Review of "To a Great Mind Nothing is Little, II"

On December 2nd, 2015, I attended an event right in the ArtsConnection office called “To a Great Mind Nothing is Little.” This event was an arts exhibition filled with pieces from a call for art sent out from ArtsConnection. The artists’ faces lit up with joy when they saw their own artwork framed and hanging, and were very generous with answering questions from other guests and from myself. Below are the faces and responses of the twelve artists who I interviewed that evening.

What inspired you when creating this artwork?

Vivien Li; Light in Light, Light in Dark; IS 327,Grade 8

VIVIEN LI: The world, in general, inspired to create. Thinking of [monochromatic], it quite similar to the world. Which consists of both light and dark. Life around us is constantly changing.
KRISTY LI: I was thinking about what to make, then I thought about making something that portrayed happiness. And I thought of a sunflower.
MICHELLE BERNSTEIN: As a child, I loved playing with toys and as soon as I would pass by a toy store my parents would have to literally drag me by my hand to keep on walking. Even though I knew I wasn’t going to get a toy every time my parents and I would go to a toy store, I would still look inside the toy store windows and wonder about all the possible toys inside.
F.P.: Walking really helps me think and create new ideas for art and I would always walk past this yellow house. The house gave me a soothing vibe as it inspired me to try new things to extend my creativity.

What are your favorite materials to use when making art?

VIVIEN LI: One of my favorite materials when making art is using water color. Even though it is quite simple to use, when using, it is able to create wonderful and amazing pieces of art.
KRISTY LI: My favorite [material] to use when making art is color pencils.
MICHELLE BERNSTEIN: I love using oil paint when making art. I love all the possible textures and brush strokes visible of the canvas.
F.P.: Mainly a pencil and paper as my favorite kind of art is through poetry and writing.

Michelle Bernstein; The Girl by the Window; Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, Grade 11

What was the hardest part of making this artwork? What do you like most about the finished piece?

VIVIEN LI: The hardest part of making this artwork was trying to create the different types of colors, as well as the aura that surrounds it.
KRISTY LI: The hardest part of making this artwork was [gluing] the pieces of paper to the [other] paper. I like how there seems to be a light coming from behind the actual flower as if the rays are coming from the flower.
MICHELLE BERNSTEIN: The hardest part of making this artwork was painting the texture of the fabric of the girl. Since this painting was from my imagination I had to visualize how the fabric lays on the girl’s skin. What I like most about the finished piece is the narrative behind it and the story it tells.
F.P.: The hardest part was trying to find the perfect shot as taking many photos finally led to me being able to take this perfect shot.