Student Spotlight: Nicole Li
Meet Nicole Li, a fourteen-year-old watershed explorer from Johns Creek, Georgia. Nicole's art piece titled "Tree of Life" (above) was selected as River of Words' 2016-17 Category III Art Winner and will be printed in the much-anticipated 2016-18 Anthology. In January of 2018, Nicole participated in a student spotlight interview, in which she told us about the story of "Tree of Life," the view from her favorite tree, and much more.
Q: What is your current age?
A: Fourteen.
Q: How did you begin creating, and what do you enjoy about creating?
A: I’ve enjoyed drawing as far back as I can remember. I enjoy creating because I can make whatever I want to.
Q: What do you like about being able to make whatever you want to.
A: Well, I can make anything! Like if I want to make a dragon, I can make a dragon.
Q: Wow, I love that it sounds like you understand the power that you hold. What does it feel like to be able to do that?
A: It makes me feel free to express myself and create my own worlds
Q: So, tell me about “Tree of Life” what inspired you to create it and what were you thinking about while you created?
A: “Tree of Life” was inspired by a trip to Florida, where I saw mangrove forests and the tour guide talked about how many animals lived in the trees and what the trees could provide for the animals.
Q: Has art and the environment always been linked for you?
A: I think they’ve always been linked. I’ve always liked landscape drawings, and drawings with rivers and forests.
Q: Do you like to explore the environment? What do you normally do when you explore the environment?
A: Walk around, go fishing, climb trees.
Q: Wow, that’s a very different group of activities! What helped you to get into fishing?
A: Well, my dad likes fishing.
Q: What about climbing trees?
A: There’s a very big tree in a park that I go to often, and it’s tall and fun to climb.
Q: What else do you do when you go out into the environment?
A: I’ve gone camping a few times.
Q: What was that like?
A: mosquitoes everywhere.
Q: What is it like for you when you climb up the big tree you mentioned? It must be interesting to climb such a big tree, to have a different view of the world.
A: When climbing the tree, you can see the whole—there’s a lake next to it, and you can see the whole lake from up top.
Q: What do you normally do when you’re in the tree?
A: Look at things. I observe the lake most of the time. Sometimes there’s ducks in it. I also try to find flowers on the tree.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who wants to explore more about their watershed and their environment, like you do in the trees?
A: Go to a park and explore. Hike in trails, walk around the lake if there is one, discover new things.
Q: So, for you it sounds like going into the environment and interacting helps you to understand your environment. How did you first hear about River of Words?
A: My art teacher introduced it to me.
Q: And did your art teacher suggest you send things in?
A: Yes
Q: What was it like to enter your work into a contest?
A: I wasn’t sure if I would win, but it was fun! I drew lots of fish.
Q: What are you currently drawing?
A: Oil painting. I’m drawing this place in Switzerland. It has a waterfall
Q: Are you looking at pictures to draw it? Or is it a place you’ve been?
A: looking at pictures.
Q: How do you normally select what you’re going to draw?
A: I usually draw whatever interests me at the time.
Q: So what ways do you begin creating your art?
A: I think of what I want to draw, and then look up pictures for reference.
Q: What is some advice you would give another young person who wants to create art?
A: Practice, draw lots of different things. Try lots of different styles, try to develop your own.
Q: What do you think helped you to get started on creating art?
A: I don’t know. I’ve always liked it, ever since I could remember.