Jennifer Wan draws from life

by Adi Bala ARTS WRITER

Whether it be extracurriculars, studying for the next big math test, or writing an English essay on Ada Limon, sophomore Jennifer Wan has little time to spend on other activities. During precious, in-between moments of respite, she immediately turns her energy to the drawing board, where she begins yet another illustrative piece. Wan did not start with the hyper-realistic skills she possesses today; like many, a simple passion jumpstarted this adventure. “I began scribbling on walls, tables, picture books, everything ever since I could hold a pen,” she said. “As I grew older, I began understanding and appreciating this capacity for imagination.” a wider audience and garner feedback I could improve with.”

During this period, she did not have to worry about the direct influences of school life, and instead diverted her attention to the nature around her. She observed specific ambient elements before rendering a piece: color, lighting, and details, for instance. “My subjects often include animals, scenery, and the objects close to me,” Wan said.

The abstraction she sees in galleries and complex emotions associated with the art making process became very important to her as time went on. “I’m already thinking about experimenting with increasingly conceptual designs in the future, and I think I’ve started to do that in some capacity,” Wan said. She cited this as the reason her desire for expression through art is so deep.

by Claire Xu ARTS

“Avatar: The Way of Water” is an enchanting flurry of glowing seas, soaring skies, and amber eyes. Thirteen years after the original “Avatar” made waves across the world, director James Cameron invites viewers to explore the depths of Pandora, the fictional planet on which the films take place. The spellbinding visuals and portrayal of emotion during the three-hour-long epic transcends the expectations set by its predecessor. However, its plot is sluggish at times and,left me questioning its direction.

screen. They have four children to show for it, and a new seaside home where they settle after fleeing the RDA, the human militants. Jake has clearly shedded his characteristic daringness from the first film. He takes on the role of a family man, which showcases a sterner side of his character, but diminishes his ability to strike back at the militants. Neytiri is still the same fierce and loving character from the original, since unlike Jake, family has always been a great force for her.

Despite shortcomings in its story, “The Way of Water” goes all out in terms of visual detail. The characters’ faces are crafted meticulously. They convey emotion

During COVID—when time seemed to drag on endlessly and Wan was busy practicing her draftsmanship—she created an Instagram account dedicated to this artwork, @jennuinely.art, and has amassed over 400 followers. “I was getting bored of putting it in another sketchbook or my room,” she said. “I decided to create an account to share [my pieces] with

The main inspiration? Galleries. Though art museums have taken a huge hit from the pandemic, Wan makes a point to absorb and learn from the works of established painters. Contemporary and modern artists, though they present a different style than what she works in, are a main focus of study. “Potential for abstraction and metaphors is extremely important to me,” she said. “That way, I can draw inspiration from both the environment and my emotions.”

Equally important as the final product is the process. “I can grow as a human through the development of a piece, along with the incorporated ideas themselves,” she explained. “It can be hard to have so many concepts and scrap them for the next one all the time, but each one— finished or not—affects me.”

“Though my work is mostly realistic, the beauty of art and its elements allow anyone to take any interpretation from it—when I come across people who see my art with a different lens than I intended when creating the image, it just makes me happy,” Wan said.

Old grievances resurface between the Na’vi, the blue-skinned indigenous people of Pandora, and the humans determined to exploit the planet’s natural resources, no matter what—a premise identical to that of the first film, but with a few tweaks. They fight over the seas of Pandora, not the forests, and Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), the leads of the previous “Avatar,” are sixteen years older than when they were last seen on across the barrier of animation, as they smile, cry and soften their eyes in the same way that we do.

“The Way of Water” sets up for new protagonists to take over in the next film, with Jake and Neytiri’s kids displaying bravery and faith when their parents could not. The next “Avatar” film will likely be just as enthralling as “The Way of Water,” which was a truly magical experience, even if only for its visual aesthetic and captivating world.