I’ve never really had “art friends.” Going on the London study-abroad trip let me view masters’ artworks, but also work alongside people who encouraged me to do more with my own.
Jacky (center) in London with fellow art students Leah Ambriz (left) and Grace Guillen (right).
In London, it was nice finally to be with a group that I knew would push and help me to expect more of myself, to meet challenges head on. Watching everyone work in their sketchbooks and listening to their ideas showed me that I really have nothing to lose by trying to expand my horizons and experiment with different media. I got closer with peers in my field who I admire and watching them work was eye-opening.
Sometimes, I was overwhelmed by everything going on around me. Even in the flats, there would be times where I wished I wasn’t surrounded.
2025 Lund Scholars pose with a 16th century Flemish tapestry at Hampton Court Palace.
I was lucky to make friends with people who understood and didn’t push when it wasn’t necessary.
In museums or tourist areas, I appreciated that we were able to spread out and separate a little bit so we wouldn’t be so crowded, and we could all individually find what we were searching for.
Socializing was a big part of the trip and I am now forever grateful that it happened to be that way. I was able to manage my anxieties on my own and, when I had trouble, had friends to help me. Because we were a close group, we were able to find ways to spend time together that weren’t overwhelming.
Scholars enjoy a break between museums to get to know each other better.
Going through the museums, looking at all of the artworks, I saw how certain media can be used and pushed. I noticed how different artists’ styles change over their years of experience. I realized I have spent all my time worrying about not being able to reach that level of expertise.
Now, I see that my peers can get there. I’ve watched them draw, paint and produce nonstop, and realize that the only way to get better is to throw myself into that wave. I must produce as much as I can. I want to make finished paintings that I’m proud of, to enter my art into more exhibitions and get more involved in the art world. I can’t wait until I am satisfied with myself to start expanding my world. If I did, I would never progress. I need to believe in myself and get out there.
I plan to. Try, try, try again until I am satisfied. If I’m never satisfied, that’s okay. I’ll know when it satisfies somebody else. I now have “art friends” to tell me.
Jacky’s sketch of fellow Scholar Thomas Andrade.
Sketch and notes about “The Swing” by Jean-Honoré Fragonard.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with the artists that I have, and to have had the chance of going to London. This experience will never be forgotten. I’d like to thank all of you at the Lund Foundation for seeing something in me I doubted I had.
I won’t make the mistake of doubting myself again. I will push myself and do my best to carry on Ed’s legacy.
Jacky is a studio art major studying drawing and painting at Fresno State. She plans to graduate in the spring of 2026. She also writes poetry.
>>> View some of Jacky’s’s work at her website, blackfoxartpoems.wixsite.com.
Reclining with a sphinx at Cleopatra’s Needle in Westminster
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