Ever since middle school, Leslie Hernandez, sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School, has fallen in love with painting! Starting in 6th grade at Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Leslie’s artwork has been put into art shows around the city. Being in art shows and art classes at Wilson has given Hernandez much more confidence in her work.

“Ever since I was little, I spent a lot of my time painting with my cousins,” Leslie says. “I spend most of my downtime painting, and the five months quarantine gave me a lot of free time! I started painting a wall in my bedroom with some of my favorite anime characters. It took three months to finish.”

“The sketching of the painting was very easy, but standing for hours on end was very difficult for me,” Hernandez says.

Leslie’s biggest support system is her father, Luis Hernandez.

“Both of my parents support me more than anything. But my dad is my number one fan,” Hernandez says. “My dad will get a snack and come into my room and sit and watch me for hours while I paint. It brings him such joy.”

Outside of painting, Leslie has a love for photography. She takes photography and yearbook class with Mr. Lindquist at TJ to extend her knowledge on Journalism. She would love to become a photographer fulltime and be a painter on the side!

This student feature is also a part of the 2020-2021 Yearbook, and you can purchase your copy now! www.Jostens.com