Kirstin Wilson, a 15-year-old freshman at Glenwood Springs High School, is one of many students whose work was on display during the high school’s art show this week.

An Art I student, Wilson had multiple pieces in the show, a few of which earned her first place ribbons.

The young artist said she’s been doodling from the time she could hold a pencil, and all that practice is paying off now that she takes art more seriously.

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Wilson told the Post Independent about her favorite mediums, other art forms she’s involved with and what place art has in her future.

Post Independent: When did you get interested in the visual arts? What’s your earliest memory of doing something artistic?

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Kirstin Wilson: I’ve always been interested in the visual arts, just when I was a kid it wasn’t as serious as now. My earliest memory is from the moment I was able to pick up a pencil, I would take a spiral notebook and fill it with scribbles along the lines. My mom thought that was so strange that I had that hand-eye coordination at such a young age. I must’ve been about 2 when I started doing that. And I filled many notebooks, not just one or two!

PI: What mediums do you work in?

KW: I prefer to work with graphite, charcoal and acrylic paint. As I got older, I would draw with pencils. From pencils it stemmed to charcoal. And then I wanted to add some color, so I started using paints. I’m starting to branch out yet again into digital art. Pencils and charcoal are difficult because you can get very detailed with them, or you can stay very basic. Acrylic paint is difficult because of the color. Blending, mixing and choosing colors proves to be time consuming. I’m finding digital art to be difficult because you can’t look at your hand while you’re drawing, you have to look at the screen. Also, I start to get a headache after staring at the computer screen for hours on end.

PI: Tell me about your pieces that appear in the GSHS art show.

KW: My pieces in the art show reveal where my strong suits are and where I learned how to do something new. My graphite and acrylic paintings received awards since those are mediums that I prefer. My block printing piece also received an award because that was something that I had previously done in my middle school art class at Riverside Middle School. The positive-negative space project and fused glass project was a challenge because my brain isn’t very good at thinking that way. I have a hard time strategically choosing a drawing or picture with certain traits in mind. I’m used to just drawing or painting whatever I want to. That was a unique challenge that I learned from.

PI: Are you involved in any other types of art?

KW: Yes, I am involved in drama this year as well. We had a performance last night, which was the night of the 19th. I’m not publicly involved in singing and dancing, but I do enjoy doing both of those things as well.

PI: In general, what do you love about art?

KW: Art is a way to express yourself. It’s just like writing a paper in school or talking to your friends. You can get a message across. I really loved the Renaissance art that I saw on my trip to Europe during this spring break. Art isn’t just about making something look pretty, it’s about saying something that is significant to you. Making it look good is only part of the process.

PI: Do you see yourself continuing to pursue art after high school?

KW: Yes, I do hope to pursue art after high school as a career. I would love to become an animation artist. This combines my love of art with my love of Disney movies. I also have a sort of side business starting up on a web site called Etsy. My shop is called Kreartive if you would like to take a look.