Student Spotlight

Inspiration:
I mostly start off painting, but by the end of each project I usually end up adding something along the lines of sculpture, in such forms as paper-mache, ratty old books, barbie legs, googlie-eyes, embroidery thread, granny panties....you get the picture.

I can never stick to just one medium, because they all fascinate me. I've never been much for digital, but after seeing everyone's fancy cameras here, I am intrigued.

Everything inspires me...the good, the bad, and the really really ugly...mostly the really really ugly.

Influence:
I've been "doing" art since I can remember. I entered art contests every year from preschool through middle school because it was the only thing that I found interest in.

I knew I wanted to be an artist ever since kindergarten when we had to write a paper (if you can even call it a paper when you are only five) about what we wanted to be when we grew up... I wrote that I wanted to be Salvador Dali and drew a giant mustache on my face with a permanent black marker. I was in trouble for the entire week because my teacher thought that the marker wouldn't wash off, but really I just kept drawing it back on.

Also my mom, she's the most amazing artist I have ever seen, books filled with art from Picasso, Dali, Matisse (and many many more) littered our bookshelves.

Current Projects:
I am currently building the Batmobile from the original Batman movie with Michael Keaton (not to be confused with the original batman series mobile). I am building this entirely out of cardboard, and I plan on it being life-size, big enough so I can dress up as Batman and chill in it. The project is for the foundations class I am in...with Marc...he rocks!

Outside of school I am painting daily, I sell my paintings on the street to pay for rent.

Hometown:
Well, I am from Seattle..woohoo... I'm such an adventurer. I was born and raised on Aurora (yeah that's right the ghetto strip). I was in Zimbabwe for a while, but I don't think that counts.

Why Cornish?
I've wanted to go to art school since forever-ago, and when I was 14 I started to sell my paintings on the street corner for ten bucks, and one day a woman said... "hey you should go to Cornish." I had never even heard of this Cornish, so I went and checked it out... when I found out it was an art school I flipped out, you don't even know what I did when I found out how much it was... haha... that was a little joke.

Experience:
Freaking awesome! I feel like a total dweebus nerd every time I even talk about school because I am in love with it. It is everything I hoped it would be and I honestly can't wait to get to class in the morning and don't want to leave when it's over. I've only been here for 4 weeks and everyone I have met is amazing. The faculty are so interactive and inspiring and all the other students are on the same level of enthusiasm... it just totally rocks.

Hobbies:
Ummm... I collect mannequin heads, well actually I found 20 of them in the dumpster and they are now a part of the family.

Okay my biggest secret hobby, which I've already pretty much revealed, I dumpster dive. It is the greatest experience ever, there are so many amazing things that people throw away- I just don't get it.

Along with the heads I've found:

An original Marilyn Monroe doll
Original x-men trading cards, still in plastic sleeves...for all of you fans there are 87 cards in total and I have 9 special edition including a rare wolverine.
Madonna Erotica tape
Hundreds of unopened bottles of wine
clothes
brand new shoes
day-old food
a top hat
a pink shirt that says "Jesus is my Homeboy"
my wonderful tabby cat

and so many other things that I can't remember right now

In 5 Years:
Doing art all day and night long. Renting out a studio that is really cheap and living in it. Forget apartments, they cost so much mulah... who needs a toilet anyways?

But really, I see myself living in a pile of artwork.

I eventually want to open up an art shelter, a place where anyone can come and do art for free. Kind of like an art therapy thing, only not just for people with a lot of money, but mostly for people who don't have any at all. I want it to also be a homeless shelter, so people can actually live at this place too. Basically just a giant house with thousands of different art supplies and instruments and rooms for people to sleep in.

Advice:
It's challenging, put all of yourself into it, it's not just for people who "think" they want it. Also, don't come in thinking you have to be perfect - it's a school, you're here to learn. Oh, and it kicks total ass.

Process:
Get your hands in deep, feel your art with every part of your body, let every sensation you've ever connected with emerge through your pieces. Don't hold back and don't erase, art is like poetry - it doesn't have to rhyme to paint a picture in your mind. Haha, that rhymed and sounded corny. I'm done, because I have retreated into making grandpa jokes.