Enola
Alvord
Layton High School｜Layton, UT
TEACHER: Chad Crane
2-D Art and Design
The beauty and significance of water have always fascinated me.
New York City Rain｜16 x 12 in.
Idea(s): To show the ability of water to reflect light and colors, and enhance its surroundings.
Material(s): Acrylic paint, canvas.
Process(es): Painting
Principal
statement
It is my pleasure to recognize Enola Alvord and the AP Art program at Layton High School in Davis County, Utah. The LHS Art Department strives to develop technical artmaking skills as a fortuitous byproduct of solving creative visual problems. This philosophy builds the development of our student’s critical thinking and technical manipulation of art materials. We are not interested in mundane art tasks, but rather in teaching students to perceive more, think deeper, and take informed action.
Enola Alvord’s unassuming, self-motivated and resilient optimism are just a few of the traits that make her an ideal student for the classroom. Her technical proficiency, discipline, natural talent, and love for art made her an art teacher’s dream. During a pandemic when obstacles were abundant and excuses from students were plentiful, Enola was calm and consistent. She encouraged others and made our LHS Art Studio a space where inspiration could thrive. Layton High School and its Art Department hope to have played a small role in developing the grit Enola demonstrated in completing her 2020 AP Digital Portfolio. But Enola’s impressive stick-with-it-ness likely has more to do with who Enola is as a person and the family who raised her.
Chadli Bodily
Student statement
Student
statement
Making my painting more personal by connecting it with memories has helped other people relate to it as well.
Enola Alvord
Throughout my portfolio, I explored the different attributes of water that make it so unique and beautiful. In this particular acrylic painting, titled New York City Rain, I focused on water’s ability to reflect light. I painted the rain on the road reflecting the traffic lights and car lights, as well as the shadows from the buildings, cars, and people walking. I discovered that although water itself is lifeless, its existence brings more life, light, beauty, and color to its surroundings.
A lot of planning went into this painting, and it took several hours to finish it. I paid close attention to details, and this required fine motor skills. I put effort into making the rain look real. Acrylic paint was an effective medium to use for painting a rainy day in the city.
Many of my paintings, including this one, are inspired by family trips. We visited New York City several years ago, and my memories of it encouraged me to create this piece. Experiences with rainstorms on several of our other vacations also served as an inspiration. Making my painting more personal by connecting it with memories has helped other people relate to it as well.
Enola Alvord