"I've always been so excited when it comes to life," she said. "And that's why I always focus on the eyes." She said she has always loved drawing people, and she often paints people that she admires.

Her next goal is to present Oprah Winfrey with a painting that she has done of her with an African child. She also does paintings of her family and does commissioned work.

As for her career, Bornemeier is unsure where life will take her but hopes to always be in a classroom.

"My students teach me just as much as I teach them," she said.

Her advice to her students at the Ogden Blue Art School, and to other artists advancing their careers, is to ask for help. She believes that she is just an average individual who got a push because she set a goal, and she encourages others to do the same.

"It's hard to do it by yourself," she said. "You have to be humble and ask for help. I could never have met the president without Orrin Hatch."

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E-mail: nandrews@desnews.com