She rubs the charcoal into the paper, blending the edges to soften them. She smiles as she finally finishes the eye of the portrait. Moving on to the braid, she wipes her brow and inspects her hands for the remnants of dust left behind from the charcoal. Sophomore Courtney Gregory bends back down and digs deep into her newest contest piece.
Gregory began to get herself involved in the world of art when she was in the sixth grade as a coping mechanism and as a way to pass the time. Her art style has changed over the years, and she has developed multiple new techniques through teaching and new opportunities.
“Truth be told, I did not have a lot of friends because I was socially awkward,” Gregory said. “I just hung out in my room and drew because I had a lot of free time. I was able to get lost in it and forget everything.”
Gregory has participated in several art competitions to display the art that she puts lots of effort into. She began competing in competitions during eighth grade when her science teacher encouraged her to compete in a science art competition.
“One thing that does set Courtney apart is that she is very self-driven,” art teacher Rebecca Harrison said. “She is always seeking out different ways to showcase her art and compete while having a good time. Even if she does overload herself occasionally, she really does a fantastic job of wanting to put herself, and her artwork out there.”
During her freshman year, Gregory competed in three competitions, including the Academic Rodeo competition. There are multiple competitions that a student is able to compete in, but a few of the most popular ones are the Boylan Competition, Academic Rodeo and Vase.
“I think she deserves every single accomplishment she has gotten,” sophomore Kady Beaudoin said. “It is really neat that she is getting her recognition for art.”
She stopped competing in competitions for a while, but recently started to start going back to them and plans on further continuing to create art for these competitions in the years to come. Her art teacher helped quite a bit in encouraging her to participate.
“Courtney is very artsy, usually bubbly, creative, and mostly outgoing,” sophomore Liv Simmons said. “Our friendship is like opposites attracting. We match really well and we always have something to talk about because our lives are so different.”
Gregory would like to potentially pursue a career in interior design, which is the process or art of designing the inside decoration of a building or room. This career attracts her from the creative aspects that it can bring out in her.
“Art is a place I can go when I need to get away from stuff,” Gregory said. “It is something that has become something I, as weird as it sounds, got close and personal with.”
