P S Art 2016 Exhibition Schedule www.nyc.gov/schools/artseducation

Portrait of a Young
Woman
Eleanor Gresham
Grade: 8
School: Salk School
of Science,
Manhattan
Art Teacher: Heather Drayzen
Graphite on paper
STUDENT: I feel that art
helps people think on
a deeper level. It has
freed me to be myself
and create as I wish.
This has changed me as I
have grown into a young
woman. My art teacher
has deepened my creative
development and has
helped me to understand
the work of other artists.
This helps me understand
my own artwork. She is a
teacher I will never forget.
While creating Portrait of a Young
Woman I learned to draw what I saw,
to make sure that what I was viewing
went straight from my eyes to my
hand. I learned to shade and draw
a figure to look lifelike. This piece
helped me see what I was capable
of. After finishing this piece I felt my
love for art in a different way, almost
reborn as an artist.
TEACHER: Eleanor’s self-portrait was
the culmination of a semester-long
drawing unit focusing on drawing the
figure that incorporated a personal
view. We focused on tonal shading
techniques, a wide range of values, and
observation of details. Eleanor’s final
portrait was inspired by Bronzino’s
Portrait of a Young Man done in
the 1530s. She observed herself in a
mirror, made sketchbook studies, and
worked from photograph and collage
references. She made decisions about
her use of symbolism, expression,
value and pattern. I particularly love
the sense of movement this drawing
evokes from the foreground to the
background. Eleanor is incredibly
dedicated and talented and it’s been
an honor to work with her. She has
an outstanding portfolio and was
accepted to LaGuardia High School
for the fall of 2016.
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