Page High student artist starts business during pandemic

Posted

PAGE – Pearl Sandoval, a junior at Page High School, is passionate about art and has developed methods that have allowed her art to grow and thrive the last year despite setbacks caused from COVID-19 shutdowns and closures.

Sandoval dabbles in several different art styles and forms, but her preferred style is pop art – an art form that draws from commercial items and cultural icons such as product labels, advertisements and modern media.

“Pearl is a star!” exclaimed Sandoval’s art teacher, Sue Tucker, who has been teaching Sandoval since she was in sixth grade. “As my student, teaching Pearl is very exciting because I’ve seen her growing as an artist since she was in middle school.”

Because Sandoval is a more advanced art student, even while at Page Middle School, Ms. Tucker is giving her advanced projects that take her to a different level of experience in the arts. One of those projects was a pretty big one: Ms. Tucker had Sandoval

paint murals on the walls at the middle school. The murals are still there today.

“She’s very prolific, she’s a scholar, she’s passionate, independent, dedicated and goes above and beyond by being a role model, as well as a fun-loving person to her peers,” Ms. Tucker said. “She’s like a sponge: she absorbs everything I teach her.”

Sandoval is attending high school remotely this year. This year she’s taking Painting II from Ms. Tucker. In previous years, Ms. Tucker has taught her Drawing I and II, Painting I and Honors Advanced Art. Sandoval plans to take Honors Advanced Art during her senior year.

In Honors Advanced Art, Sandoval will be allowed to create her own curriculum designed around what she wants to learn. At the end of the year, she hopes to display her work in an art show.

Challenges of remote learning

Attending school remotely has brought some added challenges, but Sandoval has been able to work through it with few problems.

“Working remotely was not difficult because my mom was there to provide me with the resources I needed,” she said.

Sandoval communicates with Ms. Tucker primarily via email. Sandoval sends photos of her art in various stages of completion and Ms. Tucker provides critique, feedback and guidance if needed.

Creating a small business

In recent months, Sandoval has taken her art to a new level. She recently started her own business dedicated to promoting and selling her artwork. She showcases her art on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and on Snapchat. 

Sandoval is glad with the progress her new business is making. She gets a lot of help from her family.

“It is going very well,” she said. “I am happy to say that I have a very supporting family, especially my sister. She gets me the things I need for the business and always goes above and beyond when it comes to packaging. We are currently in the process of making custom stickers and more business cards as well as thank-you cards for [people] purchasing my canvases.”

During the last year, the coronavirus pandemic has had a negative impact on businesses big and small throughout the world, but that didn’t stop Pearl Sandoval from opening her business.

 “I took the time to do something I really love and am passionate about,” Sandoval said. The loving support from those around her is what motivated her to start her business, Sandoval explains.

“What motivated me to start my business was my family. Also, [not to mention], my art teacher named Susan Tucker,” Sandoval said. “She motivated me the most to start it and helped me with materials and supplies.”

Sandoval also explained why she started her business, as well as what made her feel like this was a perfect time to start a business.

“I felt like this was the right to start my business to show other people that even though we’re in a pandemic,” Sandoval said. “It won’t stop us from our dreams and goals. Even if we live in a small town, we can still do big things in life!”

Sandoval is proud of her art, and also takes pride in the way she presents it and packages for her customers. She likes giving it that personal touch. That includes making her own business cards and including treats with the art her customers have ordered.

Inspiration at home

Pearl Sandoval’s introduction to the art world came from her father. He has also been a great source of inspiration for her as well.

When Sandoval was about 5 years old, her father would show her how to draw a person’s face and how to shade it. He’s always enjoyed drawing and has always encouraged her to draw with him. She’s currently the only artist in her family but does have a younger niece and cousin, ages 3 and 11, who are following her artistic footsteps.

Sandoval says the interest her niece and cousin show in her artwork inspired her to continue on her own art journey.

“They both have such a huge heart for art and painting,” she said. 

Her cousin always asks her for opinions on how to draw animals and sketches of people. Her niece calls and tells her what she paints and what color she uses.

“I do what I can to show them all the techniques and skills to paint or draw,” Sandoval said.

Sandoval also takes inspiration from one of the world’s greatest artists, Leonardo Da Vinci, who she became interested in when she was in eighth grade.

“He took so much time sculpting and painting,” Sandoval added. “One of his quotes will always remain in my heart: ‘Time stays long enough for anyone who will use it.’”

To see more of Sandoval’s work, visit her social media platforms: Instagram (artpainting533), Facebook at (joy Sandoval), TikTok at (artpainting533).

Editor’s note: Shundine Fowler is a former intern at the Lake Powell Chronicle. She is a student journalist at Page High School. She enjoys playing guitar, listening to music, writing, drawing, playing with her dogs as well as practicing and studying tattoo artistry in her spare time. Shundine is also an independent self-taught tattoo apprentice and has her own tattoo machine and practices on fake skin [included in a kit] to accelerate her tattoo artistry skills.