Victoria College student Kimberly Higdon poses by her painting on display at the recent VC Spring Student Exhibition.
Art often provides a time of introspection for Kimberly Higdon.
There are times when the 27-year-old Victoria College student learns more about herself by simply painting on a canvas.
“I have emotions and feelings that nobody else can see,” Higdon said. “Even I can’t necessarily see them. I only feel them. So when I put them down and visualize them, I can deal with them, and it makes me feel better.”
Higdon recently had three of her works – two paintings and one drawing – featured in Victoria College’s Spring 2021 Student Exhibition. She recalls her first drawing that drew recognition came as a second-grader at Victoria ISD’s Aloe Elementary School.
“I’ve been drawing ever since I can remember,” Higdon said. “My most vivid memory is when I won an elementary school yearbook art contest. My alligator in a Western town was the cover of the yearbook.”
Higdon, a graduate of Goliad High School, has been attending VC part time.
“I’ve been just getting my basics done,” Higdon said. “I have a really short attention span, so I really only do part-time schooling. I’ll take a basic class that I need, then an art class that I need. That’s what I’ve been doing for the past two years.”
Higdon said she has enjoyed VC art instructor Jason Valdez’s method of teaching.
“He’s so laid back that you feel like you can’t make a mistake,” Higdon said. “He teaches in a way that makes you feel comfortable even if you’re not proficient in what you’re doing. You are able to learn at your own pace.”
Victoria College offers a variety of art courses that accumulate college credits, including Art Appreciation, History of Art I and II, Painting I, Design I, Drawing I and II, and Ceramics I.
For more information on Victoria College’s art courses, call (361) 573-3291.