When Emily White first walked into a high school arts classroom in ninth grade, her teachers weren’t expecting the talent she brought with her. She was quiet and unobtrusive, and it was for those reasons that her artistic abilities caught her teachers off guard. Michelle Coleman, one of White’s art instructors, said that she was completely shocked when she first saw White’s artwork. “She turned [her work] in and I thought to myself—‘When did you do this?’”

Besides the quietness that belied White’s talent, there was something else about White that pleasantly surprised her instructors. She already had a style. According to Coleman, artists don’t normally develop their artistic styles or signatures until well into their high school or even college careers.

“[Emily]’s got a unique style that not a lot of people have–a very sophisticated style,” said Coleman. “Most people will sit and draw something and it’s just there, but [Emily] has got a whimsical look about the things that she does,” she said. Her whimsy makes her artwork distinctive; even her photography has a definite whimsical look to it. Diane Greenwood, who taught her in Photography, said that you could tell if a picture was White’s just by looking at it. “She’s very talented,” Greenwood said.

Greenwood and Coleman believe White has a future in art no matter what direction she wants to take. “Her drawing skills are exceptional,” said Greenwood. Coleman said she could definitely enter the illustration field, saying it would “lend itself to her whimsy,” but that White could also enter photography or even fine arts if she wished it.

As for White, she knows one thing: She wants to make her artwork her future. White looks forward to going to go to college to hone her artistic talents. Her top choices at the moment are Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington, D.C., and the School of Visual Arts in New York City. But for now, White is just trying to build up her portfolio and experimenting with different types of art.

“I’ve always [been into art]; I used to just draw, but now I’m doing photography, painting. I like conceptual art [because] it tells a story. I want to do commissions [and] show in art galleries,” said White. And with her skill, a bit of luck, and continued hard work, White is sure to make her way into the inner circles of the artistic world.