Award-Winning Talent
by Kelsey Myers
Kristen Landsman, a senior at Delone Catholic, is known for her exceptional
artistic abilities. At a young age her talent far exceeds her peers at Delone
and around the world. Kristen comes from a family of thirteen police officers
and she once thought she would follow in their footsteps. She has since decided
to pursue art and branch out on her own.
“I have always
loved art, since I was able to hold a crayon/ marker in my hand,” said
Landsman.
Kristen loves art because each piece she
produces is a new process of self discovery either in her skill level or
something more personal. There’s a lot of hard work involved in her art and, at
times, the process can be frustrating. In some cases, she will leave pieces sit
for days, weeks, and sometimes months because it has not met her standards or
she feels like she does not want to continue; in the end the process pays off.
Landsman draws her inspiration from her
grandmother, who passed away in 2013.
Kristen said she finds satisfaction, “by using my talents to help others through rough
times.” She also finds inspiration from her current situations whether that be
personal or societal.
Sometimes Landsman finds
inspiration on a whim and paints whatever interests her at the time. She tries
to be innovative in her artwork by taking everyday objects and analyzing them
from an artistic standpoint. Kristen’s work requires her to be observant and
analytical because she wants to portray textures, shadows, and highlights. She
has to decide what paint brushes or mediums to use.
Her favorite piece that she has
done is a portrait of Salvador Dali painting.
“This painting definitely shows
my growth as an artist and my ability to expand what materials I use,”
explained Landsman.
The materials she used were acrylic,
watercolor, chalk and oil pastel, colored pencil, marker, eyeshadow, highlight,
loose face powder, nail polish, Vaseline and cornstarch. Other works she is proud
of are her starry night violin, a portrait of a dog that that was composed out
of grayscale scribbles and a sculpture of a man running through a sheet of
fabric.
When asked about her favorite
style of art Landsman replied, “I love everything about art.” She has a
particular fascination with the history and background of the artist
themselves. “You really can't appreciate a piece if you don't know the artist.”
Landsman has a long list of accomplishments at
the age of 18. Her biggest and most recent achievement was winning Chapman University's "Messengers of Memory: The
19th annual Holocaust Art and Writing Contest." Her winning piece depicted
a moment from a Holocaust survivor’s story. She competed against students from
255 schools, 31 states, and 8 countries.
Her other accomplishments
include illustrating the front cover of Joseph Fitzpatrick's book Given II and
winning Bishop Gainer’s Christmas card contest twice.
Landsman helped to raise $300
for a mission trip her church was taking by auctioning off one of her sketches.
One of the bidders loved the piece so much she asked Kristen to make a replica
for her and paid $300 for the sketch.
The priest attending the
mission trip took along some of Kristen’s work to hand out as gifts to the
people in India. In 2013, Kristen created a painting ministry at her church for
those who needed prayers, especially those in hospice. Landsman created this
ministry shortly after the death of her grandmother, who originally inspired
her to use her talents. Her artwork has been flown across the country and the
world.
