Oil & Canvas

At the very beginning of my undergrad journey into the art world, I was unaware of my potential as an artist. The art life outside of a limiting high school art class seemed impossible. I had doubted all advice from those close to me who were encouraging me to pursue the passion I had known throughout my childhood and young adulthood, art. I questioned my ability to grow. How could a career in art ever be professionally possible? I could not see beyond the classroom door.

During my second semester of college I had become overwhelmed with a major that brought me no joy or possibilities of growth. I was challenged academically but without constructive criticism or plausible solution. Stress and self-doubt plastered themselves to my dorm room walls, bringing me to a heavy conversation with myself that I had pushed away for years.

The one light that was keeping me sane, connected, and determined to explore was this prerequisite drawing class I was taking. It was the basics of the basics. Yet, I had never learned that way. My experience in that high school art class was painting cigar boxes and other craft work, I did not know ellipses or still-life models. My professor encouraged experimentation and free reign in our work. This was where those years of my parents’ advice to pursue something bigger than myself finally clicked. The professors I encountered encouraged and cared about me. This was where art saved my career and I felt that God had restored my soul.

Two weeks before that semester ended, I changed my history major and declared art as my major. I never looked back. The Art Department at Westmont College would soon become like family. The relationships and community there would grow, challenge, and strengthen me as a young artist and the character of my person. I continue to use the tools I gathered then in my work today. I am grateful for a faculty of excellence that invests in their students and continue to stay connected with their alumni.