As an artist, my focus is primarily creating pieces that bring joy to viewers. I have been creating art since I was young, but it was not until college that I discovered how much I value the creative process. Recently, I have been depicting what I imagine animals would do if they acted the way people do. For example, last semester I completed a series of works featuring a rabbit gardening, a bear fishing, two raccoons dancing, a mouse frosting a cake, an owl reading in a tree, and an opossum playing the banjo. I really enjoyed the process of coming up with those concepts because it challenged me to be creative while also encouraging me to be consistent in my themes, and I hope to create similar pieces in the future.
I aspire to be a children’s book illustrator, and I tend to experiment with more whimsical scenes and color palettes. I am most inspired by illustrators such as E.H Shepard and Jan Brett, both of whom do a fantastic job of creating drawings of animals with very human emotions. My preferred medium to work with is watercolor because I can work slowly to build layers and create dimension. My art is simplistic while still acknowledging the importance of maintaining childlike lightheartedness through adulthood. After beginning my experience in digital art last semester, I am excited to gain more skills and expand my knowledge. In previous classes, digital art was barely touched on, so I am grateful for the opportunity to focus on those mediums.