Hanna Sun ’24 is a four-year-Senior from Hong Kong. She has participated in the studio art program for the past four years. She is co-head of Volleyball Club, a board member of Humane Society and Japanese Culture Club, co-captain of JV Volleyball, a former graphics editor for The Record, and a member of HDA theatre tech and FFEAT.
How did you become passionate about art?
I’ve loved to draw for as long as I can remember. When I was about four or five, I would mostly draw cute animals and princesses having tea parties in gardens. As I grew older and began taking art lessons, I realized how amazing it was to capture life on a piece of paper—not just in a literal sense, but also in an emotional way. Putting a painting on your wall is different from hanging a photo, because paintings can make you feel something that might not have existed in the first place. I wanted to find a way to see the things that I saw in my mind’s eye in real life, and that was art.
Who are your artistic inspirations? Do you have a favorite artistic style?
My favorite style is impressionism (artists such as Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, and Camille Pissarro.) Impressionists focus on representing how it feels to see a scene rather than painting it exactly as it is and on depicting the form of objects through highlights and shadows. I wrote my Teagle on the idea of impressions, how they may change and how Impressionism can depict that. I love Impressionism.
How has the school helped you develop as an artist?
I took studio art for two-and-a half years here and have had the pleasure of having three teachers: Ms. Colleen McGuire, Ms. Terri Moore, and Mr. Brad Faus. All three of them had distinct teaching styles and perspectives on art. Mr. Faus encouraged me to be brave and take risks—to take creative liberty to shift tones completely and see where it leads me. Ms. Moore always reminds me not to overwork my pieces—there reaches a point where more work is less, and I should feel satisfied with what I have. She also reminds me to take a step back—we often stand in the back of the room to look at my pieces on the front wall and point out where my proportions are wrong. Ms. McGuire has taught me to be mindful—to slow down during the process and really think about my intentions. Every time I feel stuck, she helps me brainstorm compositions while asking me, “What is it that I wanted to show in this piece?” I’m grateful for the art teachers here, who have guided me towards the styles and forms of art that bring me joy and encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone.
What advice do you have for younger artists?
Try everything. Don’t be judgemental when a new idea or technique is presented to you. You may be used to a certain art style or art form, which leads to a bias for your own taste, but it doesn’t mean that someone else’s art isn’t valuable. Mr. Faus once told me to try painting watercolor with looser, less-defined brush strokes rather than perfecting each detail. I didn’t really want to, since I was used to realistic- looking paintings, but after a few days of his gentle nudging, I finally tried it. Those paintings were the most mysterious and atmospheric landscape paintings I’ve ever made.
