Student Artist Spotlight

When most children are caught drawing on the walls, their parents give them a timeout and then get to work scrubbing. Freshman Heather Guo's parents, however, found the typical punishments to be ineffective. Rather than stifle her creative impulses, they tried to give her alternate canvases by enrolling her in Chinese calligraphy and watercolor classes.

The transition from her native China to the United States made it nearly impossible for Guo to find art classes in those mediums. But this impediment did not dissuade her. While her parents continued to search in vain for a traditional Chinese art class, Guo used the techniques she had already learned to pursue pastels, pencils and regular water colors without any formal training.

After years on her own, Guo was able to develop her skills further under the guidance of middle school art teachers who recognized her talent. Before she even reached high school, displayed her art in her city hall.

Guo took a break from art classes in high school in order to focus on academics-a trade-off she said she is happy to have avoided at Duke. "When I got here I was really excited," she said, "I didn't care what it was; I wanted to take an art class." Thus Guo enrolled in a drawing class last semester unlike anything else she had ever experienced. "The professors here are. different," she said with a pause. Giggling, she continued, "They want you to draw what you feeeeeeel."

While Guo has enjoyed her limited art experience here, she is firm in her decision to minor in art rather than major. She is pursuing a degree in economics, if intro doesn't kill her first, she joked. Even though Guo is still a freshman, she is already thinking about life after Duke. She seems ready to let art remain a relaxing hobby rather than a career path.

"It will always be exciting to see something form on a paper and know that you created it," she said. As long as her art is confined to paper rather than their walls, her parents undoubtedly agree.