For the month of January, The Current is featuring senior Catalina Merladett-Larroca as artist of the month. Currently enrolled in AP Studio in Art II and having taken AP Art last year, Merladett-Larroca is a motivated and talented artist. Catalina’s passion, emotional connection to her art, and strong work ethic are all reflected in her spectacular work. The following is an interview with Merladett-Larroca.

LM:   What is your preferred medium to work with? 

CM: I like working with watercolor and really really dark graphite. I love how it makes the colors contrast and pop a little more.

LM: When did your passion for art begin?

CM: I didn’t start drawing until I was in middle school– I never considered myself an artist until then. I started drawing because my other friends were drawing, and then it developed into drawing when I was stressed out. It was really nice being able to put how I felt onto a paper.

LM: What does your creative process involve, and how do you find inspiration for your pieces?

CM: I like drawing things that look visually appealing. When it comes to art, I trap myself into a box a bit and try to stick to simple things. I tend to draw things seen in magazines, especially Vogue, since I love drawing people.

LM: What is your favorite piece  of another artist and why?

CM: My favorite piece that is not mine is called The Wounded Deer by Frida Kahlo. At first glance, it [the painting] is a bit funny, but when you look deeper into the message, you see a woman as a deer being hurt with arrows and there’s a larger story. The woman’s face is so stoic and brave, and she is persisting through all the pain she’s been subjected to which I really admire. The color choices in this piece are also spectacular. 

LM: What is your favorite piece of your own and why?

CM: My favorite piece that I’ve done is untitled, but it is of a girl with blue hair throwing flower petals. I think that there is so much the girl wants to say, but she is unable to express it in words, so instead she expresses it in the form of beautiful vegetation.

LM: Who is your biggest role model or inspiration for your work?

CM: I was really inspired by Frida Kahlo because she…[went] through so much, whether it was a rough marriage or her bus accident. I also take inspiration from Kurt Cobaine, a singer/songwriter. Frida Kahlo and Kurt Cobaine…[went] through a lot of struggles, and I really admire their endurance and  strength. Additionally, I find it amazing how they tried to manage all of these struggles with their art, creating beauty for others to witness.

LM: What are some of your artistic achievements?

CM: I don’t really enter in competitions. I think my artistic achievements are when my friends admire my art. It makes me really happy when I create things that other people like. 

LM: Where do you see your art taking you in the future, and would you want to pursue it as a career?

CM: I think that my art fosters my sense of creativity, my youth, and the way that I perceive the world. I don’t think I will pursue art as a career in the future, but I think that art gives me more empathy, as it evokes feelings in myself like nothing else does.

LM: What drives you to create art, and what do you want your audience to take away from your work?

CM: I mostly create art when I am stressed. I also think art is a hobby I can work toward getting better at. I practice at it and I see the result of my hard work. As for my audience, I want them to know that if you put enough work into anything, you are going to succeed and excel at it, just like art.

LM: Where can people find your work?

CM: I used to have an Instagram with my art work, but I do not post on it anymore. Art has become more of a personal hobby to me now as it is my venting space.