Artist gains confidence through self expression in art

Junior Abbi Flinn works on a painting. Flinn loves to paint because its therapeutic and she can really express herself.

Sometimes expressing oneself through words can be hard, but artist Abbi Flinn has found another way to communicate her feelings.
“Art gives me a way to express myself and my emotions without having to say anything at all, it makes me feel relaxed and without stress,” said junior Abbi Flinn.
Flinn enjoys many different types of art, ranging from drawing, sculpting, painting, and more.
“I don’t have a favorite way of being creative but one of my top things is either painting, because I’ll make any excuse to paint on anything, or sculpting, because I just find messing with clay relaxing,” said Flinn.
“She is a very talented painter and has a great eye for color. Her paintings reflect life in its complexities and are typically relatable and engaging,” art teacher Derek Norton said.
“She excels at everything, but her painting is amazing,” junior Charlotte Alspaugh said.
Flinn says art has changed her life in the way she expresses herself every day.
“Art has definitely impacted my life; my opinion on everything is different now, especially the way I see things and my clothes style. My room is crazy cluttered with stuff all over, from pictures and posters on my wall, to unfinished projects,” Flinn said.
Norton described Flinn as a confident artist, open to critique, but is also very critical of her work herself.
“She is a confident artist that is willing to listen to creative criticism. As with most artists, she is her own worst critic and views her own artwork with more scrutiny than most,” said Norton.
Dedication is the key for Flinn when it comes to perfecting her artwork.
“Abbi is an excellent student and dedicated artist. She is always working hard on one of her portfolio pieces,” said Norton.
“Abbi has a great attitude towards art, she’s always pushing herself,” said Alspaugh.
“She has a very positive attitude towards art and a refreshing optimism that is reflected in her art style. She often inspires and encourages those around her to do their best work,” said Norton.