After submitting a painting for the Brazos Valley Fair art competition, junior Annabelle ‘Pluto’ Krotulski took home first place in the 11th-grade illustration category as well as high school Senior Champion and Grand Champion Overall Illustration for their acrylic painting, Lazy Grazing. Since beginning their art journey freshman year, Pluto has worked with art teacher Kimberley Marshall to improve their skills by taking multiple high-level classes. Now, Pluto has set their sights on the future.
Before starting high school, Pluto was not involved in creating art, but soon found their talent after taking art for their required elective.
“I discovered that I was really good at art freshman year because Mrs. Marshall guided me,” Pluto said. “She always encourages me to push myself and my art.”
Their talents have flourished in the three years and several classes they have spent with Mrs. Marshall.
“I could tell they had a natural talent,” Marshall said. “The things that they did were very good, but between the beginning and now, they’ve grown in design, creativity, and their application, whether they’re painting or creating something in sculpture.”
This growth, however, is in no small part due to Pluto’s dedication to honing their craft.
“We’ve done work in class, but they take a lot of her work home,” Marshall said. “They’re constantly creating and doing something or working on a project not just for my class but their other art classes too.”
It was no surprise to Marshall when Pluto’s piece took top honors at the Brazos Valley Fair because of the way they were able to express their style through each piece of art.
“I knew they were going to win because their work was just that good,” Marshall said. “The end composition was just very unique, so I knew they would walk away with the highest honor.”
As any good artist knows, ideas do not always just come naturally, so artists must be able to find external inspiration.
“I always feel inspired by nature and the outdoors,” Pluto said. “I’m also always trying to understand people and their perspectives, so that’s part of my art, too.”
During last year’s Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) competition, Pluto entered two pieces, both of which earned top honors with scores of 4, and one of the pieces, “Look Alive,” advanced to Area competition.
“I like the VASE competition a lot,” Pluto said. “Mostly because I get to interact with tons of other people who also love art, and because I get to see so many different styles represented in one room.”
Winning and advancing through competition is not always the goal of art, though, Pluto sees many of their pieces as a reflection of their thoughts and ideas and a means of expressing themselves.
“One of the pieces I did last year was a self-portrait of my face melting,” Pluto said. “That piece had a lot of meaning to me, and I learned a lot while making it, so that one, if I had to choose, would probably be my favorite.”
Pluto continues to make their mark in the art world, and Marshall believes they will undoubtedly continue to set themselves apart through their talents.
“The difference is that they are more advanced, and their work is more well thought out,” Marshall said. “ They have very creative ideas, and their craftsmanship is above average; they are very talented.”
