The El Dorado Hills Arts Association has awarded its annual scholarship to Ylse Gonzalez, a recent graduate of Union Mine High School in El Dorado.
“I have a very mixed style of art mediums,” Ylse explained. “It varies from graphite to watercolor and I’ve experimented with print making, oils and pastels.”
Ylse’s work impressed the members of the El Dorado Arts Association who reviewed the scholarship submissions.
“Her work demonstrated talent and maturity,” commented Rita Giannini, scholarship chairperson. “Our panel reviewed the student applications, their submitted artwork, their college and career aspirations and conducted in person interviews. She was the obvious choice.”
Ylse got interested in art when she was “around 10” and started watching YouTube videos to learn and practice drawing. When her dad came home with a huge pallet of art supplies, her passion for art really began.
Now she enjoys drawing and painting pictures of people that “represent internal happiness.”
“I have no certain style because I love to create pieces that make me feel a certain way,” Ylse shared.
She said she wants the viewer of her work to “feel like their eyes have been painted with color. Even though I have a mixed art style, from my art works you can feel a variety of emotions from sad to happy.”
“The annual scholarship we award is given to artistically talented high school seniors pursuing a college education in the arts,” explained Judy Arrigotti, association president. “We’ve proudly award 17 scholarships to art students from local high schools.”
Students from schools in the El Dorado Union High School District are eligible. The students must be pursuing a degree in fine art, including sculpture, drawing, painting and digital, computer-based photography.
Ylse plans to attend Folsom Lake College this fall to get her AA degree with a focus on art, then transfer to a four-year school. She aspires to be an art director and follow an educational path to achieve that goal.
The recent graduate said one of her proudest moments as an artist was presenting her artwork at the Bank of America art Gallery at Folsom Lake College’s Harris Center for the Arts. “It was one the coolest experiences to see my art displayed for other people to look at,” she said.
https://f6be09eb99a1dff788800afcbcbe51ba.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.htmlThe El Dorado Hills Arts Association was established 20 years ago to provide arts activities and events to the community. Monthly meetings and demonstrations support and encourage local, visual artists with art education and networking opportunities in arts of all mediums and skill levels. The annual EDHAA Studio Tour and membership shows provide venues for artists to display and sell their work for all to see and enjoy. Members also volunteer to give art lessons to seniors at the senior center.
EDHAA strives to enrich the community with the visual arts for and from artists of all ages and in all mediums and at all skill levels. For more information visit eldoradohillsarts.com.