THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 26, 1995 TAG: 9511230208
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Close Up
SOURCE: Janelle LaBouve
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
Ledre Cofield's 8-by-5-foot painting, has been hanging on an exterior wall at Indian River High School since October, in full view of everyone who drives down Dunbarton Drive.
The 17-year-old resident of Oak Grove competed with five other Indian River seniors for the honor of painting the senior sign. He used colored pencils to sketch the original draft of his painting, incorporating Indian Rivers' school colors and ``Class of '95'' in large letters.
The school's mascot, an Indian brave, is pictured in a squatting position. The Indian, bare chested and as muscular as any Mr. America, fills the painting's foreground. He is wearing fringed boots and a leather loincloth imprinted with the initials I.R.
Standing quietly behind the fierce male, is a slender maiden with black braided hair. She is dressed in beige and holds a bow and arrow in her hand.
``I wanted to create something for everybody,'' Cofield said. ``In the past, the senior paintings have been mostly of males. I wanted to to promote some unity among students.''
The honor a lot to Cofield.
``I was excited,'' he said. ``It felt good to have my peers chose my picture.''
For 2 1/2 weeks, he spent most of each school day working with an air brush and acrylics. A fellow student, Scott Ritchie, helped.
When it comes to drawing, Cofield has never been half-hearted.
``It's something that comes natural to me, something I love to do,'' he said. ``I have been drawing since I was small, for as long as I can remember. My family encouraged me by always telling me how good I was doing, and they told me to keep drawing.''
Another example of his art placed second in the Chesapeake Public Schools art show for 1995.
``It was a scene of a little girl swinging from a homemade swing hanging from a tree limb,'' he said. ``In the tree, I drew in some ghosts in charcoal.''
Cofield hopes to attend Morgan State University in Baltimore, Md., to major in art education and later teach.
Full name: Ledre S. Cofield
Hometown: Chesapeake
Fond childhood memories: ``The summer before I went to kindergarten, my aunt taught me how to read and how to tie my shoes.''
Occupation: Senior at Indian River High School
Parents: Brian and Angela Watkins
Last book read: ``The Fire Next Time'' by James Baldwin
Favorite movie: ``School Daze''
Can't resist: ``Someone who is really in need of some help.''
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? ``Being so quiet.''
Favorite way to spend a day: ``Probably just being with my family.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by MORT FRYMAN
Cofield's painting at Indian River features an Indian brave and
maiden.
by CNB