Artist of the Week: Marjorie Ladas

Emma Nallet|February 13, 2018

“I try to draw myself in very realistic and unidealized ways. It’s very therapeutic,” senior Marjorie Ladas said.

Art is more than a simple hobby for senior Marjorie Ladas, it is a childhood passion. In preschool, she liked doodling in her notebooks. Today, she creates all sorts of watercolor paintings and illustrations with graphite, charcoal or ink. Creation is a central part of her life, as it allows her to express herself and progress.

Credit: Marjorie Ladas
“Art is a good way for people to look at it and make an idea for themselves. It’s not so academic, it’s a thing that everyone can get,” Ladas said.

“I think it’s really cool to see yourself improving,” Ladas said. “If you look at your art when you’re little, it always looks like a lot worse. You’re just improving all of the time, so I think it’s just cool to be able to look back, see where you come from and how much you improved over a certain amount of time.”

Through artistic events outside of school, Ladas enjoys practicing her art and meeting people who share the same passions.

“I’ve gone to [art] programs over the summer and gone to workshops,” Ladas said. “I don’t think I would be able to meet people with the same ideas and interests as me otherwise.”

But what she really appreciates in art is its social impact and its capacity to touch a wide range of people.

“Art is a good way for people to look at something and make an idea for themselves,” Ladas said. “It’s not so academic. It’s a thing that everyone can get. It’s not only for people who are very literate or educated; anyone can do art and anyone can appreciate it.”

More than that, making art is an integral part of her everyday life, enabling her to appreciate her own talents.

Credit: Marjorie Ladas
“You’re just improving all of the time, so I think it’s just cool to be able to look back, see where you come from and how much you improved over a certain amount of time,” Ladas said.

“It’s an escape way to express yourself,” Ladas said. “That’s the only thing I really enjoy doing. It feels like it’s the only thing I can do at school that makes me feel I’m accomplishing something.”

Through art, Ladas has also the opportunity to challenge her personal issues by exploring her body image.

“I try to draw myself in very realistic and unidealized ways,” Ladas said. “It is very therapeutic, and I hope to show people that everybody is beautiful and worthy of being art, even when they don’t fall within the narrow idea of beauty.”

Next fall, Marjorie Ladas will attend VCU’s School of the Arts in Richmond, VA, where she will study communication art.