Artist Profile: Michelle Esserman
Michelle
has been an artist for as long as she can remember. As a very young child she took
painting classes, and at the age of seven she completed a fabulous rendering of Mickey
Mouse. Although "the guy with the ears" seemed to be her only inspiration at
that age, she has come a long way since then. Michelle was fortunate to have pottery
classes available to her in middle school, and it was then that she fell in love with the
art of ceramics. In high school Michelle continued to perfect her craft. She enrolled in AP Studio Art and chose Patterns and Designs as the Concentration for her AP portfolio. Through her research, Michelle learned about more than just clay; she discovered figure drawing and sketching and found that these truly enhanced her pieces, including the one shown here. "My teacher, Miss Hotson, really encouraged me to experiment with drawing and painting," says Michelle. Because of the foundation she gained from taking an AP art course, the creation of this ceramic bottle was easier than Michelle expected. She has added the piece to her constantly growing collection, about 30-40 pieces of which are on display in her parents' home.
Michelle is now a student at the University of Florida where she is majoring in Fine Arts. She began school during summer session and even found time to pledge a sorority (Chi Omega). She is currently taking a class that is an intensive study of drawing, painting and sculpture. As Michelle delves deeper into her course load, she is thankful to have taken part in the AP Program because it made her a more well-rounded artist and, ultimately, a more successful one. Michelle hopes to use her degree towards a creative career, possibly in art therapy.