Anna Andrade

Interview by Doris Abdolian and Elly Dawson, Transcribed by Elly Dawson

Grade

12

Mediums

2-D Art and Digital Arts and Graphics

Classes Taken at Harriton

Art 9H, Art 2H, AP 2-D Art and Design

Self Introduction

I'm probably not the most creative; my art is often aesthetically motivated. Most pieces lack a deeper meaning beyond color theory and visually pleasing compositions. As a student, I'm fairly studious, and as a person, I'd say I'm pretty laidback, but idk :,)

Interview

A: Hi, my name is Anna. I am a senior in AP Art & Design (2-D).

ED: What is your favorite medium to create with? Do you think you would experiment with other mediums?

A: I create most of my work with a variety of mediums. I like gouache the best because it is easy to work with and has a pleasant finish. It is very opaque when you first do it but not as thick as acrylic. I like oil paint. Digital is also fun; digital is what I do the most.

ED: Do you have a style that you work in?

A: I prefer realism, but my style is more cartoony.

ED: What inspires you to create art?

A: I have no idea. My art is mainly motivated by visual aesthetics and how it would look. Generally, my art does not have a much deeper meaning than what you see on the canvas. I like to make things that look nice.

ED: Since your art is aesthetics based, are there any artists who inspire you or you would like to replicate in that way?

A: I can not recall the names, but I enjoy Cubism. I like the painterly styles of the classics and the masters- I guess you would call them.

ED: What is your AP Sustained Investigation theme?

A: My AP theme is consumerism and advertisement, mainly through the lens of Brazilian culture.

ED: Are you Brazilian?

A: Yes, I am.

ED: What do you see yourself doing in the future through art? 

A: I do not know because I am going to school for engineering, and I have not signed up to do any art-related courses. I have done art commissions since 9th grade, so that is kind of where I keep doing art outside of school, but I do not think I will pursue it professionally just cause I feel like making art regularly for a career would be draining and it is also not my main passion.

ED: What would you say then to people looking to do art in high school but not necessarily pursue it as a career?

A: Doing art in high school is good because you can explore all the mediums. Especially in AP Art & Design, when you have complete and total freedom, you can use any medium you can imagine. I have done linocuts, oil, gouache, and acrylic paintings. I am doing a piece where I use sand to make paint texture. The best part about it is that it is free. I do not have to go and pay for oil paints, terpenoids, and linseed oil. So even if it is not that serious, like it is for me, it is still fun to experiment with different mediums and have a creative outlet.

DA: You are the head of NAHS (National Art Honor Society). Could you tell us more about that?

A: In the years moving forward, NAHS can establish itself as a good club for Harriton. I planned to have more service projects, but because we started in the second semester, we only had the opportunity to do some projects because of limited time. But in the future, depending on where future generations take the club, it could be a valuable resource for art-related service at Harriton.

DA: What is your advice for those interested in art but do not have it be their main thing? 

For people who like drawing but aren't sure they want to pursue anything serious, art, at its base, is just pen and paper. It doesn't have to be a long expansive portfolio of oil paintings. I think if they are people that aren't that into art but want to pursue something creatively as their careers, there are a lot of professions that allow for a creative aspect: marketing and advertising, engineering, architecture, film, and literature studies. Having a career doesn't mean you have to be an accountant. Nowadays, it is easy to be creative in your job. If anyone wants to pursue arts and other types of creativity, you must look for it because it's not hard to find.

ED: We will do a speed round of fewer art-related questions. Starting with what music do you like listening to when creating? 

A: I like Reggaeton, Samba, and Latin trap. I like Rap and RnB. I listen to anything.

ED: Favorite high school memory?

A: I'm going to be so honest I don't remember anything. My memory retention is on a two-month basis. Especially Covid, nothing exists before the second-semester junior year.

ED: On that 2-month basis, any senior year highlights?

A: I like my classes and clubs. I like the freedom that comes with senior year; it is lovely.

ED: You mentioned clubs. What clubs are you in?

A: Besides NAHS, I do Science Olympiad.

ED: Wow, that's hard.

A: Yeah, I mean, it's rigorous, but it's fun.

ED: Do you have any favorite places in the area?

A: I haven't been able to explore the city as much as I would've liked cause of things like Covid resources and being busy. I take Organic Chemistry on Saturdays. It's fun to walk around; generally, there are fun things to do there.

DA: You brought up Covid; how did Covid and quarantine affect your art-making process and general mindset?

A: In middle school, I was into science and art. But over Covid, I was on an art grind. I would do three art pieces a week. It was insane! It is crazy now because it seems to take three weeks to develop an idea and two months to execute it. Do you know how people who are hard of hearing could tend to have better eyesight, or people who are blind could have a pristine hearing? Not having to deal with interacting with people and not having school as a constraint on my life allowed me to put it all into art-making. Which I both wish I didn't in some ways. It would've been nice to explore other facets of life like engaging in more science and math things. But, I'm grateful because my artistic skills improved from middle school to high school.