Lucy Talso
Featured Young Artist

Young artist Lucy Talso will make her first dive into the world of gallery shows on the wall of the Corner Gallery this coming Friday. Though still in high school and new to showing her work, she is already experienced with the practice of seeing her world through artist's eyes.

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"I've been making art ever since I can remember." Lucy explains. "Every birthday when I was growing up, when my family would ask what I wanted, I would just tell them art supplies. I've taken multiple art classes all of my life, and they were always my favorite class. I've always been influenced by art in some way... I have always loved going to different places and seeing murals or even graffiti on the streets. Everything around me gives me endless ideas of what I can make, whether it be landscapes, people walking around, or even trash on the ground... which is a big part of all the pieces I made for this show. Growing up my Nona taught my art class in 4th grade and took me to art classes in Willits and art museums in other cities. Sometimes she just sat and taught me how to draw different animals."

Like many students of her age, Lucy felt that she didn't fit in very well during middle school or have the tools to express herself. She also shares the experience of being profoundly affected by the pandemic, though luckily in her case, the effect was positive. She elaborates, "Once quarantine hit I stop caring what others thought, which helped me become who I am today. I've learned that people will always have opinions about me, but at least now I know who I am, which I show through my art. I think I am always my true self through my art."

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Lucy's art encompasses various media, but her favorite is the rather lowly ballpoint pen which, in her hands, takes on an unexpected level of versatility. "I love working with ball point because I can bring it wherever I go," Lucy explains. "There is no limit to what you can do with pen. I'm not sure why ball point is so great to me but out of all the other pens I've tried it lasts the longest and you can overall do more with it, like shading."  Lucy would like to try inking, charcoal and paint as well. And during quarantine she also enjoyed taking some online digital art classes.

When asked which of the pieces on her gallery wall is her favorite, Lucy responded without a second's hesitation, "Unbearable Weight."  It's a small black and white portrait which, she explains, "represents the feeling that I have when I have a lot of schoolwork. The feeling is stuck, so that's why the portrait is very still and seems frozen in 'black and white.' The frame represents my mind... whenever I'm stuck like that my mind is going crazy so that is why the frame is super colorful."

Similarly to all the other pieces in her show, "Unbearable Weight" has some sort of trash involved. Lucy explains, "In the background the base is pieces of my old homework. The words around the person in the portrait are all people's answers to how they feel when they are stressed out with schoolwork." 

Lucy has plans to continue doing as much art and music as possible while she finishes high school. She sees art school in her future, and hopes that she can become a professional artist and make music on the side.