A.P. Draw, Paint, Print Senior Spotlight Interview: Madeline Pruden

The AP Drawing Portfolio is an intensive course, requiring students to produce art at the college level. Students compile a portfolio of 15-20 original artworks demonstrating mastery in composition, technique, and concept. They pursue the WHY behind their own artistic process and participate in weekly critiques of classmates’ work, as well as submit completed pieces approximately every two weeks. Be sure to mark your calendar for the Senior AP Art Portfolio Show in the Berg Gallery on the evening of April 24.

“Madeline has been a source of vivacious and effervescent energy in the art studios since Middle School,” said instructor Rebecca Hoadley. “During her freshman year, I noticed her love of paint as well as bright colors. She brings a brightness to the campus and gallery spaces that is reminiscent of happy summer days and memories of adventure and sunshine. We will all dearly miss having her in the studios after graduation, but know she is going to do wonderful things!”

What is the central idea of your concentration?

My concentration focuses on the vivacious or effervescent moments throughout my life using bright colors or bright memories. I didn’t quite have a solid concentration plan when I began working this year, instead, I let my creativity and personality shape and form my concentration to what it is now.

How does your work demonstrate the exploration of your idea?

Each piece is accentuated with either bright colors, bright memories, or both. I love working on pieces that bring me back to a happy memory that I can bring back into reality. Using bright colors to accentuate the piece romanticizes the memory and makes it even better than before.

How has the idea evolved over the year?
My idea started as using colors to express emotion but as I progressed I realized how much I love painting expressions and flesh tones. Because of this my concentration has evolved into capturing natural expressions one projects to make those people recognizable. I love painting people in my community because then people will be able to recognize the person in the portrait.

Can you explain your artistic process? Where do you gain inspiration?

My inspiration comes from my friends and family and the memories I have had with them. When I’m not painting one of my friends or family members, I’m painting a scene from a memorable moment I had with them whether it be a landscape or a memorable landmark from the moment.

What do you hope the viewer will see in your artwork?

I want someone viewing my art to feel the vibes of the moment captured in the picture either through the color palate and tones, or the expressions on the faces of my friends and family. One reason I love painting people is I love capturing the expressions because each individual expression shows a lot about the character of that individual.

How long have you been making art? And when did you start to feel independent and like you were truly making your own work?

The first time I felt truly independent in my artistic process was the very first project of senior year. I was painting a picture of an In-N-Out burger and as I began on the napkin that was laying on the tray, I saw all the purples and yellows and the blues and greens within the shadows and highlights of the napkin and I knew exactly what to do and how to paint it. Only last year I would have only used white and maybe some black for the shadows. Now I was independent from raising my hand and asking Ms. Hoadley to help me mix a color. I knew what to do. As the year has continued. I’ve asked for help less and less and enjoyed my projects more and more, because it’s what I want to do instead of a structured project.