Ever since she was young, Ella Richards has been intrigued by the visual arts. She has been exposed to it both in her home and in her schooling and encouraged by her family and friends to continue pushing towards achieving greater skill in this area of her life. As she has done this, Richards has grown and improved her knowledge in many different art fields. Her love and dedication to her work have allowed Richards to qualify for the Visual Arts Sterling Scholar, something that she is very proud of.

Since she can remember, art has been a consistent part of Richard’s life. Her father is a wonderful artist, being an amazingly talented photographer and painter, and was one main reason why Richards decided to dabble in the arts. His influence has lingered over the years and is something Richards can not easily forget. Even as she took more and more art classes in school, she still recognizes her father as her main role model.

“I would say that my dad was my original inspiration. He is an amazing painter and photographer, and he was my first teacher. Ever since I was little he has helped me to find the joy within creating your own little masterpieces, even if those are just scribbles on the corner of your math homework,” Richards said.

Richard’s mother, Tarynn, described how much her daughter has grown with help from her father. Without their relationship, Richards may have never become such a great artist.

“Ella has always enjoyed drawing. Even as a baby, she would make a mark on the paper, look at it a moment and think, before making another mark. When she is having trouble getting something to look the way she wants on a piece, it’s one of the few times that I see her ask for some help,” Tarynn said. “I think it strengthens her bond with her dad when she can depend on him for help, and his skills and knowledge are appreciated.”

Obviously, no art teachers could make a suitable substitute for her father, and it is clear that the father-daughter bond is strong between the two of them.

While this is true, it didn’t mean that art in school wasn’t something that interested Richards. As she remarked, art classes during her younger schooling years played a big part in her continuing to work towards becoming more skilled in drawing and painting specifically.

Richards said, “I have spent all of my life creating art. Even in elementary and middle school art class was the thing that I looked forward to each day. I continued that passion throughout high school, taking as many visual art classes as I possibly could.”