Passion is something one may only understand through experience. While for some it may be taking apart molecules and determining sequences, or running to calm the brain, for Keenan Zeller it is craftwork; expressing herself through means of art.

When she has a drawing utensil in hand, and a mind full of imagination everything is simply an expression of the individual. Art, for an artist is quiet symbolism and meaning.

Keenan Zeller is a small town girl who fell in love with art during her first high school art class. With a teacher who both challenged her and made art something special, she would easily enroll in five art classes within her four years of high school.

Colorado State offered both a beautiful environment as well as unmatched art facilities, teachers and programs while still being a large school in her home state.

In a few short weeks for this freshmen out of Telluride, Colorado, Colorado State University,  has become a home of its own. A place where she can pursue her passions everyday in an upbeat learning environment.

As an artist, she spends most of her time or 75 percent of her classes immersed in a creative setting. Currently, she is in a drawing class, a 3D fundamentals class, Art History and LEAP (leadership, entrepreneurship, advocacy for the arts, and the public). Each class has been an eye-opening experience and something which will help Zeller further enhance her understanding of the creative world, the origins of various types of art as well as excelling personally with how she thinks about her pieces.

She says her classes have all taught her something new in the art world, they have opened doors Zeller didn’t know existed.

She said, “I haven’t found ‘style’ yet; I do however however love to work with charcoal, graphite and watercolor.”

Zeller rarely follows any typical theme in her work, but rather would have something be very colorful or black and white. For instance, she considers a favorite piece of hers to be black and white piece she has drawn depicts a close friend of hers wringing out a wet shirt at a beach.

For Keenan, her hopes are having her passions turn into dreams. One day, she hopes to be a working artist who also can run an organization which could supply art programs and supplies to schools that can not afford them.Its important to have a creative way to think about things and to brighten up a room. A simple art assignment can take on some many different forms.

“You can get across any message through the arts,” voices Keenan.

Keenan loves that when she is at work that she can be completely at ease, with little interruption just listening to her favorite jams working with your hand and your mind alike.

“Art is my escape, I feel ‘safe’ when working on pieces,” Zeller said.

College Avenue reporter Josephine Bush can be reached at collegeavenue@collegian.com