The world of art is filled with imaginative minds, skillful thinkers, and endless creativity. In a school filled with individuals who possess one-of-a-kind talents, Liberty High School is home to esteemed artists who stand out in their community, who make an impact on others through their work, and who bring out change in our world. Among those at Liberty, several of these extraordinary students are ones who go above and beyond in their artistic abilities and exemplify the true spirit of what it means to be an artist.

“My initial inspiration for art started back when I was a kid,” shared Natalie Thomas, a student at Liberty High School whose journey with art began at home, “My father was a good artist, and I watched him create these amazing works of art that captured my attention. It was always super cool to me, and I wanted to be able to do the same. I started practicing and I haven’t stopped since.”

For Thomas, The process of self-expression through art starts within, often going with whatever may be on her mind. However, the majority of her inspiration to create art comes from her appreciation of Japanese culture. Growing up watching anime, the unique art style of Japanese animation lit a flame within her.

“It makes me want to create,” said Thomas, “I take what I know about the culture and let my heart and brain decide how to put it all on paper. Creating art also gives me a chance to learn more about Japanese culture and experience new things to use in future art pieces.”

For Thomas, there is no favorite medium of expression. Instead, she likes to explore a wide range of mediums while sticking to her preferences: pencils, paints, and watercolor. 

“Watercolor is one that really interests me. I find it to be a struggle, so I like to challenge myself,” said Thomas.

While Thomas takes pride in every single one of her creations, Thomas shared one of her favorite works she created: a Japanese notan project from her Art I class.

“I really enjoyed the process. It was the first of its kind for me, which made it a

 challenge. The assignment was based on playing with the negative and positive space in an image, essentially white and black, and then flipping the image one way or the other to make a bigger image,” said Thomas.

Thomas’ goal with art is not just to show her appreciation for Japanese culture. Her work serves as a way for her to show herself and others her creativity, inspirations, goals, dreams, and desires,

being a channel for Thomas to express herself in a visual way that is interesting to observe.

“My goal is to show what makes me, me. Including my favorite things such as Japanese culture and cats allows me to create and show others the things I value and love. It’s a way for me to express myself when I can’t find the words to do it verbally,” expressed Thomas.

Having been interested in art since childhood, Angelica Saravia Garcia is another art student at Liberty who has grown up in the world of art. Taking inspiration from all aspects of her life, Saravia Garcia approaches art from a unique angle.

“I love storytelling, and art is another form in which I can tell stories. My favorite way to get inspired is just by looking at things around me and deciding what to draw,” shared Saravia Garcia.

For Saravia Garcia, the most pleasant part of art is the process of creating it, stating the effort, trial and error, and results are truly what makes art enjoyable. While Saravia Garcia enjoys the traditional methods of art, she expresses her affection for her favorite medium, where all of her canvases are one tap of a button away.

“I especially love digital art. It has a lack of restrictions. I feel restricted by materials with other mediums, but with digital art, you can access any type of tool, color, and any other thing you’d like,” said Saravia Garcia.

Similar to Thomas, one of Saravia Garcia’s favorite pieces is a piece she had created for her art class during her sophomore year: an acrylic painting of a statue.

“The way the colors and face turned out ended up being really good for my skill level then, and I had a wonderful time creating it,” said Saravia Garcia.

Saravia Garcia’s art does not have a profound or impactful purpose for her. Instead, Saravia Garcia simply does art for the fun of it, explaining that her work is for her own personal enjoyment and is also a source of income every now and then.

“There is no single message or goal in my work,” explained Saravia Garcia, “each piece is a reflection of my interests at the time of creating them.”

An art student at Liberty, Helena Kamph’s admiration for art started with her family, where she has several relatives who are artists. As a child, she found herself constantly surrounded by creative minds that helped her become the artist she is today. For Kamph, her work manifests in a more traditional medium, where she is able to show herself best.

“I like to express myself through my art with subtlety, normally using traditional mediums, color symbolism, and references to very personal stories that only I know the background of,” said Kamph.

Using a mix of various photo-sharing websites, films, and guidance from her feelings, Kamph is able to pull inspiration from numerous places to create her work.

“I find lots of inspiration nowadays on the internet, especially just scrolling through Pinterest and finding something pretty, along with other popular forms of media like movies,” shared Kamph, “But I do also find inspiration when I am experiencing particularly strong emotions.”

For Kamph, the best part about art is getting in the zone. Kamph enjoys watching her projects unfold, visualizing the process as a puzzle coming together, all starting from a small idea in her head. As expressed before, Kamph finds her happy place in traditional mediums, her favorite being the simple pencil and paper.

“It is so easy to create different values and limitations of color with a pencil that it’s often my go-to whenever I’m in the mood to create strikes,” said Kamph.

Currently, Kamph’s favorite work is a reverse value drawing created with white charcoal of her pointe shoes.

“I did a similar piece last year and it’s amazing to see the improvements I’ve made over time,” expressed Kamph.

Kamph’s relationship with art is astounding. Using her skills as a personal way of self-expression that interests others, Kamph always enjoys hearing how other people see her work.

“I love hearing peoples’ interpretations of my art and just their thoughts on it. It’s a fun way to see how others perceive the world around them,” said Kamph.

However, what Kamph wishes to achieve with her art is something far bigger than herself. As someone who has always been interested in creative endeavors, Kamph wishes for the experience of her art to be remembered, even if it’s only by one person.

“My goal with my art is to leave some sort of legacy. I know that seems like a tall order but every career I’ve considered has had some sort of making a permanent mark on the world: fashion designer, actress, singer, dancer, animator, artist. I have this inexplicable urge to be remembered for my passion and talent in what I do,” shared Kamph.

While all of these artists choose to walk down distinct paths, there is one point where they cross: discovering how art helps us understand the surrounding world. With each pencil mark and brushstroke, their creations are a reflection of not only their skills but also their passions and emotions. Continuing their artistic journey, these incredible students inspire many devoted to the extraordinary world of art.