A girl huddles over a desk in her bedroom, a pencil gripped tightly in her fist. In front of her lies a piece of paper. Gundam, the girl’s favorite show, plays in the background. One of the show’s main characters is coming to life on the paper as the girl sketches. As she draws, she finds herself lost in the art and a few hours pass without her realizing it. She holds up her artwork and inspects it, critiquing it and making fixes. She lays the artwork on the pile next to her desk and grabs another piece of paper, wondering what she will draw next.

   Art has been sophomore Sarah Shores’ passion for a long time. She took her first art class in seventh grade, but has been doodling and sketching since a young age. She instantly fell in love with drawing and has practiced it almost every day since then. What she likes most about art is the endless possibilities she sees when she looks at a blank piece of paper.

   “What is special to me about art is there are so many aspects of it,” Shores said. “There are so many things you can draw. It’s unlimited and there is no one way to do it.”

   Every artist has a different style, but Shores enjoys a little bit of everything.

   “I like traditional art, but I also like design. I like simple stuff, it’s hard to explain,” Shores said. “I don’t like cheap art. By that I mean art that you can do very, very easily, but there are people who have a very simplified art style, which is good. Simple doesn’t always mean easy. ”

   Shore’s interest in the arts doesn’t stop at drawing; however, she also plays the piano and french horn. She began playing the piano when she was 6 years old and has been playing it ever since. Although she enjoys playing both instruments, the piano is her favorite.

   “When you are learning a song that you heard in a movie or something and then finish it and you play it well, it feels really good,” Shores said. “That’s really why I play the piano.”

   Shores’ friend sophomore Nicole Bethel admires her for not only her artistic abilities, but also her bright personality.

   “She’s easy to get along with and fun to be around,” Bethel said. “Even if you’re upset she can always brighten your day. She’s unique and always has an interesting topic to talk about.”

   Shores’ chemistry teacher Jillian Endaya admires her abilities both as a student and an artist.

   “I would describe her as a very hard-working student who isn’t afraid to ask questions,” Endaya said. “She is a very talented artist and I really enjoy looking through her artwork.”

   Shores’ advice for new artists is to persevere and be patient.

   “You can’t look at art that you don’t necessarily like as a mistake but as a step forward,” Shores said. “If you look at other artists, they always show their good artwork and you don’t see the bad. You just see the side they want you to see.”