There are numerous seniors at Chardon High School who demonstrate astounding creative and artistic ability; therefore, picking one to name the Hilltop Echo’s 2013 Fine Arts honoree was not an easy task. This category is not only about possessing the ability to draw or paint, but it is also about being creative and inspiring others at the same time. This is why senior Gabi Larkins was selected to be one of the Top Seven for the 2013 senior edition of the Hilltop Echo.
Gabi’s accomplishments this year in art shows alone have included: work in the Cleveland Clinic Expression exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art, several works in the Lake/Geauga show at Lakeland Community College, entries in the regional Governor’s Youth Art Competition, works in the Middlefield Historical Society show, and at the Chardon High School show at Heinen’s Café (where her work was voted “Best in Show”). ChardonHigh School art teacher, Mrs. Steytler, has known Gabi since she was a freshman and claims that Gabi had “early talent combined with willingness to experiment and learn.” Mr. Zitko, CHS’s other art teacher, agreed, “I have known Gabi for four years now and had her for Art I, II, and IV. She’s always been creative and incredibly energetic about her work.”
“I’ve always seen her to be an artistic person,” her sister, Sofia, said. “She and I used to sit at our dining room table and we’d draw for probably hours. I always loved the way she drew different things, and they would progressively get even more realistic each time.” However, not everyone initially knew Gabi was artistic. “Gabi and I became friends in middle school…and she has told me that she originally thought I was a weird guy,” said senior Cole Kornell. “But then we became friends… and I hadn’t realized she was so talented until high school—especially this year.” Some of Cole’s favorite pieces of Gabi’s include her self portrait that she painted this year and a surrealistic painting of a rabbit she had done. On the other hand, Cole also mentioned his admiration for a pair of Gabi’s shoes that she painted and made her very own. “I love it because it’s something you use everyday and she made it into art,” commented Cole. One of Gabi’s friends, senior Catherine Massiello, agreed, “I definitely knew her as an artistic person, but this year in Art IV, I really saw a drastic improvement in the quality if her work.” Catherine continued, “She has an amazing ability to use multiple medias seamlessly. She is especially talented at drawing and painting animals, with intense focus in the eyes, which really makes her pieces pop.”
Gabi says that she has always been interested in art. “When I was younger, I always loved drawing and I would get in trouble for coloring outside the lines in class,” she said. “My mom never gave us coloring books, so if we wanted to color we’d have to do it ourselves! My dad would bring home piles of scrap paper from work and he taught me how to draw horses and trees.”
But Gabi is not merely talented—she is a hard worker and is constantly learning as well. “A lot of talented people are lazy and are not willing to put in the work. Gabi has a willingness to do research in order to develop good ideas,” said Mrs. Steytler. “She’s not just about one thing either,” added Mr. Zitko. “Gabi is so diverse in her work and will experiment with mixed media.”
“One of my most common medias that I use would be colored pencils,” Gabi commented. “Not the Crayola kind—I use a school set of Prisma Colors and they’re wonderful!” Gabi keeps growing as an artist, too. “I recently discovered that I love oil paints, with all of the beautiful colors and the awesome blending capabilities. I really liked how my self portrait had turned out, and that piece was made up of acrylic and oil paint!” She also normally draws inspiration from things with natural beauty. “If you ever get the chance to just sit outside on a nice day, take a minute to see the world through a painter’s eye,” she exclaimed. “Nothing has just one tone or color, line’s are hardly ever straight, and there’s a shadow or highlight on everything that you see. It just makes the world that much more beautiful to marvel at— constant poetry in motion. An artist’s job is to capture the essence of something in some way. But as I like to say, there’s nothing quite like God’s paintbrush!”
“The way she approaches the art she creates can be applied to all problems that people face,” said Mrs. Steytler. “It’s important to follow your passions throughout life.”
“It’s not very often in an art teacher’s career that one gets to witness a student’s holistic growth in multiple areas of such a diverse field. She is such a hard worker, focused, and disciplined,” commented Mr. Zitko. “I have been blessed to have her as a student and wish her all the best in her bright future…and I hope she keeps producing and staying involved with art.”
Gabi plans on attending BaldwinWallaceUniversity for Business and Theater this upcoming fall, but she has considered going into art. “…Though I might do well in art, theater is where I really found my passion. I will probably try and continue some art classes throughout college, and who knows, maybe I’ll go back to school for it someday! No matter what I do, I know that art will always be a part of me and what I love to do. For me that’s more then enough.”