Unmasking Art Show Virtual Tour

"The Animals of the Forest" by Cecil Nesgoda
Watercolor, ink pens and watercolor, watercolor pencils 12” x 9”

"The Trail Beyond Us" by Cecil Nesgoda
Watercolor, Ink Pens, Watercolor, And Watercolor Pencils 12” x 9”

Artist Statement

Hello, my name is Cecil Nesgoda, I am seventeen years old and I attend Apollo highschool. This time around, I sort of mentored myself. Ruby and Sheena were around to sorta talk, although it was primarily my own self-guided work. The pieces that are mine are the ones that are in a forest/fantasy-esque setting. They are also the pieces presented next to this statement. The title of the one with more animals is “The Animals of the Forest” and the one with the house and a more extensive background is “The Trail Beyond Us”. I made the first one mentioned with watercolor and ink pens and I made the second one with watercolor and watercolor pencils.

I’ve never been the kinda guy that likes nonfiction or many things that are associated with real life. For most of my life, I have used fantasy and fiction as a way of escapism. Staying attached to reality has never been much of an interest to me instead, the best way I’ve found to cope is to use fantasy and dream of a better place. As of now, the world is a corrupt place. So much is wrong in the world and there’s not much we can do. There may be little things but I believe even then we, as people cannot do much to change society as a whole. The rich are the ones in power and having equal opportunity is difficult in a world that is run by money and there so much work that needs to be done. So, I used fantasy to cope in a way where I can separate myself from this world. I chose the images I did because I think a forest setting can allude to mystery and mysteriousness. I like the contrast between day and night that I included. I chose watercolor because it is my strong suit and I enjoy using it a lot.

This is my ninth session and this program has impacted me and my art as a whole. I think it would be impossible to pull out a singular time that I was impacted because this whole program as a whole has grown me into a strong artist. Next time will be my last time with this program and I’m glad I’ve had it. Through this, I have gotten a taste of what a professional gallery show is like. I thank this program for helping me grow into a fine young man and fine young artist. Thank you, everyone.

Oral Statement