Junior Edie Birkholz shows her art in all forms. The way she dresses, does her makeup and decorates her life. Birkholz has been an artist since she could walk. Her art-centric preschool, Austin Discovery School, had her covered in paint and glitter and surrounded by illustrations from the time she was 2. She was fascinated and inspired by children’s books like Bread and Jam for Frances and Frog and Toad, connecting with their illustrations more than their words.

“Art has helped me through my life by providing an outlet to express myself,” Birkholz said. “I have always felt like I can show a reflection of my mind and my emotions in my art. It’s very satisfying to personify my feelings and put them down on paper—it helps me understand myself better.”

Birkholz’s art journey has ranged from highly realistic colored-pencil drawings to doodling to journaling to painting to printmaking.

“When I’m drawing or painting or whatever, I’m transported into another world,” Birkholz said. “I forget about everything else going on in my life; it’s this therapeutic practice for me.”

Her favorite art venture has been designing pages for a local Austin teen-led art zine, Bluekeys Magazine.

Birkholz began following the magazine’s Instagram account in 2020. At the time, it was run by two sophomore girls, but since then it has expanded to about 15 people. The magazine consists of art, fashion, games and articles about working artists.

“They were accepting applications in August, and when I saw it I was like, ‘Oh my God, these people are so cool. I should not even apply,’” Birkholz said. “But then I was like ‘Well heck! I should, why not?’”

Birkholz initially applied to be a writer, due to a lack of experience in Photoshop or design. After an interview, however, she was brought on as a designer.

“I was kind of freaked out because I was like, ‘I don’t know how to do this at all,’ so there was definitely a learning curve,” Birkholz said. “I had to learn Photoshop. I didn’t know how to do anything.”

Despite the cumbersome process of trial and error, Birkholz has found her stride with Bluekeys Magazine. One of her first spreads was designed about local artist Evelyn Tan.

“I had to present her art in a way that wasn’t my artistic style,” Birkholz said, “so I think that was something I kind of had to learn how to do: talk about things separate from myself but in a visually appealing way.”

Birkholz’s experience with design for a partially fashion-focused magazine was put to good use during her sophomore year in high school. Birkholz was hired as an intern for the McCallum fashion show alongside Cecilia Passos and Anabel Tellez. The three instantly clicked and have been “triplet flames” ever since. This year, they worked together again as junior fashion show directors.
Passos describes Birkholz as the most creative and artistic person she has ever met, always set with a journal or camera at the ready everywhere she goes. Passos has observed how Birkholz moves throughout the world thinking and observing the way only an experienced artist could: noticing things only someone creative could appreciate.

“Edie’s art is very true to her, I feel like it’s realistic in style but also sometimes is weird and eclectic the same way she comes across to me,” Passos said. “She uses color and light in a way that makes everything dramatic and emotional, something that makes sense when you see her personal style in her clothes or room.”

Tellez admires Birkholz’s ability to see things differently than other people through her artistic lens and vivid imagination.

“I would describe her art as nostalgic and whimsical,” Tellez said. “With a lot of her art, she uses lots of colors, organic shapes and intense emotions. Looking at her art, it’s just so well done that you can feel the emotion.”

On top of her work with Bluekeys Magazine and the fashion show, Birkholz is also an ambassador for the visual arts program. Her job is to visit middle schools and share the success of McCallum’s fine arts, connect with freshman art majors and volunteer for creative projects like painting on campus.

With such a vibrant social, artistic and academic life, Birkholz makes sure to set aside time every day to be mindful.

“I don’t know how to balance it all, so I think I’m constantly trying to figure it out,” Birkholz said. “I think that one of the most important things I do is just to take time to do nothing every day, to reset a little bit.”

Birkholz aspires to one day illustrate her own children’s book. But until then, she can always flip through the pages of Bread and Jam for Frances for inspiration.