Our international students share their interests: Hedya C., Year 10

Our aims for our Y10 English as an Additional Language (EAL) students are to develop our students' writing skills by exploring different genres and writing styles.  With this in mind, we asked them to explore writing informal, engaging blogs to share with our followers and supporters.

Hedya C. conveys her passion for painting in this beautifully written insight into her childhood ambitions.

 

"How can dreams come true"

Painting has become the activity I look forward to every week, where I can put on my headphones, enjoy music and paint for hours. The process of seeing my painting come to life from a blank canvas is truly surreal.

How did you get started?

I’m sure you have seen oil paintings before, even if you’ve only seen them on your phone or in art lessons. Have you ever wondered whether maybe you could paint like those masters someday? That was what I dreamed of when I was young. As a kid, my mum would always take me to art museums regularly. I grew very fond of art, particularly oil paintings. Since then, I’ve attended drawing class after drawing class. Then, two years ago, I started oil painting and have never looked back. 

Why do you enjoy it so much?

When I paint, I forget about everything. School pressures and anxiety go out the window - because all I have to do is paint. Painting becomes my sole priority.

Have you ever looked at something you’ve achieved and reminisced about it? That is how I feel about my paintings. Looking at my earlier paintings, I feel immensely proud as it is clear how much my skills have improved over time.

What is your favourite art movement/style of painting?

Impressionism quickly became my favourite art movement. Famous impressionists include Van Gogh and Claude Monet. You must’ve seen the painting Starry Night. Impressionist paintings capture a feeling or a moment in time rather than depicting the exact scene by using small brush strokes.

What have you learnt?

Painting taught me things you would not expect. I used to be very hard on myself, thinking that every little detail should be perfect, and forget to think about the big picture. It taught me instead to enjoy the process. I hope that you can be inspired and chase your dreams like I did.

Download Hedya's masterpiece here.

As well as reading Hedya's flowing and personal account, is it time we saw some of her pictures? Keep your eyes peeled for more blogs in this series!