Eleanor Coffey: utilizing art as an outlet

Neve Marin Rue Galmarini, Student Voice and Polls Editor|November 29, 2022

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Courtesy of Eleanor Coffey

This piece was inspired by a photograph Eleanor saw in art class. This piece represents a mysterious kind of story, and it reminds Eleanor of the feeling you get when reading a murder mystery book.

Multimedia art enabled Junior Eleanor Coffey to express herself, but she did not take the hobbie very seriously until her cousin introduced her to the art community. Seeing others around her with the same passion, Eleanor’s excitement grew.

“I thought it was really cool that you could create a whole community around something that you liked and I really liked art, and there were forms of community surrounding it,” Eleanor said. 

Eleanor is inspired by different people, places, and experiences in her life. Her family members are one of her biggest inspirations, such as her aunt and grandma, whose art is featured throughout Eleanor’s home.

Miss Chicken is inspired by the original photo it was based on, taken by photographer Shuwei Liu. Eleanor was influenced by the contrast of the blue coat and the red chicken. (Courtesy of Eleanor Coffey)

“I get a lot of inspiration from what [my grandma] used to do,”  Eleanor said. “And I get a lot of inspiration from music and just try to replicate what I hear onto the paper.”

Eleanor’s art relies heavily on her environment and relationships. Her craft becomes a reflection of her feelings and thoughts.

“If I’m friends with some people that are not good for me, it will be reflected in my art a lot of the time. In the colors, or subject matter, and posing,” Eleanor said.

For Eleanor, creativity is her outlet as she uses her art as a form of “diary entry,” in order to express herself. Eleanor aims to pursue art and continue showcasing her thoughts and feelings on paper. 

Brain Spillage is a piece filled with many different things, all working together to create a unique piece of art. The words decorating the paper were phrases Eleanor was hearing while making this piece. The drawings dancing on the page represent her steam of consciousness when making art. She tends to always have something in the background of her works. (Courtesy of Eleanor Coffey)