Friday, June 3rd, 2005, The Brampton Guardian
TINA DEPKO, Staff Writer

Photo by BRYON JOHNSON
Mayfield Secondary School students, from left, Stephanie Hagendorn, Paulina Su, and Sarah Frid, are among the artists featured at Visual Arts Brampton's Fridge Front Gallery at Shoppers World Brampton.

The artistic creations of several talented Mayfield Secondary School students are currently on display at the Fridge Front Gallery at Shoppers World.

The show, called The Mayfield Connection, features works by 11 students who are currently attending or have recently been accepted to Mayfield Secondary School. All of the students have taken classes at Visual Arts Brampton.

Sarah Frid, a Grade 9 student at Mayfield Secondary School, organized the exhibit. Frid, who is an artist herself, volunteers at Visual Arts Brampton every Saturday.

"We have amazing art displays in the hallways of Mayfield and I wanted the people here to see some of it," Frid explained.

Frid contributed several works for the show, predominantly portraits.

"I enjoy drawing portraits, but I really enjoy painting landscapes," she said. "It doesn't matter if it is acrylics or watercolours-- I just love to paint."

The young artist draws inspiration for her landscapes from the Group of Seven. She admires their works for their smooth textures and use of colour. Like those artists, Frid said painting is a very personal experience for her.

"It's a really personal form of expression and shows a lot of the emotions that you are feeling when you are doing it," she stated. "It is also good for anger management."

Stephanie Hagendorn, another Grade 9 student, said she enjoys art because she can work her feelings out on the canvas.

"If you are feeling angry or frustrated, you can paint your feelings," she said. "It's neat to look at a work and have someone know you were feeling angry when you painted it."

Hagendorn showed artistic talent as a young girl. She started taking art classes when she was 10-years-old and soon fell in love with drawing and painting.

A large sketch with a carnival theme is one of her most striking works on display. This piece became a painting that helped her get accepted into Mayfield Secondary School. There are also several portraits on display, which are Hagendorn's favourite works.

Art is an expression
"Most of the people I draw or paint, I make up," she said. "If you try to paint someone, it is really restricting, like their nose has to be this certain way. Then sometimes it doesn't look like them."

Hagendorn's favourite artists are Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso. She is impressed by their individuality, which is something she strives for in her art.

"They invented their own techniques and that is really inspiring," she said.

Hagendorn said she hopes the exhibit will send an important message.

"I hope people see how talented kids are," Hagendorn said. "We aren't rebels, we do like doing something that isn't bad."

Paulina Su also contributed a number of works to the display, several on her favourite subject of animals. She prefers pencil crayon as a medium for its preciseness. However, markers were her favorite artistic tools as a child.

"My closet door is all scribbles," laughed Su. "I used markers, so it didn't come off."

Su has been taking classes at Visual Arts Brampton for the past seven years. There are several portraits on display at the Fridge Front Gallery that she created in those classes.

Su, along with her two fellow Grade 9 classmates, take daily art classes at Mayfield Secondary School. She said that it is the best part of her day.

"I like how there is no wrong answer," Su said. "Math is my worst subject and there is either a right or wrong answer, but in art you do whatever you want."

She expects people who see the exhibit will want to go home and start drawing or painting.

"Maybe they'll get inspired and want to create something of their own," Su said. "Art is a great hobby and is really open. Anyone can do it."

The Mayfield Connection runs at Fridge Front Gallery at Shoppers World until June 19.