“Hill has impacted my art greatly,” Harry Park ’19 said.

Park came to Hill last year as a new 4th former. Now, well into his 5th  form year, Park has taken advantage of all that Hill has to offer – especially in regard to the arts.

When asked about his introduction to the art world, Park responded that he has been interested in art for as long as he can remember. His interest is largely due to his parent’s encouragement.

“My parents encouraged me to draw when I was bored,” Park said. “I think I was naturally inclined to drawing. Painting is a different story.”

Painting hasn’t always come easy to Park. He explained that back home in Seoul, South Korea, he did not have the paints and brushes necessary. However, now at Hill, he has access to “great tools.”

Ellen Nelson, senior master of the arts and Park’s teacher, reflected on her first encounter with him.

“With each passing year, Harry’s technique gets better and better,” Nelson said. “I remember meeting Harry for the first time and seeing his work, and really enjoying the way he uses spontaneous line.”

In Park’s art, Nelson sees openness and a sense of freedom. When asked to describe his artistic style, she called his work “realistic expressionism.” Nelson says that Park’s work is commonly based off a realistic subject, but then he takes artistic license to create a piece that is his own.

While Park is unable to confine his art to one style, he does put an emphasis on brush strokes in his pieces. His attention to brush strokes allows him to gain a deep appreciation for oil paints.

“I love working with oil because I can manipulate the brush strokes to convey textures,” Park said. “Oil is really forgiving because I can blend in my colors easily, and paint over dry areas.”

One of the pieces that he is most proud of is an oil, figure painting of Soaad Elbahwatti ’17. This painting is important to Park because he was given the opportunity to sell the piece to the school, and he believes was a great opportunity to grow as an artist.

Although he doesn’t plan on pursuing painting full time, Park plans on majoring in architecture in college. He expressed his desire to continue expanding his use of different mediums, and to somehow incorporate art into his future career path.