West Ranch students find daily inspiration from the people who surround them and from a variety of art forms including paintings, songs, albums, films and artists themselves. The appreciation of the range of art extends further than just love for the mediums. Some students even combine elements of these artworks with their personal style to create beautiful works themselves.

Sophia Vlach: The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse

Sophomore Sophia Vlach draws inspiration from the John William Waterhouse oil painting The Lady of Shalott. Entranced by medieval poetry and the romantic allure of the early 1800s, Vlach discovered her intrigue for this piece in seventh-grade which was during COVID. At the time of being in quarantine, she resonated with the lady’s feeling of being locked up, portrayed by her distant expression. Reflecting on the painting, she explained, “I really like the poetry behind it. It’s like medieval poetry, and the period that it’s in is my favorite period for art, which is like the early 1800s.” The lush, green background, her flowing hair and the overall aesthetic beauty of the piece fuel her to craft visually alluring and aesthetic creations in her own creative way of expression: sewing. To serve as her everyday artistic inspiration, Vlach shared, “I have it on my Pinterest boards and on a little poster wall that I have in my room.”

Alina Park: Faust – Dresden by Es Devlin

Senior Alina Park finds artistic inspiration from Es Devlin’s installation Faust – Dresden. Influenced by a mix of Devlin’s work, her mom’s animations and her experiences in Korea, Park aspires to engage the public actively and create motion installations in the future. She expressed her admiration for Devlin’s work in combining music, visual art and performance: “Es Devlin does a lot of immersive installations and concert designs, and it really inspires me because she defies categorization and transcends boundaries.” The music and visual storytelling in Devlin’s installations motivate Park to experiment with her own interpretations and creations. These include digital and traditional art, Korean Hanji paper, 3D modeling, motion graphics and paper dyeing as a multi-disciplinary artist. Park reminisced on Devlin’s impact on her works, “Some of my art pieces are inspired by her. I really like her.”

Mercury Stevens: The Swing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard

Senior Mercury Stevens feels inspired by the delicate and pastel beauty of The Swing, an oil on canvas by Jean-Honoré Fragonard. After taking AP Art History, Stevens was intrigued by the artistic beauty from the Rococo and Baroque eras, known for its feathery brushwork and fluid characters. “The way that Ms. Rush described it was that you could blow on the piece and it would just fall off like feathers. The brushwork just really inspired me to want to go for a more painterly, soft look in my own art,” they expressed. Fragonard’s work influences Mercury’s own artistic expression when creating digital art in the forms of drawing feathery, light characters and aesthetic fashion, as well as sculpting romantic-inspired dolls. Stevens explained, “During its time, it was criticized for being really romantic and having too much substance to it, but in my opinion, I don’t think that’s all too bad, I think our work can just be pretty at the end of the day.”

Jana Lam: The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance 

Senior Jana Lam takes inspiration from the theatrical melody and emotional lyrics from the album The Black Parade, but especially from the band themselves一My Chemical Romance (MCR). Having built an emotional bond to both the band and the lead singer Gerard Way’s struggles, Lam was naturally drawn towards the band’s evocative expression. “MCR often leans towards the introverts and the weirdos and the people who are often cast out from society, so it’s easier to connect to them,” they explained. Lam’s interests in expressive artistry are rooted in their parents’ animated creations and metalhead music. But, they have found their own wave of rock through MCR, taking inspiration from their art forms like digital art and illustration. “I create my own worlds and paint pictures based on the art and stories they create, taking my own spin and interpretation on it. It also inspires me to dig a little deeper into myself, because they’re an ‘emo’ band, so they’re very emotions and identity-based as well,” Lam shared.

Eric Campos: Days of Heaven by Terrence Malick

Sophomore Campos appreciates the artistry behind the elegant, eye-catching cinematography from the film Days of Heaven by Terrence Malick. Gaining inspiration from the romantic and Western film, Campos feels strongly about the intricate details of the piece. “The film doesn’t need a message. It’s really well done as far as the shots go. I think everything was planned and thought out and even if it doesn’t have a message that I’ll be thinking about afterwards, I’ll still be thinking, ‘Wow, I wish I could do something that was that beautiful.’” Campos shared, emphasizing the Locus scene as one of his favorites. While Campos expressed his admiration for the film, he explained how his love for the specific medium spills out onto other forms: “I think the movies I watch kind of bleed into my other appreciation of artworks. I’ll watch weirder movies, I’ll like what they’re going for and then I’ll start liking other weirder art, like abstract paintings and books.” While he hasn’t made work himself yet, he hopes to make art in the future, based on his liking of the plethora of mediums he enjoys now.