BELLAIRE • MEMORIAL • RIVER OAKS • TANGLEWOOD • WEST UNIVERSITY

The unlimited paths for creativity

By Valentina Marks, age 13 | September 27, 2024

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SPLASH OF COLOR River Oaks Baptist eighth grader Valentina Marks loves colorful, unexpected art, like the interactive exhibits at Color Factory. This September, Valentina’s artwork was displayed at the Heidi Vaughan Fine Art gallery.

If you were to walk into my room, you would see piles of art supply boxes and stacks of white canvases, ready to be painted on. There’s very little white in my room; most of my walls are covered in pink paintings. The joy-filled, pastel pieces are the result of my imagination and creativity.

I grew up in a house full of art. My dad is an art collector, and people often say our house looks like an art museum. I think most of my inspiration started from seeing the art all around me.

I love painting with acrylic paint, especially with the color pink, and try to incorporate disco balls everywhere. I am attracted to pink in my art as it represents fantasy, childhood, joy, and whimsy. I want people to look at my art and feel happy thinking back to their earliest and most playful memories.

When an idea for creating a piece of art comes into my mind, it is usually unplanned and late at night. I think art is the most genuine when it is organic. I find inspiration when reflecting on my happiest times, and memories associated with people I love. I also refer to Pinterest when sourcing materials for my art because it helps make my pieces feel more complex. I am reminded that my artwork does not have to be a simple two-dimensional painting on canvas. I can add multimedia, such as clay, plaster, beads, and even disco balls. I think art is meant to be interesting to look at, and adding unexpected materials makes the art feel more alive.

Being an artist is a major part of me. I am constantly reminded how there is no one path that I take to create a piece of art. There is no one singular method when making a painting. I make art spontaneously, and each piece has a different inspiration and memory associated with it. To me, that is what makes art so special. It has taught me that there is no right answer for creativity.

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