Magnet sophomore Ainsley Parham began creating art as a child, stating that her love for art never decreased even as she grew older and engaged in other hobbies. Parham started off by drawing, but quickly delved into her favorite form of art:, animation. A significant portion of her art remains online as she uses digital materials to express herself, although she also enjoys drawing traditionally with graphite and colored pencil.
“I think she has a really cool style, I like how her work is really sketch-like. I loved how intricate her art was with her graffiti picture. She had a bumblebee by her name, and I thought that was such a nice detail. She’s really inspiring and I love all the art that I’ve seen by her,” sophomore Sofia Levy said.
Parham’s father remains the person who taught Parham how to love art and create it, as he attended art school as a young adult and attained a film degree. By attributing his teachings to her own creations, Parham developed an art style similar to modern Disney productions, showcasing features such as big eyes and intricate character designs seen in The Owl House.
At NC, Parham’s art lifestyle overflows, as she has attended the National Art Honors Society (NAHS) since and participated in Visual Art Composition (VA Comp) class. In VA Comp, Parham created her favorite project, a graffiti-style picture of her name, which simulated Parham’s dream project – a mural. Using this work as inspiration to continue fulfilling her art journey, Parham plans to attend the Drawing and Painting I class in her junior year.
Art exists as a prominent aspect of Parham’s life, but she also enjoys staying active;, as Parham practices horseback riding to earn high placements in competitions. In addition, Parham loves writing short narratives, showcasing her art by placing second in the 2023 Cobb writing fair. Parham showcases her passion for animals as she also participates in Rescue Warriors.
Although Parham’s artistic endeavors showcase proficiency, she does claim to struggle with art occasionally. Parham states that she lacks the consistency to fully reach her potential, especially while balancing a multitude of advanced classes and extracurriculars. Parham currently works on building habits to increase her art consistency and to combat burnout and art block.
“If you’re struggling with art block, you just need to take a step back and slow down. Maybe you need to go back to doing the things that inspired you in the first place, watch the movies you enjoyed, read some books [and] watch some shows. Really just get your creative juices flowing, and your flow should hopefully come back. Art makes me happy, and that’s why it’s so important,” Parham said.
Parham plans to remain at NC until her junior year and dreams of working as a character designer for an impactful company such as Disney or Pixar. For a college degree in art, Parham has considered attending the University of Georgia (UGA) as the school provides both art and equestrian programs. Overall, Parham remains destined to achieve her dreams as an artist due to her skill level and passion.
