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05/02/2020 12:00 AM"The thrill of free expression washes over me as deep blues dry and silver melts into
dripping black paint. The portrait takes on a life of its own; my young hands are crafting life-like
touches to every angle and every facial feature. I am engaging in a two-way conversation with
my subject as the energy between us is reflected in the ever-expanding detail on my canvas.
Her eyes, her dress, and hair possess hues of intense ocean blues, delicate lavenders, and
silvery whites. I am aligned with my art and it energizes me. My brush is like a wand in a
wizard’s hand.
I knew at that moment that I had discovered the heights and depths of my passion. Over
the past four years, my exposure to different art forms has emulated the evolution of my craft. At
the age of fourteen, I began to draw, at first with a pencil and watercolors. At fifteen, sculpting
was my new venue. At sixteen, I first experienced acrylic paint and dabbled in colors and hues.
When I turned seventeen, I began to understand scale and dimension. At eighteen, I began to
discover my deep passion for avant-garde art, which began to widen my perspective not just as
an art student but as a teacher. By introducing young children and my peers to the power of art,
my appreciation and my desire to share my artistic discoveries increased. Little did I know the
future path this art journey would set before me.
My life was not always coated with smooth brush strokes. At eight years old, I became a caretaker for my disabled younger brother in a single-parent household. Tristan suffered
from Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy; at the time he was diagnosed he was one of
600 people with the disease worldwide. I tended to his most basic needs: feeding him,
entertaining him, ensuring his safety, and just being his big sister. He was never a burden,
which is why his untimely death, at the age of four, was a great loss to my life and my very
identity.
After his tragic death, I was restless and without purpose. This dreaded door slammed in
my face, but the thrust of it pushed me to my turning point. I reclaimed my life with the energy of
his memory charging me forward; instead of bolstering my brother, now I focused my energy
inward to excel in the school classroom. It was a path of growth, from a quiet child to a brave
young adult. From this new vantage point, I found the world of art and now I have a new identity
as a student and an artist.
Art has an environment and energy; my school art-room is an ever-changing space of
chaos and creativity. My teachers inspire me; they are my mentors and I aspire to be among
their ranks. To help others express themselves in alternative ways and channel suffering is the
unique calling of an art teacher. The world of art is a dwelling place for those who have suffered
greatly and therefore speak the same language.
Art education is my future field of study; it is where my two worlds collide, my natural
artistic talent merged with my hard-earned victory in the core classroom. My field of interest is
the base of my identity. If you were to peek into the window of my room, you will see canvases
filled with portraits of warriors. These paintings depict people who have conquered their pain,
suffering, and self-doubt to beat the odds of the low expectations of others. The warriors in my
portraits are reflections of me, in the classroom as a teacher and as a mentor who can positively
change lives, teaching future fellow warriors". written by Julia, 2020
Julia won a Silver Key Award for her acrylic painting at the 2020 Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards (attached to this submission is a picture of her at this event with her painting entitled "the Gold One" and also won a first place award for an acrylic painting and and a second place award for a sculpture at the Shoreline Art Alliance: Future Choices 2020 Competition. Julia was accepted to every University she applied to and made the decision to attend Central Connecticut State University because of their superior art and education program. At Julia's senior art show at Guildford High School she wrote the following to explain her art ....."The main concepts of my art are centered around the human form. My goal is to represent modern-day life and to show others my version of reality. When creating, I take seemingly boring images and transform them into colorful works. My work is normally composed of mainly organic shapes to encourage motion and movement of the eye.
I want my art to connect with people; when we see the human form there is a connection and mutual understanding that they are a person. To have that click with an object, to force someone to stop and think, to influence a person to judge. I have come to comprehend judgement as a reaction to one's own personal feeling, hence I want people to see and judge themselves in my artwork."