Schools
A Q&A With Artist Olivia Smaniotto
Lyons Township High School student and artist, Olivia Smaniotto, recently won a Gold Key from the Scholastic Art Awards and a scholarship to Elmhurst College for a watercolor painting.
La Grange Patch: Hey Olivia, tell us a little about yourself. What are you up to besides creating art?
Olivia Smaniotto: [I'm] 17, a senior, on varsity poms (LTHS), Eurhythmic Dance Company (LTHS), I dance at Jo's Footwork and for Matrix Dance Improv, [and] I love to bake.
La Grange Patch: When did you first get interested in creating art?
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Olivia Smaniotto: I've loved art since elementary school where the Art Star [program] featured the artwork of a student for a week, and I was always inspired to make it and finally did in fourth grade.
La Grange Patch: What type of art do you like to create? Is there a medium you prefer?
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Olivia Smaniotto: I am involved heavily within the arts, with dance, visual arts, and music. I prefer painting with oils and drawing with pen and charcoal. Lately, I have been working with oil paints.
La Grange Patch: You've won two awards recently: one was a Scholastic Art Award and the other was awarded at Elmhurst College. Were they for the same piece? How did you create these works and what was the inspiration for them?
Olivia Smaniotto: I was awarded in Scholastics for a drypoint print I made. I set up the photo myself with a tripod, and worked with the composition. The print is about 10 inches by 7 inches. I had to be very patient and careful when scratching the plastic with a needle, but the hard work paid off. In the Elmhurst show, I was awarded a scholarship for a watercolor I made of my friend. It was my first serious attempt at a large watercolor. In all honesty, the painting didn't take long. I worked at a fast pace which made me realize my skill level was advancing.
La Grange Patch: What are your plans for the future?
Olivia Smaniotto: I will be attending DePaul University next year, majoring in Business and perhaps minoring in Art and Italian. I'm really passionate about pastries and baking. I would love to take classes and maybe, one day, open a bakery around here.
La Grange Patch: Anything else you'd like our readers to know?
Olivia Smaniotto: Lyons Township High School has an amazing art program with great teachers. Mr. Page has essentially made me progress as an artist. He encourages his students to discover artists whom they find inspiration from. He also continues to push an artwork to make it really come together by adding new elements.
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