Spotlight on the Arts

Lena Oldenburg – Noxon School

by Karen Thorson

As a young artist in Ms. Philpott’s second grade class at Noxon School, 8-year-old Lena Oldenburg is bursting with enthusiasm. Her explanation for her art is that she gets an idea and feels she must make it visible for herself and to share with others. A brief review of her artwork shows that she has an expansive array of ideas, interests, and artistic media. In short, she is an incredibly versatile artist.

Her love of color is evident, but not at the expense of artistic line. She uses both with freedom and, at the same time, discipline. Oldenburg’s subject matter is amazing – from fanciful creatures, to people, to landscapes. In addition to her obvious understanding of perspective and composition, she has a comprehension of the meaning behind her art. One piece in particular, named “Earth” (created as a Father’s Day gift last year) incorporates innumerable facets of what that means – water, sun, a rainbow, plants, and so much more. Another named “Home” shows a view out a window, with a vase of flowers on the sill and a landscape beyond.

Oldenburg uses a variety of colored pencils and color markers filling in many shapes full of color. When asked what her favorite color is, she responded, “All of them!” When asked what her favorite original artwork is, she responded, “I like them all, some more than others, but I like them all.”

Regarding advice to other young artists, Oldenburg encourages them to practice until they feel better about their creations. Looking ahead, she wants to learn more strategies to achieve realism in her work. In addition, she is interested in sculpting 3-D images using modeling clay. She is looking forward to new opportunities to express her creative spirit.

“Spotlight on the Arts” by The Paradise Center honors and encourages students in the arts by highlighting their talent and acknowledging the support they receive through their schools and teachers.