Two complementary fish sculptures stand together, one bright and colorful, and one in all black. The pieces explore the contrast between the innocence and whimsicality of childhood while also exposing a darker side of life. Their creator, Ruby Johnson (12), expresses a fun and whimsical side to herself while also digging beneath the surface with her sculptures and other pieces of art.

Ruby started making sculptures in sophomore year after taking a sculpture elective. Taking interest in this style of art, she now focuses on sculpture and 3D art, especially making dolls. She has her style with creating dolls, extending her stylistic choices to smaller model sculptures. Her favorite, called “Bethany,” is a yellow fish in a blue outfit.

“I love the dolls’ personalities,” Ruby said. “I like that they’re fun. They spark a kind of creativity that I enjoyed, and that’s something I care a lot about in my art. I feel serious art is oftentimes sad or deep. I agree with that sometimes, but you can have a meaningful piece of art that’s just happy.”

In her AP 3D art class, Ruby made numerous dolls for her portfolio submission. She feels drawn to the duality and imagery of them as well as how anyone can enjoy the presence of dolls. 

“I’ve always liked dolls,” Ruby said. “What I like about dolls is that they have an intersection between comfort and creepiness that I enjoy. They’re for kids, and they’re friendly and cute, but also, they’re a little creepy.”

Ruby’s interest for sculptures blossomed after she took the sculpture elective. Upper school visual arts teacher Bryan Caponi first met Ruby as a sophomore when he taught her in the course. He went on to also teach her AP 3D art in her junior year and appreciates her ability to express herself through her work.

“In class, Ruby is very ambitious,” Caponi said. “That was always a huge plus, especially in this class because the studio environment is so essential to having students be able to feel comfortable in taking risks and being themselves. I always appreciated the fact that she was willing to encourage others on their own individual journeys and through her own energy and effort in the projects. It really raised the bar for the class.”

Because of her love for 3D art, Ruby created the Crafts and Conversations club this year. She aims to provide a space for fellow art lovers to decompress with these calming activities while also providing them with a small souvenir. 

“3D Art is like crafts with more effort put into them,” Ruby said. “Crafting is such a good way to relax, and you get a funny little trinket in the end. Everyone loves little funny trinkets.”

Ruby’s close friend and fellow officer of Crafts and Conversations club senior Emily McCartney attests to Ruby’s effectiveness in garnering recognition for the club. Emily  met Ruby in freshman year over Zoom and became closer to her in sophomore year.

“With the club, we’ve been able to bring in a lot of people from all across different grades, and I think it’s because Ruby is a really accessible person,” Emily said. “You can feel very comfortable talking to her. She’s also super adaptable, which is a really admirable trait.”

Because of her interest in art, Ruby enjoys the artistic side of baking as a way to express herself. With baking, she tries to make her creations both tasty and pleasing to the eye. In exploring different acts of creativity, she discovered a retro jello recipe where she suspended salad vegetables in the jello.

“I make a lot of sweets, and I love the experimentation,” Ruby said. “I like how versatile it is because you can really make whatever when it comes to sweets. I slowly have gotten more adventurous with what I make.”

With her art and baking, Ruby prizes experimenting and curiosity in the process. Her love of expressing herself in new ways also comes out through her clothing style. Close friend Christina Rex (12) befriended Ruby in sophomore year, interested in her unique dressing sense and humor.

“I think one of the things that drew me to Ruby is that she wears these absolutely wild funky sweaters, and I thought she looked cool,” Christina said. “I think her style is very representative of the way she is. She’s very outgoing and funny, and she’s very much not afraid to give her opinion, which comes across really well in the way that she dresses.”

Ruby tries to be seen as an easy-going person, both to enjoy herself as much as possible and encourage others to do the same. She makes the best out of every moment possible, seeking positivity even in times of difficulty or hardship. 

“I like to be happy because people are sad all the time,” Ruby said. “It’s boring when people are always complaining, and having fun is a better way to live life. You’ve only got so long on this earth, so if you’re not enjoying as much of it as humanly possible, you’re doing it wrong.”