Ever since he was young, senior Craig Florio has been fascinated by art, and his own work is almost otherworldly. Florio is currently enrolled in two art classes.
“Technically, I have three art classes because I still attend one that I’m not scheduled to, but on my actual schedule, it says I have two,” Florio said. “I’ve had one all four years that I’ve been here and that’s Ms. Nikaj’s class.”
He wasn’t always quite the artist, though.
“He’s improved dramatically!” Nikaj said. “He’s always a joy to have in class, and as the years went on, he’s gotten better.”
Most of Florio’s drawings consist of whatever he feels like drawing or just what popped into his head at the moment. For the most part, people are very interested in his art, but some critics think it’s weird; however, he doesn’t let that stop him. His mother is very enthusiastic about her son’s passion for art. His excitement with art allows him to express himself in a safe way, which allows others to see how he feels about certain topics.
“She’s not like most parents that look at their child’s art and says ‘That’s good, honey’,” Nikaj said. “She’s the one that really loves to see his work and is very encouraging.”
Florio has acquired a few skills in studying art. He’s become very good at critiquing art and seeing what needs improvement. He can look at something, and after studying it knows what it needs to make it look better.
“I think he likes coming to me for my straightforward opinion,” Nikaj said. “He kind of likes that challenge of getting better and making it look perfect. I’m never going to settle for ‘Eh, it looks good.’ I always look for ‘That’s perfect!’”
Florio has entered the Seventeenth Annual 34th Congressional District Student Art Competition and is currently working on his piece. His creative side and determination to keep on improving his excellent work push him to succeed.
Other than art, Florio likes to hang out with friends any chance he gets.
“He’s a pretty cool dude, and very funny, too,” senior Joshua Begay said. “He’s chill and I like to hang out with him.”
In the future, Florio hopes to make a career out of art, so he plans on going to college or an art school to pursue a career in sketching.