Do What Comes Naturally
Helene Holland ’21 is creating — more specifically, drawing — her own path to success. — By Rachel Shuster HELENE HOLLAND REMEMBERS THE EXACT MOMENT SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH DRAWING. “I was about three years old, and I was at daycare,” she recalls. “One of my friends’ brothers walked downstairs from the ‘big kid room’ with a picture that one of the teachers had drawn of aliens and spaceships. The lines were so neat!” It would take Helene a few more years and a move to Prairie before she was able to harness that love into a real knack for art. She’s learned that she prefers drawing with graphite and charcoal, sometimes watercolor and ink, but not acrylic paint. Her art tends to either black and white or super bright colors — not much in between. And she has become a doodler during class. 8 | prairieschool.com
Now in her senior year, she has quite a lot to show for those doodles, along with many hours spent in Prairie’s Art Studio. Her work has garnered significant attention inside school as well as around the community. In the last year alone, Helene has received recognition from the Scholastic Art Awards: an Honorable Mention in 2020, followed by three Honorable Mentions and two Silver Key prizes in 2021. Her work has also been on display at UW-Parkside’s Art=Heart Exhibition. A few friends — and even faculty members — have begun commissioning Helene for her art. She isn’t sure what to make of it all.
