At first glance, Ulises Martinez may seem like an ordinary senior. However, not many people know of his creative side.
“I like to draw in my free time. I’ve been drawing for two years and it’s something I really love to do everyday,” Martinez said.
He has mostly been working on shading and coloring lately.
“Right now I’ve been coloring and shading. I am hoping to advance to painting eventually,” Martinez said.
Martinez hopes to pursue a job that he’s passionate about in his future, whatever that might be, but he really wants to have a career in art.
“I really like drawing and I’d like to start a career as an artist someday,” Martinez said. “Even if I can’t make it as an artist, all that matters to me is that I get a job I like.”
Martinez tied for first place in a county art competition last year which definitely boosted his confidence as an artist.
“I tied for first place in an art competition last year and I got a plaque as a reward,” Martinez said. “I didn’t know it was a tie until they called me and asked me to come and get my prize, and when I got there the girl who I tied with was also there.”
Martinez has a number of influences that inspired him to pursue art, the biggest of which was his art teacher.
“My art teacher Ms. Hartley was probably my biggest inspiration,” Martinez said. “If it wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t be into art right now. I also really like some of the more famous artists like Vincent Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso.”
Martinez also credits the comic books he read as a kid as a minor influence on his pursuit of art.
“I read comic books as a kid and I think that they had an influence on me,” Martinez said. “I was really impressed that they were able to draw all those pictures so perfectly. I’m better now, but still not as good as that.”
Martinez’s hobbies aren’t limited to just drawing.
“I also write stories everyday. Mostly science fiction about more advanced civilizations, life on other planets, you know,” Martinez said. “It’s kind of funny because the books I like to read are usually historical fiction.”
