Jay Hoff Isabell’s Digital Artwork Chosen for Exhibition

Huntington senior Jay Hoff Isabell is one of Long Island’s best young artists. Her digital artwork is among 84 pieces selected from 402 entries in the upcoming exhibition at the Heckscher Museum of Art.

The teenager is studying with art teacher Kasmira Mohanty and excelling in the high school’s Advanced Digital Design and Illustration course. She titled her beautiful artwork, “A Facade Study.”

Ms. Isabell’s illustration will be displayed at the Heckscher Museum in the Long Island’s Best exhibition, which will run from March 28 through May 3. The formal opening of the exhibition will coincide with the award ceremony on Saturday, March 28 from 12-6 p.m.

Artist’s Statement by Jay Hoff Isabell

I was intrigued by the intricate details within the minimalist work ‘Loft Windows’ by Emilio Sanchez. I sought to incorporate the geometric nature of the facade and windows into my artwork, along with the concepts of repetition, pattern, and the neutral color palette present in ‘Loft Windows.’ I was also drawn to the challenge of working three-dimensionally for my artwork.

I began by creating four hand-rendered swatches using colored pencils. Each swatch employed the same range of tones to remain consistent with the colors depicted in Loft Windows. I then scanned the swatches and used them to create several seamless repeating patterns in Photoshop, experimenting with different combinations from each set.

After printing my selected designs, I trimmed and mounted them onto mat board cut into various sizes using a Cricut. I adhered the patterns to both the front and back of each piece, anticipating that the artwork would be viewed from multiple angles. The geometric forms were assembled using interlocking slots to connect the pieces. This process was intentionally unplanned, allowing the work to evolve organically through building, stepping back, and adding or subtracting elements as needed.

Some shapes include openings that subtly reference windows or framed views, while the overall structure remains abstract. I also intentionally exposed the edges, referencing the shutters in Sanchez's work and the implied lines they create. The resulting sculpture invites interpretation, balancing architectural influence with pattern, form, and spatial exploration.