Sylvie Labalme ’23 is a four-year Senior from West Cornwall, Connecticut. Labalme began her art career as a Prep in the Visual Arts program and is now enrolled in Honors Advanced Studio Art Portfolio. At school, Labalme is the head of Demz and Art Club.
Outside of the classroom, she plays on the JV Girls Soccer team and is currently training for a half marathon as her independent co-curricular project.
How did you discover your passion for visual arts?
As a new student, I was not an artist per se. At first, I felt intimidated because many students here have taken visual arts for many years.
However, I am a firm believer that everyone has the potential to become an artist with the right support, which I was lucky enough receive from the faculty in the Visual Arts department. While I’ve always loved exploring art history and visiting museums, the Humanities program launched my passion to create my own artwork.
What are some of the most memorable art pieces you have created?
At the end of my Lower-Mid year, I created an acrylic on canvas abstract landscape painting called “Current Joys,” which was featured on the 2022 Hotchkiss holiday card this year. That was the first landscape I had ever painted. Since then, abstract landscapes have made up the majority of my artworks.
For me, that piece holds a special importance and helped me orient myself in terms of who I was as an artist and the goals I hoped to accomplish in my artworks. It also became the first piece of my portfolio collection, which focuses on abstract landscapes. Because it helped me to find my artistic style, this painting means a lot to me.
What are some of your favorite art mediums to work in?
I have explored oil and acrylic mediums in the past, but for the most part, I stick to acrylic paintings because I find them easier to work with to produce the most ideal outcomes. Using acrylic paints, I’ve done a deconstruction-reconstruction series of landscapes, which involved using a pallet knife and an exacto knife to cut out components from past landscape.
How has the school helped you grow as an artist?
My instructors in visual arts – Ms. Terri Moore, Mr. Bradley Faus and Ms. Colleen McGuire – have been so inspirational and supportive. They are all extremely invested in their students, and their dedication to the department is unparalleled. Every time I go into art class, I have memorable and productive interactions with my art teachers. Specifically, we’ll sit down together and do research for future projects, assess my portfolio as a whole, and do full class critiques.
Do you have any advice for aspiring artists at Hotchkiss?
The most important thing is to be comfortable, open to communicating, and to foster a good relationship with the art teachers, because they are the people who are going to help you the most as an artist.
