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Tolu Oyesanya

Senior Elizabeth Hill uses gouache to create a painting in her AP 2-D Art and Design class, carefully applying each brushstroke. "I've become less stressed from working on my pieces and trying to be the best of the best," Hill said. "I've been content to just draw or paint."

Senior Spotlight is a feature column that highlights graduating seniors at Rock Hill High School, interested in showcasing Blue Hawk talent.

For senior Elizabeth Hill, art has been a constant presence since childhood. What began as simple drawings evolved into a conscious pursuit of improvement, a journey that started when she was just eight years old.

“That’s when I actually started drawing to improve,” Hill said. “And I had more fun when trying to improve. I was conscious of why I was drawing, not just drawing to draw.”

As she developed her skills, Hill found herself drawn to certain themes in her work. 

“I like to focus on darker themes only because it sometimes is kind of like an outlet,” Hill said. “I do like focusing on more positive things, too, though, because I have a lot of my friends and family members and people that are close to me that also inspire me.”

Over time, her artistic style transformed. Like many young artists, she initially gravitated toward anime-inspired illustrations but eventually found her own unique approach.

“I try to focus more on a stylized, cartoony, but not necessarily Disney cartoon style, but not necessarily that anime kind of style, either,” Hill said. “It’s in that mid-ground where it’s stylized enough, where I can kind of have my own style, but also it’s not realistic, either.”

Hill’s dedication to her craft has not gone unnoticed. Despite her initial hesitation about taking art classes, she excelled in competitions, advancing to the State level in Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) two years in a row.

“When I realized I qualified for both years, I freaked out twice,” Hill said. “The first time I was baffled, and the second time I was even more baffled. There’s so many skilled people around me, so I’m always kind of surprised that I’m also qualifying for State.”

Preparing for VASE, however, was no easy feat. The process required both artistic and mental endurance.

“Preparing for VASE was a little bit stressful because I kept getting sick,” Hill said. “The deadline started arriving faster than I thought it would. I think that’s for most of our class—we were all kind of panicking a little bit. It was fun, but it was stressful.”

This year, she submitted two pieces to VASE. Her first piece, “Kafka’s Nightmare,” made with gouache, acrylic, color pencils, and acrylic markers took inspiration from Franz Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” and was her state-qualifying submission.

“A lot of his themes focus on mental illness, the darker aspects of the mind and things like that,” Hill said. “I also wanted to focus on intrusive thoughts, mental illness and how it can affect a person, how mental illness can shape you into something awful. Mental illness itself isn’t what makes you awful, but the way it pushes you into this mind space can lead to something awful.”

Her second piece, “Skyline,” made with graphite, featured one of her original characters sitting on a building during a zombie apocalypse.

“My second piece was more of a fun piece because I had to reuse a piece because I didn’t finish what I wanted to make in time,” Hill said. “I do like it though.”

Despite the stress of competition, Hill has learned to approach art with less pressure, finding joy in the process rather than fixating on perfection.

“I approach art now with less stress, because every single time I’m stressed out about a piece, it always ends better than I thought it would,” Hill said. “I’ve just been content to just draw or paint.”

Her teachers have played a significant role in shaping her artistic journey, offering both constructive criticism and encouragement.

“Mrs. Hinshaw—she’s really honest and she’ll say what she needs to get a point across, but in a respectful and also inspiring way to help me get better at my art,” Hill said. “Mrs. Scott last year was a sweetheart. She was also just really cool and good at art. Every single time I was worried about a project or stressed out, she was understanding and encouraging.”

In the future, Hill hopes to maintain a balanced relationship with art, preserving her passion without overcommitting. 

“I did want to make it part of my career, but I don’t want to burn myself out when I get older, so I think I’m just going to keep it as a hobby, something I do in my free time,” Hill said.

Instead, she plans to pursue a path in science, an area that has long sparked her curiosity.

“Now, I’m focused on the medical field, and maybe even the science field,” Hill said. “For example, bugs. I like bugs. I find great interest in biology in general.”

Hill encourages aspiring artists to practice self-compassion and draw inspiration from others rather than engaging comparison.

“Don’t burn yourself out and continuously compare yourself to other artists in a negative light, through jealousy,” Hill said. “But if you compare yourself to other artists, take their artwork and use it as an inspiration and not as something to resent.”

Hill’s passion for art isn’t just about the finished piece—it’s about the process itself. Whether she’s working on a piece for a competition or simply sketching for enjoyment, the act of creation brings her a sense of fulfillment and peace—in her words, “whimsy.”

“I don’t know how to describe it,” Hill said. “It makes me feel happy. Maybe even a little solemn sometimes, but I overall think I enjoy it. I’ll draw and I’ll be like, ‘Wow, I think I’m feeling good now.’”