This past June, the Kingsley Art Club held a luncheon in Sacramento at the Crocker Art Museum, where the club presented Merit Awards to five Sacramento area Community College students. One of the awards, which included a Certificate of Award, membership in the Kingsley Art Club and $500, was given to Yuba College student Eleanor S. Phan. Her winning drawing was “Fruit Vendor in the Phillipines”, a realistic depiction of an older woman standing in front of a barrel of pears.
In an essay entitled “Why Art?” Phan describes why she chose to apply herself to artistic endeavors.
“For as far back as I can remember,” said Phan, “arts and crafts were something I had always been interested in, whether it be coloring in coloring books, drawing, doing school projects with construction paper, or just making things out of scraps I could find.”
During her high school years, Phan had to make an important decision about whether she should approach an art-based field or math-based field.
Phan debated over what field she should pursue until the time came for college registration. She eventually chose practicality over desire, and decided to take business classes. Phan received her BS in Business Administration in 1985.
“That time,” said Phan, “did not pass without me thinking about what I loved most, art.”
Phan spent the next 16 years with her husband, a member of the U.S. Air Force, and her family, working at her job while raising her constantly moving family.
“I would try to take art or craft classes that I could find or fit into my spare time.” said Phan. “Unfortunately, that meant one-day classes or one-night-a-week classes that would last about four to six weeks.”
Phan and her family moved to Beale Air Force Base in October 1999. She returned to college at Yuba College in the fall of 2001.
In fall of 2001, Phan began taking art and drafting classes, in which she was still enrolled at the time she received her award. She enjoys taking both, since they are interrelated fields.
“At this time,” said Phan, “I feel it is a little too soon for me to decide on where this education is going to take me. Although I haven’t ruled out either one of them, I feel I am leaning more towards the Fine Arts.”
Phan remains modest in closing, though. “For the time being… I’m just grateful to be able to share my work with my family and friends.”
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