There are many talented students around Hampton Bays High School that participate in the art program. Sophomore Minal Naeem is The Tide’s Featured Artist of the Month. “In Drawing and Painting we spent the first quarter honing and building upon everyone’s drawing skills and are currently on our first project, a hero project, where all of what we have learned will be put into use. Minal is doing an incredible job currently on a portrait of her dad and I am excited to see it complete.” Mrs. Papile says. Minal was chosen by Mrs. Papile for The Tide art column for January. “It was a tough choice as we have so many talented artists to choose from in our school!”

Minal’s style is known to be real. “I would describe Minal’s style as realism. Minal strives for extreme accuracy in her artwork,” Mrs. Papile says.

Minal’s Studio Art teacher from Freshman year, Mrs. Bishop, said that she is very particular.  According to Mrs. Bishop, “She is very careful with her art, she’s intricate, she takes her time. But she is very perfect with her work, if she wants it in a certain way, if it’s not how she wants it, she will erase it, she’ll do it over until she gets it how she wants it.” 

 Minal loves the different colors that produce the final product. “I love the whole process and it’s relaxing too.” She doesn’t have a favorite artist but she thinks about and likes to explore different types of art. Minal usually uses acrylic paint and she finds it easier to use. “Watercolor paint is okay but I feel like once you mess up, you can’t really go back with watercolor, but for acrylic paint you can cover up if you have a mistake.” She loves art in general and it’s a hobby of hers. “I just paint random things that I can think of.” Her favorite art project she has done was a project she did last year in Studio Art, where you had to take a black piece of paper and cut it into different shapes and have a colorful background. “I really liked that project because in that, I also was influenced by my religion, I had a mosque that I did.” She really loved this project because of the different colors that she used and the shapes that she cut out. Another art piece Minal painted was a painting at home of some fruits and a rainbow as a background. “I really like things that are really colorful.” 

Aside from art, Minal likes to play sports, particularly volleyball and badminton. Minal also loves to do math and it’s her favorite subject.