AP Drawing Portfolio Senior Profile: Katherine Barringer

The AP Drawing Portfolio is an intensive course, requiring students to produce art at the college level. Students compile a portfolio of 15-20 original artworks demonstrating mastery in composition, technique, and concept. They pursue the WHY behind their own artistic process and participate in weekly critiques of classmates’ work, as well as submit completed pieces approximately every two weeks.

“Katherine is in Honors, Draw, Paint and Print and has brought joy and beautiful meaningful colors to every class. Her artwork has been selected for the Munnerlyn Showcase every year since her enrollment,” said instructor Rebecca Hoadley. “Katherine is an artist in every sense of the word and has truly found her own voice!”

What is the central idea of your concentration?

During this time in my life, I’m making plans for college and starting to look towards a life of independence. It is sometimes exciting, but sometimes discomforting to watch childhood come to an end and adulthood begin. Everyone has times like these in their lives that cause them to miss the simplicity of childhood. This is why I have chosen to focus on childhood memories for my concentration. I would like for my art to remind my audience of the innocence, happiness and ease of childhood and highlight the importance of this chapter of life.

How does your work demonstrate the exploration of your idea?

I have chosen photos from my family members’ and my own childhood that are associated with special memories. I am recreating them in ways that I hope convey to my audience the warmth and nostalgia I feel towards these special times.

How has the idea evolved over the year?

Though I have used different mediums and styles, I have kept the same theme of childhood throughout all of my pieces. I have branched away from my own childhood in some pieces, and chosen reference material from my parents’, grandparents’, and cousins’ childhoods as well as my own.

Can you explain your artistic process? Where do you gain inspiration?

I feel most inspired when I see other artists’ work. When I see a piece I like, I try to figure out what about the artist’s style is interesting to me, and then I try to model it in my own artwork.

What do you hope the viewer will see in your artwork?

Everyone has a childhood and I hope that by sharing captured moments from mine, I can remind others of these special times in their lives.

How long have you been making art? And when did you start to feel independent and like you were truly making your own work?

I started making art in tenth grade, but I just started to feel that my work was my own this year! Working on my concentration has given me a choice in what I want to create and what message I want to share. This freedom over my projects has made me feel more connected to and passionate about my artwork.