By Katie Reynolds

Walking down the halls of RJ Reynolds High School, you are sure to see pieces from the arts department lining the walls. From collages to paintings, Reynolds is filled with talent. Among the arts program, senior Nyah Hairston shines like a star.

   Hairston gravitates towards painting, her preferred subject being people, rather than objects or scenery.

   “It doesn’t need to be anyone in particular, I just like painting faces.” Hairston said.

   Hairston was honored with the 2018 Piedmont Federal Artizens award for her painting “Salud,” a painting of Matt Champion from boy band Brockhampton. Hairston’s new favorite painting is of fellow band member Joba.

   “My favorite painting I’ve ever done I did recently, it is of Joba from Brockhampton. When I was painting it, the lighting in the original picture was like orange, so I made it very saturated, very colorful,” Hairston said. “I strive to paint realistically, but it never ends up like that. I do portraits, I do bright colors, I guess I do realism with a twist.”

    Like every artist, Hairston has a specific process for starting a new painting.

    “When I wanna paint something I draw a grid first to make it as realistic as possible. The first layer of paint is always so crazy because its just colors you want to go there. I work in spots, doing the eyes, the nose, then I just work wherever I want,” Hairston said. “Gouache paint is my favorite paint, it’s like watercolor paint but a lot more pigmented, so I can kind of layer it when it dries.”

    Hairston is also well versed in music, having acquired knowledge and skill in cello, guitar, bass and the five string bass. Hairston also enjoys music production, both in her free time and in her Career Center class.

   “My favorite instrument to play is I think the guitar right now, it always switches between guitar and bass,” Hairston commented. “I got into music because my dad used to force me to play. When I was 12, I liked My Chemical Romance and I wanted to be just like Frank Iero, but the guitar was too hard so I started with the bass.”

    Hairston had very different beginnings with her love of painting.

   “I started painting I think when I was 13, I saw this girl on Instagram, and I saw her paintings were really cool and I thought “I wanna do that.” She used this weird kind of paint so I went out and bought it,” Hairston said. “I wasn’t good for a very long time. I started getting good at painting when I was like 16.”

   As a senior, Hairston is unsure about her future, but has many interests in mind for her future career.

   “I’m considering maybe biology, psychology, music engineering or business. It all depends,” Hairston added.