Hues take the shapes of fallen leaves, enclosing and revealing a dull, lifeless face. Contrast dwells between colors, but more intensely in the emotion behind leaves and the face. The artist commemorates the beauty and vibrance of fallen leaves, despite their inevitable death. Although the dreary face of the girl is living, her lifelessness is captured in dull tones. In Autumn Solitude, Genesis comments on the irony of life, the extravagance of death, and the insipidity of living. Although her attention to detail and mass made painting Autumn Solitude tedious, Genesis admitted she developed from this challenging process, and the work was worth the outcome.
Genesis has enrolled in seven semesters’ worth of art classes at Oak Lawn, including extreme art and photography. She is currently taking AP Art and Photo II: Digital, where she continues to improve her artistic process on a daily basis. Art classes are a vital part of Genesis’s day.
“Art is a way to express emotions I can’t express casually,” she remarked. “Art helps me relax and calm my nerves throughout the school day. It’s a way to blow off steam and focus on things I care about.”
She doesn’t plan to stop her education at high school, either. Genesis wants to use her abilities to work as an art therapist or a graphic novelist.
I asked Genesis what art does for her, and she told me, “Art is cool because you learn how to appreciate the details. That’s an important thing to do in everyday life, whether you’re an artist or not.”