Student Spotlight: Presley Emery

Fair Grove High School senior, Presley Emery, has been in the schools art program for all four years of her high school career. 

But she has been doing art longer than that. Mrs. Brown, one of the high school art teachers, said, “Presley was okay in the beginning, but I saw potential in her. She was almost lazy her freshman year, which makes it so surprising that she has come so far. By the end of her sophomore year I knew she had amazing art ability and could be such a good artist.”

Emery has improved with a ‘night and day difference.’ She has practiced and watched videos to hone her talent. She has even worked up to 30 hours on a few of her pieces. Emery’s end goal is to see improvement everyday. 

She has projects made out charcoal, graphite, colored pencils, and clay. Emery tends to work with anything, but likes charcoal because she has the most experience with it. Brown told, “It’s hard to pick a best project…..  her senior work is absolutely amazing. She could stand with top college kids. I think her [artwork of] old people are probably my favorite though.”

At the end of every year, the two high school art teachers get together to pick out some of their students best art work. From there they take it to compete in the districts art competition. Emery has had pieces taken over the past couple years. She commented, “The contest at the end of every year pushes me to do a better job, but it is not my motivation. I enter a couple of my best pieces at the end of every year. Last year was my biggest year I entered in around 10 of my projects and five or six of them placed in first and the others in second. I try to be better every year.”

In the future, Emery plans to continue with her art career, but doesn’t know exactly what she wants to do yet. Emery added,“I’ve been into art for as long as I can remember. I have always loved to draw and create things with my hands. Art has helped me a lot.”

For more photos of her artwork click here