By Ezra Caber

Senior Gianna Iacobellis has been pursuing art for more than six years, a passion that began within her family. Inspired by her cousin and grandfather, she started her artistic journey by sketching, often challenging her family to friendly drawing competitions in her childhood. These early experiences planted the seeds of a creative journey that would grow and evolve over the years.

As her interest in art deepened, Iacobellis began exploring a variety of mediums, including pencil and acrylics. In 2018, she joined an art studio where she would eventually fall in love with oil painting. The new medium allowed her to express herself in new ways, marking a turning point in her artistic development.

However, like many artists, Iacobellis faced challenges during the pandemic. The disruption temporarily paused her progress with oil painting, but she adapted by focusing on  sketching portraits and anatomy. When she got back into oil painting after the pandemic, she put her personal experiences into her pieces making them more personalized. 

Today, she continues to grow as an artist and devotes much of her time to creating art. She carefully plans her projects, often spending hours or days brainstorming ideas and refining her vision. Her weekly studio sessions, which she has attended for six years, provide her with time to work on her oil paintings. Additionally as a student in AP Drawing, she has the opportunity to further expand her portfolio and experiment with different techniques. 

She takes inspiration from her everyday life and from other artists. However, Iacobellis admits to struggling with connecting her art to her personal life.

“I actually struggle with this a lot,” Iacobellis said. “I tend to copy from references, and although they are beautiful, I feel like they are sometimes superficial. I feel like it’s important to also realize that this is normal for a young artist to struggle with individuality, and it can easily be worked on with practice and experimentation.”

Even so, her art reflects years of hard work and dedication. Her evolving style demonstrates her commitment to improvement and her willingness to embrace new ideas and techniques. 

Looking into the future, Iacobellis plans to double major in art and business in college. Although pursuing art as a career can be difficult, she plans to major in business to gain experience on how to navigate any of her entrepreneurial endeavors.

The headstrong, creative mindset that Iacobellis has will help her grow into the person she aspires to be. As she plans to create more art, Iacobellis is setting an example for younger artists who also desire to be as diligent and tenacious as her.