By Lisa Carolin
It takes dedicated, encouraging, supportive teachers and parents to bring out the best in a student. In the case of Chelsea High School senior Abe Cone, it also takes a very talented student – one who is also extremely motivated.
Cone was one of 16 recipients of the Gold Medal Portfolio 2016 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which goes to eight artists and eight writers. He will receive a $10,000 scholarship, and will go to New York City on June 2 to accept the award at a ceremony at Carnegie Hall.
Cone will be accompanied by his parents and his two art teachers, Geo Rutherford and Laura Naar.
“Abe’s talent was evident from the start,” said Naar. “Abe has also shown drive and motivation like I’ve never seen before. To be successful in the art world, you have to be crazy driven.”
“Each print that Abe has done is 90 to 100 hours of work,” said Rutherford. “He gave up some of his childhood. I wasn’t expecting this from a kid.”
“His line quality in drawing is amazing,” said Naar. “He has tiny, delicate lines, which is very difficult.”
“As a print maker you appreciate the fine detail,” said Rutherford.
Cone was interested in making things when he was a young child. He went from drawing to painting and then printing.
“Geo introduced linoleum relief printmaking to me when I was a sophomore,” said Cone. “My style of drawing is very graphic. I start off drawing a design on a block of linoleum, and then carving it and filling in details.”
He then uses a rubber roller on top of the image to get the right consistency. It’s a very time-consuming process. CHS has a printing press but Geo has accompanied Cone to Eastern Michigan University to use a larger printing press.
His prints in the Scholastic show are all on 30 x 22 paper.
“I use negative space to make it feel like the subject is in the center,” said Cone. “I like closed composition.”
Cone’s dad made the frames for his pieces using variegated wood that is deckle edged. Cone’s mom is a frequent visitor to in the high school’s art room volunteering her time.
“I was so excited to talk to Abe’s parents and tell them that he could go into art,” said Rutherford. “It’s been three years in the making.”
Cone has been visiting colleges and receiving scholarship offers. He has narrowed his choices to three — the University of Michigan Stamps School of Art and Design, the Maryland Institute College of Art, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Cone enjoys the subjects of conservation, the environment, and human nature in his art, and he says that his upbringing in Chelsea with all the rural areas around inspired him. He enjoys running and was captain of the high school’s cross country team. He also loves to read, especially nonfiction.
“I have to prioritize my schedule,” he said. “I finished my Eagle Scout project (Boy Scout Troop 425) and refurbished a homeless shelter in Ann Arbor. But I have to cut out things like television.”
Cone enjoys printing because it allows the artist to make numerous editions of a piece.
“Each one comes away with its own personality,” he said.
“The original etching makes the art available for every day people,” said Rutherford. “Each of Abe’s prints can be sold as original works of art. They cost less even though they are one of a kind,” she said.
You can see Cone’s work at Chelsea’s Art Extravaganza at the Washington Street Education Center through April 28. It will also be going on display at Ann Arbor’s Neutral Zone, one of the biggest shows for students in Washtenaw County. And, the Scholastic Art winners will have their work on a two-year tour around the U.S. that will start at ArtPrize in Grand Rapids in September.
Visit Cone’s Web site here.
