Rangeview’s art department is full of unique, creative individuals, exemplified by none other than sophomore Cassie Rivera. Despite only being a sophomore, Rivera has already made an impact on her classes and teachers through her passion and willingness to grow as both a student and an artist.
Like many, Rivera began drawing at a young age, starting with simple stick figures and anime characters. However, as time went on, she began to hone her work.
“My friend and I made a drawing club in elementary, and she brought this anatomy book to school, ” said Rivera. “That’s when I started to actually draw full bodies.”
Rivera most enjoys drawing and painting human figures, particularly from media she enjoys, such as TV shows or games. Like many artists, most of her inspiration is generated by her mind, as well as the occasional Pinterest search.
Art is often more about the journey than the destination, which is evident when it comes to Rivera’s process. She finds particular joy in figuring out how the artwork is going to look, such as choosing the medium, subjects, colors, etc. “My favorite part is probably choosing the position they’re gonna be in if it’s a full body…I like choosing the composition,” said Rivera.
Leigha Kelly-Knight, an art teacher at Rangeview High School, was Rivera’s teacher during her Freshman year. Kelly-Knight enjoyed having Rivera in her class, stating that “she is a go-getter… She is always the first student in class to raise her hand.” Rivera was always one to make the step outside her comfort zone in class, which is reflected in her creations.“She likes to push herself so she isn’t always trying the easiest thing,” said Kelly-Knight, “She takes her time with her artwork and adds a lot of details to it.”
Rivera’s expertise goes far beyond just drawing. Though many stick to just one or two mediums, such as pencils or markers, Rivera also finds joy in painting and ceramics. Her use of such a variety of mediums really helps bring her pieces to life. Specifically, Rivera states, “I like acrylic the most because I like blending with the paint,” she said. Rivera’s creativity and passion for drawing motivate her to think outside the box and create pieces that are special to her. Despite her great talent and capability in art, Rivera still has goals for areas she would like to improve, such as drawing hands and both eyes, things many artists can agree are particularly challenging to master. Specifically, she wanted to be able to make art more frequently, as she noted how little she had drawn in recent years.
Cassie Rivera demonstrates a great passion for creating art and will clearly have a strong career in Rangeview Arts.
