Claire Heppner

by Debbie Blank

Claire Heppner has always loved to draw, but this was the yearthe Batesville High School senior realized art should be her career. Now a prestigious award backs up her feeling that a favorite pastime can become her life’s work. Heppner entered a portfolio of eight works in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky Regional Scholastic Art Awards Program. Out of 327 portfolios submitted, the Oldenburg 17-year-old’s was one of just 52 selected for review, the first Batesville High School student to receive that thrill.

Art teacher Amy McCabe recently learned Heppner’s collection earned a Gold Award and will represent Batesville Community School Corp. in the national judging of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers in New York City. “She brings considerable honor to herself, her family, our art programs and our school corporation.” When Heppner learned her portfolio would be judged in Kentucky, “I was really excited, but I didn't know how big of a deal it was.” Waiting to hear how she fared was “a little nerve-wracking.” The student explains the collection must show variety, but also a concentration. For Heppner, that’s portraits. “I like how challenging it is. With landscapes, you can make it look how you want. But with a person, it's their features” and how well an artist creates them that makes the image identifiable. The piece of which she is most proud is a 2-by-3-foot extreme self-portrait. The personable teen set a camera timer to take a photo of herself praying while holding a necklace that's around her neck, then sketched and painted using the photo as a guide. “Both the message and the colors are very bold.” It’s the first acrylic painting on canvas she’s done. “I never thought I'd like it, but now it's all I do.” The painting has been hanging in the high school office, but when she graduates, “I'm taking it with me,” she vows. Of the other seven works, all but the first done this year in the Art III (advanced drawing and painting) and AP art portfolio classes, Heppner confides, “I love them all”
 
Each idea for a piece begins as a drawing in her overflowing sketchbook. “I always plan it out ahead of time.” For instance, the National Art Honor Society and Kiwanis Student Leadership Academy member printed out the photo of herself praying and placed it in the book, drawing a 1-inch grid over it. For the painting, each inch was quadrupled, with the grid keeping the proportions accurate.

Claire is the oldest of four daughters of Eric Heppner and Sarah Heppner, both teachers. “I'm usually spread all across the basement, paint everywhere,” listening to mellow music by Jack Johnson. Two art teachers have inspired the Batesville United Methodist Church youth group member to do her best. She’s had McCabe for all five art courses. “She's an awesome teacher,” who allows students to go outside and grab a little nature so their works can be accurate. Heppner’s paintings have rich colors instead of that washed out look. The trick? “Get a lot of color on the brush. You do layers of coloring.” The enthusiastic athlete, who plays varsity volleyball and tennis, also creates art outside of school. For Christmas she gave three friends portraits of herself with them to hang in their dorm rooms next year. Her parents are begging for a painting of their girls.