New Century Art Gallery/ River Rec Teen Zone
Artist Mentorship 2022/23
Welcome to the New Century Art Gallery/River Rec Teen Zone's 2022/23 Artist Mentorship page. Here you can follow the progress of this year's selected artists and learn more about our program.
Artists
Laila Palumbo
Payten Danneels
Melissa Loxton
My goal as an artist is to promote creative thinking. Through my landscape paintings and crochet hanging plants I show my view of the natural world. I capture that moment that I'm seeing and I express it through my own eyes. My art is a mirror of my mind. Whether it be what I'm feeling at the moment or the images or ideas that cross my m
My goal as an artist is to promote creative thinking. Through my landscape paintings and crochet hanging plants I show my view of the natural world. I capture that moment that I'm seeing and I express it through my own eyes. My art is a mirror of my mind. Whether it be what I'm feeling at the moment or the images or ideas that cross my mind, my art is always a mirror of me. What I paint or crochet is almost never just as simple as it seems, there is always an idea that sparks with meaning. That meaning is usually the beauty of nature in my case. I'm sure that's the same with other artists, they have an idea with meaning and they express it. The true meaning of things is never easy to find, although it's essential that we try because art is better enjoyed and understood when there is a deeper meaning.
I use oil paints in my paintings specifically because of the realism that it's capable of creating. I love making pieces so realistic people feel like they could just walk into the scene. Value is an important part of realism. Value shows dimension and dimension brings the image to life. Color is another very important part of my paintings. Depending on what I am painting I will use different color schemes. An example would be if I am painting a certain time of year like winter, I would mainly use cool colors compared to fall where I would use mostly warm colors. Overall I am more drawn to cool colors when painting, especially blues and greens. Green represents nature, abundance, and new beginnings while blue represents calm, stable, and peaceful. I feel like different color schemes all have different moods, and depending on what color scheme I use the viewers of my painting will interpret it differently.
I love that art is up to interpretation. People can have their own thoughts behind art. I believe art is what connects the world. Everyone could look at a piece of art and some may interpret it similarly and some may interpret it way differently but either way both are correct. There is no wrong or right way to interpret art. This kind of ties back to creative thinking. The people that choose to perceive art in a more complex way will often enjoy it more and have a better understanding of it.
I was mainly inspired by Bob Ross’s tutorials. I think I found him inspiring because he never got frustrated with his work even when things didn’t go as planned. That encouraged me to not get discouraged when I make mistakes in my paintings. He has been a big influence in my art work. He influenced my landscapes depicting forests, lakes, snow and sometimes mountains. He also influenced many of the techniques I use like the criss cross motion for blending or the side to side motion I use for the water. His biggest influence on me was nature. Through all of his paintings nature always stayed constant and he showed me the beauty and importance of nature through his view of the natural world. This did not only inspire my paintings but it also inspired my hanging plants. Crocheting doesn't give me the same effect as painting but it does let me portray nature in a way that wouldn’t be possible in a painting.
Melissa Loxton
Payten Danneels
Melissa Loxton
As a young girl, simply playing with toys was not much of an interest of mine. I'd rather spend my time creating things that I could display proudly in my bedroom or objects that could compliment other toys I already had,
such as sewing homemade clothes for my dolls. I have always been what one would call a "maker." I'd often rebell by sta
As a young girl, simply playing with toys was not much of an interest of mine. I'd rather spend my time creating things that I could display proudly in my bedroom or objects that could compliment other toys I already had,
such as sewing homemade clothes for my dolls. I have always been what one would call a "maker." I'd often rebell by staying up past my bedtime. During those peaceful hours, I would read books, research new art techniques I wanted to try, or make art. Those were the nights that I crafted my best work. Those nights were also the foundation of my art career.
As I grew, so did my interests in art. Drawing, painting, sculpting, embroidering, and eventually meshing different materials together to create mixed media art were the activities that took up much of my time. Friends
and family became familiar with my skills and would often make requests to commission pieces for them. Eventually, I picked up my first professional freelance gig at the age of 14. I landed the opportunity to draw illustrations
for an educational curriculum company. My work and my name is now featured in a book that is currently being sold across the country and around the world.
What I have learned so far about making art is that I prefer to make my own ideas come to life as opposed to others. Today, my main focuses are to learn more, hone my craft, and to shape my signature style. I hope to advance my digital art skills and eventually write and illustrate my own books. The art of doll making will also continue to be an area of concentration. I wish to always remain a maker, for then I will rarely ever become bored of life.
Payten Danneels
Payten Danneels
Payten Danneels
My name is Payten Danneels. I grew up in the Marine City area and I am currently a student at St. Clair High School.
Over the years, with lots of guidance and practice, I have grown significantly as an artist. In the past, I struggled with creating art that I liked and would often give up out of frustration. Even through all of the frustr
My name is Payten Danneels. I grew up in the Marine City area and I am currently a student at St. Clair High School.
Over the years, with lots of guidance and practice, I have grown significantly as an artist. In the past, I struggled with creating art that I liked and would often give up out of frustration. Even through all of the frustration, I stuck with it and was able to get to where I am today. Trying new forms of art has helped me be able to endure being an artist. It gave me a break from the annoyance I often felt and helped me to find my passions.
In the past, I have taken art classes at the St. Clair Art Association, which have taught me a lot about myself as an artist. I was able to truly learn what my strong suits were and drew inspiration from things I truly enjoyed. I have always taken art in school and it never ceased to be one of my favorite classes.
I love sharing my art with others. Making people gifts and cards for their birthdays and holidays is like a tradition of mine now. Creating things for others makes me feel quite joyful and it pushes me to keep going when I see the smiles on their faces. When I create something, one of my favorite parts is when I get to share said creation with others. Seeing the way people react to my art and hearing how it makes them feel really gives me an idea of what I did successfully in a piece and what I can work on. Something I have learned is that the way art is viewed and the feelings and ideas it conveys are very dependent on the viewer.
My family and friends unfailingly support me and my art in any way they can. My parents greatly promote my work. They are constantly finding me projects and new ways to share my art with others. My little sister is often a subject of my work. Before his passing in 2021, my grandpa was one of my biggest cheerleaders. Knowing how proud he was of me and how far I’d come kept me going and always will. There are so many other people in my life who inspire me as an artist and all their support means the world to me. Without them, I am certain I would not be where I am today. Art has helped me to find myself as a person and it makes me genuinely happy.
Artist Mentorship 2023 Exhibition
When: Reception: Friday, June 2, 2023 from 6-8pm
The exhibition will run from June 2-30
Where: The Mariner
430 S. Water St
Marine City, MI 48039
New Century Art and the River Rec Teen Zone teamed up to mentor three local teen artists with ambitions of building a career doing the art they love. This exhibition is the result of eight months of hard work creating art and learning the business of art for these young artists. Join us in celebrating their first professional art exhibition!
This exhibition is free and open to the public.
Artist Mentorship Program in the KEEL
Local reporter for the Keel, Andrea Harrington did a wonderful article about this year's mentees!
About the Sponsors
New Century Art Gallery
The River Rec Teen Zone Story
The River Rec Teen Zone Story
New Century Art Gallery’s mission is to reimagine the traditional art gallery setting, how artists build their brand, the ways art can be discovered and collected, and demystify the business of art, all through new technologies and innovative thinking. The art gallery represents exceptional emerging and established artists using digital
New Century Art Gallery’s mission is to reimagine the traditional art gallery setting, how artists build their brand, the ways art can be discovered and collected, and demystify the business of art, all through new technologies and innovative thinking. The art gallery represents exceptional emerging and established artists using digital content, a professional gallery space, and art exhibitions. Welcome to the New Century Art Gallery.
The River Rec Teen Zone Story
The River Rec Teen Zone Story
The River Rec Teen Zone Story
In the fall of 2015, Kyle Pond found himself heading down the wrong path. After being kicked out of school and put on probation, he enrolled in an alternative high school in Marine City, Michigan. Through project based learning, he began to flourish. In talking with other students, he realized there is a huge need in this area for a teen
In the fall of 2015, Kyle Pond found himself heading down the wrong path. After being kicked out of school and put on probation, he enrolled in an alternative high school in Marine City, Michigan. Through project based learning, he began to flourish. In talking with other students, he realized there is a huge need in this area for a teen center. The vision started as Kyle's class project, and by enlisting the help of teachers, students, and community leaders, his vision is becoming a reality.
Over five years in the making, River Rec Teen Zone is now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a strong board, teen advisors, and volunteers. Each individual brings with them an incredible background in youth enrichment, as well as being proven leaders that understand the importance of community and youth nurturance.
Our Partners
