Josh Barde

Charlemagne Vielleux works on a sketch she is creating in Art Club. “Art Club was able to help me with my leadership skills and being inclusive to other people,” Vielleux said.

Art opens the mind and allows  students to have a creative outlet in life. All students at Carlmont are required to achieve one year of art to graduate as a senior, but some students take it a step or two further. Charlemagne Vielleux, a freshman at Carlmont, is one of those students. 

“It all started in first grade, and somebody gave me a crayon, and then I realized I could do anything with any color, and I could draw whatever I wanted,” Vielleux said. 

Vielleux’s love for drawing drove her to start Art Club as an incoming freshman this year. The club focuses on allowing students to be themselves with their art in a safe classroom environment. 

“Through art, you can express your feelings and personality and not be  judged for it, which is what the club is all about,” Vielleux said.

The club is still small right now because it just started up again this school year, but Vielleux is hoping to expand Art Club as she wants more students to be able to learn through it and have them be able to share their love of art. 

“I can shade a lot better now, thanks to the Art Club. Shading helps me create facial features that make my drawings look more realistic and is a huge part of drawing a face,” said Bela Verma, a freshman and  member of Art Club. 

Verma joined the club because Vielleux asked her to as a friend, but Verma ended up enjoying it on her own as time went by.

“Painting is my favorite style of art as I love using different colors and making my work very vibrant using complementary colors,” Verma said. 

Throughout the meeting, the members focused on doodles and drawings they were playing around with: one student coloring, another drawing in pen, and the third shading with their pencil. As the meeting progressed, these doodles transformed into really cool pieces of art.

Although Vielleux hopes to bring all art lovers into the club, that would be quite difficult as artists like working independently and are scattered through the halls of Carlmont. They are doodling on paper at lunch in the quad, drawing on their arm in math class, and sketching on homework in history. 

“Art makes me a better person because it allows me to transfer my thoughts onto paper,” said Rylan Kelley, sophomore and fellow art lover at Carlmont.