“Potential”

By Ashleigh Brawley 

In 2012, the Peoria International Airport opened up a gallery for student artwork and to help decorate their new terminal. The gallery is then updated each year with new artwork. Princeville is one of ten local schools that participates in this event, and have previously given artwork in the past. This year, Junior Ashleigh Brawley was selected by Mr. Johnson to create a piece of art for this gallery. The only requirements for the piece were that it had to have an aviation theme and fit onto a 3 x 4-foot canvas. 

Ashleigh made a landscape painting, made in oil paints, that features a plane taking off above a sunrise. The only tools she used to create the piece was oil paint and a palette knife. By doing so, Brawley has achieved an impressionistic style, which she learned about in her art class.

 She titled the piece “Potential,” because to her, the piece has so much potential. Brawley explains that, “The plane taking off represents someone’s hopes and dreams, and it flies high into the sunrise. The sunrise represents a new day or a new future. Together it shows that there is always potential to do something, and go above and beyond.” 

She along with Mr. Johnson will unveil the piece at PIA on a date to be announced, and it will stay at the airport for two years. Once done there, the painting will be hung up at Princeville High School, along with the previous paintings.