craigdailypress.com

Photo by Hans Hallgren

Emily Holloway, 5, looks at a piece Wednesday called "Card Shark" created by Stefan Pell at the MCHS senior art show at Serendipity Coffee Shop. Art teacher Tom Duncan said it was his first year running the show.

Students, athletes, artists.

Ten Moffat County High School seniors are displaying their work at Serendipity Cafe & Coffee Shop as part of the first Senior Art Show.

"We're trying to showcase some of the art these students have done to people outside of the school," art teacher Tom Duncan said. "This allows them a chance to showcase their artwork."

The students picked a variety of their pieces, which will be displayed through Monday. With the except of a shark sculpted from playing cards (see photo at www.craigdailypress.com), most of the work consists of paintings and drawings, and a few photos.

"It's all 2-D tonight," Duncan said.

Duncan said he wants to continue with the art show in the future.

"I think we'll do it again; we just got a late start on it this year," he said. "I'm not sure if the venue will always be the same, but it's definitely something we want to continue."

Mychal Beauchamp, 17, brought one painting with him to the art show, although he said he prefer pencils and markers to paint.

"My art is usually pencil drawings - I prefer markers and pencils," Beauchamp said. "I just like the style."

Beauchamp said his style and inspiration comes from the students around him.

"I like to see what the other students are doing - it gives me ideas," Beauchamp said.

Although he won't be majoring in art next year when he is attending Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Beauchamp plans to keep sketching away.

"I'll keep drawing in my free time, but just not for a career," he said.

Jocelyn Drgac, 18, became more involved in the art program when she was a freshman.

"Mr. Duncan got me to try painting still-lifes, and I just stayed with it," she said.

Since starting with oil paint, Drgac has moved in to other mediums, but she still enjoys working with paint.

"It's a tie between oil paints and pencil," Drgac said. "I like oil paint because unlike acrylic, you can go back and do something over.

"With acrylic, as soon as you put it down it starts to dry. With oil paint, you can go back and change things."

Drgac said she paints from a variety of sources.

"My inspiration comes from a lot of different places," she said. "I've painted a few pictures of my boyfriend, and a lot of it just comes from life in general."

Drgac will attend Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Lakeland next year, where she will study animation.

"I think I will focus on 2-D, but I have an open mind," she said. "Growing up I watched a lot of cartoons, and I always thought why not pursue that for a career?"

Stefan Pell, 17, also will be attending Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design next year for animation.

For him, art runs in the family.

"I've kind of been around art my whole life," he said. "My grandma is a painter, and my aunt owns the frame store."

Pell started his high school art career when he was a sophomore.

"It was something I wanted to pursue, so I started taking art classes and just kept going further," he said.

Pell works mainly with ink and pencils.

"It's just kind of simple," he said.

Like Drgac, he has had a love for animation since he was a child watching Saturday morning cartoons.

"I don't really like the newer cartoons - I've always liked the old black and white cartoons," he said. "Just the old cartoons - and Jurassic Park."

Sarah Kirk, 18, said she plans on majoring in the sciences, not the arts, when she attends the University of Colorado in Boulder next year.

But when she is in the art room, she prefers pencils.

"I like pencils mostly because of the shading," she said.

One of Kirk's pieces in the Senior Art Show is a mosaic of photos.

"I took 25 photos each time, then I would rearrange them," she said. "It's interesting - it's a different type of art."

Alicia Nelson, 18, said she comes from a family of artists.

"I've just always been involved with art," Nelson said. "My mom's an artist, but I've just always liked art."

All of Nelson's work in the show was oil paint.

"With painting, it's always a different experience," she said. "Sometimes, you never know what you're going to end up with."

Nelson will attend Adams State College in Alamosa next year, where she will run cross-country, and possibly major in art or art therapy.

"Art therapy is like psychology with art," she said. "It allows you to express yourself through art, because art is an outlet."