During the ‘22-’23 school year I have had the privilege of working with Abigail Rutherford and Abigail Mayberry for their Art 3 Independent Study class. This class is reserved for students that have completed at least Art 1, Art 2, and usually Art History/Ceramics, along with pursuing a career related to the arts. Both of these students have been in art classes every year since elementary school and watching their growth and confidence bloom in their artworks has been a pleasure to be able to observe. The perseverance and dedication both have shown in their independent work and problem solving has grown in leaps and bounds. The difference in their working styles and media choices has also been fun to observe. Their styles contrast each other nicely, with Rutherford creating more organic, nature inspired, free flowing structures, meanwhile Mayberry’s main inspirations come from fantasy and mythology inspired settings and creatures. I hope through this adventure of self finding a concentration and deadlines, they feel more confident in their ideas and execution, along with the most important goal of enjoying creating purely for themselves. ~Ms. Hawkins