Artist of the Week: Ellyn Gunya

Name: Ellyn Gunya

Grade: 12

Tools: “For embroidery I use an embroidery hoop, fabric, and embroidery thread. For metal working, I use a variety of tools. The main tools I use would be a torch and solder and a variety of shaping tools, like hammers, and dapping tools. For polishing I use tripoli and rogue, which gives it a really nice shine.”

AP Concentration: “My AP concentration would be enameled bowls. It’s where you take a copper sheet and cut out a circle and then you have to shape it into a bowl then clean it and use enamel, which is glass. They look really pretty when they’re done. I chose this as my concentration because it is technically pleasing and they’re really fun to make.”

Embroidery vs. Metal Work: “I prefer embroidery. It’s so relaxing and it’s fun to make all different sorts of things. Metal work I mostly do at school and embroidery I do at home. But I like to do the two of them constantly so I’m always doing something art related.”

Future: “I’ll always continue doing embroidery and maybe some metal working, but I don’t plan on going to an art school because it’s very expensive and having a pre-existing medical condition called aortic coarctation. I had to have heart surgery for it in fifth grade. Because of my condition, it makes it impossible for me to get medical insurance without having a good job. So I am going into nursing instead of doing art full time.”