Wilson’s wide range of art classes provides a foundation for students to further their self-expression and grow their artistic talents. The Beacon interviewed a handful of artists that have a strong passion to continue their art not only at Wilson, but outside of the school walls as well. 

Colyar Trimble, senior: Trimble makes portraits of herself, her friends, and the people around her. She exaggerates facial features and expressions to add humor to her portraits. She explains she “likes it when things look funny,” and “just likes making confusing stuff,” which is her main inspiration for the portraits and her other art. Trimble started doing this type of art last year and would like to continue this by making portraits of as many people as she can. 

Amanda Lugo, senior: Lugo creates art inspired by personal expression and the idea that there’s no single manifestation of yourself. One example is an orange portrait in the style of Obama’s campaign photo of her friend senior Pia Doran, who likes the color orange and wants to run for president. Another example of her art is a figure study of feet, which Lugo enjoys drawing. She started making art more seriously this year after she decided she wanted to go to art school in the upcoming fall. She hopes to “go to art school and… make connections and try to become a creative content director for a brand.” Lugo already has connections with ‘HardiesHardware,’ a clothing brand that reached out to her after the face of the brand noticed a piece that she did of him. She looks forward to working with brands like his in the future.

Max Ellenbogen, junior: Of the many mediums Ellenbogen works with, he often gravitates towards drawing, painting, and sculpting. “I’ve pretty much been doing it my whole life, it’s just been something that I’ve always enjoyed and I’ve felt like I’m passionate about,” Ellenbogen said. He draws most of his inspiration from modern contemporary conceptual artists and their styles. Ellenbogen hopes to continue to improve his art and eventually make a career out of his work, whether it be with clothing or visual art.

Cameron Cuke, senior: Cuke focuses on pencil and shading work, centered around his personal experiences and struggles. Cuke started taking art seriously at the beginning of his sophomore year and now is considered one of the most advanced in his class. Cuke said his inspiration for his art is “emotional, mental struggles, and a lot of mental health type things.” To expand his art, Cuke aims to further develop his drawing skills and focus on perfecting the details in his work.