An artist in the making: Declan Carroll

If his trash-tree masterpiece is any indication, Declan’s artistic journey is only just beginning. Photo: Declan Carroll.

Picture this: an art teacher weaving through a 6th-grade classroom, checking projects, offering suggestions on which graphite to use, and assisting with one-on-one guidance. Then, she stops. She’s caught off guard, not by a question, but by a masterpiece unfolding before her eyes. It’s a tree, but not just any tree. This one grows from discarded objects: broken bike parts, a trash can, a keyboard, a car door. A tree imagined and rendered with a level of skill beyond the typical middle schooler.

Most 6th-grade students are just beginning their artistic journeys—learning basic techniques, experimenting with simple styles, and completing teacher-led projects. Many approach these assignments with uncertainty, especially those who have never taken an art class before.

But Declan Carroll is different. For him, imagination isn’t an instruction. It’s where instinct, expression, and therapy intersect.

Diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome at age four, Declan began drawing as a way to cope with the tics, anxiety, and OCD that accompanied it. “I realized I was talented when my parents told me my art was great,” he says. “Their encouragement made me want to keep going—I wanted to keep impressing my mom and dad.”

His parents recognized his gift early. His mother remembers a meticulously drawn and painted shark he created in preschool. “It was incredible,” she says. “Art gives him expression, relaxation, and a way to ease his tics.” His father recalls the extraordinary patience and focus Declan showed even as a toddler, traits most children his age had not yet developed.

Declan gravitates toward pencil work. “It lets you sketch before officially starting,” he explains. “You can draw slowly, make mistakes, and keep going instead of having to restart. Pencil lets you create shading that paint can’t.”

A pivotal figure in his artistic development was his San Diego art teacher, Ms. Kara White. “What a lucky art teacher I am,” she says. “Declan remembers every new skill and can translate what he sees directly onto paper. He blends realism with whimsical creativity and has the perfect combination of skill, imagination, talent, and incredible kindness.” Declan adds, “She taught me that art is not perfect, and that’s okay.”

Nature fuels his imagination–– mountains, animals, and quiet landscapes fill his sketchbooks. “I’m happiest when I see my sketches come together,” he says.

And if his trash-tree masterpiece is any indication, Declan’s artistic journey is only just beginning.