by Jacob Fuhrer |
Though he is 1,692 miles away from home, junior organizational communication major Ray Barreno is still connected to his family in Ascension, Chihuahua in Mexico through his art. Though Barreno is best known for his work on the basketball court in Chiles, back home he’s well known for his work with pen and paper.
Barreno first discovered his artistic talents when he was a child.
“I just like drawing, always have since I was little,” Barreno said. “When I got to high school, my teacher told me I could really compete.”
With the support of his teacher, Barreno entered various drawings of his into competitions for the local private school district and one of his pieces was awarded first place, while two of his others were awarded second and third place.
Barreno isn’t picky as to what he chooses to draw. He often doodles in class, depicting anything and everything that comes to his mind. Some doodles are more intricate than others, featuring shading techniques.Though school and basketball have cut down Barreno’s drawing time, he still uses the medium as an outlet to let off steam. When he’s working on a more intricate drawing, Barreno likes to find a quiet place to zone out and draw.
“I find it relaxing, to some extent,” Barreno said. “There are times when little details gets you nervous but most of the times it’s just relaxing and a way to get my mind off of things.”
Jacob Fuhrer is a reporter for The Beacon. He can be reached at fuhrer17@up.edu or on Twitter @jacobfuhrer.
