Huntington High School junior Emma Waters is among a select group of young artists chosen to have their work exhibited at the Huntington Arts Council’s High Arts Showcase XVIII at the Main Street Gallery in the village.
Ms. Waters’ mixed media piece measures 24.5” x 6.5’ framed. Titled “Mind’s Eye,” it is priced at $50.
Huntington junior Emma Waters.
Currently enrolled in Digital Portfolio, Ms. Waters enjoys reading, particularly graphic novels and she is also interested in animation, the two of which lend themselves as inspiration for her art.
The teenager has been studying digital arts for nearly three years with Huntington art teacher Kasmira Mohanty, whose work and mentorship have heavily influenced Ms. Waters’ own work and who has helped shape who she is as an artist and person today.
Ms. Waters has previously seen her work displayed at the Nightmare on Main exhibit, in the December 2021 issue of SchoolArts Magazine and on her parents’ bedroom wall. She hopes to continue to show more art and she grows as an artist.
“Mind’s Eye was inspired by Deborah Buck’s ‘Waiting Room,’” Ms. Waters said. “In Buck’s own words, she aims to create ‘micro worlds in her paintings,’ a concept I wanted to achieve in my work. I want the viewer to feel as if they have stepped into a new and unexplored pocket of the universe. I was also drawn to Deborah Buck’s work because of her abstract, graffiti like style. I used a technique called Paint and Pixels in honor her work.”
The junior said she “began by creating free association doodles to see what com-mon themes would emerge. I scanned in my drawings and using Photoshop, assembled a cohesive composition. Next, I focused on creating paint samples that I also scanned in and used to fill in the line work. I approached the paint swatches as little pieces of abstract art. I used acrylic paint like Buck, a paint I had never used before. I enjoyed playing with different color combinations, shapes, and texture.”
Ms. Waters said that while Deborah Buck’s work “played into my interests, it also forced me to push myself, compelling me to abandon my need for perfection in favor of ‘making a mess.’”
The teenager said she assembled the final imaged “as if it were a coloring book page, which I feel fits the playful look and atmosphere of my artwork.”
High Arts Showcase XVIII opens on Friday, March 18 and runs through April 9. “The High Arts Showcase exhibition is an opportunity for young artists in Journey program partner schools to present their artwork in a gallery setting,” according to the Huntington Arts Council. “These students learn firsthand what is involved throughout a gallery exhibition; from submitting entries and writing an artist statement to titling, framing and pricing their artwork.”