Art is defined by the Webster Dictionary as “something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings.” The reason sophomore Neely Joyce creates art is for those very reasons.

“I think it’s a way for me to express my emotions,” Joyce said. “So, when I’m angry it reflects in my art and it’s not as nice as my art when I’m happy. It’s cool because then I can look back on it and be like ‘Oh I was really mad when I painted that’, but it’s like that and that’s why I do it.”

Any style of artwork you could imagine, Joyce creates. However, she does have a few personal favorites.

“I do everything, watercolors, acrylics, ceramics and metal,” Joyce said. “Watercolors or acrylics are my favorite because I just think it’s the best way for me to creatively express myself and I’m the best at it so it’s more fun for me to do because it actually looks O.K when I’m done with it.”

Aside from big projects, other creations vary on time commitment. They take more time to perfect and look at the painting itself several different times before completion.

“A lot of the art that I’m doing I kind of have to step back sometimes from it and you really have to look at it over a period of time until something comes to you,” Joyce said, “because I can do a bad piece of art in like 20 minutes. If I want it to look good it takes an extended period of time for me to perfect it.”

Joyce did not truly jump into creating art until the eighth grade and has increasingly made more as time progresses. She described it as “fun and relaxing” to make art.

“I was into jewelry making for a really long time and I made my own earrings and everything,” Joyce said. “I still do, but it kind of just progressed from there when I was like I can paint this and make it look cooler.”