by Kane Harth
I wasn’t much of an artist growing up. The only time I really tried was as a way of building up my skills. I took a course to get better at the skill of art. This has led to a very messy relationship between my self-worth and my art. Largely on account of my work being ignored. For the longest time, the only person who found anything in my work was me, and me alone.
Fast forward to 2025. It’s my first semester of college, and it’s time to find myself in a club. One of my first picks was Art Club. I thought that since I made art every now and then, that I might find a place for myself there.
After struggling to find the correct meeting place and time on account of a website error, I made it to my first meeting. If you’ve ever stepped foot in the Art Wing of RCTC, you’ll understand what I mean when I say the atmosphere was oppressive. The architecture in that room screams brutalism, an architectural movement which I don’t know much about.
All I know is that just stepping into that room, I felt like I had to be on guard.
The meeting came and went in a flash. It was housekeeping. I don’t know what I expected when I walked in, but I left unimpressed. This is the moment to sell me on why I should come back! Why are we so pre-occupied with housekeeping? Maybe it’s because this is one of the first times I’ve ever been to a school club, but I was disappointed regardless.
I continue to come back though. Maybe there’s more to offer?
About a month into the semester, I came into art club to find that we were making shirt designs. Simon told me the dimensions, and I got to work. I sketched on the margins of the page, outside of where the design would ultimately land. My art largely consists of empty, sad environments, and girls whose emotions are best expressed with bags under their eyes.
In the margins, I drew a couple of various things, a spooky face, an empty room, and a few sketches of an original character of mine named Laura. Laura as a character was born in early 2025, after a particularly rough night. I sat down at my digital drawing tablet, and drew how I felt. A girl in a hoodie with tears in her eyes, sitting at her desk, looking at something (presumably a screen) out of frame.
On the drawing tablet to her side is a girl with no face, staring at her.
The next day, I fleshed out Laura. College was on the mind, as later that year, I’d be heading to RCTC. I drew her sitting at a lecture hall desk, face down, with those same bags in her eyes. Stressed out of her mind. I intended the character to be a way of expressing both my hopes and dreams for RCTC, and my fears and anxieties.
That’s it! I should design a T-shirt of Laura! I sketched out a couple more poses, before I settled on what would end up being the final design. Just her, looking at the viewer. That’s it.
I’d sketch away, with Simon coming in to tell me to vary the line weight and use thicker lines overall. Within about 30 minutes, I had a design. I called Simon over to look at it, and I’ll never forget how he told me, “I think some other students might want this.” It was a nice compliment, but any interest in my work has historically been superficial. He only said that to make me feel good about it.
Come next week he’ll have forgotten all about it, I thought.
Still, I wanted to test that theory. I texted a few of my friends who I had recently met with a picture of the design, and if they’d wear it. Every single one said yes, and provided me with a shirt size.
Oh! But of course they’d say that! They’re my *friends,* can’t forget that bias of theirs! If it isn’t clear at this point, I’ve been characterizing my anxious thoughts. 
I kind of wish I took the time to go around campus asking random students. Much too awkward though, and I know I’d just be crushing my dreams at that point so it’s better to live in ignorance on that one.
Two weeks later, I met with Jeff, who showed me the ropes of turning the sketch into a vinyl design to be put onto a T-shirt. If you know me, I hate inking, the process where you take a sketch and turn it into smooth, perfect lines. I can’t stand it. Everything looks better as a sketch. But, it had to be done. Me and Jeff really knocked it out of the park on this one, preserving the personality of the sketch while maintaining viability as a vinyl design.
As me and Jeff worked it out, it came out looking far better than I had ever expected! Oh good! This would be super cool for me to wear. Forgetting about all the people who asked under some silly pretense of “Oh it’d probably collect dust anyway…”
Christ I’m sounding like Eeyore lmaoooo
I’d take this design and share it with everyone I knew. Universal praise. Bask in it’s glory! I jest. But they did enjoy it a lot, and at time of writing, I have about 5 people who are interested in taking a shirt.
Art Club meets at 2 p.m. on Wednesdays in AH 300 (Art Hall). Its faculty advisor is Simon Huelsbeck.