The Bell sat down with Spartan artist Isabella Ratcliff (’24) and discussed her interests, inspirations, and creative pursuits.

Has art always been an interest of yours? Do you have any specific memories of creating art when you were younger?

I’ve been doing art since I was very young. My whole family, at some point, has done art, so they were happy to have me do the same. Even though I have also aspired to do other things, like robotics and engineering, art has always been a constant in my life. When I was younger, I would make portraits of my family and pets, spending hours with colored pencils and rulers to try to make “perfect” art. Of course, being an eight-year-old, they were not all that good. But, I think it’s because my family encouraged me to continue with my colored-in stick figures that I now do what I do today.

Do you have any artists or people around you that inspire you to create?

I definitely think my family was a huge inspiration at my beginning stages. Even though they pursued computer science and also incited my love of STEM, I think seeing their art really opened my eyes to the possibilities. Obviously, as I have grown older I have found new inspirations when it comes to style and purpose within my art. I think a lot of my art “vibe” wise, if that even is the correct term, was inspired by artists like Kim Jung Gi, Junji Ito, and the artists on this one art podcast/show that I would watch religiously as a child called “Drawfee”. More specifically within Drawfee, seeing the speed at which they draw and sketch, and utilizing a very fun and goofy way of designing characters, really inspired me to improve my confidence in art and allow myself to not take art too seriously.

What’s your favorite art medium? Why?

I think my favorite has to be acrylic, or things acrylic adjacent. My process uses a lot of layering and I move through stages of refinement, which causes me to need a very fast-paced medium. With acrylics’ faster drying time and minimal color shift after drying, it fits well with my process. Another medium adjacent to acrylic that I enjoy is acrylic gouache. It allows me to use very vibrant colors and create very fun expressionistic strokes. The best way to describe how it acts is if you were to look at the backgrounds of Studio Ghibli movies. It can be very similar to watercolor but also holds a lot of pigment and life. I also like exploring mediums in my spare time or when I’m bored. My go-to activity is trying a new medium. But whenever I have a direct image in mind, I usually default to acrylics.

What’s a piece of art you were proud of? Why?

One piece that I really enjoyed making and the finished product, was a piece called “Rot”. It’s a traditional landscape painting in a custom frame filled with guts, teeth, fingers, and general “eewy” disfigurements. When I was younger and first learning to paint, I would do the very traditional restrictive process and would only paint landscapes and the occasional bird. As much as these paintings might have developed my skill, I never found any trace of “me” in them. After I moved from New Zealand to America, I think my perspective on art also kind of shifted. I don’t really use art to express myself, but I still want to “own” the art– for lack of a better term. Throughout high school, I developed a much more surreal and experimental style, a style that was highly criticized by my family at first. I think while creating this piece, I wanted to try that old traditional style that I had started my art with. After completing the painting, (a landscape view of my old backyard), I still felt off about it. So I designed and laser cut out a custom frame that I filled with my current style to contrast the two sides of my art. I think just technically as well, I am happy with the painting. Something about it is very satisfying to reflect on.

Do you plan to continue to pursue art, recreationally or professionally, after high school?

I have always been split when it comes to artistic prospects. I think internally, I always knew I should do something more academic in stages past high school, but I found, when reflecting on my other interests, like engineering and English, my favorite aspects of those subjects always drew back to design and art. I am applying 50/50 to art schools and regular schools, and I have intentions to double major in something like environmental engineering and illustration. I think, even if I do end up not majoring in art, it will continue to play a part in my life. 

Is there anything else you would like to share with anyone reading who might be interested in pursuing art?

I think the largest thing that people forget when looking at my art is that I started from “nothing”. For so long I never did art. Whenever people look at other artists, the first thing that comes to mind is “innate talent”, but I think it’s quite the opposite. I don’t ever want people to be dissuaded from art because they believe they weren’t “born with it.” I don’t think anyone is ever “born with it”. It’s just like an academic subject. I spent hours studying and researching art techniques and styles. I would practice different styles, mediums, and subjects. I would spend months dedicated to drawing different poses and using different colors to try and advance my skills. The largest killer of beginner artists is believing that there is nothing they can do to reach “Picasso”. It won’t be fast. It won’t be easy, but the hardest part is sticking with it. Honestly, I gave up for a few years in middle school, and don’t think I really felt myself improving until the past 3 years. Even if it is a tiny sketch in the margins of a book, or some crude colored pencil drawing done in 5 seconds, no art is “worthless” art because it clings you to the craft.