Hello everyone! Welcome back to another lovely student spotlight! This week, I have an artist that has continued to create out-of-this world pieces, every time I see their work in class. Their artwork always has this sense of grandiosity to it, and I always feel fully immersed when viewing their masterpieces. Truly an amazing artist with a penchant for the fantastical, I am more than pleased to present . . .

Kaitlyn Kenney

I am majoring in Art because…

Art is something that I’ve always gravitated towards throughout my life. It’s been my refuge and my greatest obstacle. To be entirely honest, I wasn’t planning on pursuing art as a career when I first entered college because I never thought I’d ever amount to anything in the great big art world. As time went on, I realized it was truly something I couldn’t live without, and a professor of mine told me freshman year, “Do what you love, if you don’t take the chance now you’ll live with regret.” I took that to heart and decided I wanted to live a life that would make me happy, in spite of the obstacles I’ll face. 

The kinds of things that inspire me are…

2D animated movies and stories with themes of fantasy. As a kid, I’ve always enjoyed movies like Brother Bear, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole. I also always feel a jolt of inspiration and excitement upon seeing my peers’ work, especially those in my graduating class. It makes me proud to see how far they’ve come and inspires me to work harder. 

My favorite art class so far was…

definitely Character Design and General Illustration II! Both classes made me push myself to explore different styles and think outside of the box when it comes to designing and rendering a character.

When I am not in class…

I’m usually hanging with my besties, Oliver, and Jess! We’ll stop at cafes and draw, or we’ll play video games together.

The coolest thing I have done at Marywood so far was…

working in Children’s Book Illustration and creating my own take on Little Red Riding Hood. It was a great experience that taught me how to plan, draft, and finish a book from start to finish. 

When I graduate…

to be honest, I kind of plan on just exploring the industry as an entry-level artist and getting my feet wet, so to speak. I’m excited for this new change in my life and can’t wait to see what it brings me. 

I would recommend the Art program at Marywood because…

the professors in the Art department want the best for you. Two professors who stand out to me are Ky Betts and Vince Bonavoglia. Both of these professors have provided such great insight into what would be expected of a professional to provide in the industry, and also encouraged students to create work that would be catered to what they plan on doing in the future. Neither professor has shied away from giving good criticism, and keeping a good balance of not overwhelming their students, but still pushing them to excel in their craft. If you are taking art classes at Marywood, I highly recommend working with these two!

What excites me most about Art is…

seeing how one thinks in a creative sense. I met so many artists who have created pieces I couldn’t even fathom. It always amazes me how intertwined storytelling and illustration are, as well as being able to connect the symbolism that exists within a piece. Art is truly something I can never tire of. 

What keeps you motivated to continue with art when projects get difficult?

I always just think about my childhood self. When I was younger I used to get upset that I could never create what I saw in my head because of my lackluster skills. So when it gets difficult, I kind of just tell myself that younger me would have loved to create a piece that I’ve made now. 

“I kind of just tell myself that younger me would have loved to create a piece that I’ve made now”

If you were any kind of art tool or medium, what would you be, and why?

I was kind of stumped on this, so I consulted a friend. They said I’d most likely be a drawing tablet because it’s organized, always on the move, and I like watching YouTube when I draw.

How do you know when you have finished a piece? Do you think art is ever really finished?

To me, I don’t think there is really a “finished” state of a piece. Any time I look at a piece I’ve worked on, I always have thoughts like “Oh, I should add this,” “I should do that,” so a piece is always something I’ll want to go back to!

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It is times like these where I wish the internet could give a standing ovation of applause! I mean, c’mon, Kaitlyn’s work is absolutely phenomenal! I was first taken away by their piece “Distant Lands” in our shared Digital Illustration class, and I have only continued to be blown away by each new piece that they bring to the table. When Kaitlyn shared with me their Treasure Planet piece, my jaw nearly fell to the floor. For anyone who knows me personally, Treasure Planet so happens to be my favorite movie of all time. As a fan who has scoured the internet for years, looking for the best Treasure Planet fan art, Kaitlyn’s piece is blows the competition away. Genuinely, this fanart of Kaitlyn’s is the best I have ever laid eyes on. Looking at their work, I itch to pick up my own tablet and work on my own Treasure Planet artwork! I was thrilled beyond belief to be able to highlight such a talented artist, and to be able to experience such an amazing work from one of my own favorite movies.

In general, I am left speechless by Kaitlyn’s pure skill and talent. Their handle on texture, color, and mood is stunning, and Kaitlyn is a master of illustration. Their attitude towards art in general, especially their perspective of what the younger version of them would think of their art, is refreshing and inspiring. I am beyond excited to see what Kaitlyn achieves, both while at Marywood University, and after graduation. They will truly succeed in everything they do!

I hope you all have enjoyed this short introduction to the wonderful Kaitlyn Kenney! Stay tuned for more student spotlights!

Happy Spring!

-Rebecca Prowse