Ever since Freshman Kal’El Livingston was four, he has been infatuated with art. From doodling stick figures in pre-kindergarten to presenting three paintings at Princeton University, his inspiring story stands out and should encourage everyone to explore art.

For Livingston, art has been an integral part of his life. He described art as “an expression of the mind” and a way to connect with peers and other artists. Although Livingston is interested in a variety of styles, his favorites are realism, impressionism, and abstract art. Livingston enjoys painting a variety of subjects including cartoon characters, pets, people, and landscapes and idolizes Norman Rockwell for his realistic approach to art.

At just fifteen years old, Livingston has accomplished many artistic goals and continues to strive for more. This past summer, he attended an art summer program at Princeton University that helped him develop both socially and creatively. Through this camp, he was able to interact with and learn from many talented artists and instructors. At the end of this camp, he was able to present three outstanding pieces he drew in an exhibition, all of which were well-received by the audience. One of his most impressive pieces was a drawing of a chimpanzee evolving into a human while wearing different sets of headphones from different decades–portraying the passion for music he has had since he was little.

Currently, Livingston is working on a 7-minute FlipaClip animation to debut at Art All Night, an exhibition hosted by Artworks in Trenton. Livingston dreams big and dedicates an immense amount of effort towards his love and passion for art. With high hopes, he says “I want to work at a big studio one day, like Disney.”

As a student, Livingston must balance his school work with his artistic endeavors. Luckily, he has been able to use art to help him relieve stress from school and bring a peace of  mind. Livingston dedicates all his free time and study halls to work on his animation. Most recently, he spent 10 months on a 10-foot mural based on Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You” album cover in his living room as a heartwarming gift to his mother on Mother’s Day. Livingston’s mother is a big fan of Marvin Gaye and other Motown artists, and always wanted a warm colored painting of people dancing that matched their vinyl in the living room. 

Art has had a significant impact on Livingston’s life, and he encourages everybody to engage in artistic endeavours. He expressed, “It’s really hard not to pay attention to art. You should always pay attention to art because art is a very beautiful form of using your imagination. You never know what you could find in it.”