“I hope to continue doing art throughout my life because it’s just such a valuable skill”

Pranavi Kristipati: “For me, art was always a thing where [I] would doodle on the back of worksheets and papers, and it just became something I really liked. In elementary school, my parents signed me up for a lot of local programs here and there, and that sparked my interest to continue drawing even after I left those programs. These days, I started going to an art studio a few times a week, where we work on honing our conceptual and technical skills. For example, I worked on pencil drawings and learned how to shade and shape proportions, and we focus on applying these skills to make pieces of art that have more meaning or a certain idea that should be conveyed. 

I really like to experiment with different art mediums, but I tend to draw most things with just my pencil. Pencils are so accessible, so I can just pick them up and start drawing anywhere, but I’m also starting to branch out with using different materials, especially through my Advanced Art class. My teacher Mrs. Wengel gives us opportunities to use all sorts of mediums that we don’t have access to at home. In fact, we just did a still life with any medium we wanted, and I chose soft pastels, which were really fun to experiment with. I’m also very into crocheting, which isn’t really art but shares some of the same principles in its creativity. Crocheting is more of a pastime though, but I’m currently working on these patterned Granny Squares that I’m planning on stitching together to form a quilt. I just think art has so much creativity and scope with the materials you could be using.”