Clarke Central High School senior Anastasia Mack smiles in front of a bed of flowers. Throughout her life, Mack has loved art, and plans to major in traditional art at Savannah College of Art and Design. “I’ve always liked art since kindergarten pretty much,” Mack said. “I just liked being able to create with no boundaries and no rules.” Photo by Luna Reichert
A flower goddess. Floating whales. Birds dressed up and having a tea party. These are all creations from the mind of Clarke Central High School senior Anastasia Mack, who loves the independence of the art classroom where she can create whatever she feels like making.
From the first time she took an art class as an elementary schooler, Anastasia loved making art. She didn’t have to be good at it and she didn’t have to worry about being graded on whether other people liked her art. She just had to create what she thought was right.
Clarke Central High School senior Anastasia Mack works on an art piece while sitting on a bench. Mack’s process for creating a piece begins with sketching it out. “First, I would write down things that I would like (to draw), and then I would put them into composition, like thumbnail sketches,” Mack said. “Then after thumbnail sketches I will do a final sketch, see which ones I like and which poses I want to do. Then I draw it out on final paper, color it, add lining and then that’s it.” Photo by Luna Reichert
“I just like being able to do what makes me feel good and what makes other people feel good, because art has no boundaries. You can do whatever you want,” Anastasia said. “When I’m drawing, I can just draw whatever I feel like. I always have choices on what I can do.”
As an elementary schooler, Anastasia had to learn to be easygoing and more forgiving with her art.
“(In) first grade, I drew an ugly self-portrait, and I didn’t like it so much that I cried. My art teacher told me to come back after school, and she gave me some words of advice. She was like ‘This is a beautiful piece of artwork, and you should keep going with it because if you keep going, you’re gonna improve more,’” Anastasia said. “Well, now I’m a 12th grader, and I’ve always (taken art classes) since I’ve been in high school (and I’ve completed Art I-IV and Sculpture I).”
In her art, Anastasia has the freedom to reflect the part of the world she feels and wants others to see: the joy.
“I mainly do happy and inspirational themes. I don’t really do scared (themes) or (have) any negative emotions. I really just do good vibes, because that’s how I feel,” Anastasia said. “I (like) mainly pastel colors (and) bright colors (for) vibrancy.”
In her Art III class her junior year, Anastasia discovered watercolor, her now preferred medium. She could explore vibrant colors and painting techniques without having to follow a set structure.
“I love watercolor because water is just easy to use and it’s easy to carry around. When I’m drawing and (using watercolor), I can just draw whatever I feel like,” Anastasia said. “You don’t have to have structure or use math to measure curves or anything like that, (such as with sculpture).”
An infographic shows some of Anastasia’s watercolor paintings, with audio recordings of her talking about them. Graphic by Natalie Schliekelman
To CCHS 2D visual arts teacher Jessica Shelden, Anastasia is a vital part of the CCHS art community.
“She’s the kind of kid that makes you continue to choose to be a teacher, and makes you want to come in every single day,” Shelden said. “She’s really the kind of kid especially for me, who comes in and brightens my day up. I’m going to really miss her next year.”
Now, as a senior who has been a part of the art community at CCHS for four years, it is almost like a second family to her.
Clarke Central High School senior Anastasia Mack shows a watercolor piece she made in her junior year. Mack’s favorite medium is watercolors because of it’s freeing nature, unlike other mediums like sculpture. “(I don’t enjoy sculpture as much as watercolor) because I feel like it’s more rules you have to follow, and it’s just harder for me to get used to it,” Mack said. Photo by Luna Reichert
“My art teachers, Ms. (Amanda) Price, I call her Ms. Pringles, and Ms. (Jessica) Shelden (are) just amazing. They’re like my aunts, I love them,” Anastasia said. “Especially Ms. Shelden. She’s been with me since freshman year, so she’s been a real big help with improving my art and helping me mentally.”
CCHS senior Owen Austin-Totty, another art student and one of Anastasia’s peers, appreciates Anastasia’s unique style of art and inspiration.
“I like her art. I enjoy the experimentation with color and the softer shapes. I think I enjoy her art and I like the range of ideas that she has,” Austin-Totty said. “As an artist and a friend, I think we get along very well. We have good energy, and I like the support that she gives me.”
Anastasia plans to major in traditional art at the Savannah College of Art and Design, a decision she hopes will pave a way for art to continue to be a part of her life.
“I took the (traditional art) major because I like art and I want to do that. If I’m paying a lot of money to go to school, I want to do it not because I want to get a job to help me get money, (but) because I like learning about the subject,” Anastasia said. “I hope (I can have a career in art). It doesn’t have to be like a big famous artist, just like having a little part-time job selling art off Instagram or off social media or something.”
To Anastasia, there’s no right or wrong way to be an artist. Every new idea presents new possibilities and challenges, and she can always look to the next piece.
“If I feel like that piece didn’t turn out how I would like it to have to, I’ll (just think) I could do better next time. And if it turns out how I want it to be, (I’ll be happy) but sometimes as I grow older and look back at it (I’ll be less pleased),” Anastasia said. “There’s always room to improve in art. With art, it’s just do what makes you like your art (and) do what you think is right.”
Story by Natalie Schliekelman
Package by Ireland McCage
