Voices Ringing Blog /

Introducing our Class of 2025 AP Artists

The AP Artists in the Carroll Class of 2025 invite you to view this special creators' gallery and learn about the inspiration behind their art!

Allison Arias-Rodriguez

I've always liked art since I was very young, but I never really thought much of it. I doodled here and there, hoping something would look good. My aunt was my inspiration because she is a very good artist, and I wanted to be just like her. Once I reached 8th grade, I applied for an art scholarship here at Carroll. I wasn't specifically good at it then, but I thought I’d give it a chance. Somehow, I earned it.

During my first year, I didn't do much, but I learned some new techniques and refined my sketching skills at most. Going into sophomore year, I began taking art more seriously, and I learned a lot. I tried different mediums and decided which ones I liked and didn't. I had lots of fun. You won’t find any pieces from those years on my display, but you will find the product of all that learning and hard work.

My junior and senior years, I have been in AP Art and had the freedom to choose what to draw and in which mediums. Putting all that learning from the previous year with motivation to paint things I like helped me break through. I don’t consider myself to be the kind of artist who has been good at it since birth. I was taught and self-made with hard work and a hint of perfectionism. My journey has not been the most exciting, but it has shown me that it's possible to accomplish things you never thought you could. Here you’ll see all that progress coming from a regular girl who sketches.

Allison Walls

I am so grateful that you have taken time out of your day to view my artwork! To many of those reading this — you have been my biggest supporters, and neither I nor my art would be where it is today without your never-ending support, guidance, and confidence in my abilities. You have inspired me to keep pursuing art and my dreams in more ways than one.

The true beginning of my journey in art began when I was about ten years old at an art studio in Fairborn, the Terri Lynn Art Studio and Gallery. My passion for art grew while spending many hours on Fridays after school painting. Through Miss Terri’s instruction at the studio, I developed my painting skills from the ground up. I credit Miss Terri for giving me my eye for art. She knows more than anyone about my common dissatisfaction with my artwork, but luckily for me, her patience never ceases to run out. She has worked with me for many years, ensuring I am happy with the outcome of the pieces I create.

In my school education, I have also been blessed with the best art teachers: most notably, Ms. Joanne Von Sossan, who was my art educator from 1st through 8th grade at St. Peter Catholic School, and Mrs. Renee Merland, who I have had the privilege of being instructed by in Studio Art and AP Art courses for the past three years. From a young age, Ms. Von Sossan introduced me to many of the foundational art elements, specifically color theory and perspective. I vividly recall learning about the color wheel and creating one-point perspective drawings in her art class. The basis of art that she provided me with still proves useful in my artwork today, and I look back at the constructive criticism she gave me on projects fondly as it always kept me growing as a young artist. On the other hand, Mrs. Merland has been instrumental in taking me through the process of forming my art portfolio throughout high school. Under her expertise, I have learned to develop deeper meaning in my art and have grasped the ability to infuse pieces of my inner being within my work. I’ve grown to a place now where I like to believe that my art is an extension of myself and my take on the world.

That being said, my art is often sporadic. I don’t plan my paintings far in advance, but rather I paint whatever resonates with me at the time. This is why the subject matter of my art involves an assortment of all kinds of places, people, and objects. I use moments of inspiration as my guiding compass. While my subject matter often fluctuates, my style does not. I tend to stick to painting realistically, and I find that my favorite compliment to receive is when people say my work looks like a photograph. This is the beauty of realism. Realism allows me to recreate a moment in time and capture its stillness. Nothing else can quite convey the true sentiment and emotion of a moment in time like art can.

As time evolves, so does perception. In the phase of your life that you are currently navigating, I hope that you are able to connect with my art and find your own meaning within the brushstrokes I’ve laid out on these canvases. Although art tells a story on its own, my wish is that from this written statement you have gathered a little more about me, my creative process, and my journey in becoming an artist. I am excited to turn the page and see what the next chapter of my life holds!

Andersyn Heaton

Art has always been a big part of my life. My mother is an art teacher at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic School, and my sister has always been very good at art and grew up to be an architect. I have always been given artistic freedom in my own home and been supported by everyone to fulfill my love for art. That was why I decided to go to Archbishop Carroll High School – because of the art program. Art, to me, has always been a place of relaxation and peace. It has been something that I can do if I am bored, as a hobby, or as a place to show my emotions and how I am feeling. I believe that art is a way to express your emotions in a way that not everyone can understand. That is why not everyone can understand art. Because art is such a big part of my life, it has been very important to me. I am so grateful for the opportunity that the Carroll art program has given me.

I think what most inspires me in art is colors and looking at other pieces of art. My art is always exactly what I am thinking when it comes to showing emotion and being a representation of myself. Whether you understand art or not, I think all art deserves to be seen and cared about. It is important for everyone to understand that you don’t have to like the way someone's art looks in order to care about it. Always be kind when it comes to art and all things. Thank you for viewing my artwork.

Aubrey Volkerding

Art has always meant so much to me ever since I was a little girl. I've always had a desire to be an artist and had the dream that I would become an art teacher so I could spread my love of art to other people. Now, as a graduating senior, I am hoping to be able to do just that by studying art in college. No matter what career path, my goal is to share the impact of art on other people just as it has for me. In my art, I have started to realize a pattern of creating pieces that bring me peace and joy of very important aspects of my life so I can capture them and never let them fade away.  Art has helped me express myself and find who I truly am by discovering my own style, motives, and inspiration while recreating memories that are very significant to me. Thank you for viewing my artwork.

Christopher Reid

Art has always been a part of my life. Ever since childhood, I have always found inspiration in expressing my thoughts through lines and colors on paper. Color has been an easy way to express my emotions, as well as my desires. It seems to me, all my life, I have been drawing. Watching cartoons is what really sparked my interest in drawing. Seeing a drawing move on a screen or doing dynamic poses and actions really interested me. At some point in my life, I picked up a skill for recreating cartoons on paper. Because of compliments and people being intrigued by my drawings, I wanted to play on it and get better. This is when I started enrolling into art classes at K12 Gallery in Dayton. I did this for a few summers and had an enjoyable time. In the end, art, to me is a very therapeutic hobby that I enjoy doing when I have the time.

Collete Merland

Thank you for taking the time to look at my artwork! Creating art has always been very important to me and is something I’ve always held close to my heart. It has always been a way for me to express myself, whether that would be painting or drawing or sculpting. It was a way to show people who I am and what I find valuable in life. It is a way for me to express how I am feeling at a given moment. Creating art that meant something deeply to me was challenging and required a lot of patience and determination. Through my art I want to show people the world through my eyes. 

I have always liked creating art, but the moment I realized I was born to be an artist was in 6th grade. I joined the Art Club, and it was the only club I was a part of. I was extremely proud to be a part of this group and really enjoyed it. I liked spending time after school with my friends creating art. I learned that life is about sitting around with people you love and doing something that feeds your soul. I learned there that love is important in creating art. I wanted to love creating art and create art that makes the viewer feel loved. I also wanted the viewers to feel understood, happy, and united together. I wanted to create art that made people feel calm and relaxed. I want the viewer to notice the colors in each piece and the subject matter. These two components are very important to me. Each piece tells a story about me and my life. The colors and subjects take that story further and add to the story of each piece.

I want to show people the beauty of life through the strength and struggle of life’s precious moments. I want to show the viewer how beautiful even the most mundane moments can be. There is beauty in struggle, and there is also beauty in strength. I want to show the viewer that life is about finding beauty in the good and the bad moments and understanding your strength through struggle. I hope you enjoyed my art, thank you for coming by!

Gabrielle Kilby

Thank you for viewing my art.  Art is something very near and dear to my heart. When I create, I create for no one other than myself, and I make sure to leave something special in each piece that I make. My collection of works is like one great big self-portrait; each canvas holds a part of me, whether it be my actual likeness or an emotion that I felt. My art is very personal, but I try to make messages that others can relate to, as art is a very social thing. Many of my pieces are inspired by others and the way that they have impacted my life, usually for the better. People are typically the subjects of my art. I love trying to capture the expressiveness of humans and push myself to create unique, intriguing characters to depict in my pieces.

In addition to being inspired by people, I also take heavy inspiration from music. I play both bass guitar and drums, and I used to play piano, so music is a big part of my life. I love going to concerts and am always finding new music to listen to and play. This passion can be seen throughout my art. As I have gotten older, I have learned to refine my art style and fine tune the ways that I express myself in my pieces. Through my drawings and paintings, I try to convey the emotions I am feeling at that moment. I do this by carefully curating the color palettes that I use as well as the mediums and textures present in my pieces.

Despite all this, not every one of my art pieces has a huge story behind it. Most of them don’t -- they’re just a spur of the moment thing. I don’t even like all of my art. Sometimes, I sit in class and dread picking up a paintbrush, and other times, it comes naturally. I am insanely nervous to show all of these pieces in a big show, but I’m working on accepting it, and hopefully, by the time you are reading this, I have. If you’ve made it this far, I want to honestly say thank you. Art means so much to me, and it warms my heart to think that my art means something to other people. I hope that you enjoy at least one of my pieces and that it inspires you to go out and appreciate art everywhere.

Again, I really meant it, thank you for viewing my art!

Laura Kabban

I can remember having a special appreciation for art ever since I was a kid. When I was young, I used to color in a coloring book with my mother before bed every night, and I believe this is where my love for art began. Art is a way to bring people together and express your emotions. It shows your creativity and makes the world a brighter and more fascinating place. Art is my calm in a storm, it's my therapy. I feel inspired to create art when I see something or someone I love, have emotions I do not know how to express, or if I have a lot on my mind. I find that when you put emotions behind your artwork it can create a stronger connection with the viewers.

My art does not typically have a primary focus, but this year, the topic of my pieces answers the question: how many emotions can one portray with a singular focal point in the piece? It has been extremely fun experimenting with this topic, and I have learned so much about how human emotions are connected to objects/images. I love to experiment with all the different mediums and styles so you can see the variety in my artwork. Overall, I want people to view my art and find a connection, maybe through sadness or peace, anger, or ambition, or just some emotion it brings out in you. Art is my therapy, and I hope you have as wonderful a time viewing it as I did creating it!

Tessa Zimmerman

I have come a long way in the last four years, and I am happy to have such a wonderful portfolio to share with others. It took some effort to pick the best pieces to share, but it all came together in the end. I have always had an interest in colors and drawing. My passion was supported by my mom who was also an art student at Carroll, as well as other family and friends.

I was known as one of the art kids in grade school, which wasn’t a bad thing. Being someone who people perceived as an artist had its own perks: getting picked for group projects, making birthday cards, and occasional praise from teachers. It was alright, but I really found the freedom I needed when I made it to the studio art classes as well as working on sets for the drama program. High school opened some doors for me, and I was able to submit my AP portfolio last year as a junior. Working under the pressure of those deadlines was difficult but rewarding. I chose to explore how my relationships with people and places affected my choice of medium, and I have maintained that thesis with some of my senior year pieces. I love mixed media and expressive pieces, and I am trying to branch out and develop my skills in different ways. Even though I have been slightly less motivated this year, I have still been able to make work that I am proud of, or had a lot of fun making.

The arts are their own thing, and there is a fantastic beauty in all of them. Outside of traditional art, I love digital art, photography, as well as theater art, and I have an appreciation for dance and music, even though they are not my strong suit. Additionally, I believe that art cannot be rushed or pressured, unless it's due tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow, I can’t wait to see where life takes me. I plan on majoring in business, but I am also interested in cosmetology and tattoos. It would be a blessing to have a touch of art in my career, even if it is just a little hobby or side hustle. Maybe I’ll just keep doing it for myself, even then I will be happy. Thank you so much for supporting me by viewing my work!