Emily Wood '05

Isabelle Brantley '03 has come a long way from the days when she was four years old and drew her pictures with Crayola markers. Now she expresses herself in a way that has earned her public recognition and awards.

Her art teacher, David Dickinson said, "[Isabelle] has been a main-stay in the studios of DA since she was a new student and her high level of talent has helped to set a standard of excellence for classes."

Brantley most recently won the Merit Award for Visual Arts from the National Foundation for the Advancement of Art. She was one of only thirty to win this award nationally and the only person to win it from her home state of North Carolina. Even more amazing is that in order to enter this competition Brantley had to send artwork created in her AP Studio Art class sophomore year because she had too little time to create any new pieces.

Her pieces clearly show why she deserves so much praise. Her still-lives, while of simple subject matter, capture light in such a natural way you forget that you are looking at an oil painting.

Right now, the Hilson Gallery is displaying the set of student artwork entitled, "You are what you eat.' Isabelle's self portrait is fascinating and unique in style. In drawing this portrait, she used a more textured method than she normally uses. This, coupled with the rough texture of the warmly colored background paint, gives Brantley's skin the appearance of being too old for her face.

She is holding a red pepper in her hand, though Brantley says there is no special meaning behind it and leaves it open to the interpretation. The position in which she is seated "shows who I am; innocent and somewhat naïve," said Brantley.

It leaves you feeling somewhat haunted and wanting to see more, which is possible by simply strolling down the hall by the art studios anytime during the day.