![Join WSPN’s Marissa Mendoza, Edge Wheeler, Ainsley Jay, Bowen Morrison and Sofia Ciciarelli as they cover seniors’ involvement in the election and the viewpoint from a WHS educator. “[The election is] a really toxic environment,” WHS history teacher Katherine Bassen said. “It would be disingenuous for me to say, ‘oh, everything's going great.’ Obviously it's not, right?”](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_0282-1-1200x800.jpg)
![The Boy Scouts will be selling trees on Fridays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays noon to 6 p.m. until they sell out.
“This event is one of the things that [the Boy Scouts] get to have a direct impact on the community,” freshman Alex Macleod said.](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-11-at-8.38.38 AM.png)
This month’s artist is senior Annabelle Roberts. Roberts has an Instagram account (@abdoessomeart) dedicated to posting photos of their artwork.
How long have you been doing art?
“I have been doing art for most of my life, but I think I really started trying to improve at it when I was in second or third grade. fifth grade is when I started taking classes to help boost my skill.”
Where and how did you discover your passion for art?
“My father is an artist so when I was really young we would draw and paint together. I also made a friend in third grade who really loved to do art as well, so we bonded over doing art together, which I think made me love it even more.”
What art courses have you taken at WHS?
“I’ve taken Painting, Art 2, Art 3 and I am currently taking AP Studio Art and Advanced Painting.”
Why do you like art?
“I like art because it allows me to express myself in a way that is not words. I have always struggled with verbalizing how I am feeling, so art has always been an outlet for me to express myself. I also just think it’s fun to experiment with colors and shapes.”
Has your art style changed over the years?
“Yes, my art style has absolutely changed over the years. As I’ve gotten better at replicating things from real life, I have been able to really choose the way my art looks. When I was just starting out, I couldn’t really make a conscious decision about what my art looked like, so I just had to accept the way my style looked without the capacity to change it.”
Where do you find inspiration for your artwork?
“When it comes to themes, I find most of my inspiration from my own personal life experiences and emotions. For style and composition, I get a lot of inspiration from various artists on social media and a lot from my peers.”
What was your favorite piece of art you’ve ever made? What are you most proud of?
“I think the piece I am most proud of is a finger-painted self portrait I did. It isn’t particularly visually interesting, but I am really proud of the way it turned out, and it was the most fun I have had making art.”
![Join reporters Tasha Janoff and Jenny Shine as they chat with WSPN's November Artist of the Month Ava Renneker. "My favorite piece is a paper cut I made last year of my dog, Kiki," senior Ava Renneker said. "It took so long because I had to draw and cut out each piece of fur. Each piece of fur was very small so it was time consuming. I really like how [the piece] turned out."](https://waylandstudentpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/5rdPlGz84MVcOd9NwlTxuYplBGtffLzEmSCT5GF0-1200x800.jpg)
