Incorporating Art Into Our Lives

Tony Rangel

The arts in general have been an interest of mine since I was a kid. It started with drawing, then music, then photography, and then drawing again. I’m no professional at any of these mediums, but they are my favorite outlets of expression and I will never stop.

Before coming to Biola, I kept a lot of my art it to myself. It was just something I would do every once in a while to express whatever I may have been thinking or feeling. However, since coming to Biola, I’ve learned how important it is to share your story—and in my case that’s sharing my artistic endeavors. Whether it be music, photos, art, or poetry, I’ve met so many great people and have received so much great feedback just by being open to sharing it all.

If you have been thinking about doing any type of art, you need to do it! Whatever you have to say matters and can change someone’s life.

The types of art I do often now are drawing, music, and photography. Here are a few of my favorite drawings and photos of mine!

I made an instagram account where I post my best drawings and photos. Currently I’m in a class where I am learning how to develop my own film photos! It’s been amazing and I am learning so much.

I am still learning about what it means to create art. For now, I am just focusing on letting whatever needs to get out of me, do so. Art is all around us. Next time you go outside, try to look around and notice even the most normal and mundane thing. Can you see the art in it?

If there’s something you want to create: create it. You got this! See you soon :)

View out of the window at sunset or sunrise

Noa Melendez

art (n): the expression and or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power

How I got into art

I have always loved art and felt connected to the concept of art-making since I was just a child. When I was very young, I remember my parents would have to hold me back and monitor me closely because I had a passion for drawing on the walls with crayons. From that point on, I knew that I loved drawing on things.

Growing up I loved watching cartoons (especially Disney Movies) because their animation and method of storytelling captivated me. What I saw I wanted to make. When I came upon drawing and sketching from movies and cartoons, I escalated those skills to drawing from comic books. From then on loved comic books and pop culture: at one point I even thought I wanted to be an animator or a story book artist. I knew I loved to draw in panels and create unique characters that could be written into stories. In elementary school, arts and crafts time was my absolute favorite because we were able to learn about famous artists, how to make art in their style, and how to appreciate art in general.

Art in high school

At this point, I knew that I wanted to channel my passions into more outlets for creative expression. At the beginning of my freshman year in high school,, I became involved with the art program on campus called the Art Academy:a four year program that allows students to work with different mediums of art, practice photography, experience Adobe software and graphic design, and help us to develop our own individual style.

Art Academy certainly allowed me to channel my creativity in high school. It gave me an outlet to put my time and energy into. While loving to draw and paint, I became more of a bibliophile who loved poetry and stories. Having an appreciation for art can come in numerous forms—whether that be through literature, photography, knitting, cinematography, or drawing and painting. Graduating from the program gave me vast experience. I felt ready to enter college as an art major.

“The camera is an excuse to be someplace you otherwise don’t belong. It gives me both a point of connection and a point of separation.”

– Susan Meiselas

Creating and cultivating now

Now being at Biola, I feel that I am flourishing. I would say that I am in a really great season of life right now because God is providing for me

great blessings and opportunity. Opportunities to provide my own creative perspective and chances to be myself are moments I live for. I have really began to feel like the young man I have always wanted to become. Being an artist in a world so dark is a chance to spread light.

Creating and cultivating this craft of art-making here at Biola is such a gift. I have come to be the artist I have wanted to be since I was just a kid and can’t wait to push that passion even further. I am passionate about taking photos, drawing, and painting and love sharing in those passions with others who feel the same. Fostering a sense of community in the art department has already given me so much joy and I look forward to continuing through my senior year.

Growing my personal brand on social media has been a great way to share my art, who I am, and what I want to express. Art is for everyone: don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. You don’t have to be an art major to love or make art. If you want to know more about me and my major and why I love about it, feel free to say hi! I am proud to be a lover of the arts, but i’m also proud to be a storyteller. We all have stories worth sharing and this is how I share mine. How do you share yours?

Peace out and talk to you soon,

Noa