• Name
    • :    Ana Sheree G. Rivers

  • Education
    • :    Bachelor of Arts in Computer-Aided Graphic Design with a minor in Visual Arts
    Lenoir-Rhyne College Class of 2005

  • Art Awards
    • :    Art Excellence Artist of the Year 1993 - 1994
    Certificate of Award For Art Achievement Awarded December 6, 1994
    Outstanding Achievement and Dedication to Creating in Fine Art Artist of the Year Award 8th Grade 1994 - 1995
    Three Certificates of Honor for Art Class (August 3rd and 4th Grading Periods) Awarded April 28, 1995
    Buncombe County Schools Middle School Art Show Certificate Awarded May 22, 1995
    A.C. Reynolds Middle School "Artist Of The Year" Certificate Awarded June 1, 1995
    Buncombe County Schools Educator's Award May 1996
    Buncombe County Schools Art Award 3rd Place 1997
    Buncombe County Schools Educator's Award May 1998
    Margaret Berry Award 2nd Place April 2005

  • How I Got Into Art
    • :    When I was younger, between 7 and 10, my cousin would draw these box-shaped gangsters that I thought were pretty cool. I wanted to know how to do them myself and practiced on and off until I was satisfied with what I had. From there, I had to draw everything from soda cans to corners of rooms. I became so passionate and competitive with this newfound talent that I would instigate drawing contests with a younger cousin of mine, pitting our parents against each other.

    The concept of drawing portraits didn't seriously come into play until I was past 11 and taking art in middle school. Of all things, people have been the easiest subject for me to work with and really, I'm not sure why. I think I enjoy taking someone's face and turning it into something that it's not. The complex unraveling of it all is such a grueling process for me now, but I realize it's quite satisfying to look at a frozen emotion (photograph) and project something entirely different through another media.

  • Material of Choice
    • :    Chalk Pastels, although I have worked with oil pastels, oil and acrylic paints, graphite and colored pencils and watercolor.

    I first used chalk pastels in high school, probably around my...sophmore year...? Been a long time. Anyway, the assigment was to take a magazine photo and use the pastels to give the drawing a more realistic appearance. I had the pleasure of working with a simple photo of a young Cindy Crawford and fairly liked the experience and outcome. The drawing eventually won in the annual art show and I was becoming more attracted to the new media and began working on larger scales. I love the way they blend and feel and can be manipulated to turn subjects into the most colorful and vivid works of art.

    Chalk pastels, to my closet artistic friends and college advisor, are considered my signature form of expression. To them, I seem to put no rhyme and reason into what I'm doing and therefore end up with something quite unique. But that is true of anyone who finds a creative outlet or occupation that then becomes something that defines them, regardless of the amount of time or thought put into it. I don't think too much about how I do what I do in terms of working with chalk pastels and why they have become my artistic badge of sorts. My concerns lie in the finished product and my responses to it.

  • Aspirations
    • :    What I would really like, in terms of my artwork, is to be more prolific with it. As I have gotten older and have become busier in other things, it's hard to make the time and conjure the effort to sit down and do something magnificent. I miss the passions I once had for it, however, I don't believe all hope is lost.

    Career wise, it is hard to say what direction I would like to take things. For now, I have this site and plan on this boosting my creative juices as well as exposing interested parties to my various forms of art.

    I only hope that all enjoy what they see!

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