Regis Jesuit High School senior Ellie Marcotte has been in love with art for as long as she can remember; however, it was only after taking Graphic Design freshman year with Ms. Meyerrose that she really became involved in the art department at Regis Jesuit.

RJ Media was able to sit down with Ellie and get an inside look into the mind of a dedicated artist:

RJ Media: What would you say your favorite style of art would be?

Marcotte: My favorite style of art would have to be Impressionism and Post Impressionism (think: Van Gogh and Monet) and Mixed Media, but I like almost anything except photorealism because then you might as well just be taking a photograph.

RJ Media: If you could meet any artist – dead or alive – who would that be and why?

Marcotte: I would totally meet Da Vinci just because he knows so much about art and anatomy and there’s so much I feel like I could learn from him (he also knew a lot about science and engineering). I would also like to meet him because I want to know what made him break away from the common art style of the time and if he had any idea of how far his work would come and how it would shape the history of art.

RJ Media: If you could invite three artists to a dinner party, who would they be and why?

Marcotte: I would invite Jackson Pollock, Van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso to a dinner party and tell them that the rules of manners don’t apply because I feel like it would make for a very interesting event that would probably sprout photos that would end up in a museum somewhere in New York City.

RJ Media: What is your philosophy when it comes to art and design?

Marcotte: I believe that art is subjective and should be about the message and the portrayal of ideas rather than the medium of which those ideas are portrayed.

RJ Media: What is it like to have your art showcased in a gallery?

Marcotte: Showcasing my work in a gallery is an awesome experience because art (like anything else) is something you have to constantly work at, and is a skill that you develop after a lot of hard work. It’s not easy, and seeing your art in a gallery is like seeing your hard work pay off right in front of you. Displaying your art in front of people is also nerve-wracking because a lot of the time, your art is a personal and visual expression of something you’re thinking or feeling, or something you believe in. It’s like putting yourself out there, and like anything else it’s hard to risk possible criticism for something so personal. C’est la vie!

Ellie Marcotte won 3rd place in the Continental League Art Show in Lone Tree, where her work was showcased to the public. Continue to see Ellie’s artwork around the school, and join her Wednesday, December 2nd after school in the GD art room for painting and pizza!