Artist Spotlight: Gianna Casanova

​Holly Larson ‘23      Staff Writer
Gianna Casanova, a Howard High School sophomore, is a digital artist, photo editor and sketch artist. At the age of fifteen, she has completed several untitled artworks using ibisPaint software. Gianna Casanova is a funny, creative and kind individual whose personality comes out in her art.

When did you start creating art? “In kindergarten art projects and I just kept doing it whenever I could — it has stayed as mostly a hobby, with the exception of a few commissions. Real hobbies help express your emotion and can make you feel whole.”
What inspired you to make your art? “It’s fun and I can create whatever I want. I have auditory-visual synesthesia, and by listening to certain pieces of music I could see amazing colors and movement of shapes, which was a really big inspiration for me because I wanted to see if I could put on paper what I was seeing while I listened to certain music.” 
What’s your favorite medium to use? “Watercolors are my favorite paints to work with because I can have fun with ratios of paint to water and they dry slowly so you can take time blending. Since quarantine started I’ve taken up digital art, which has taken a while to get a hang of, and I’m still looking for the best application to use.”
Do you have a favorite art piece? “Right now my favorite is a digital drawing I did for my friend who needed art and I needed practice. I like it because it allowed me to test out different features in the art application.”
Who is your favorite artist and how does their work reflect in you stylistically? “I love Andy Warhol and the color he uses, but Brian Kesinger’s work is inspiring me to try new things out and find my personal art style.”
Do you think you will study art after high school? “Art has always been a hobby. I only took two art classes in middle school and from that, I decided I liked learning on my own — a lot of my art skills are self-taught — but for a time I was interested in going to college for art, but again I’ve decided it’s just a hobby for me.”