Yesenia España

My first encounter with art was as far back as I can remember.  With my small hands dipped in paint, I splashed to life my first piece of artwork during my kindergarten year.  There was a distinctive feeling of joy and happiness that swelled through me then as the beautiful acrylic color splattered on my paper danced vivid images through my mind.  As I began to get recognized for my enthusiastic creativity in school, I slowly started to envision my future full of paint, color, and lots of paper.  I wanted to be an artist!  

                Several years later, I found myself in serious contemplation of becoming an artist.  Entering high school with a developed sense of visualization, I immediately began taking art classes.  During my sophomore year, I placed into an advanced art class, and it was there where I unleashed my creativity and allowed my energy to focus on art.  The defining moment came when I attended California Institute of the Arts through an emerging young artists’ summer program during my junior year.  The exposure to a community of wholly dedicated artists was in itself a rewarding and enlightening experience, but being immersed in an environment where my artistic endeavors were thoroughly encouraged, was the exhilarating and challenging experience that was necessary to firmly reinforce the notion of continuing a career in the arts.

                The importance of education is something my parents constantly remind me of.  I am the first in the family to attend college.  To successfully finish school would be a great accomplishment within the España family.  My years at Yuba College have been dedicated to completing my general education and receiving my associate’s degree in the arts.  By summer of 2009, I’ll transfer to the Academy of Arts in San Francisco.  After I receive my bachelor’s degree in commercial illustration, I'll gradually work my way up to becoming an art director.  Eventually, I'll develop a center for the arts that will encourage people from all ages, beliefs, ethnicities, and financial backgrounds to come together as one and be creators of the future, through a nurturing environment that will be conducive to translating visions into something tangible and significant. 

The journey to becoming an artist will include some struggle, but I realize that with my fierce determination, it will be worth all the obstacles I will continue to encounter.  To be able to make a living through my passion would be success.  Art is my life!