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10 | ARTS the hourglassArtist of the issueLIGHTHOUSE WU ‘24An insight to the creative process behind her infamous and breathtaking paintingsOLIVIA STEPHAN ‘24Staff WriterDesign by Emily Zhang‘23 and Mindy Zhang ‘25Photography by Sophia Ran ‘23I’d rather paint something ugly andunlikeable that means something thanpaint something beautiful and pleasantthat means nothing,” LighthouseWu ’24 said. To Wu, an avid drawer andpainter, art is about giving an idea visualrepresentation, and not assigning meaningto a painting.Wu has been passionate about the artsfrom a young age, encouraged by her parentsto pursue her interests through exploringand experimenting. In her freshmanyear, Wu participated in both performingand visual arts. She then decided to focuson developing her drawing and paintingskills and is currently doing an independentstudy that allows her to have free reinto explore new ideas.When asked whose perspective sheconsiders when painting, Wu responded, “Ihave phases when I paint solely for myself,and phases when I paint for the potentialaudiences’ viewing pleasure. Currently,I try to strike a balance between the two,conveying messages that are meaningful tome and to the viewers.” Over the past year,Wu has not followed a specific theme butrather has painted wherever her imaginationtakes her.Wu’s painting “Sausage” is inspiredby one of her favorite pieces of music, aTchaikovsky violin concerto. Inspired bythe life-like music, she worked to conveythe perfect blend of the violin solo withthe orchestra through painting, creating a“transcendental experience … to the viewer.”Through techniques such as shading,she highlights certain aspects of the orchestralwork to show their significance tothe painting’s audience.Wu has painted a variety of otherworks, including a gazebo during a sunnyday and a view through a window. Theyare filled with vibrant colors, and the peopleare painted in a more abstract manner,outlined by contrasting blocks of color.One of her largest pieces is a paintingof a Buddhist temple that was displayed atlast year’s art fair. Inspired by a temple shevisited when she was younger (and subsequentdreams about it), the painting depictsa large Buddhist statue as the centerpiece,dwarfing the onlookers who stand at itsbase.The entire scene is bathed in an orangelight, with colorful lanterns hangingfrom the intricately decorated pillars surroundingthe temple’s courtyard and tablesof offerings set at the Buddha’s base.“Art is about givingan idea visualrepresentation, andnot assigning meaningto a painting“Even after presenting it at the art fair,Wu believed this painting was still incompleteand spent her summer continuing toadd details. In general, when viewing herart, Wu takes a more critical perspective,finding she is not always satisfied with thefinished product and often sees aspectswhich can be improved.When talking about the role art playsin her life, Wu says, “It is not accurate todescribe art as an escape for me. Becauseeach formal art piece requires so muchtime and energy to plan, so many ideas toexecute on canvas, and with deadlines forcompetitions and art shows, art is more oftenas draining as school work.”However, she still describes her art asa way to express her emotions and thoughts.Drawing from experiences, memories, anddreams makes Wu’s paintings very personallymeaningful.As many of her previous works hadmore private and personal meaning, goingforward, Wu is looking to “make [her]work have real life connections,” wherethe messages being “conveyed [are] relevantto everyone.”
december 2022 SPORTS | 11Athlete of the IssueMaddie Davis ‘23SOPHIA RAN ‘23Media DirectorDesign by Violet Paiva ‘23 and Emily Zhang ‘23Photo courtesy of SmugMugEveryone needs something or someone to turn towhen they are stressed out by the seemingly endlessdemands of high school, family, or friendships.For Maddie Davis ‘23, her outlet is one ofthe places she shines the most: the soccer field.Having been “thrown” into the world of sports by herparents, Davis started playing the game at four years oldand has stuck with it, encouraged by her older brother Ben.Her commitment is reflected in the vast amount of timeshe has spent honing her soccer and athletic skills.Davis was introduced to club soccer in elementaryschool, and in 7th grade she decided to join Steel United,where she continues to play. As a result, she can be foundon the soccer field year-round, playing an average of 4-5hours per week in the spring and competing once everyother week in the winter.Soccer isn’t all she does in her off-season, though. Inaddition, Davis is a co-captain of both Baldwin’s indoorand outdoor track teams. She has broken many Baldwintrack records, and her spectacular athleticism is unmistakablein any sport she tries her hand at.On her club team, she is both a center-back and a defensiveplayer. On Baldwin’s soccer team, her versatilityas a player is underscored by her various roles as a striker,center-mid, and of course, star defender.When asked what she’s most proud of during hersoccer career at Baldwin, Davis replied, “It’d probably bescoring in general this season. I’ve never really thoughtabout the game offensively before. I’m proud of scoringat least a couple goals during a season, since I haven’t alwaysbeen used to playing in that position.” This seemslike an understatement considering her impressive seventotal goals for the season.While her adaptability and skill are obvious advantages,arguably the most important role Davis holds inBaldwin soccer is being a team player. When asked whatshe thinks the most vital aspect of soccer is, Davis empha-“Being positive cansimply mean the littlethings, like pickinga teammate up andkeeping the energyhigh.”sized teamwork: “I think communication is key as a collaborativemovement. During games, there’s not a lot youcan control. People can have bad and good days. However,you can always control how you talk, because that’s whatmakes a difference…you can help your teammates by lettingthem know you are open or if an opponent is behindyou. And being positive can simply mean the little things,like picking a teammate up and keeping the energy high.”Davis excitedly identified one of her favorite soccermoments as a low-key, pick-up soccer tournament calledBeach Blast, where the winning team is bestowed one ofthe most distinguished awards you can get: a wooden tiki.When asked what she loves most about soccer, Davissaid, “It’s a chance to get close with the other grades. Iget to talk to a lot of people, and it’s not as stressful to meas other sports such as track. Also, soccer’s good for mymental health because it’s a time where I can focus on myselfand stay active. I don’t have to think about anythingelse at the moment.”While Davis mentioned that she would love to playclub-level soccer in college, she does not plan to play ata highly competitive level. Instead, she wants to focus onbranching out to other intramural sports and hobbies. Davisenjoys many extracurriculars and pastimes other thansoccer, including cooking, reading, writing for The Hourglass,and representing Athletic Association.Davis’s talent as a three-sport athlete and her contributionsto Baldwin athletics do not go unnoticed. VioletPaiva ‘23, a teammate on the Baldwin soccer team,said, “She really cares about the success of the team.” Hersports expertise and love for team spirit exemplify what itmeans to be a dedicated student athlete.4-5 hours perweekPlaying soccer all year-roundCo-Captain for 2seasonsCaptain for Indoor and OutdoorTrack 2022-20237 goals for Baldwinsoccer team 20223 sports for 3seasonsFall: SoccerWinter: Indoor TrackSpring: Outdoor Track
Page 1 and 2: HOURGLASSDecember 2022 • Vol. 61,
Page 3 and 4: december 2022 NEWS | 03Hurricane Ia
Page 5 and 6: december 2022 OPINION | 05The Ameri
Page 7 and 8: december 2022 CENTERFOLD | 07CARLEY
Page 9: december 2022 FEATURES | 09Design b

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