For most, the course catalogue signifies stress, confusion and panic. One moment you are opening the catalogue for the first time, and the next you inevitably find yourself in a long line of tense students waiting to see their guidance counselors. But for sophomore Emma Gallion, the course catalogue is a piece of art.

Gallion is a painter and drawer whose final project in her Drawing I class, a standstill, was chosen to be on the cover of the 2013-2014 course catalogue. Objects were propped up against a wall, and students in the class chose a section of the wall to observe and draw.

Gallion’s piece portrays a scene of organized chaos. Antique phones are scattered everywhere, multi-colored clocks hang in shelves, and a bare, leafless tree towers over everything else in the background.

Pieces of art such as her drawing on the cover of the course catalogue help Gallion clear her mind and prepare for the stress of a typical day, she said.

“It was a very large piece, so I had to plan out where everything would be,” Gallion said. “That kind of thought process can be helpful in other settings like school and planning ahead for things.”

Gallion has had an interest in painting and drawing ever since she was a child. She first started taking classes outside of school last year, but she has learned a lot from her various experiences.

“I really like working with texture, and I like working with color mediums,” she said. “I’ve gotten better at drawing what I see rather than what I want to see.”

One of the things that makes her so successful is her commitment to her work, according to visual arts teacher Donna Sartanowicz.

“She took it seriously,” Sartanowicz said. “She knew that she needed to practice in order to get better. She was always willing to do that practice. She was always willing to keep drawing.”

Gallion said that she often goes home after a long day, puts on her headphones and starts to draw in her sketchbook. It is her way to escape from the world around her.

Gallion considers herself to be a better drawer than a painter. She believes that this may be true because drawing is more accessible. The materials are cheaper and easier to maintain.

Nevertheless, Gallion said she is always trying to refine her skills in both areas, and Sartanowicz has taken note of this.

“Emma was really game to try anything and everything, and she did a really good job with all the objects and spaces and things that we drew,” Sartanowicz said. “She has a really great eye for detail and form, and she has an ability to really concentrate and see those details.”

Gallion’s friend, sophomore Rebecca Jacobson, believes that Gallion expresses herself through her art.

“Her art is usually bright like her,” Jacobson said. “I think she invests herself deeply in art, the way she invests herself in other people.”

According to Gallion, her drawing on the cover of the course catalogue incorporated all of her skills. It was the longest period of time that she had ever worked on an art project, and it required patience.

However, Gallion said the piece did not just help her grow artistically. It also provided other life skills needed on a daily basis.

“Art helps me think about things, probably because I find it so relaxing and enjoyable,” Gallion said. “It gives me a sense of balance, and therefore I’m able to think with much more clarity and focus.”

Seth Coven can be contacted at [email protected]