ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT: Central senior Diana Harper will have a painting displayed at the U.S. Capitol

Central High School senior Diana Harper might not consider herself an artist, but the judges in the Missouri 8th Congressional District Art Competition do.

They voted her painting "Equinox" Best in Show in the competition. The watercolor will hang in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. for the next year along with winners from around the nation.

Harper also plays in the cello in the orchestra, is the captain of Speech and Debate and a member of Film and Lit. She graduates in May and plans on attending University of Chicago. She took a few minutes from her jam-packed schedule to answer some questions in an e-mail interview.

Chris Harris: So, I knew you were into music, but had no idea you were into art. How long have you been doing it?

Diana Harper: Every kid likes to color, so I guess you could say I've been doing art since I could hold a crayon.

CH: Do you typically paint in watercolors? What do you like about them?

DH: I typically paint in whatever medium is available or asked for. Watercolors are cool because of how flexible the color is — you can make a very pale wash or a bold, distinct line and everything in between.

CH: Were you inspired by anything for this one or did you try to make it look like anything?

DH: Not really. It was an Art III assignment, and it just happened to turn out exceptionally well. The title ("Equinox") was inspired by the crazy amounts of rain we've been getting mixed with the fact that the painting is blue, green, and yellow (which are spring colors to me).

CH: What's your preferred medium?

DH: Paint. I've never worked with oil paint, but I like acrylic, watercolor and tempera. Paint is so much richer and more immediate than other media.

CH: What's your favorite piece of art you've done?

DH: ?

CH: What artists do you like?

DH: I like all sorts. I like Impressionists a lot — Degas, Monet, Cezanne. I also like Franz Marc and Marc Chagall, plus more modern artists like Kara Walker and Mark Rothko. I own two paintings by up-and-coming artist Danny Giles.

CH: How's it feel, knowing a piece of you is in D.C.?

DH: I don't think of the painting as a piece of me, necessarily, but it's pretty awesome that I'm receiving this honor. I love art, but I don't really consider myself an artist. I was stunned that I won grand prize.

CH: Have you ever been or will you get to go?

DH: I went to D.C. with my grandparents in 2001 (before the Sept. 11 attacks). Winning grand prize means that Southwest Airlines is giving me three tickets to attend the reception in Washington sometime between June 15 and July 15.

CH: What do you like better, art or music?

DH: That's not really a fair question! Let's just say I have massive appreciation for the arts in general. No specific one is "better" than the others but are simply different in the effects they create.

CH: Why'd you enter the contest?

DH: It's a requirement for Art III students to enter one of their pieces.

charris@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 246