Budding Young Artists

The Art of Self-Expression With Eva Victoria Morales Joubert

Photo by Vityl Media

Art is an escape for Eva Victoria Morales Joubert. Whether she’s at school or at home, this 13-year-old artist dives into her inner world every time she begins working on a new piece. For her, it’s all about learning new techniques, experimenting, and expressing herself. She sees her art as a “journal” and notes that each completed artwork captures her personal stories, thoughts, and feelings.

Morales Joubert’s passion for self-expression is directly tied to her unique art-making process. She often listens to music while she works, allowing each swipe of paint to match the sound and emotion. “I start to choose colors that I feel are right for the emotion or memory I’m thinking of and just freely add the colors to the canvas, usually while having a rhythm with every brush stroke I make,” she explains.

The resulting work is stunning and deeply personal. From lively splatter paintings to dreamy landscapes, each piece in her collection features a delightfully intuitive blend of color and texture. “Liquid acrylic paint is absolutely one of my favorites because you can make layers with it,” she says. “You can throw it at your painting and give it a drippy effect, which is something that has become like my signature because in every painting of mine there is a drip somewhere.”

With such a distinct style, it’s no surprise her art is already gaining interest and accolades. In November of 2023, she won first place in a self-portrait contest with a colorful abstract painting. She has also had various artworks displayed at art galleries and a hospital. In sharing her work with others, she hopes people might be inspired to see an authentic reflection of who she is as an artist.

Morales Joubert expresses her gratitude to God for her talent and the endless support of her parents as she continues to explore the world of art. To other artists her age, she says, “Never compare your art to others because when you do, you try to copy them. Be yourself, and express what you feel and what you think. Art is a whole other world where you are allowed to be yourself without judgement.”

The Art of Positivity With Harmonee Thomas

Harmonee Thomas’ love for art started in elementary school. Her teacher Ms. Gilreath was an inspiration to her, always sharing encouraging words and making art class fun. Now 13 years old, Thomas’ cherished friends, family, and teachers continue to fuel her passion for art, and the resulting joy shines through in her work.

For her, the art-making process is about discovery and having fun. “It makes me happy to see what I come up with at the end,” she explains. “In the moment of making the painting, I wonder, ‘Is this going to be really bad or really good?’ In the end, it’s good, and that brings me joy.” She notes her favorite place to make art is art class, where she can enjoy art-making with her friends and one of her favorite art teachers, Heber Gutierrez.
When asked about her favorite medium to work with, Thomas shares more about her love for acrylic paint. “You can layer it, and it’s good for abstracts,” she says. “My favorite painting is a black, white, and gray painting. The process was fun. It looks like watercolor, but it’s acrylic. We were told to just use black paint, and it felt easy to use it to make the picture. It’s my favorite because it was featured in Memorial Hospital and got me my first international award.”

In addition to her second-place win in the Jiangsu International Youth Painting Contest in October of 2024, Thomas’ work has been featured in a variety of notable art exhibitions since 2021. Through SPLASH Youth Arts Workshop, her work has been featured at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 4 Bridges Arts Festival, In-Town Gallery, and Chattanooga’s sister city Wuxi, China. Other exhibitions in her repertoire include the 2022 All Souled Out exhibit at Stove Works and 2023 Growth and Change Teen Exhibit at the Hunter Museum of American Art.

Outside of art shows and competitions, Thomas reminds herself and other artists that “one bad painting doesn’t mean all paintings will be bad.” In fact, when other artists succeed, she chooses to stay positive and see their work as proof that she can do it too. She extends a special thank you to SPLASH Youth Arts Workshop and Charlie Newton for the “awesome opportunities,” her grandad for signing her up for art class, and her parents for their loving support.

The Art of Patience With Hansini Puttagunta

For Hansini Puttagunta, art is all about persevering. “Although the process of making art is very time-consuming and requires a lot of patience, the results give me a lot of joy,” says Puttagunta. “I also feel that I grow every time I make a mistake and learn from it. My patience levels have definitely increased since I started making art.”

Inspired by the encouragement and support from her family, Puttagunta’s preferred art style is realism. “I like to make things look as real as possible, as if they were frozen in time,” she shares. While Puttagunta is skilled in a variety of different mediums, her favorite to work with is charcoal pencil, as it offers a different texture and a fun stroke style to create with.

Puttagunta’s favorite place to create is in her art class at Girls Preparatory School. “It’s fun to explore the different styles of art offered, whether it’s painting or stitching,” she shares. Puttagunta’s creativity continues to be inspired in class thanks to the support of her encouraging art teachers.

At only 12 years old, Puttagunta is already standing out in the art community. In October of 2024, one of Puttagunta’s favorite pieces, titled “Soldier in Despair,” was published in The Walnut Branch for Young Adults, a magazine for artists from kindergarten to 12th grade. After being selected, the piece was also displayed at the Hunter Museum of American Art. “That piece was done with charcoal, and I really liked the final result,” Puttagunta shares. “I love the shading in it, and I was inspired by similar drawings.”

For other artists her age, Puttagunta encourages them to keep pressing on, even when the artistic process may be frustrating. “You make so many mistakes before you end with the final result. In the process, you learn to be patient with yourself and it motivates you to get better,” she says. “I also feel like if you truly believe in yourself, you can do anything.”

The Art of Details With Joseph Cunningham

Creative ideas come to life in Joseph Cunningham’s art. Often inspired by nature, this 14-year-old artist loves to focus in on the details and hone his creative skills. For him, art-making is all about taking the extra time to lean into his personal style and create a satisfying final product.

A large part of Cunningham’s collection involves black ink pens and cardstock. Using fine lines and stippling, he creates small, detailed drawings that depict images of the night sky, campfires, paths through the wilderness, and more. He notes that a big inspiration for his style is the work of Sam Larson, a full-time freelance artist based in San Diego, California.

School has also played an important role in Cunningham’s growth as an artist. He shares that school is his favorite place to make art because it provides “dedicated uninterrupted time to work.” Additionally, various projects in his art classes have encouraged him to appreciate art in new ways. “‘The Persistence of Memory’ by Salvador Dali is my favorite painting because it was my reference the first time I did a full-page graphite drawing,” he explains. “It was a big deal for me and made me really like the painting even more.”

Cunningham hopes to continue art as a lifelong hobby, consistently growing and improving his artistic skills. Cunningham’s favorite part of the artistic process is seeing his idea come to life, and he aims to inspire his audience to delve into their own creativity. “I hope that others like my art and that it encourages them to make art of their own,” Cunningham shares.

To other artists his age, Cunningham shares the importance of slowing down to truly enjoy the art-making process. From his perspective, art is less about instant gratification and more about learning to “take your time” and make every detail count. Cunningham would like to thank Josh Green, his art teacher at Chattanooga Christian School for fostering his creativity and teaching him about different art forms.

The Art of Inspiration With Naomi Harris

For 14-year-old Naomi Harris, there’s no shortage of inspiration for her artistic process, from the things in her home to the people around her. “I enjoy making art because it allows me to show my creativity,” Harris says. “There are so many ways to make art. It’s so versatile and diverse.”

When creating her art pieces, Harris prefers to sketch in her bedroom, as she loves being in the comfort of her own space and her room houses all of her art supplies. Harris’ home also plays a large role in her creative process. “We have art everywhere, even works that I’ve created, which inspires me to want to create more,” says Harris. “I’m also inspired by different items that I see that make me want to create something new and artistic. For example, there was an old candy tin that I turned into a strawberry birthday cake.”

In regards to medium, Harris primarily enjoys working with pen and pencil. “I enjoy sketches and making portraits the most,” says Harris. “I’m best at using pencils to shade, and I love the details that it allows. I feel that I make the best sketches out of using pencil and pen.”

With her chosen medium, Harris prefers realistic sketches and creating portraits. “I think some of my absolute favorite pieces are sketches of the eyes. I think the eyes are the windows to the soul,” shares Harris. “I love the ability to shade and blend and how well they complement each other to create a wonderful piece of art that not only I enjoy but others as well.” Harris recently submitted one of her sketches in the Pick Up Your Pencil teen art show at the Chattanooga Library, and her work was selected to go to the final round.

Harris encourages other artists her age to simply get started. “Create art until you manage to find your style and feel proud of it,” shares Harris. “Also, get inspiration from other things that you’re interested in, such as an object, a person or another artist, or nature. Just keep trying and trying because the hard work pays off.”