Artist Spotlight - Cyrus Edelen ‘29

Gilman students work tirelessly to create amazing pieces, ranging from performing and musical to visual art, that often do not get the recognition they deserve. To address this issue, I will select one outstanding work created by your peers each month, giving them the recognition they deserve. Feel free to provide recommendations to jcameron26@students.gilman.edu. 

I chose this piece because it is a perfect example of Gilman students’ talents, specifically due to its meticulous attention to detail and vibrant colors. When asked about his creative process, Cyrus shared, “First I sketched it out, then I got the paint out, and then [I] worked on the eye and the mouth. I did the rest of it pretty quickly. And then, in the morning, I used a marker to do the same.” This quote, though, does not fully encapsulate the depth and quality of this artwork. The trout has a variety of greens, yellows, and blues perfectly composing a spectacular piece. I asked Cyrus what he would change about his painting, and he responded, “I would spend more time on the other parts of the fish, not just the head, and [I would] do more of the body in detail.” Although the head is incredibly detailed, the body is also fairly elaborate, and it is hard to find any faults in the artwork. Surprisingly, Cyrus has not used acrylic paint for anything other than school projects in four years. By looking at the painting, I could not tell he was relatively inexperienced with the medium. Layering the paint perfectly, he combines the colors into the perfect shade of fish scales. His painting is so lively; it almost looks more realistic than the reference photo used. Cyrus sets a high bar at the end of this month’s segment, but I will look forward to seeing what comes next from the Gilman art program.