Outside of school, one can find senior Mae Dooling crocheting or listening to music. In school, she is an artistic force to be reckoned with. Having taken some of LHS’s most rigorous art courses–Drawing and Painting, Advanced Drawing and Painting, AP Studio Art, and currently Portfolio Prep–Dooling has immersed herself in art daily, and she could not enjoy the activity more.
Early on in her childhood, art was a habitual interest Dooling relished in: “Every time I would hang out with my friends in elementary school, I would ask if we could draw. Whenever I had free time, I would be crafting or doing art in some sense.” Her love for art stemmed from it being one of the first things taught in school where she had the autonomy to create whatever she desired. This freedom to create has remained with Dooling as she has gone forward in her artistic pursuits and is reflected in the pieces she makes.
Dooling’s favorite pieces to create are drawings. Preferring them over painting, she follows a particular process in which she goes about her work. She explained, “Once I have an idea for a piece, I get started right away. Occasionally, I will sketch certain aspects of the piece or create a vision board. I take my reference photos, and I begin rendering the image.” When asked to comment on her artistic process, art teacher Tom Sena expressed, “I have seen Mae take more risks this year in Portfolio Prep, both in her subject matter and her approaches with materials. I never see her get too ‘down’ on herself if something she tries doesn’t end up completely working out the way she intended. For an artist, that’s a great trait to have.”
To create her drawings, Dooling strongly favors colored pencils as her artistic medium. She finds great satisfaction in the “character and vibrancy” it brings to her works compared to graphite. An artist Dooling draws inspiration from, CJ Hendry, also works with colored pencils. After receiving the opportunity to visit her studio in Brooklyn last year, Dooling has developed a great adoration for Hendry’s work. She went on to reveal that she would love to explore acrylic painting more. “I am not very good at [using acrylic paint], so I am resistant to work with it more often. I would like to build my skills so I can incorporate it into my work,” she mused.
When asked how she foresees art coexisting with her future, Dooling shared her aspirations to pursue a career in elementary education and become a kindergarten teacher; she connected that she would love to see arts and crafts regularly implemented into her lessons. Additionally, she would like to complete advanced pieces in her free time to enhance her artistic abilities.
After being involved with the art department for so long, Dooling reflected on one of her most fond memories: the yearly autumnal event, Night of the Pumpkins. “Although the day was long, it was so much fun setting up with my friends. I was at the face painting stand, and seeing how much fun the kids were having was so nice,” she shared. Senior Elena McDonald, who has taken art courses with Dooling for the last three years, expressed her admiration for her: “Mae comes up with amazing ideas that are so inspiring. I admire [her] unique technique to approaching new projects.”
As an incredible artist residing in the Lynbrook community, Dooling’s work has adorned the walls of LHS and graced the eyes of visitors who have passed it on numerous occasions. The skills she has picked up in the Lynbrook school district will remain with her as she progresses into the next chapter of her life.
