Spotlight on the Arts

Zoey O'Neill – Noxon High School – September 2024

Interviewed by Karen Thorson

Zoey O'Neill, a junior at Noxon High School, is already an accomplished artist. Inspired by her grandmother, who is a landscape artist using oils, and her art teacher, Jessica Novak, O'Neill prefers acrylic painting over other mediums. How she came to use acrylics is an interesting story. She was going through a hard time in her life at nine years of age and found some acrylic paint that was donated to her school. She tried them and was immediately captivated by what she could create.

Her subject matter ranges from the geometric to the abstract and she prefers clean lines, in contrast to some artists who prefer loose brush strokes. O'Neill is a prolific painter with more than 25 paintings that hang in her home, not counting those works that are stored in her closet. For her, the joy of painting is the process itself rather than the final product. She laughingly says that she looks at her paintings with happiness knowing that she created them all on her own.

As with all high school art students, O'Neill is learning other art forms, including sculpture. She notes it is interesting to learn new things, although her preference for painting remains. Part of her artistic personality shines when she notes that she always wants to be engaged with creativity, happy in being productive, and satisfied with whatever the final product will be.

When asked what she would say to someone her age who is newly interested in art, O'Neill says, "Go for it! Try something and if it does not make you happy, try something else! You never know what you might create! Be in the moment and enjoy the process!"

As for her future in art, she says she does not have a specific plan. She wants to see what the future has to offer and then make choices. O'Neill wants to live her life to the fullest and have no regrets when she is older and looks back. Her future will surely be bright!

"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.