In all of my seventeen years of living, hobbies have come and gone as fast as soft waves on the sandy beach. My interest in visual arts, however, has remained constant and has transformed from a spark to a flame. I have spent endless afternoons dreaming and sketching my thoughts and my observations hoping someday to have a successful career in the art field.

     I am so lucky to be enrolled in Advanced Placement Art at Coppell High School this year as a junior. Instructed by Tamera Westervelt, my amazing art teacher of three years, AP Art 4 2D design is my favorite hour of the day, a glorious hour to laugh with friends, experiment with new ideas and come into direct contact with my emotions. This year in AP, I have more opportunities to design my own personal assignments to fit my specific concentration for my portfolio. Although I spend hours perfecting a single piece, the feeling of hard-earned accomplishment after finishing is priceless.

     All of the students in AP Art have immense amounts of talent and have showcased their works in numerous contests. My friends Margaret O'Brien, Chris Creed and Eileen Joh had their works displayed in the Young Masters Art Contest. Most all of my class medaled at the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) Competition and many went on to State. My "Best Art Friend" Aimee West has recently won second place in the Congressional Show Art Contest, and she will have her work hang in Washington. I was overcome with happiness when my monoprint was accepted into the Texas Visual Arts Association Show being of the 285 pieces chosen from about 1500 entries.

     As the school year concludes, we are submitting our portfolios to the College Board, preparing for college or senior year. As my dream to being an actual artist is coming closer and closer, I will remember the words of wisdom from Mrs. Westervelt, "Y'all are already artists."