Every individual person has their own unique talents. Some people are good at sports, school, music or so much more. For Xavier High School junior Sydney Ward her talent is art. It is something she has been creating since she was about five years old. 

Sydney’s favorite type of art to create is realism. 

“I think I’m into realism because I’m a major perfectionist. So, to me the more realistic I can make something look, the easier it is to accept that it’s my best so I can move onto another piece,” Ward said.

Realism is the attempt to represent subject matter truthfully, without artificiality and avoiding speculative fiction and supernatural elements. 

Ward particularly likes creating drawings of social issues or people who do not fit into society’s standards.

“I really enjoy drawing people with unique features or just people who act, dress or appear different from the norm. So I guess I am also motivated to draw or paint anything or anyone considered unusual by our society,” Ward said. 

She says that she enjoys drawing or painting unusual people because it allows her to live vicariously through people who are not afraid to be themselves. 

Ward’s artwork has been showcased at Xavier and she is currently in an Advanced Placement art class. Many other students have been impressed by her work. 

“I don’t usually have much of an interest in art, but I saw one of Sydney’s drawings in the display case and thought it was a picture at first, because of how detailed and realistic the drawing is,” Xavier senior Gabby Flynn said.

In the display case, currently, there are many pieces of Sydney’s artwork featured.

“It is impressive that a student at Xavier is able to create such amazing art,” Flynn said.

Mr. Rittmiller, an art teacher at Xavier, said that her progress is evident. He said that her earliest pieces are displayed and are very good, but lack sophistication and contrast of her recent work. 

When asked about continuing art outside of high school, Ward discussed the future.

“I would certainly like to. My only hesitation about doing art professionally is that being an artist isn’t exactly lucrative. I probably won’t end up doing it as a career, but I hope I can still take art classes in college and then after that just doing it for fun,” Ward said.

Ward is still progressing in her work in her Advanced Placement art class and hopes to continue in the future.