Lainey Overton, a senior at RMA, is multi-talented in art and can create pieces in a wide variety of styles. Her love for art first began when she was eight years old and took an interest in drawing for fun. Since then, she has explored many other mediums, including ceramics, colored pencils, and paint pens. 

This year, Lainey decided to take Ceramics with Mrs. Hunter for the first time and has found a passion for it! So far, she has pinch pots, a gingerbread house, and multiple coasters just five months into the school year. However, one of Lainey’s most notable ceramics pieces is a special tray she made for her grandmother.

Back in November 2023, Lainey’s grandmother was in the hospital with cancer and asked Lainey if she could make something for her, so–being the kind-hearted person she is–Lainey made her a tray in ceramics class. She painted the rectangular tray purple since that was her grandmother’s favorite color and adorned it with white dots and the word “Grandma.” She then brought the tray to the hospital to present to her grandmother, who loved it and kept it until she passed away later that month. Afterward, Lainey’s mother brought the tray home for her to keep. Now the tray is especially important to Lainey because she can always have a part of her grandmother with her. 

Thankfully, most of Lainey’s art is more light-hearted and created just for fun. Outside of school, Lainey enjoys art because, like most RMA students, she stays busy with extracurricular activities–especially cheerleading and our Upper School plays–and art helps her relax. At home, she’ll take pages out of mindful meditation coloring books and fill them in with colored pencils to de-stress, or perhaps she’ll paint, which she does in a unique way; instead of using traditional paints and brushes, she uses paint pens, which she considers her favorite medium to use. Often, she’ll use them to trace the images from her coloring books and then color them in with colored pencils. She does this so that she can be even more creative by making different variations of the same image. 

As she finishes the school year, Lainey will continue using her skills to enjoy herself in her free time and plans to make or exceed the number of ceramics pieces she has created thus far. She is already on her way to becoming an artistic jill-of-all-trades as she works to become a cosmetologist and incorporate her talents into a completely new art form.