The older a person gets, the harder it is to break out of established patterns and follow their dreams. Young people, though, often have the opportunity to pursue those dreams before the pressures of life bear down on them. So many young people in our communities are doing exactly that—following their passions by working hard to develop themselves as artists—and this month we’ll be highlighting some of these extraordinary youth.
Dayna Wiebe has been painting since she was a little girl and has recently started showcasing her work in local shows.
The Steinbach native who moved to Niverville four years ago started exploring art in the form of pencil drawing years ago, before discovering that painting gave her many more avenues to express her art.
“Before I entered high school, art was the thing I did for fun,” Wiebe says. “I just painted or drew because I wanted to or thought a picture was cool, and I really had no idea about how much I could learn. But once I got into high school, a lot changed. I have learned so much and still have a lot to learn.”
Wiebe used to draw a lot of cartoons, but she has since progressed to more realistic pieces, primarily things that are relevant to the aesthetic of teens and people her age, as well as painting female faces and figures. She recently participated in the Steinbach Arts Council Open Judged Art Exhibit, where she won first place in her age group.
As she has gotten older, the tenth grader has learned to appreciate the ways in which she can manipulate paint to create different pieces.
“I would say painting is my favourite medium, but some days I have to be in the mood to paint, or I just prefer pencil or another medium some days because it’s just less messy,” she says. “There are a lot of good things about acrylics that I love, like how it blends, ease of use, coverage, pigmentation, etc.”
Although she hasn’t had any formal training other than art class in school, the fifteen-year-old is hoping to continue her craft by attending art school in the future.
“The dream is to be able to go to art school and travel the world letting people view my work and selling it,” says Wiebe. “I’d like to be able to live off selling my art [through] commissions and be in many shows and exhibits. Though that plan is very vague right now, and I have been told that it’s practically impossible, I do believe that if you don’t try for your dream, then you will be wondering later in life if you would’ve ever made it.”
