost, it can also be a struggle to find just the right therapist. Maybe someone isn’t seeking therapy at all because they simply do not feel comfortable enough to confide in someone. But, there are alternative ways you can take care of yourself besides hiring professional help, especially for creative thinkers. If you are one of those people, starting an art project would be wise.
If you currently make art for fun, then nice! You have already taken the first step in caring for your mental health in an alternative fashion. When creating an art piece, you will eventually feel “in the zone," a phrase used for describing a state of intense focus. When this happens, everyday struggles and problems will be the least of your worries. According to Scripps Affiliated Medical Groups, “Worries are set aside as you focus on the detail of the art you are creating. The benefits of this mental relief is one reason why art therapy is used to treat PTSD” [1]. When you are being creatively productive, the only goal you have is making the best artwork you can.
Alternatively, if you are ready to confide in someone, expressing your feelings is an important factor in the success of therapy. But for some, it can be difficult or even painful to vocalize their feelings. However, artwork is a great way to convey your feelings and current mental situation if you don’t feel comfortable enough to talk. After all, your artwork is for your own benefit and healing. Actively creating art when you’re feeling your worst could potentially help you feel better. This happens both during and/or after the creative process. According to the University of Washington, “Expressive art therapy allows users to laugh, let go, and relax, which helps decrease depression, anxiety, and stress” [2]. So even if you decide to keep the meaning of your artwork to yourself, being able to articulate your feelings in a drawing, painting, sculpture, or even a music piece will give you a strong sense of accomplishment. Feeling accomplished is an important milestone for your journey because gaining confidence is a great way to build mental strength.
With this, I have conducted an interview with three members of the Each Mind Artwork team who have answered with their opinions regarding mental health benefits with art.
Image Credit: eachmind.org
How has art benefitted your mental health?
Ark: I believe the main reason for my good mental health has been practicing and making art through tough times. Sometimes all you need is to take your mind away from what’s going on and just focus on something else. Art does that for me.
Shannon Wang: I used art to keep myself productive and distracted from things that were bothering me within the moment. I used my artwork to create original characters and lore about them, as well as drew fanart for things I obsessed over. This greatly boosted dopamine and kept me happy for the time being.
Ella Gong: I use art as an escape from the pressures of school and life, especially during the pandemic. Because art came from a place of passion, drawing meant focusing on the characters or themes I enjoyed. I also really liked how art was something I could see my improvement in, and I took pride in it a lot despite having low self esteem.
Would you recommend art therapy to those who struggle with mental health?
Ark: I think art therapy may be good for some people. I personally do not have any mental health issues so I cannot comment on that but in my perspective, art therapy is great for people who cannot vocalise their thoughts/emotions easily. I think art can be very liberating to vent as well.
Shannon Wang: Art helps in its own ways depending on the person; different people find comfort in different hobbies, whether it's as calm as sitting down with a pencil and paper or as chaotic as playing the violin like you're home alone. For those that find art to be a comfort hobby, there’s a good chance that art therapy will help.
Ella Gong: I think I would! I don't know too much about art therapy (in case it's different from art as a hobby), but in my opinion, visuals outcompete almost all other forms of expression. There's feelings that can't be put into words, and I think finding your voice through art is powerful for everyone. Art isn't about being good at it, it's about finding value in your creativity.
Does being an artist help you resonate with other artists who express their feelings in their own creative pieces?
Ark: More than an artist, being human helps me resonate with other artists and people. I often have the habit of becoming a robot and assuming that’s how everyone is as well. But looking at other people’s artwork helps me to voice and understand others and myself.
Shannon Wang: It depends. Art is a very subjective term but I do resonate with other artists who express similar feelings or interests as me through their art.
Ella Gong: I don't think you have to be an artist to resonate with other artists. Art is universal and immersive. I think being an artist helps put some things into perspective, but it's not a necessity to empathize with the visual language.
Thank you so much to Ark, Shannon, and Ella for participating in the interview! From this, I hope to teach anyone struggling with mental health that it is possible to heal with not just a therapist. Taking your own initiative is the key to genuine success.
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