DONNA KEATING

PHOTO: ARTIST JENNIFER SCHEXNAYDER of Garyville displays an acrylic painting, which was sold to Judge Mary Becnel, at the East St. John High School Visually Talented Arts Program senior art exhibit held recently at the school. (Staff Photo by Donna Keating) Artist Jennifer Schexnay-der of Garyville says her favorite style of artwork is sketching nature scenes. She thinks her talent is inherited from her mother, Trina Pellissier, who also loved to sketch. Schexnayder’s interest in art developed when she was in the fifth-grade and continued through high school. In her junior year at East St. John High School, she qualified for the Visually Talented Arts Program. After Schexnayder showed one of her drawings to the talented arts program teacher Janine Ward, she was evaluated for the program. Schexnayder made a high score on the exam and was then recommended for the program. Later, her artwork was displayed in the senior art program’s exhibit at the school. She sold one of her acrylic art paintings, a class assignment, to Judge Mary Becnel. The painting was a colorful park scene of a bridge over water. For her senior art project, she came up with the idea for a decorating design for East St. John High School’s office. She had the design sketched out on paper using neutral colors. With the help of her art teacher and a couple of other students, her design came to life. She admits to getting a lot of positive feedback from those who have viewed it. She graduated from East St. John High School this year, at 17, and is considering joining the Air Force, to earn money for college, and would like to pursue a career in interior or architectural design. She says “One day I hope to own my own design business and travel the world.”