Published On:Wednesday, September 01, 2010

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

LUNCH time at Government High School for Earnastine Rolle meant indulging in her obsession of the human face.

As each student sat down to take a bite of their lunch, she and her friend would just sit and look at how each student face was shaped.

It was this obsession, intertwined with excellent drawing skills that propelled her to start a pleasurable hobby in drawing portraits.

"I was so obsessed with the human face that my friend and I would use our lunch break to look at the other students. My favourite things to capture are the eyes because you can tell so much from just looking into person's eyes," Ms Rolle told Tribune Arts.

Though skilled, back then she did not grasp the understanding of what a career in the art field could do for her. She could not see herself being able to take care of her financial obligations with a career in art. And given the time frame one can comprehend her reasoning behind that perspective.

"During that time artists in the Bahamas were not really taken seriously. I just didn't believe that there was a future for me in it."

She was not in the least exposed to the endless opportunities in the art field and so she put down her pencil and packed away her canvas as her interest dwindled slowly.

"When you have something in you it is not easy to bury. I often hear people say art is who you are and not want you do. I would find myself having the urge to just draw. But what actually caused me to get back into drawing portraits was when my nephew saw some stuff I did in the past and he said to me 'aunty you can't draw anymore?'"

After that particular experience Ms Rolle could no longer put her passion into box, she needed a creative outlet. After doing a little research and becoming more familiar with her art style her passion was reignited.

"I began a mass drawing and I drew at least one portrait a day to develop my skills. I also experimented by taking photos of my subject matters," she said.

Drawing a portrait from a model challenges her precision. However, she prefers to draw her portraits from photographs. "I would rather draw from a photo than have a person model for me. I can get exactly what I want when I take a picture and draw from it."

From the very first time verbalised her dream of becoming an artist she said she has always had the support from her family and close friends in all of her endeavours.

"I have had all the support from my family and friends. In everything I did they were one hundred percent behind me. Even my school teachers gave me the encouragement I needed to continue practicing my art work," she said.

Ms Rolle also gave a word of advice to young upcoming artists who are considering another career path. "If it is in you, it is not going anywhere, so I would encourage those persons to continue doing what they love to do and one day the opportunity will come," Ms Rolle explained.

Ms Rolle is keeping hope alive and believes that if she continues in true artistry, perseverance and diligence she herself will be exposed to the long awaited opportunity of a lifetime.

"I am hoping that in the near future I am able to live my dream and have a meaningful career in something that I love to do," she said.