Heard's degree painted with broad strokes

Stephanie Gross

Charles Heard's self-portrait of himself as a boy.

By Charlotte Crystal

Students' decisions about their majors sometimes occur by process of elimination. Charles Erwin Heard, for example, dabbled in a number of studies at U.Va. before selecting his desired subject.

Recruited as a place kicker for the football team, Heard entered U.Va. as a pre-med major. By the end of his first year, he realized he didn't want to pursue either career.

His second year, he enrolled in economics and loved Professor Elzinga's classes. That ended up being his major, but still he sought a more creative outlet.

His third and fourth years, he took a number of art courses and spent a lot of time painting, especially oils and acrylics. (One of his works will be featured on the back cover of the December issue of the Virginia Literary Review.)

Last summer, Heard tested his talents in the real world, working for an architecture firm where he did graphic design and for an advertising agency in Orlando. He loved both internships. The Florida native also likes music and currently plays banjo, guitar and electric bass with the Wrinkle Neck Mules, a local bluegrass band made up mostly of U.Va. students.

This weekend, Heard will receive his bachelor's degree in economics, with a minor in art. He plans to pursue his M.F.A. starting this fall at the University of Central Florida, after which he hopes to paint professionally. He wants to capture his home state on canvas -- the people, the animals, the landscape, the Everglades and Miami¹s high-life.