Students filed down the library staircase, greeting each newly showcased piece of art with “oohs” and “awes.” Artist Sophie Brunner (‘26) could barely talk to everyone, all so eager to congratulate her on all her hard work.
The newest Bishop’s senior art exhibition opened on Wednesday, January 14th, with a reception that afternoon. Sophie’s hyperrealistic artistic style, combined with her unwavering determination, led to a distinct buzz around the event.
Throughout high school, Sophie has always kept a similar process to finish a canvas from an idea. “I still try to keep everything connected so the pieces feel like they belong together,” she commented.
Sophie said, “I usually find a reference image that interests me, often a photograph. Next, I create grids for all my pieces because it makes things easier. Then, I’ll sketch the base layer and slowly build up the painting from there.”
Sophie’s primary changes have come in her subject matter. Each year, she’s explored different themes, and this year, “she intends to paint parts of San Diego,” noted twin sister Maia Brunner (‘26).
As of recently, Sophie’s been developing different techniques to continue improving. Ms. Wepsic introduced her to German, Gerhard Richter’s style. “He paints hyperrealistic images and then blurs them, so they resemble photographs but are in fact paintings. You can see that influence in Sophie’s work now — areas that are intentionally blurred after being rendered very realistic,” added Ms. Wepsic.
With such a process, each piece can take months to finish. That’s what impressed Ms. Wepsic: “her dedication to painting and achieving realism is really admirable. Where many students might stop and move on, she keeps on working on pieces until she’s truly satisfied.” But even then, it isn’t enough
Some of Sophie’s most intricate pieces, in her eyes, have just begun. Others she recreated until perfection. Sophie said, “I’ve actually done the same painting of my sister over the years. I usually remake it rather than keep the old version.”
But with Sophie’s delicate process comes difficulties. “The most difficult part is the middle of a piece, when I’m not sure how it’s going to turn out. It really takes trusting the process and hoping it works out in the end.” To cope with these difficulties, “for more recent pieces, I usually work on several at once, and rotate between them because I get bored easily,” she joked.
Ms. Wepsic was very impressed with Sophie’s patience. She explained, “What stands out most [about Sophie] is her commitment. Talent alone doesn’t mean much if there’s no dedication, and Sophie absolutely follows through.”
For many of Sophie’s closest friends, the event was a perfect celebration. “It’s the first time I’ve really seen her work displayed around the school, so it’s amazing to see what she’s capable of,” noted long-time friend Sydney Mafong (‘26). “I’m just really proud because I know her personally, and it’s so cool seeing what she’s put out as a senior now.”
Unfortunately, the celebration comes to an end on February 20th, but that won’t deter Sophie. Looking forward, she’s doing an independent study with Ms. Wepsic, striving to continue improving and refining the little things.
