Sophia Assis: Painting her World
Student Sophia Assis poses behind her mural with a smile and a thumbs-up. And it’s this artistic thumb that made the Jag Shack (the room to the left of Senior Square) what it is today. Stop by the cafeteria to see her work! (Photo donated by: Sophia Assis)
December 1, 2022
A modern day Frida Kahlo walks into school, completely unfazed by the fact that she paints day in and day out, creating masterpieces with her own two hands. She dips the soft bristles of a paint brush into a multicolored palette and squints in concentration as she throws the colors onto the work space. Art isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon, and it certainly is not for the faint of heart. Decisiveness is the name of the game—be confident in your lines or don’t paint. But even while placed with the momentous task of creating a mural for the new club, DECA, at Pembroke Pines Charter High School, for all to marvel at, this artist isn’t worried. She is completely at peace with her work and takes pride in her results.
Sophomore Sophia Assis is an artist: a creator of life beyond biology, beyond words, a legend in the making and a designer of her own lifestyle—she creates it through images. With a keen eye for detail, Sophia has always been drawn to the world of art. “Art has always been a major component in my life, and ever since I can remember I’ve been interested in experimenting with what I could create.” Like many people with a passion and the maturity to recognize the importance of the smaller details, Sophia recalls the process of learning to perfect even the most straightforward of artworks. “I have so many vivid memories of spending so much time trying to perfect one basic drawing of my favorite cartoon or even spending so much time watching tutorial after tutorial on YouTube just to figure out the best way to draw water.”
For many, there’s a certain activity or object that relieves stress and is used as a comfort mechanism in times of need; for Sophia, that comfort mechanism is art. “What I love about art is how little limitation you have, there are endless mediums to work with and endless ways to portray the same exact concept.” It’s a fact that no two snowflakes are the same. It is scientifically proven that not even the most similar of twins are completely identical. Similarly, Sophia appreciates the fact that art, no matter how it is created, will ever result in the same, identical appearance.
Painting requires the steadiness used with a pencil, and the confidence of Hercules in order to achieve the results that, simply and plainly put, look good. We’ve all been there—where we believe something will turn out one way but it takes a turn for the worse. Yet that isn’t an option when painting a mural for all to see: welcome to the world of paint. Even a glance at paint causes many artists to cower with fear, but not for Sophia. “If I had to choose, my favorite medium would be acrylic paint!” Some say it’s a God-given talent, perhaps it’s pure luck, maybe it’s superhuman powers, but Sophia disagrees with all three. “When it comes to creative energy, I think it’s just a learned skill. I get told so many times how I had to be ‘born’ able to draw, and I could not disagree with this ideology more. The ability to draw stems from your motivation and dedication to learn and improve, nothing more!”
“Art can be tedious and I think it taught me how to focus on a goal and complete it. Art has also opened my eyes to how vastly different people are, and how no two people are the same, not only appearance wise but also internally. Just by the way people react to my art, it reveals to me something about them…” Sophia explained exactly what art can reveal about others and how much pride she has for the work being done on the mural. “A sense of pride feels like an understatement! I still can’t believe me and my friend, Emily Arcia, were chosen to paint it. It feels really nice to say that I was able to design and paint a mural at our school, especially since it’ll be here, hopefully, for a long time…” After all, not many people have the ability to look up at a mural and say “I did that.”
Sophia hopes to pursue a career in art, and grace not only the school, but also the world, with her talent. “It is an overall really cool experience as an artist to see my work on such a large surface, and how lots of people will be able to see it too,” finished Sophia. Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso have nothing on Sophia Assis—with a crisp paintbrush, a determined mind, and passion for paint, she is ready to take the world by storm.
