Junior Jake Giarriputo is a talented young artist at LHS. He became interested in art and coloring as a kid and has been pursuing art for basically his whole life, progressively gaining more skill as time passes. 

“I have been doing art for as long as I can remember,” Giarriputo said, “but have only decided to get serious about it in recent years. Throughout my art journey, I have been through all sorts of ups and downs. I have made some pretty good pieces and some not so great ones. I have often felt like my pieces were not good enough and that I was not good enough, but I could take what I learned from my mistakes and improve significantly.”

His parents are two of his many supporters who have inspired him to continue with art. Junior Emmie Paladino, Giarriputo’s longtime friend, also encourages and supports him. “I met Jake in ninth grade, and he is a super good artist,” she said. “He likes to draw stuff from video games, and he carved an awesome pumpkin at the National Art Honor Society Night of the Pumpkin. He is extremely talented,” Paladino added.

Giarriuputo’s preferred art style is realism, but he likes to experiment when he can.”I try to go for a realistic look, but I am interested in trying a more abstract or expressionist-like style,” he shared. “I mostly enjoy using pencils and colored pencils for my mediums. I am not the biggest fan of paint, but I would like to improve with it.” 

He has not found inspiration in many people, but instead, finds it in things he loves: “I get inspiration from things I am passionate about, such as video games,” he said. “Pieces based around video games are a big part of my theme for AP Art this year.”

The road to Giarriputo’s current expertise has required lots of work and patience, and school art classes have helped him develop his technique further. “Through practice and trial and error, I was able to teach myself a lot. I have also learned a lot of what I know from Mr. Kunz in the short period of time I have been in AP Art,” said Giarriupto.

Art Teacher Michael Kunz said, “Jake is an extremely hardworking art student. In just over two months in AP Art, I have seen his work grow tremendously. He knows how to take feedback from constructive criticism and turn it into great artwork. I am excited to see the work he will produce this year.”

One of Giarriputo’s favorite memories is being inducted into the National Art Honor Society. “I would like to spread the message to aspiring artists that they should make pieces for things they are passionate about. It is much easier to create art when you care about what you are making. I have been able to figure out that not every piece is going to turn out perfect, and that is not the end of the world. It is important to stay at it and keep improving.”

Giarriputo’s Instagram for art is @jake_giarriputo, “There is not much on my art account, but it exists,” said Giarriputo.