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My first art set
My aunt got me a deluxe art kit for Christmas one year. I carried this with me everywhere. The amount of times I tried drawing the Bernstain Bears was insane. This has always been one of my favoirte gifts, and one of my biggest inspirations for becoming an artist. -
Butler Art Musuem Tour
I remember that it was a brisk March morning. I stepped off the bus, and entered this local museum in Youngstown, Ohio. Whether the teachers were there or not for the field trip, I still wouldn't have touched the paintings. I stood there in awe and realized the connection that art had in my heart. I think this was one of the major events that led me to appreciate art. -
My first high school art class
I take my first art class - photography. I met Mr. Cliff through this class, as he shared a room with my photo teacher. This was the beginning of our smalls talks that led to our great friendship. On top of that, it was the start of my realization that art has many mediums, and there is bound to be one that is right for me. I still enjoy photography to this day, and I usually incorperate both graphic design and my photography together. -
Recieved a Pentax KX for my birthday
This was my first DSLR camera, and I'm so happy I had it. This camera was able to teach me many of the basics for photography, and I could also use the images it took for graphic design projects. This is one of the major tools when it comes to art. For me, I feel lost if I am an an event without it. -
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Banksy is one of the most popular graffiti artists out right now. During 2010 he relased a movie called Exit Through the Giftshop. This is a movie all about the current street art scene. It's a documentary that talks about multiple famous graffiti artists. Not only did I enjoy the movie, but I also looked up many of the artists in the film. I studied their work as best as I could in hopes that I could some day create art like they did. -
Adobe Photoshop CS5
This program came out on April 12th, and I fortunately was able to recieve a free copy. This program has helped me so much in finding out my role as an artist. To this day I can still sit down and monkey around on it, only to realize that time has flown by. This is my best medium to work with when it comes to making art, and it was the version of Photoshop that I learned on. -
Photojournalist for the school paper
During my years at the high school, I applied to be the photographer for the school paper. I found this to be a very rewarding experience, mainly because it was an eye opener for me. I realized that I could have the job I've always wanted with the hobby I really love as well. This whole time period was amazing. It influenced how I looked at art careers outside of high school. -
My First Graphics Design Class
This was my first actual class with Mr. Cliff. I acquired my foundation for art through this class. I learned simple techniques that I otherwise probably would've been clueless about. If I never decided to take this class, I would've lost the dream of art. This class was so essential on not only helping me find a passion, but also building my self confidence. I would be a completely different person if I never took this class. -
The Caribou Sticker
I made these stickers in my freetime and showed them to Mr. Cliff. These stickers won me a competition. The competition was to display our sticker somewhere across town, and if you saw the other persons first, you lost. I put one on the door of Caribou Coffee, knowing that hundreds of people go there everyday. Through that competition, I learned strategic art placement when it comes to graffiti. -
The Art Show
I put my heart out there, each piece was like my child. Every parent thinks their child is adorable, but I've seen some ugly children. The art show was my first time I really tested my abilities as an artist. Reception can either make or break a person, and I was clenching my jaw throughout the entire day. So when I recieved multiple first place awards for my pieces, I couldn't believe it. -
Scholastic Award
I entered this self portrait assignment to Scholastics my senior year. I wasn't in a class, but I did it in my free time. I entered this because the submission deadline for the art show was far away and I figured I would take a chance at a big competition. My piece was recognized nationally, and I was over the moon. I really started to understand that I had learned the ropes quite successfully, and I could finally be proud of myself.
