Linda Li is a senior and an artist who currently focuses on surrealistic art, and has entered and won in competitions like the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE).  She has also participated in the rodeo art auction.  From the time she was a small child, she has loved art.

   “When I was little I just liked drawing a lot, it was just something I did,” said Li.

   She doesn’t remember exactly how or when she started art, but has done it all her life. Li first started out with drawing extremely realistic pieces.  However, after a while, she wanted to develop her own style. Li started to create surrealistic art, and currently it is her favorite type of art to create. Surrealist art expresses the imagination as revealed in dreams, free from conscious control of reason. Li’s favorite art piece she has created thus far is one she created last year, titled “Id, Ego, Superego.”

   “The piece is about how we are inevitable to distortions from our surroundings, and was also inspired by the surreal movement of art,” said Li.

     Art gives her a new perspective on other aspects of  life.

    “Art has makes my life more interesting,” said Li.

  To her, the most difficult part of being an artist is coming up with ideas that aren’t cliche, and then being able to express them. She gets her ideas from normal, everyday things she sees and is inspired by famous artwork that is in museums. Her favorite famous art piece in general is “Bathers” by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff.  It is her love of art that motivates her.Li takes inspiration from all kinds of art, and adds her own twist onto it.

    Li’s favorite part of making art is improvising and adding onto her original idea as she creates, and sometimes this is a challenge as it isn’t easy to translate what she envisions into the actual piece.  As for the future, Li plans on majoring in graphic or industrial design for college.

   Li is passionate about expression. She advises others to stay true to themselves.

   “Don’t inhibit yourself to things you find normal. Find your own style that really represents who you are.”