How portraits and anatomy sparked a creative future

Photo: Chloe Sawyer.

Art has enveloped Chloe Sawyer since the very beginning. Surrounded by creativity from birth, she grew up watching her grandmother bring oil paintings to life and admired the delicate, hand-painted flowers on silk crafted by her great-grandmother. The seeds of artistic expression were planted generations before her—and in Chloe, they began to bloom.

At five years old, Chloe loved to draw fairy princesses simply because it made her happy.

By eight, her talent and enthusiasm were recognized: she won her school’s “Masterpiece of the Month,” a moment that encouraged her to keep creating.

Throughout high school, Chloe’s passion for art deepened. School art classes and programs like YAA (Young Artists Academy) provided her with both skills and inspiration.

“After I started drawing more portraits,” Chloe shares, “I found myself accidentally staring at people. Looking at the silhouette of their hair, the shape of their nose and chin, and the way light bounces off their skin. I stare at silhouettes of objects and almost forget what they’re supposed to look like, so I can instead draw the basic shapes that make up the object. It sounds a little strange, but essentially I am tracing the world with my eyes.”

For Chloe, art is rooted in connection. “For me, it’s about facial expression or composition. I want people to look at my art and be reminded of their own life. People don’t remember what you do, but how you make them feel—and I want people to feel seen and understood. I remember artwork I can relate to. Even if I’ve never experienced the contents of the painting or drawing, if I can see the emotion or relate it to reality, I can sympathize—and I remember the art.”

Hints of Chloe’s future path can be found in the pages of her science class notebook, filled with meticulous, labeled anatomical drawings—from cells to bones, from the lymphatic system to the layers of the epidermis. These sketches reflect a deep curiosity and growing interest in medicine.

“I’ll probably go to medical school,” she says, “but I know art will never leave my life.”

This is evident in her wide-ranging creativity, which also extends into music and theater. Whether through drawing, playing, performing, or observing, Chloe Sawyer continues to trace the world—not only with her eyes but with her heart.

As she puts it:
“Life isn’t scripted”