Name: Zoe Trautz 

Class: Junior 

Artistic Medium: Watercolor, acrylic paint, ceramics, dreamcatchers

How did you start making dreamcatchers?

     I’ve always thought they were interesting, so I eventually went on Youtube and found out how to make them. Since then I’ve been making them for every gift I have to give, and just for fun. It’s fun to experiment with different colors and patterns.

What art classes do you take at school?

     I’m in Ceramics III, Painting III and Multimedia. Last year I took Photography and freshman year I took Art I.

What kind of art do you make? What do you paint most?

     Crazy animals and people’s heads. Just random faces. I don’t paint enough to have a set pattern; it’s different every time. 

What is the process of creating art like? How do you end up with a product that you’re satisfied with?

     Well, I start with a drawing and just kind of experiment with paint. I make mistakes a lot of the time, but then I just work with it. Sometimes it makes it more interesting and sometimes it just ruins it.

What does it mean to you to be an artist?

     It means being able to have an idea and express it the way I want. It means constantly learning and being inspired by other people’s work and trying to better myself.

Whose work inspires you?

     There are famous artists I like but I don’t take from their style, like Salvador Dali and Frieda Kahlo and Gustav Klimpt. I really like the surrealism thing that Salvador Dali does. It’s realistic and well-painted but it’s things that wouldn’t exist in real life at the same time. I like Frieda Kahlo because of the colors and all the symbolism she uses. And I just found out about Gustav Klimpt like a day ago but he uses a lot of geometric shapes, and the colors are nice but they’re subdued.

What things in your life inspire you?

     I’m mostly inspired by people’s art that I see. And I’m inspired by nature, like animals and flowers. Just things I see in everyday life. 

Do you think it’s important to look to other artists for inspiration? Why?

     Absolutely, I do. Obviously I don’t know every technique and I’m not perfect but if I look to other people’s work I can be inspired and use it the next time I make something. And people who are better than me can inspire me to try to better myself. 

What’s your favorite piece of art that you’ve made?

     I really like the sculpture I just made for ceramics, the triangle one. I think the portrait of Avery is the most realistic thing I’ve ever painted, and the thing I took the most time on. But my favorite thing is always the most recent one I made.

What do you do for fun besides make art, and does it influence your art in any way?

     I walk around the neighborhood and look at things outside. Just now, I was thinking I was going to paint a picture of this dude’s face with lasers coming out of his eyes, but I didn’t know what to do for the background. Then I walked outside and I saw the clouds were really pretty so I decided to have him floating in the clouds. Just his head.

Where do you see yourself in the future? Do you think      you’ll still be making art?

     I see myself going out and getting some sort of job and going to college. I will definitely still be making art but I wouldn’t do it as a career. I like to think I’m pretty good at art, so I think it would be a waste to just not do it.