There are many students of art throughout the school; writers, painters, photographers, costume designers, and songwriters are among the many art students here at school. One art student in particular, Rachel Kelley, is known for her fantastic artworks at school.

Rachel Kelley is a senior here at BCHS, and she has been drawing for a long time. She’s always drawn in some aspect, but she has been drawing seriously for six years. “My inspiration was different animation works from Disney, Dreamworks, and Nickelodeon. I wouldn’t just watch the characters move around, I’d see what they wore and said, how they acted and moved, the world they were in and their place in that world,” she described when asked about her inspiration. “Art was something I had complete control over. I could do whatever I wanted and it wouldn’t be wrong. I was free to do what I wanted.” She has been influenced by shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Kelley sees art as an escape, “It’s a way to make whatever you want. It’s the easiest way to show how you see the world around you, what’s going on in your head, what ideas and passions you have, and so much more. Art is endless with ways it can be made and shown. You are free to do as you want on the paper and put what’s on your mind on the page, and coming from a place like I did, where expressing my thoughts and ideas was a beatable punishment, art helped me in ways words couldn’t.” Art has been a huge part of how she dealt with what she had to face in her life at an early age. “My childhood was really rough; I had a hard time doing anything, or feeling good about anything. I started art because it was fun to do, and I continued because art was a place to go when things got too bad,” she said, “It was safe and I really couldn’t do it wrong. So I continued and got better to where I am today.”

For Rachel, drawing has helped her grow and develop into the person she is today. It allowed her to discover herself and get through the trauma she faced throughout her life, and she continues to grow as a person today. If you need an art mentor or just someone to talk to, Rachel is the person you need to see.