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Life That’s Anything But Still
Written By: Donna Rhodes | Issue: 2016/03 - March
Emma Barrette, sophomore honor student at Highlands High School, loves creating imaginary worlds into which she can dive headfirst.
She says, “With art you are free to do whatever, whether it’s painting a beautiful woman or painting a half-eaten cheeseburger with legs and arms and a baseball cap, skateboarding down
Times Square.”
Emma is all about joy and that reflects in her images, which include portraits of fresh, happy faces, brilliantly colored still lifes, and fanciful doodles. She works in a variety of mediums – oil pastels, color pencil, digital drawing on her tablet, and graphite, but her all-time favorite is plain old pencil and paper.
It’s an exceptional second year high school student who has already developed a style of her own. Emma’s is realism with a fun edge, not really cartoonish, but not strictly photo-realistic either. The blend is engaging, inviting the viewer to get happily lost in Emma’s world.
When asked if she intends to make art a career track, she says, “Most of the artwork I produce is solely for my own enjoyment, but perhaps in a few years after I develop my skills more I may be able to make a career out of my art.”
She adds, “I actually would love to work in cartoon animation one day.”
It’s no wonder Emma immerses herself in drawing and painting.
“Growing up I was always around art,” she says. “I went to museums and took pottery classes. I have been exposed to many wonderful artists whom I have learned so much from. My parents have always loved art, and my mother is a wonderful artist herself.”
Keep an eye out for more of Emma’s work at local exhibits of student work at Highlands School or The Bascom. She’s an up-and-coming fine artist who is glowing on
Highlands’ radar.
And the next time you’re at Times Square, watch out for those skateboarding cheeseburgers.