Elissa Bardhi and was born in Brooklyn, NY and grew up on Long Island. Throughout her entire life she was addicted to drawing. Her art covered the walls of her family’s Brooklyn apartment. When she started high school she was introduced to one of the most influential teachers of her life. It was due to Mr. Ryan that she was able to reach her full potential and capabilities as an artist. Once she was introduced to oil painting, she never looked back; he taught her everything she knows. As a junior in high school, her painting, udhetim, was accepted to the Long Island’s Best Young Artists exhibition, at the Heckscher Museum of Art. Since then, she has always been interested in the composition of faces and facial expressions; her art was specifically concentrated on the depiction of her family members. It was not until UVA that she strayed from her realism roots and was introduced to abstract art. Here, she has also been exposed to digital media art and has broadened her traditional perspective of art in countless ways. Additionally, she is training to be a Student Docent at the Fralin Museum of Art at UVa. As a Miller Arts Scholar, she hopes to continue to explore all the different forms of art while still hoping to return to her passion of oil portraits one day.