A realistic, detailed, and exceptional artist, sophomore Hannah Ryan is one of the top artists at Concord, and people have taken notice. She inspires many peers to draw what they are passionate about and to push their artistic abilities to their full potential. Coincidentally, her favorite class is art with Mr. Couling.
Ryan has been practicing art since she was 2-3 years old and started realistic art at 9. She has taken Mr. Coulings’s art classes in 7th, 9th, and 10th grade. In her free time, she enjoys playing Minecraft and other video games to help boost her creativity. Over the years, she has improved her artwork, and in those years, she has learned a thing or two: “My advice would be to take your time, don’t rush. It’ll only stress you out more. If you need to, take it home and work on it.”
Close friend, sophomore Dakota Miller, explains how she feels about Hannah’s work: “It makes me happy to see her doing so well in something she’s so passionate about. I think she has a very real chance of making a career out of her art.” Miller continues: “Her art style is definitely realistic and nature/animal-based, but her style as a person, I would describe as more of a casual, alternative look and she’s definitely an introvert.”
Senior Ben Reiniche, another student who enjoys her work and is taking the class himself, admires Ryan’s talents. He explains, “ It is very realistic, almost like you could touch it. She is only a sophomore, so once she gets to her senior year, she could apply to an art college.”
Ryan enjoys drawing animals, but mainly dogs due to the wide variety of breeds. So far Hannah’s favorite and many others is the colored pencil fox. Art teacher, Mr.Couling, shares what he thinks is her best work so far: ” A number of students and staff feel her fox-colored pencil drawing is the best or her detail on the nose of the dog is incredible.”
Out of all of the medians Ryan uses, she enjoys and thrives in colored pencils because it is vibrant and can easily be fixed. Although she enjoys colored pencils, she struggles with pen and ink: “Although you can use a pencil before drawing in pen, I still get nervous about not being able to erase.”
Mr. Couling explains the skill level that sets Hannah apart as an artist: “Her attention to details. She loves details and works until the details are captured in the drawing. She focuses on her work during class and outside of class.”
When Hannah lacks inspiration for her art, her parents encourage her. They give her tips and admire her artwork. When she struggles, she finds motivation in “knowing I can get better and knowing people appreciate seeing my artwork.”
Although Hannah has time to think about her future plans, she has looked into attending Kendall College, an art school in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She says she would go for the experience and learn more techniques she can use to apply to her art.
