Senior Alyson Hubbard displayed three pieces of her art at Cane Hill for a High School art competition put on by the University of Arkansas. She received a $10,000 scholarship to the University’s School of Art program as the grand prize for the competition. Hubbard is not just a talented artist but she is passionate about art as well.
“My motivation to make art is primarily my genuine love for the process and how it makes me feel,” Hubbard said. “Drawing and painting feels very natural and intuitive to me, and I feel like it’s one of the biggest things in my life that brings me comfort and a sense of joy.”
While loving the process of her artwork, she also loves watching all the pieces fit together in the end.
“I like being able to focus so intently on one thing and the satisfaction that comes with watching it all come together,” Hubbard said. “The act of making art just feels so essential to me, I don’t know what I would do without it.”
Because of her passion for art, she tries to make the outcome as perfect as possible. One way to make sure her piece is exactly how she wants it is by taking it one step at a time.
“I am so incredibly slow! My pieces all take a different amount of time based on the size and medium, and I get very caught up in details,” Hubbard said. “The pieces I did for Cane Hill were all part of my AP Portfolio last year, and I was working on them all at the same time alongside other things over the course of a few months.”
While her art takes time, she still continues to enjoy the overall process and product of her pieces. However, she sometimes struggles mentally over how long it takes.
“I used to beat myself up over yielding such a small amount as a result of so many hours, and I still do sometimes, but I’ve come to accept that if something is taking a while it’s just part of the creative process,” Hubbard said.
She works incredibly hard for what she does and plans to continue her love for art outside of High School.
“I would love to have a career in art,” Hubbard said. “I’m going to the University of Arkansas’ School of Art and majoring in Studio Art with a focus on drawing.”
With future plans already being made, Hubbard is ready to broaden her knowledge in the art world and explore all kinds of art while in college.
“I’m hoping I can discover different jobs I can pursue while in college, like illustrating books or doing editorial work,” Hubbard said.