The West Ranch campus is home to more than 1,700 hardworking students with a wide range of talents and passions. Among them are art students, such as Priscilla Kim, Kelly Vallas and Joanne Kim, who dedicate themselves to producing pieces that reflect their creativity, discipline, patience and deep commitment to their craft.
Priscilla Kim
West Ranch senior Priscilla Kim has been widely recognized for her artistic skill, from acrylic painting to 3D computer rendering. Artistic expression has been an integral part of Kim’s life for as long as she can remember, but she began seriously pursuing it in seventh grade.
For many artists, like Kim, working on a project can bring a sense of therapy and comfort. “I love seeing a canvas go from being blank to being filled up with my work. Drawing also brings me a sense of peace because I stop thinking about other things,” Kim shared.
Kim also enjoys entering a state of focus which allows her to fully concentrate on perfecting her pieces. Kim, along with most artists, has often experienced the phenomenon known as “creative block,” which describes the feeling when a creator feels unmotivated or unable to work on their project. To combat this, Kim explained her process of just continuing along with her project without overthinking it and just allowing the creativity to take over: “I just start creating whatever, without putting much thought into it in order to avoid overthinking and ending up not being able to draw.”
With much experience in galleries, installations and art competitions, such as The Scholastic Art and Writing Competition and YoungArts, Kim has been able to share her art with other creators and viewers. “I always aim to create a visually captivating piece that can help draw attention to whatever meaning the artwork has,” she expressed.
As her high school journey concludes, Kim plans to attend the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and has many plans to continue producing beautiful and captivating pieces. Cats, be sure to see more of Priscilla Kim’s’ work on Instagram.
Kelly Vallas
West Ranch sophomore Kelly Vallas, another dedicated artist, has been building his artistic skills and journey throughout his entire life. He is renowned for his introspective style of art, which is
heavily inspired by his own experiences and dreams.
With his signature style consisting of abstract, cartoonish qualities, Vallas finds that art has become one of the most amazing aspects of his life, allowing him to connect with his emotions and convey them to the viewer: “I can honestly say that when I’m painting I’m the happiest I ever am. I could do it for hours without eating or sleeping or stopping or thinking about anything else.”
Vallas began seriously pursuing his painting as a potential career after receiving lots of appreciation from those around him. This inspired Vallas to participate in his first art gallery in collaboration with artist Skyler Grey. In this gallery, Vallas was given the opportunity to showcase his favorite piece, stretching eight feet tall and four feet wide titled “Untitled No. 1.”
With his passion for abstract art, Vallas strives to go even deeper with his artistic journey: “I really am trying to figure out how to turn my art into a career. I think owning a gallery or working in art curation or direction would be fabulous. I’d get to be around art and people who like art all the time” he said.
Vallas expressed his thoughts on sharing his pieces with his peers, emphasizing the fear that his work will be disliked or not understood. However, as he has progressed through his creative journey, Vallas has learned to continue to create what he wants and appreciate the feedback he receives from viewers. “I want my art to be received the way I feel when I hear the artist Bjork. Her music is vulnerable and unique and personal and relatable and that’s what I want for my art,” Vallas shared.
As Vallas continues to produce art, he emphasized his appreciation for his friends who have followed similar paths in fashion and art, as well as friends who have opened doors for his entry into the art business.
Cats, be sure to check out more of Kelly Vallas’ work on his website!
Joanne Kim
Another proud artist here at West Ranch is sophomore Joanne Kim, who enjoys experimenting with many different mediums of self-expression through art. Whether she is creating modern digital art on her phone or traditional art forms like acrylic painting and sketching, Kim greatly values the peace and therapeutic feeling she receives when working on her projects.
Ever since she took her first art lesson in elementary school, Kim has expressed a great passion for drawing and painting. When asked about the beginnings of her artistic journey, Kim shared ”My sister inspires me because when I was young, she used to draw little pictures for me and [she would] ask for my requests and it was fun.”
Throughout her time in high school, Kim has continued working on various projects and pieces. Through art competitions such as the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition, she received a gold key for her skills. “The one I submitted for the Scholastic Art competition, which is called ‘Your Fault,’” Kim explained, “is the painting that expresses my emotions the most.”
While her friends and peers have supported her throughout her journey, Kim emphasized her appreciation for West Ranch art teacher Mrs. Rush for motivating and inspiring her. Looking ahead, Kim hopes to attend an art university, such as California Institute of the Arts or RISD, to continue growing and expanding on her skills.
Whether it is digital art, sculpture, abstraction or sketching, these artistic students have dedicated themselves to hours of hard work and commitment to fulfill their artistic journeys. As they continue to pursue their passions, they continue to make their mark on the world. Cats, make sure to cheer these hardworking students on and check out their works!
