When first lady Cecile deJongh’s holiday gift book for young students comes out in a few weeks, St. John resident Aariyah Athanase’s art work will illustrate the line “And Tradewinds Bless Our Native Land.” The book illustrates the “V.I. March,” with the art work done by the territory’s young artists.
“I wanted to make it special and kind of unique,” Athanase said.
Using graphite, a bit of charcoal and color markers, Athanase did a self-portrait in black and white with her hair blowing in the wind. Sunglasses, done with the color markers, reflect the sea and boats sailing in the tropical breeze.
“I’m watching the sailboats sail to depict the wind,” she said.
Athanase, 16 and an Ivanna Eudora Kean High School senior, is mostly a self-taught artist. She had her first art class last year at school, and is taking advanced placement art this semester.
“Ever since I can remember, I loved drawing,” she said.
She said she likes to come up with her own stories, create the characters and see them come to life on paper.
She plans a career in animation. She hasn’t yet created art using a computer but she said she’s ready for that experience.
“I like the idea of it and want to pursue it. I’m ready to learn new things,” she said.
Athanase is also ready to head to the mainland for college and all the experiences, including shopping, that go along with it. She said she plans to attend the Art Institute of Atlanta or the Pratt Institute in New York. She hopes for acceptance at the Atlanta college because the weather is a bit milder than in New York.
“I have a low tolerance for cold,” she said.
College is still about nine months away, and until then, she’ll be up early to catch the 7 a.m. ferry to Red Hook for classes at Eudora Kean. She’s a member of the school’s art club and president of the Eudora Kean Harmonic Rays choir. As a member of that group, in June she went to London’s WorldStrides Heritage Festival to perform in a combined choir with the Charlotte Amalie High School’s Hawks Unity Choir. They won the Carnegie Hall festival Gold Award Certificate. Athanase listed that experience as one of the most exciting things to happen in her life.
Back on St. John, she’s busy with Nazareth Lutheran Church activities including helping with the altar service and serving as an acolyte.
She was born at what was then called St. Thomas Hospital because there is no hospital on St. John.
Athanase is the daughter of Raymond Athanase and Jeanne Thomas. Her proud mother spoke about how well she’s done without much formal art training.
“I thank God for the blessing he gave her,” Thomas said of her daughter’s talent.
It runs in the family. Athanase said her sister, La’Nae Charles, 20, also draws and is an inspiration to her.
Her brothers and other sisters are Larissa Charles, 35, Lawrence Charles III, 33, Mitch Athanase, 23, Khadijah Athanase, 20, and Kiana Athanase, 16.
She started school at Guy Benjamin School, went to Sts. Peter and Paul School on St. Thomas and then to Eudora Kean since the 10th grade.
As for her future, she said that she aims for a career in animation with one of the big-name studios.
“DreamWorks, Universal Studios,” she said.
