SOLVED. Older YA novel about an artistic girl with an absent father/abusive mother [s]

[Heather]

Hi, all. I'm looking for a book that I read in junior high. My details on it are a little fuzzy, but here we go:

The book is a YA contemporary novel that I read circa 1995, but the library copy was already a little battered so it may have been published well before then. The story is about a girl whose father has just left their family. Her mother is verbally/emotionally abusive, and she's not doing well in school except in art class. She draws a picture of herself in cowboy clothes, but at the last minute, erases half the picture. Her art teacher sees that as a cry for help and gets the guidance counselor involved.

Any help would be appreciated!

EDIT: I've found the book!

[Diana]

What was it? It sounds good!

[Heather]

I tried adding this book three times yesterday. Let's see if it really saves this time .....

It was Ask Me Something Easy by Natalie Honeycutt

[Kris]

Ask Me Something Easy by Natalie Honeycutt for the link.