After talking with multiple art students around Millbrook, there was one who stood out above the others in accomplishments and effort. Anna Overton is truly an extraordinary student who holds a very prominent place in the art department. Within her work you can find overwhelming emotion and devotion. Anna loves every aspect of art, but it all stems from the idea that “it gives me an outlet to express myself and create whatever I imagine.” Her creativity and talent are shown through her dedication and awards. With nature as her inspiration, Anna has created numerous incredible pieces. Most of these works stem from the style of surrealism, which gives Anna the chance to explore her creative side because of its imaginative nature. This, along with the fact that it depicts themes similar to ones found in her dreams, is why she finds this style particularly enjoyable. To explain this, Anna said, “My favorite art style is surrealism because of its ties to psychology and Sigmund Freud.” Speaking of favorites, a favorite artwork she has is called “The Garden of Earthly Delights” by Hieronymus Bosch. She enjoys this work because it displays the complexity of life in the middle panel of the three panel work. “Bosch’s interpretation of the Bible is interesting as well. I enjoy seeing how he imagines Adam and Eve’s’ paradise and the afterlife.”

 You may have seen her artwork displayed at the State Fair after placing in their competition. Her showcased work, entitled “Busy Bees,” not only won an award, but was displayed at Meredith College this past May as a teacher choice of school art. This piece is one of Anna’s personal favorites, and she recalls her time creating this piece saying, “I really enjoyed making my bee piece because it was my first time learning how to use watercolor correctly. I even continued to make watercolor pieces in the summer.” With her own personal masterpiece, Anna wanted to create a piece that had bright colors to catch the eye and work with new tools to make an effect she had not made before. She accomplished this by using the bees to give the work the bright yellow she wanted, and the flowers to bring some other bright colors in the piece for some extra contrast. When asked about one last thing she would like to leave the student body with, Anna said, “Creating art can be very rewarding and enjoyable, so don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone!”