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People across the country will admire Amira Black-Watson's drawing "Mountain Graphic" this year as part of the 2009 National Young Rembrandts Calendar.

Amira, 10, of Kernersville submitted her drawing for selection in the nationwide calendar after participating in a Young Rembrandts session at Sedge Garden Elementary in Kernersville last spring.

"I like to draw because it calms me," she said.

Her drawing features a lake with mountains and trees in the background. She used tools taught by Young Rembrandts, including using a guide to identify the middle of the picture.

Strokes of blue show the flow of the water and spots of white show rapids.

Amira pointed to some blades of grass, colored darker than the rest of the grass, drawn in the foreground. She explained this is to show that grass has different colors of green.

"She was one of my best students," said instructor Crystal Yarbrough. "She was very well mannered, very responsive to things I taught. You could tell she was very excited about doing it."

Yarbrough was impressed with Amira's focus and willingness to take her time to learn each new technique.

"She was one of the students that didn't finish when class was over. She continued to work on her art as her grandparent waited," Yarbrough recalled.

The 10-year-old likes to draw all kinds of pictures, especially calm ones. Sometimes she draws when she gets mad. "I draw a circle and make an angry face," she said, adding that she then throws it away.

Why wouldn't she keep it? "Because I'm not angry anymore," she said. "I'm calm."

"She loves to draw," said mother Candis Black. She said Young Rembrandts is a great program and recommends it for other children. "It was probably the most fun she's ever had after school."

Black believes the program has helped develop Amira's depth perception, which is displayed in "Mountain Graphic." "I like the colors in it and the depth -- the way she shows the water and the mountains in the distance."

Besides drawing, Amira dances. She attends the UNC School of the Arts as a member of the preparatory ballet program.

She's also active at Sedge Garden Elementary as an academically gifted student, serving as student body secretary and as a math Olympiad.

Black believes Amira has a passion for the arts partly because of her older brother. Olen Black, 18, is pursuing a degree in theater and dance at Wake Forest.

Drawing is a skill that can be learned, not necessarily a talent you're born with, said Marilyn Culp, owner of Young Rembrandts. The business' niche is drawing fundamentals, a basis for the visual arts.

"All kids draw. When they are little, it doesn't matter what they draw. If they draw a circle and two sticks, they can call it 'Mommy' and that's fine," Culp said.

But about age 8 or 9, children want to make their drawings look real.

"If they haven't learned the skill to make drawings look realistic, they assume they are not artistic."

Students then drop out of art completely. Young Rembrandts teaches children those skills to complement art education they receive in school. Then children "have the skill and confidence behind them to decide if they want to continue this or try something else," Culp said. "It makes everyone feel like they can participate if they want to."

Teachers or Parent-Teacher Organizations interested in starting a Young Rembrants program at their school can call Culp at 378-0487 or visit www.youngrembrandts.com

Contact E.A. Seagraves at 883-4422, ext. 241; or elizabeth.seagraves@news-record.com