Last summer wasn’t filled with memories of swimming and pool parties for Turlock Christian senior Morgan Andre. Instead the Turlock teen has memories of painting murals for those in the Dominican Republic.
It was a school project and Andre volunteered to join the art group. That group was in charge of painting murals in between the rich and poor neighborhoods to inspire those on either side.
In the Dominican Republic, fathers are known to leave their family behind, she said. Because of this, Andre chose to paint a father holding his son with the Bible in his hand.
This is the moment that she fell in love — with art.
Andre will be graduating from Turlock Christian High School on May 28. She will then be attending the University of the Pacific in the fall to major in art.
“I want to pursue something I love instead of what brings home the paycheck,” Andre said.
Her passion for art started when she was attending elementary school, but then it was just a hobby. She would paint and draw in her free time along with taking photos.
Some of her works of art were entered into the Stanislaus County Fair junior competitions.
She continues to draw, paint and take photos in her spare time but now she is looking at it from a different point of view. Instead of looking at it as a hobby, she is looking at it as a future career.
“I like that you can make whatever you want,” Andre said. “You can create it in your head. It is fun to capture a specific moment or feeling at that time. It represents the way you were feeling at that time.”
Andre isn’t sure what career she wants to pursue, but she said she will be happy with anything in art. She is thinking about looking into the professions of an art teacher, label designer or advertising artist.
She trusts that she will figure out a career path when she starts taking classes within her major.
Even with the uncertainty about a future career in art, she is sure she doesn’t want to just be an artist, she said. She wants to interact with others and wants to be a part of a mix of things.
Some of her favorite things to draw are people and flowers. One of her favorite photos is a picture she took in the Dominican Republic of a door knob which she changed the values and colors to make it her own creation.
“Just making something and knowing that you created it is cool,” Andre said.
To contact Maegan Martens, e-mail mmartens@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2015.
