Spirals of blue and purple paint the canvas, creating a swirl of mixed colors. Tiny people dot the edge of a chasm, hoping to get across a wall. A small ladder in the distance eventually leads up to a window of light. These are some components of Laurel Davies (12)’s art, where each element comes together to send a bigger message that is hidden from the surface of the painting. 

Laurel started art in kindergarten by taking a class from a neighbor. Her enjoyment in the creative processes inspired Laurel to continue art classes throughout the years. It led her to join the Honors Directed Portfolio class to further enhance her art techniques following AP Art.

“I really liked AP Art because it was the first class where I had to keep my work consistent and make a theme and understand what I was trying to say,” Laurel said. “That was a class of a lot of growth as an artist.”   

For her AP Art class, Laurel started to ponder the overall theme of the works she produced, ultimately deciding on creating pieces regarding global perspectives and spreading the messages of her art. In the process of creating the portfolio, Laurel sought to connect the experience to her personal life and the people around her.

“In my AP portfolio, my work was on various political messages because the goal was to broaden my perspective of the world and put myself in other people’s shoes,” Laurel said. “It was about social injustices in America and the ways people of different identities are treated. After that year, I decided to explore what it means to be an individual. It’s given me more room to experiment.” 

Laurel mainly focuses on the subject of people in her art, striving to showcase how they bond together to create things as a whole, fitting together. She also hopes that viewers of her work can delve into the profound meaning of the message she tries to convey throughout her artwork.

“People play a big role in my work,” Laurel said. “Recently, I’ve become fixated on architectural fixtures and the ways that human society builds things that make us all come together. I’m abstract in terms of my style, surrealist as well. I don’t depict things perfectly to represent the way that they are. I would rather have it be a little weird when you first look at it so you think about what I’m trying to say and what the deeper message is.”

A recent piece of art that Laurel created centers around immigrants and how they overcame obstacles in life. She wants to deepen her understanding of her subjects by learning about the context of her artwork: in this piece, the restrictions of the world and what America symbolizes. 

“One of my favorite pieces is called ‘Welcome to America’, which is about the American experience from the perspective of people immigrating here, especially illegally, because I don’t have a lot of understanding of that topic,” Laurel said. “I wanted to challenge myself to open my mind. I focused on the way that the American political divide changes who has access to our country and the horrors that people go through for the chance at a better life.”

While delving into new topics, Laurel faces several challenges. One of her struggles in creating art is understanding exactly what she desires to convey, then selecting certain focuses relating to the main topic. Although sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way she expects, Laurel continues to expand her creative vision until she achieves satisfaction.

“I have a lot of different things I want to focus on, and it can be challenging to narrow down what statement I’m trying to communicate,” Laurel said. “Through ideation, it comes out to something, even if that wasn’t what I was originally intending. I can get to a point where I’m saying the most important thing.”

Laurel’s start as a young artist changed her view on the world and how she perceives things. She mentions her eye for noticing small details and her ability to view people and objects in a positive light.

“If you are an artist, you are creative and imaginative, and you solve problems in new ways and see people in different lights,” Laurel said. “One of the main things that art taught me to appreciate is the beauty of the world and things that can be beautiful that might not seem that way. I see when people or things in general are beautiful, when they don’t see that themselves. That is something I’ve gained by being an artist and by necessity, having to look for those things.”

Laurel’s art and the process leaves an impact on those around her as well. Sister Maryanne Davies (10) mentions Laurel’s commitment to art and how she looks up to Laurel because of her positivity. 

“Laurel puts a lot of time and effort into creating pieces that reflect her own personality and her observations of the world,” Maryanne said. “She inspires me to be more confident. She is someone who really holds her head high and feels at peace with who she is. That inspires me to be a better person, both how I feel about myself and towards other people.”

Close friend Sarah Westgate (12) admires Laurel’s observation and organization and values her playful character which reflects onto her art.

“I’m always impressed by Laurel’s art,” Sarah said. “It can be very meaningful. She’ll make pieces that have deeper meanings. Even the most simple of pieces will have these big overarching themes of homelessness or mental illness. She’s always got this deep theme, and then sometimes it’s the silliest. Some of it is really serious and heavy stuff while some of it is absolute goofball Laurel, which I love seeing because it represents her personality.”

Upper school math teacher Caren Furtado, who taught Laurel in her junior year, remarks on Laurel’s bright personality and her presence in the classroom. She commends Laurel’s strength in knowing her worth and how she approaches life with a positive outlook.

“Laurel is very clear about being here to learn,” Furtado said. “She will raise her hand and ask when she doesn’t understand. She is an absolute firecracker and so fun to be around. She’s a wonderful confident woman. A big strength is that she knows who she is, and she doesn’t want to be what somebody else thinks she should be. It’s easy for her to approach life with a huge amount of optimism and not a fear of what is to come.”

The process of creating her art affected Laurel’s views and her creativity, as she often looks at many unique concepts from different artists for inspiration. She notes that she can recognize her surroundings and wishes to improve her art and learn more about them in the future. 

“Art has definitely changed my imagination and how I perceive the world around me,” Laurel said. “Having access to multiple perspectives and different thoughts and ideas has made me better able to empathize with people and be a person who understands what’s going on around them. As I continue to practice art, I’m going to continue learning.”