I am an art teacher with a master’s degree—trained by brilliant professors who believed that art could do more than decorate walls. I offer safe spaces for teenagers to grow—nourishing soil where their imaginations can take root.
And yet… I am assigned to hallway duty.
This is compulsory education, after all.
So I sit—posted like a sentinel—watching young lives stream past.
“Get to class,” I say with a smile and a nudge.
The system wants attendance; I’m hungry for presence.
Armed not with a whistle or clipboard, but with a pen—
my scribble’s soft insurgency.
The hallway stretches out like a geometric hymn.
Columns and corners chant structure.
Teenagers swirl past—half-formed galaxies of limbs and laughter—
their orbits chaotic, their gravity pulling time forward.
I begin to draw.
Not their tardiness, but their motion.
A shoulder. A blur of sneakers.
A tilted head chasing freedom.
Feet flickering like seconds.
Each mark a pulse.
Each smudge a breath.
My paper becomes a seismograph of seeing—
trembling gently through the mundane.
This isn’t about making art for a frame or a feed.
It’s about refusing to leak away in the fluorescent hum of obligation.
It’s a quiet mutiny against the clock.
I do this on long car rides, too (passenger side, mind you).
Letting the lines grow wild, jagged, and unapologetic.
Not for polish—
but for presence.
This is how I remember I’m still alive.
Still growing.
Still watching.
Still choosing to see.
Because sometimes mental health looks like
a piece of scrap paper,
a moving pen,
and the simple, sacred act of
marking time with wonder.
To draw is to notice.
To notice is to pause.
And sometimes, all it takes is a barefoot boy in a camping chair, chasing the drips of a popsicle, to remind us what it means to be here.
This is Popsiclence—a sacred kind of focus.
It’s where observational drawing leads us: out of the swirl, into the now.
And in that now, we heal.
"My life vest is in the boat, and I'm in the water." ~ A blackout poem from a recycled page of Riding with the Hides of Hell, a young adult love story now titled Burnout.
"Whirlwind 22”, an original drawing. Micron pens on archival paper. Size: 4” x 6”. Title, signature, and date in the back of the drawing. This drawing is the 22nd in a series of drawings posted over a period of 100 days. The original post date on this drawing was September 22, 2020.
One of my Swirly Designs, illustrated with different tools such as Graphite, Aquarelle, Ink Pens and Ai & Tablet. Sometimes sheer Vectorillustration/design.
.
Urh.-Nr:1811955
.
Copyright by Carolina Matthes
I don't know why these all upload sideways, but here's my latest work for the sketchbook. I created the electric field pattern and printed it on photo paper then doodled these rainbow trout (at the suggestion of my friend Andrew) and glued them on.
Temperature, polarity, pressure, molecule size, and stirring all increase solubility. Yup. The background is stained from food coloring swirled in shaving cream, some AP Chem practice problem notes, and some shapes for spice. Also, I submitted 3 college apps yesterday, so here's to that.
A boat floats at the center of swirling, vibrant blue waves, creating a sense of motion and energy. The contrast between the warm tones of the boat and the cool hues of the water highlights the image's dynamic composition.
One of my Swirly Designs, illustrated with different tools such as Graphite, Aquarelle, Ink Pens and Ai & Tablet. Sometimes sheer Vectorillustration/design.
.
Urh.-Nr:1811955
.
Copyright by Carolina Matthes
“Whirlwind 5”, an original drawing. Micron pens on archival paper. Size: 5” x 7”. Title, signature and date in the back of the drawing. This drawing is the 5th in a series of drawings that were posted over a period of 100 days. The original post date on this drawing was September 5, 2020.
A colorful and dynamic scene depicts a Cosmic Christmas Tree with swirling galaxies and stars against a dark background. The vibrant colors blend together to create an impression of movement and energy in space.
“Whirlwind 2”, an original drawing. Micron pens on archival paper. Size: 4” x 6”. Title, signature and date in the back of the drawing. The original post date on this drawing was September 2, 2020.
A fantastical bullwhale creature with a mix of whale and bull features glides through a vibrant, swirling, blue and orange hues body of water. The colors blend in a mosaic style, enhancing the creature's mythical presence with a composition that creates a sense of movement and depth, capturing an imaginative underwater scene.
"Whirlwind 16”, an original drawing. Micron pens on archival paper. Size: 4” x 6”. Title, signature, and date in the back of the drawing. This drawing is the 16th in a series of drawings posted over a period of 100 days. The original post date on this drawing was September 16, 2020.
"Whirlwind 13”, an original drawing. Micron pens on archival paper. Size: 5” x 7”. Title, signature, and date in the back of the drawing. This drawing is the 13th in a series of drawings posted over a period of 100 days. The original post date on this drawing was September 13, 2020.
"Whirlwind 20”, an original drawing. Micron pens on archival paper. Size: 4” x 6”. Title, signature, and date in the back of the drawing. This drawing is the 20th in a series of drawings posted over a period of 100 days. The original post date on this drawing was September 20, 2020.
"Whirlwind 17”, an original drawing. Micron pens on archival paper. Size: 4” x 6”. Title, signature, and date in the back of the drawing. This drawing is the 17th in a series of drawings posted over a period of 100 days. The original post date on this drawing was September 17, 2020.
"Whirlwind 15”, an original drawing. Micron pens on archival paper. Size: 4” x 6”. Title, signature, and date in the back of the drawing. This drawing is the 15th in a series of drawings posted over a period of 100 days. The original post date on this drawing was September 15, 2020.
“Whirlwind 3”, an original drawing. Micron pens on archival paper. Size: 5” x 7”. Title, signature and date in the back of the drawing. This drawing is the 3rd in a series of drawings that were posted over a period of 100 days. The original post date on this drawing was September 3, 2020.
A vibrant and playful typography design with swirling colors surrounds the phrase 'Surrender to Serendipity'. The intricate lettering is set against an abstract pattern, giving it a dynamic and lively feel.
