Parkersburg South High School senior Ian Osborn is involved in set construction for theater productions at South as well as helping people at his church with things they need done around their homes. (Photo provided)

PARKERSBURG — Ian Osborn is building the different aspects of his life into a complete whole.

The 17-year-old senior at Parkersburg South High School is involved in doing set construction for theater productions at South, helping people at his church with things they need done around their homes, he draws and paints, plays drums in the Parkersburg South Marching Band, runs track, likes to spend time outdoors and more.

“I like many things,” Osborn said.

When he was in middle school, his father Jason was doing set building for school productions and he began helping him more and more.

“Over the past two years, he has given that job to me since I am capable now of doing it,” he said.

Ian Osborn, 17, likes to draw and paint different types of pictures as well as taking photographs. He likes to do perspectives and landscapes and has been using acrylic paint which has become one of his favorite types of paint to use. (Photo provided)

The process involves knowing how to build but also being artistic in doing so as many sets help create the world of the story being presented on stage.

Ian points to his set work on a recent production of “Beauty and the Beast” which was the last production his father helped out on where they had structures that were two stories tall.

“It is a lot of woodwork and being artistic to be able to design it, build it and paint it,” Osborn said. “There were a lot of stairs and high stuff.

“I learned a lot about building stairs and doing roofs that I never knew how to do before.”

Those skills have helped him as he is volunteering helping a number of the senior members of his church, Lubeck Church of Christ, with repairs and other projects around their homes.

Parkersburg South High School senior Ian Osborn, 17, likes to spend time outside riding bikes along local trails and bike paths. (Photo provided)

“I do a lot of work for those who might not have someone who can help,” Osborn said. “Most of those people don’t have family that live close to them. We go and help them, because they don’t have anyone else. These folks have limited money and it is not as expensive for me to do.”

He has mowed lawns, done landscaping work, trimmed bushes and put out mulch as well as power-washed driveways, helped with roof repairs and more.

He is taking a carpentry class at the Wood County Technical Center.

Osborn also likes to draw and paint different types of pictures as well as taking photographs. Both his father and his mother Nissa like to draw and have done decorations for Vacation Bible School with Osborne doing more.

“It went to me, I liked it and made it my own,” he said.

Ian Osborn, 17, likes to spend time outside fishing at Mountwood Park and along the Ohio River near Washington Works. (Photo provided)

He likes to do perspectives and landscapes and has been using acrylic paint which has become one of his favorite types of paint to use. He finds he can put more expression into a piece with more colors.

“If it has color, detail and shadows someone can look at it and know what you are meaning,” Osborn said. “I can put a lot more expression into it. If it is just black-and-white you can’t get a feeling from it.”

He has entered pieces for Wood Whispers and won a couple of awards. He has entered shows. He will be entering a contest in Marietta with the theme of “Modes of Transportation.” The work will include a fictional cityscape that he created featuring trains, cars, people getting into helicopters and more.

He and his brother, Isaac, regularly go to Marietta and ride bikes along trails with jumps and they like to shoot air BB guns.

His father takes them fishing at Mountwood Park and along the Ohio River near Washington Works.

Parkersburg South High School senior Ian Osborn started playing drums around fifth or sixth grade and is now the Drum Captain with the Parkersburg South Marching Band. (Photo provided)

“We like to do a lot of stuff,” Osborn said. “I think it is the natural surroundings, the trees, the grass and the birds chirping. I like that stuff. That is why I paint it. I like to look and listen.”

At school, he is on the track team where he does sprints and is considering doing long distance running. He used to play basketball, football and tennis, but with everything he had going on he had to scale it back a bit.

“I got involved in track because I like to run,” he said.

Osborn started playing drums around fifth or sixth grade and is now the Drum Captain with the Parkersburg South Marching Band.

“I just like that in percussion there is a variety of instruments,” he said, adding that with other instruments there is only one thing to play.

Parkersburg South High School senior Ian Osborn is involved in doing set construction for theater productions at South, helping people at his church with things they need done around their homes, he draws and paints, plays drums in the Parkersburg South Marching Band, runs track, likes to spend time outdoors and more. (Photo provided)

Although the band plays a variety of music, he really likes to play the song, “25 or 6 to 4” by Chicago.

“It is difficult, challenging and fun,” Osborn said.

He has a lot of plans for what he wants to do after high school. Osborn is considering going into architecture with engineering or starting a landscaping business. He has considered going into carpentry.

He is looking at trade schools and colleges with engineering and architectural programs. He has not made up his mind yet on where he wants to go to school.

Even after high school, he would like to get involved with the Actors Guild of Parkersburg doing set building and more.

All of the different skills he does will have a use for him somewhere in his life, whether that is building a career or helping out someone who needs a helping hand.

One of his guiding principles in helping others has been the Golden Rule.

“Treat people the way you want to be treated,” Osborn said. “If I go and help someone that might wrap around and help me later.”