Since she was little, junior Ayden Oakley has always had a passion for art. From different styles, techniques and entering various art shows, Oakley has dedicated hours to creating art she loves.

Being surrounded by art her whole life played a role in inspiring Oakley to pursue art as a hobby.

“I just grew up drawing art. My mom’s an artist, so it’s just kind of in my family,” Oakley said.

Along with having inspiration from her mom, Oakley looks up to several famous artists, and she admires and sometimes incorporates their techniques into her artwork.

“I really like Van Gogh because I do ‘Starry Night’ in a lot of my pieces and then Monet because I like the watercolor look of everything,” Oakley said.

Oakley’s art teacher, Margaret Hester, said that Oakley really excels when it comes to art because she pushes the limits “past surface level.”

Oakley agrees that she goes the extra mile for her pieces, but she also believes that is sometimes a weakness.

“I tend to spend a lot of time on one part of a piece, and then I rush on the rest, so time management is really hard for me,” Oakley said.

Though Oakley has created many different pieces over her art career, she has made several that she is especially proud of.

“I did a watercolor drawing of a chameleon and I really liked it, and then I just drew a color pencil layout of a Chinese tea ceremony, and I really liked that,” Oakley said.

When asked if she wanted to pursue a career in art, Oakley was quick to respond with details on her future plans as an artist.

“I’m hoping to do an internship with graphic designs next year, not for the school but with something else. I hope that will help me in college and getting jobs.”

Oakley said when people look at her art she wants them to look at and appreciate, “the time I spent on it, and the effort I put into it.”