Artist Of The Week: Sara Marina

Sara Marina, an eighth-grade student at Warwick Valley Middle School, found her passion for the arts in elementary school where she began to explore the creative medium with a focus on drawing.

“I feel like drawing takes my mind off things,” Sara said. “It’s relaxing.”

Her love for the craft has grown over the years as she experiments with different art mediums and explores how each of them impact her work. Right now, sunsets and sunrises are her favorite scenes to draw.

“I love the colors,” Sara said. “Seeing how it changes from orange to pink is really pretty. Usually, I’ll look at a photo and then I’ll use that as a reference,” Sara said.

“Last year, we did a project with a pencil drawing,” she said. “We had to use the color wheel and I actually filled the pencil in with the colors of the sunset.”

She also loves landscape drawing and has taken a liking to the picturesque scenes found in nature. When she draws at home, she is able to see some of these scenes and gain inspiration for her work.

Throughout the years, Sara has been able to see her work mature as she continues to practice and participate in her class projects.

Ms. Mednick, who has been working with Sara this year is impressed with her work ethic and drawing skills.

“Sara is someone who doesn’t necessarily think of herself as an artist, but that is what makes Sara special. Every piece of artwork Sara does, she is trying her hardest and accomplishing her goals. Because of her hard work and dedication, the artwork comes out beautifully detailed. We recently did a two-point perspective project, which she carefully designed with shops and textures to add depth.”

“I’ve gotten a lot better at realistic drawing, drawing texture and making my colors accurate. I’ve definitely had some projects where the piece wasn’t coming out the way I wanted, but I’ve learned how to make minor changes and adjustments.”

While she has gotten a lot of help from her art teachers at school, she isn’t the only artist in her family and often asks her older brother for advice. He attends Warwick Valley High School.

“He’s really good,” Sara said. “Whenever I need it, I ask him for help and he gives me tips on what my piece may or may not need.”

Although every piece doesn’t turn out exactly how she wants, she learns from each part of the process and finds a way to push through.

“I did a sculpture project once that I found a bit frustrating,” Sara said. “It was with paper mache and I couldn’t get the paper to be super smooth like I wanted it to be. So, maybe paper mache isn’t my thing but that’s OK too. ”

She’s also become attuned to painting with watercolors.

“I like how you can change the vibrance of the color and you can make it lighter or darker,” Sara said.

Her talent has landed her a spot in the annual art show, which she has been a part of since elementary school, and she has been able to display her work and support her fellow peers.

When she’s not drawing, Sara is an avid gymnast and has been a part of the sport since she was 2 years old.

“I’m excited for our upcoming competition season. It’s my first year on a new level and I get to compete with my new skills. I’ll get to see how my scores improve throughout the year.”

Outside of art class, Sara is in band and chorus. She has been playing the trumpet since she was in the fifth grade and is currently in the Honors Symphony. She hopes to join the Wind Ensemble when she attends WVHS next year.

She is also excited about the art classes she’ll be able to take in high school, “I’ve seen a lot of the projects my brother has done in his art classes and they look really cool.”