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Student adds artistic touch to fest
By EBONY WINDOM Some college students spend an entire semester learning the latest computer graphics programs. Katherine Vargas, 12, learned in three days. The seventh-grader's artwork has been seen around town on T-shirts, posters, signs and newsletters. The organizing committee for the Wesley Chapel Community Festival has chosen to use Katherine's artwork as this year's logo. Adam Zondor, Katherine's visual arts instructor at Weightman Middle School, taught a weeklong lesson about a style of animation called cartooning. Last fall, Zondor assigned a project in which students would design a cartoon image on the computer. "They start with a blank screen," Zondor said. "They learn how to use the tools on the computer to manipulate basic shapes and distort and transform figures. "Kids pick up on computer art real quick," Zondor said. The art instructor says his students feel comfortable working with computers. "A lot of the tools for artwork, kids have never seen before. But kids grow up with computers; a computer is something they're comfortable with," Zondor said. The festival logo is the result of this cartooning project. Katherine used brilliant colors to design the logo which features a young girl in front of a city skyline. "Maybe she resembles me a little bit," she said with a smile. "I like to symbolize everything I do. It's a girl in the big city, and she still has time for nature and everything she likes," said Katherine, who wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up. Katherine has gotten a lot of recognition since her artwork was chosen. "My friends are like, 'Hey, you're famous,' " said the student, who will autograph some shirts as part of a fundraiser for the school and the festival. Despite all the attention, Katherine remains modest. She even forgot to tell her parents, Jalime and Diego Vargas, that she was appearing on the school's closed-circuit television program. "She's not quite sure why this is such a big deal," said Kirsten Joyer, assistant principal for administration. "She's really down to earth, level-headed. "This is a product of her natural artistic ability and the ability of our art teacher to take kids to the next level," Joyer said. "We're encouraged, in education, to promote and celebrate their (students) skills and talents."
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