Most people have dreams when they’re younger. Whether it’s to be an astronaut, a celebrity, or even the president, no dream is too big or ambitious in a child’s mind. However, when children grow up those dreams sometimes seem to disappear.  There are a few individuals that stray from this stereotype of facing reality and allow the dreams to grow up with them.

Senior Fen Hendon has made a name for himself through his art and even more recently his pottery. When he started drawing at the age of seven, Hendon created stick figures comic series which began his passion for art.

“Both my parents were artists so that kind of nudged me in the right direction,” Hendon said. ”I didn’t really start pottery till last year though. We had these wheels in the art room and nobody ever used them, so my friend and I just started messing around and ended up really liking it.”

Not alone in his venture into pottery, Hendon’s mom, Andrea Hendon is also an artist and has challenged and supported Fen’s artistic talents by supplying materials needed and pushing his limits.

“There were certain styles like his pen and ink drawings that I tried to push him more into, but from doodling to self expression, I think his art has expressed tough stuff he has gone through,” Andrea said. ”But I’m glad he experimented because when he finally found clay he seemed to find something that really helped center him.”

His art has also gone on to affect others around him such as his girlfriend, senior Rose Eichelman who took sketching as a hobby, but has now pursued art more deeply.

“Well I think Fen is the reason that I got into art again,” Rose Eichelman said. ”His art style also inspires me and sometimes I find myself drawing something similar to his art style but I try to make my own twist with it.”

Fen has decided to try and make a profit off his growing pottery collection and  began to sell it mainly through his pottery instagram account “portfolio.hendon”. Using this account as a way to make extra money and gain recognition, it also has helped Fen get footing for a possible future career in art.

“I want to have my own studio space one day and possibly be an art teacher. Really just any way I can make art and influence others to make art,” Fen said.

Starting as just something fun to try and do during his free time, Fen never thought pottery would affect his life the way it did.

“It gives me something positive to look forward to and it gives me something to feel good about myself. It’s a way for me to get my energy out and not do bad stuff. It’s like an outlet,” Fen said.