A blank canvas is comparable to the world for an artist. An artist has the opportunity to create a fresh start in order to express new ideas to the world to be admired and critiqued.

For Southern Elementary art teacher Ashley Gonzalez, she had the chance to make her artwork officially public. Her artwork was published in the book If Picasso Went To The Sea. The art teacher was assigned a page to illustrate that went along with the author’s poem.

“Last summer I created an art piece that I submitted through social media to the author of the book, and then he let me know and he assigned me a letter. I was assigned the letter H for Hildegard of Bingen and then the author created a poem incorporating Hildegard of Bingen and the fish Halbot going along with the theme and the letter H,” said Gonzalez.

Gonzalez started her love for art at a young age and is still continuing expressing her love.

“I was inspired by my elementary school art teacher, and I took art classes all through high school. In college I studied art education and had a couple of my pieces displayed in galleries in Lancaster and Philadelphia. I also continue to stay active in the art community,” said Gonzalez.

It takes a lot for an artist to become a true success; one must be dedicated and have motivation to move to the next step of their career. In her opinion, there’s a couple ways to keep on the track to being

a famed artist.

“Passion, determination and practicing the craft will help succeed. Also, staying active in the art community helps advance your career,” said Gonzalez.

For the dedicated artists in the high school, their career has just begun. They have a whole world of opportunities to become a success and have their work published.

Senior Jessica McDonald is excited to begin her art career out of high school, but she acknowledges her early impressions of art.

“I first started loving art because my grandma is an artist so, I used to paint with her all the time and now I am just continuing it…,” said McDonald.

To continue her passion in art, she plans on continuing the craft through college.

“ At college I plan on pursuing art in animation form. This deals with the movement of images and pictures,” said McDonald.

With the real world vastly approaching for the senior art students, it is amazing to see what can come of their future and the possibility of having a piece of their own published.