The art program here at Mendham High rarely gets as much press as our sports and music department, but here at The Patriot, we felt that two art students are well deserving of a feature to show off their artistic talents and give some insight into their creative processes. After sitting down with a few of them and art program director Ms. Fantasia, I could step into the magical worlds of two of our IB art students and get to know them and their astounding art. 

   Our first feature is Mia Compel, whose IB theme is “Humans and the Natural World”. Her most recent and breathtaking submission for her senior exhibition exemplifies this: Picture rich blues captured in calculated strokes and two ghostly apparitions; one, a haunting plastic bag, and the other, a jellyfish that epitomizes subtle beauty. When asked about her message behind this piece, Mia shared, “The piece explores how human-made objects, like a plastic bag, infiltrate and mimic the natural world, often with harmful consequences. The similarity in form between the jellyfish and the plastic bag highlights the ambiguity of beauty and destruction within this interaction.”

   Devon Donnelly is another stunning Mendham High artist sharing her talent with The Patriot. Devon has been drawing ever since she was two years old, with her first drawing being, according to her, “[a] crude drawing of my family [where] they all looked like potatoes”. She is currently in IB Studio Art and when asked what inspires her, she replied: “What inspires me is the world itself. I know that sounds very broad, but I have love for a lot of random things. A certain color palette, a random picture of an animal, an outfit I saw on a mannequin could be striking to me and inspire me at any moment.” Recently, she has been creating her own comic book, and featured in this issue is a drawing of her original character Juno. Using her advanced understanding of light and shadow, Devon carefully rendered her vibrant subject using the digital art app Procreate on her iPad. Devon plans on pursuing art in college with a likely double major in Graphic Design and Advertising, with her ultimate dream being to write and illustrate her comic books.

   After speaking with both students, I wanted to talk to Ms. Fantasia, who has just recently begun working full-time here at Mendham after working between both schools in the West Morris district. When asked about her students, she emphasized the willingness of both students to try new materials and techniques in their works, an admirable quality in an artist. Although, the most important part of our conversation may have been her thoughts on what makes someone a good artist candidate for the IB Art program: “Well, I think we’re all artists. Honestly, everyone’s artistic, and it’s just how we express ourselves. I do encourage people to take art. You don’t have to be ‘talented’. Maybe some people are more inclined to draw, but I think that everyone can learn,” she told me with a warm smile. 

    Overall, these students’ fantastic display of passion and technique demonstrates that through the support of a compassionate educator, hard work, and courage, art truly is ‘a labor of love’.