Bananas
Art from the Perspective of Emily Moore
Artwork by Emily Moore
December 10, 2021
The smiling yellow fruit proclaims what many of us often feel: THIS IS BANANAS.
Anyone who’s walked behind Emily Moore in the school hallway for more than a few seconds knows she is an artist.
The Elizabethan structure of Shakespeare’s Globe, front and center.
Stonehenge Rocks rising over the grey stones.
Love enveloped by a heart-shaped earth.
The rainbowed keychain: create don’t hate.
Her backpack itself is a work of art.
I love not only being able to express myself, but also being able to create things that I want to see. I can create my own stories and characters, rather than waiting for someone else to come along and make it for me.”
— Emily Moore
“I’ll joke with my friends that I take a pencil and suddenly, an hour later, there’s art,” Moore says.
It can’t be helped. The fabric of the bag doesn’t hold art but displays it. The pages of her sketchbook aren’t bound in cardstock but artwork. The sprawling assortment of patches and stickers say more than the words “I’m an artist” ever could.
“I love not only being able to express myself, but also being able to create things that I want to see,” Moore explains her love for art. “I can create my own stories and characters, rather than waiting for someone else to come along and make it for me.”
The practice of being an artist is the practice of sculpting what the world sees.
“For instance, one day I might think, ‘Man, I really want to see a character who looks and acts like me,’” Moore continues. “Then I realize, ‘Oh wait, I’m an artist, I can make a character like that!’”
Moore may draw what she wants to see, but she soon finds she is not alone in her desire for this new perspective.
“It’s especially fun to make a character others want to see as well,” Moore says. “I love making people happy with my art too, especially if it’s something I drew for someone. I like to draw art for my friends, usually as a birthday gift, and it makes me super happy to see how much they enjoy it. A simple doodle makes someone’s day, and it’s great.”
Moore knows the power of the doodle.
“Honestly I’m not sure how to describe my process,” Moore admits. “Usually I draw characters from the Dungeons and Dragons games I’m in, books, or movies and shows.”
Moore does not search for inspiration. She winds her way to it.
“My ideas usually come to me when my mind isn’t outright thinking about a detailed task, like when I’m driving,” Moore details. “My mind will wander and think, ‘Oh, that sounds cool, I need to draw it!’ Then I’ll draw it once I can, either on my iPad or in my sketchbook.”
Art is something Moore finds in everyday life. It is not reserved for museums and exhibitions but is painted into life itself.
“Lots of people don’t see art as a successful or essential career,” Moore explains, the notion providing a doorway into a fearfully bleak world.
A world without art is a world without color.
“Art is everywhere,” Moore’s words glow with passion. “Every item you own had at least one artist of some type behind it. From the logo on your shoes to the color of your car, an artist had a hand in it.”
That is not to say that the art world is a sea of complimentary colors and perfectly rendered masterpieces. Sometimes it’s a bit… bananas.
“Within the art community, there’s a lot of drama and infighting,” Moore reveals a frustration she has within what she loves. “It’s easy enough to avoid, but it’s sad seeing the drama turn away new artists.”
New artists sometimes find art can be a deep abyss rather than an infinite sky as they get caught up in the prerequisites.
“The belief that the supplies make the artist are extremely untrue,” Moore explains. “Beginners don’t need to drop hundreds of dollars on art supplies they don’t know how to properly use to become good at art.”
Starting out in art may be deemed a puzzle, but Moore deems it one solvable with four pieces.
“All you need is a piece of paper, a pencil, Google, and YouTube,” Moore emphasizes, “There’s plenty of tutorials and resources on the internet for free.”
You don’t need a 72-piece set of Copics to create a masterpiece. The most important piece to make an artwork masterful lies beyond even the humble pencil.
“An artistic masterpiece to me is any piece that evokes strong emotions,” Moore says. “Any emotion works. Lots of art pieces have made me laugh, cry, worry, or wonder.”
Art pieces do not have to be a specific medium, no specific style to inspire feeling. Moore’s favorite art pieces range from Edgar Degas’ “The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer” to Campbell White’s “Magic the Gathering: ‘Thrilling Discovery,’” from John Everett Millais’ “Ophelia” to Dana Terrace’s creation of “The Owl House.”
“My favorite art pieces always make me feel something,” Moor concludes, “no matter what it is.”
