Junior Elle Cole grew up taking art classes with her mom and sister. She remembers drawing all sorts of cats — some fluffy, some tiny, and even some rainbow ones. Throughout her childhood and teen years, she has always used art as an outlet for her feelings. 

“ is a way to get my emotions out on paper, or just in a physical form,” Cole said. “Because I have trouble bottling up.”

Cole’s art is colorful and “experimental with shapes and contrast.”. While her different work lacks blatant fluidity, she can appreciate it in other works. 

One of Cole’s pieces — “It Sleeps With the Fishes” — was displayed at the Center for Academic Achievement (CAA) last year. This piece was selected to be displayed at the CAA by one of her art teachers, Terry Berry.

“It Sleeps With the Fishes,” has a multitude of strokes — all done in very messy oil pastel. There are a total of five fish on the page — four are dead and rotting, and one is not. The one that’s alive is going the opposite way as the other four, showing that it didn’t fall to the peer pressure.

“It signifies being the odd one out,” Cole explains. 

The pink and green contrast with each other, as they are on opposite sides of the color wheel. The white-gray bones stand out against the blasts of other colors displayed. Cole explains how you have no chance of erasing what you put on the paper, the pastel can be very difficult to work with. 

That was the first time Cole had used this medium, but she is excited to use it again. 

But Cole did hit a few bumps along the way — the linework wasn’t exactly how she wanted it and trying to make one fish stand out was a struggle — but she persevered and produced a piece that went straight to the CAA art show. 

For Cole, art isn’t just a hobby. She aspires to be an art therapist to help kids talk through their feelings and experience them through art. She wants to give kids the same opportunity that she had growing up. 

 “I feel like it might help other people do that too,” Cole said. 

When Cole was creating “It Sleeps With the Fishes,” she channeled her individuality and hoped others would do the same. While Cole does want to pursue art as a professional career, she also uses it to deepen personal connections and work through emotion. 

“I feel like art is really important because it helps people come together and it can be really meaningful.”